---

The presence of video games in Iran is an undeniable fact but it has received little academic attention in Persian translation studies and no local research has examined fan translation of video games. This qualitative research, therefore, set out to describe translation of video games into Persian from a non-professional translation lens. The study examined the translation and subtitling of cut-scenes in a fan-video recording of the game Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. These cut-scenes were non-professionally subtitled and uploaded on Aparat.com to share with other Persian-speaking gamers. Initially, the paper presents the key literature on game localization and describes the status quo video games in Iran and non-professional translation. In the next section, the collected data were presented and analyzed at two levels of macro and micro. The interview results of the macro-level revealed the subtitler’s background information, aims and motivations. At the micro-level, the non-professional Persian subtitles of a five-hour video recording were analyzed in terms of translator’s visibility and agency as well as technical and linguistic issues. The findings suggested that the aim of this novice subtitler for volunteering to render the cut-scenes into Persian was to improve his command of English language and to pursue his interest in gaming. In other words, he was seeking cultural in addition to symbolic capital. Other results suggested the visibility and presence of the subtitler in the translation through the frequent use of glosses and explanations. Analysis of the subtitles at textual and technical levels showed that in multiple cases the generally recommended regulations in terms of time and space related constraints were not respected and mistranslation of idioms was frequent. It is hoped that the present article would provide sufficient inspiration for further research on fan translation.    
 

---

1. Introduction

Eye-tracking research on language, media and translation has gained ground over the last three decades. Due to their multi-semiotic nature, subtitles have been the subject of a number of eye-tracking studies. Many influential factors such as stylistic features, translation method, lexical frequency, etc. have been analyzed. However, there is still an exponential need for further research on this area, especially in the context of Persian language.

2. Research Objectives

This research aims to compare the attention given to function and content words in Persian subtitles by analyzing four eye-tracking data.

3. Research Questions

Is there any significant difference between attention allocation to function and content words in Persian subtitles in terms of four eye data (fixation duration, fixation number, first fixation duration and skipping)?

4. Research Hypothesis

H: Fixation duration, fixation number and first fixation duration are significantly larger for content words compared to function words, while the number of skipped function words is significantly higher compared to content words.

5. Method

Forty random participants (23 females and 17 males) participated in the study randomly. They had normal or corrected-to-normal vision. A written consent was obtained from the participants prior to the experiment. A scene of Elle was chosen as stimuli for the experiment. The subtitles were made by Subtitle Edit Software. SMI eye tracking device with a sampling rate of 60 Hz was used to collect the eye data after performing a three-point calibration. The areas of interest were determined and BeGaze software was used to extract the data. Finally, the eye data were examined in SPSS software.

6. Conclusion

The results of the test showed that there was a significant difference in attention allocation to lexical and functional words. The fixation duration, fixation number and first fixation duration were significantly larger for the content words compared to the function words, while the number of the skipped function words was significantly higher compared to the content words.
 

---

Since the 1970s, some countries have provided the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) viewers with the accessibility service of subtitling for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) to follow the law of equal rights. Screening of films with subtitles for DHH viewers in cinemas has been one of the media accessibility services in Iran. Due to the growing importance of media accessibility, audiovisual translation researchers have examined the effectiveness of conventional SDH procedures in recent years to bring this service closer to the needs and expectations of DHH. Following this approach, this study aims to analyze the textual procedures adopted in intralingual Persian SDH to see if they comply with the standards derived from other SDH studies. To this end, it firstly discusses the language skill of DHH to explain why textual procedures have been recurrent themes in SDH research, and then goes through the textual procedures suggested by SDH scholars as ways of facilitating reading process. Finally, it compares an intralingual Persian SDH with the original dialogue list in order to elicit the used textual procedures. The analysis indicates that the subtitle provider has completely edited and, as a result adapted the dialogue list in order to resolve any reading difficulty for the intended viewers. Reformulation and simplification rather than deletion have been the most recurrent textual procedures applied for editing out the dialogue list. In addition, the analysis reveals that non-metaphorical usage of language, explicitation, deletion of redundant spoken language phrases, definition of difficult words and expressions in parentheses, use of conventional thematic structures,
segmentation of long sentences, use of a proper name rather than a personal pronoun, and deletion of cohesive elements could be named as the applied textual procedures. Taking into account the results obtained from the previous SDH studies, this study concludes that the applied textual procedures mostly fail to comply with the fundamental principles of editing intralingual SDH and, as a result are unlikely to meet the preferences of the intended viewers.
 
