ABSTRACT
Audiovisual translation studies has been experiencing a resurgence in interest in historical approaches since the early 2010s. This has followed a more general growing interest in translation history since the late 1990s. These developments require the researcher to look simultaneously at translation practices, technical processes and marketing strategies that are all intertwined, especially in the early years of film translation. We say ‘film translation’ here since this phrase is widely used in the pre-TV era, though as is explained elsewhere in this volume, a number of different terms have been used over the years. This chapter takes, broadly speaking, a chronological approach. It begins by looking at the translated intertitles and film explainers of the silent era. It goes on to look at the transition to sound, at the short-lived multilingual versions and then at the development of subtitling and dubbing. The question of translation into English and the cultural position of the ‘foreign film’ is briefly dealt with. The chapter ends by outlining current issues and new debates in film translation history, touching on a couple of significant methodological contributions in this area.
