Translating onomatopoeias: A comparison between European and Brazilian Portuguese in the translation of manga

Abstract

Today, Japanese comics, or manga, are one of the most famous types of comics in the world. However, its translation remains a relatively under-researched topic in the field of translation studies. The translation of onomatopoeia in manga, a distinctive and vital feature of the medium, presents difficulties both linguistically and graphically. Derived from the interaction between language and image, they are used to convey the sounds and circumstances of the story. Thus, considering that the Portuguese language has a very limited use of onomatopoeia, especially when compared to the Japanese language, the main purpose of this article is to identify and compare the main translation strategies adopted by Portuguese and Brazilian translators when dealing with this issue, as well as to determine whether the strategies used between the two differ significantly.

KEYWORDS: Japanese Comics; Manga Translation; Onomatopoeias; Translation Problems