Why is it difficult to translate humor?

by Target Language Translation Services

- January 20 2022

We all like to laugh regardless of what language we speak. But what makes us laugh varies tremendously from person to person, language to language, and culture to culture. Humor is dependent upon the use of various aspects of language to achieve its purpose (e.g., puns, regionalisms, wordplay, double meanings and cultural meanings). These devices can make the literal translation of humor a joke in itself, not to mention a seemingly impossible challenge for the translator. Often, a phrase that’s humorous in one language doesn’t work when it’s translated into another.

The challenges of translating humor

Humor touches many areas of our lives. From entertainment to advertisements to business relationships. Because movies, products, video games, and educational tools can have a global reach, the translation of humor is often necessary.

Humor presents a challenge as cultural norms develop over time, shaped by factors such as history, the political climate, geography, and the weather. These norms leave their mark on a country’s humor. The things we find funny are therefore socially ingrained and will not necessarily be funny to a foreign person.

Therefore, anyone wishing to translate humor must consider the fact that a language represents a lot more than just words. The tone, the volume of the voices speaking, and body language all add an extra layer of meaning to what is being communicated. Latin American countries are known for being a lot more expressive with hand gestures than English-speaking countries. If the humor relies on a physical gesture that does not come naturally to an English translator, the joke will be lost in translation.

Wordplay is also challenging in translation as it utilizes techniques like spelling, alliterations, rhymes, slang, phonetics, and semantics. As a result, what works in one language can lose all meaning in another.

In an essay entitled A Pragmalinguistic Approach to Translating Humor, writer Leo Hickey wrote : “It’s a well-known fact that humour doesn’t travel well; it usually wilts across the shortest of spans, arriving unravelled, if not deceased, when moving from one language to another.”

Tips for Translating Humor

When translating humor that’s tied to a visual

Focus on finding something funny in your target language that includes the visual. Adapt the joke or wordplay to something that includes the imagery in some way, since the viewer won’t be able to ignore what they see.

When there’s a punchline

Time the punchline correctly so as not to ruin it for the audience. Remember that timing is everything in humor!

When there’s a cultural reference

Know who is the target audience and try to find an equivalent in the target culture that will resonate with them.

When there’s a pun or wordplay

You might need to transcreate this entirely, so think about something new that could preserve some of the essence of the original.

When the original joke is bad

Think about the author’s intention. Are they actually trying to make the audience laugh? Was the bad joke utilized on purpose to achieve some other comedic effect? Answering these questions will help determine if you should translate it into something funny or produce another “bad joke” in the target language.

This article is reprinted from TERRA TRANSLATIONS, Veille CFTTR and American Translators Association.

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