 

---

Audiovisual translation is a thriving new area of research on a-century-old practice of an intercultural communication mode. Subtitling as one of the most popular forms of audiovisual translation has been practiced by professionals in various ways. Traditionally, subtitlers have been asked to individually carry out the linguistic transfer between languages, to decide the in and out times of subtitles on screen, as well as to carry out the simulation, revision and quality control of the subtitles; an obsolete attitude which may not be compatible with today’s real world facts and working conditions and demands. Subtitling has also gained a special attention by language teaching experts as a very useful educational tool with many benefits for foreign language learners, hence the importance of subtitling education development. The present article investigates the influence of subtitle training classroom experience on subtitler trainees’ attitude towards teamwork skills in subtitling practice. Considering the special time constraints of subtitling projects and the different skills required for this translation, the role of teamwork has been typically highlighted in such projects both at the professional and freelance levels. To study the current situation and the relationship between subtitling education and teamwork in the Iranian training setting, 167 male and female English translation students at undergraduate level were selected to contribute to this project. The participants attended a 5-month subtitler training program in the form of 6 separate classes to learn and improve their subtitling skills. The quasi-experimental research based on a pre-test post-test model was used to collect data on the students’ attitude about teamwork skills before the training and after they have attended the course and have completed three real market-based subtitling projects in teams. The reliability and validity of the self-designed questionnaire to study the translation students’ attitudes towards teamwork skills were statistically established using confirmatory factor analysis and scale reliability analysis. The results of the study are discussed in relation to the related literature.
 
 

---

Dubbing is the dominant medium of broadcasting foreign audiovisual products in Iran. In addition, various Iranian streaming services and film-sharing websites use dubbed AV products to increase their audience and client base. Considering the vast audience of dubbed products in Iran, the necessity to conduct Persian-language and local culture-based research on dubbing is imperative. Therefore, the present exploratory study aimed to investigate the considerations in selecting the voice and voice actors in the Persian dubbing of foreign films and series. Accordingly, the views of seven professional dubbing directors and voice actors were collected through several sessions of in-depth interviews. The collected qualitative data were analyzed using grounded theory procedures. In the end, the obtained data were divided into four main categories of selection according to the character’s specifications and characterization, the actor’s physical features, the role, and the dubbing director’s experiential considerations. Furthermore, the practical strategies of dubbing directors in dealing with the issue of accents were explored. The first solution was neutralizing the accent, but in case the accent played an important role in the characterization or plot development, manipulating the grammar, shift in word choice, subtitling, and using pseudo-language were the compensating strategies to represent the accent verbally.

1. Introduction
Audiovisual translation (AVT), has enjoyed the attention it deserves in recent years both by the academic and professionals. Audiovisual translation includes various forms and modes, but the major ones include dubbing, subtitling. Dubbing is the dominant mode of the rendition of foreign audiovisual products on the national television networks in Iran. In addition, various Iranian streaming services and film-sharing websites offer dubbed AV products to their audience members. Given the large audience for dubbed products in Iran and the numerous unknown aspects of it, it has become clear that more local research is necessary. As a result, the current exploratory study sought to investigate the factors considered in the selection of voice and voice actors for dubbing foreign films and series.
 
2. Literature Review
Prolific academic inquiries have been conducted to investigate the different dubbing-related issues in Iran (e.g., Ameri, Khoshsaligheh, & Khazaee Farid, 2018; Hejazi and Hamidi, 2019; Mehdizadkhani and Khoshsaligheh, 2018). However, as far as the authors are aware, the present study is the first attempt to shed light on the active role of agents involved in the dubbing process by studying the selection criteria of voice actors in Iran. The current research attempts to find out how Iranian dubbing directors select the suitable voice actors for the dubbing process. More systematic research on dubbing would ultimately result in drawing a fairly comprehensive picture of the dubbing process in Iran.
 
3. Methodology
The present research sets out to explore the under-researched area of voice actor selection in the Iranian dubbing industry. It focuses on the role of dubbing directors, more especially on how they select the voice actors. This research is worth investigation since the result will be informative for AVT translators and researchers, young dubbing directors, voice actors, and people who are interested in dubbing and AVT translation.  In so doing, the views of seven professional dubbing actors in Tehran were collected through several sessions of in-depth face-to-face interviews. Subsequently, the obtained qualitative data was analyzed using grounded theory procedures.
 
4. Results and Conclusion
The collected data was divided into four main categories of selection according to the character’s specifications and characterization, the actor’s physical features, the role, and the dubbing director’s experiential considerations. Additionally, the practical strategies of dubbing directors in dealing with the issue of accent were explored. The first solution was neutralizing the accent, but in case the accent played an important role in the characterization or plot development, manipulating the grammar, shift in word choice, subtitling, and using pseudo-language were the compensating strategies to represent the accent verbally. The present research serves to pave the way for conducting further research in non-translational aspects of dubbing in Iran, expanding the understanding of the dubbing process and the role of the agents involved.

---

It is becoming an established strategy to add humor in Persian subtitles even often when the original dialogue does not include the created or any other humor. This study measures the impact of this strategy on viewers’ attention allocation while reading subtitles. The eye movements of 32 participants were recorded while watching a humorous and non-humorous version of the same scene extracted from Superchondriac (Boon, 2014), a French comedy. The results show that there is a significant difference between attention allocation in the two versions, and the viewers’ attention to the subtitles with added humor is significantly larger than non-humorous subtitles. The interviews showed that some viewers liked the added humor because they thought it is funny and close to their cultural and ideological views. On the other hand, some of the participants opted for the non-humorous subtitles because they thought the added humor was distracting, confusing, at times offensive, and detached from the original culture.