On January 7 and 8, Baker Center for Translation and Intercultural Studies successfully held a four-module multimodal workshop on translation and interpretation. Professor Luis Pérez-González, member of the academic committee of the Baker Center and translation expert of the University of Manchester, shared the development and latest trends of multimodality, as a theory and a method, in translation studies.

In the introduction module, basic theories of multimodality and its current research status was covered through the demonstration of several examples to show the practical application and the communicative purposes of multimodality.
In the second module, Professor Luis Pérez-González gave a detailed explanation of multimodality in translation studies. He analyzed relevant controversies, and clarified the two basic concepts of “multimodality” and “multimedia”. He then introduced the main research approaches such as structuralism and social semiotics through sub-concepts and case studies.
In the multimedia and audiovisual translation module, Professor Luis Pérez-González introduced the theories and application of subtitle translation with rich examples. With the advancement of technology (including the development of vision, recording and synthesis technology) in the digital age following the multimedia era, subtitle translation shows new characteristics of non-materialization, non-professional participation, changing audience demands and environment, nonlinear publication and consumption, and visible and interventional web culture. In this context, new problems are starting to arise: where should subtitles be placed, and when should subtitles pop up, etc. What is certain is that subtitles are no longer exclusively centered on dialogues, as the audience has the chance to play a more active role in the world of subtitling, which in turn contributes to the spreading of film and television works. At some point, subtitles have become a tool for building communities, as the professor illustrated through great examples such as news reports, street signboards, TV dramas or video websites like Bilibili. Professor Luis Pérez-González also summarized the three major changes in subtitle translation in the digital era: 1) ontological transformation from high relevance of target and source language to deconstruction; 2) the practice of interventional subtitles; 3) non-abidance of the authority of the original texts, as concerns are now focused on the dynamic relationship between subtitles and original texts, which is manifested in comments, extensions, and explanations.

In the final module of social semiotics, Professor Luis Pérez-González reflected on the value analysis framework of visual text information, including basic narrative and theoretical concepts, horizontal and vertical changes in information value, and the influence of the five dimensions of cultural definition in value analysis.
Both teachers and students in the workshop showed great interest in the lecture and actively exchanged their ideas with Professor Luis Pérez-González, who kindly responded to all the questions with helpful answers. With the end of this enriching workshop, we fully expect the 2019 Summer Seminar in July, which will be led by Luis Pérez-González and other experts.