Multimodal Pragmatics and Translation: A New Model for Source Text Analysis

Abstract

This book proposes a new model for the translation-oriented analysis of multimodal source texts. The author guides the reader through semiotics, multimodality, pragmatics and translation studies on a quest for the meaning-making mechanics of texts that combine images and words. She openly challenges the traditional view that sees translators focusing their attention mostly on the linguistic aspect of source material in their work. The central theoretical pivot around which the analytical model revolves is that multimodal texts communicate through individual images and linguistic units, as well as through the interaction among textual resources and the text's interaction with its context of reference. This three-dimensional view offers a holistic understanding of multimodal texts and their potential translation issues to help translators improve the way they communicate multimodally across languages and cultures. This book will appeal to researchers in the fields of translation studies, multimodality and pragmatics.