What is a plurisemiotic work in translation? - Qu'est-ce qu'un objet plurisémiotique en traduction ?

Abstract

In this part of the Introduction, I define what plurisemiotic practices are in translation. I first compare three related terms, namely 'multimodal', 'multimedia' and 'intersemiotic translation', within the history of Translation Studies, starting in the 1960s (Jakobson, Reiss, Snell-Hornby). The 2000s turn out to be an important caesura, not only from a theoretical point of view (publications by Kress and van Leuwen, Gambier and Gottlieb, later Kaindl), but also by the advent of audiovisual translation, quickly established as an archetype of multimodal translation. Following this observation of an important bias, I shift to plurisemiotic artistic practices that I call 'situated practices': they take place in public spaces, are intended for collective reception, make the translator visible, and promote inclusion and accessibility. In the light of examples borrowed from genres often considered minor (murals, mime, performance in sign language, popular music), I explain their stakes for translation and their methodological challenges for research.