Audiovisual Translation into Basque: The Dubbing Profession

Abstract

Dubbing has long been the most widely accepted translation practice in the Basque public TV chanel ETB. The article attemps to describe the craftsmanship behind dubbing by setting a general frame of reference for the practice analyzed. Hence, the origin of The Bas- que Broadcasting Corporation (EITB) or the founding and development of the first dubbing companies in the area are considered. The article aims to illustrate the different stages and organization of dubbing practices in the Basque Country. Likewise, the author sketches the idiosyncrasies of team work and tasks undertaken bay Basque dubbing professionals. The final part of the article deals with the pros and cons of dubbing vs. subtitling, and arguments often mentioned within existing literature are put forth. Rather than favoring one translation technique over another, the author argues in favor of a threefold scheme in the case of Basque productions. In that sense, the author maintains that subtitling, dubbing and the production of original versions in Basque language are all essential en the realm of Basque culture.