36.3520, Reviews: The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language into Spanish: José Javier Ávila-Cabrera (2025)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-36-3520. Wed Nov 19 2025. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 36.3520, Reviews: The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language into Spanish: José Javier Ávila-Cabrera (2025)

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Date: 19-Nov-2025
From: Laura Michele Callahan [Lcallahan at scu.edu]
Subject: Translation: José Javier Ávila-Cabrera (2025)


Book announced at https://linguistlist.org/issues/36-2399

Title: The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language into
Spanish
Subtitle: A Theoretical and Practical Guide
Publication Year: 2025

Publisher: Multilingual Matters
           http://www.multilingual-matters.com/
Book URL:
https://www.multilingual-matters.com/page/detail/?K=9781836681304

Author(s): José Javier Ávila-Cabrera

Reviewer: Laura Michele Callahan

SUMMARY
The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language into Spanish:
A Theoretical and Practical Guide was first published in 2023 and
released in paperback in 2025. The book has a brief Introduction,
followed by three more chapters. Each of these three chapters closes
with extensive exercises, and there is an answer key at the end of the
volume. At the front of the book is a list of abbreviations; in its
final pages are lists of films and TV series, web addresses,
references, and an index.
In Chapter 1, “Introduction”, the author describes the genesis of his
interest in Spanish subtitles in general, and in "offensive, taboo or
vulgar language” (p. 1) in particular. This is followed by an overview
of each of the remaining chapters.
In Chapter 2, “Audiovisual Translation”, we learn what practices are
included under the umbrella term Audiovisual Translation (AVT). Recent
decades have seen a great proliferation in the forms of media
requiring translation. Hence, AVT now includes “genuine subtitles”
(Díaz Cintas 2018) as well as, to name just one example among others,
“fundubs” (Chaume 2018), which use “creative translation” (p. 5) for
parody.
Ávila-Cabrera provides a comprehensive overview of the various
purposes for which subtitles may be used. For example, intralingual
subtitles may be provided for viewers who need help hearing or
understanding actors’ speech. Intralingual would also include
subtitling dialogue spoken in one variety of a language into another
variety of the same language. In this case, the language variety used
for the subtitles is often the so-called prestige variety, and, in
itself, the act  of subtitling can give rise to controversies.
The author also discusses deliberate changes to the content and
meaning of the source text (ST) that are made for purposes of
ideological manipulation and censorship. Chapter 2 closes with 20
exercises asking students of AVT to attempt subtitles for dialogue
from films such as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Inglourious
Basterds, among others.
In Chapter 3, “Offensive and Taboo Language”, Ávila-Cabrera provides
operational definitions for the terms ‘offensive’ and ‘taboo’ with
respect to language, noting that some words and phrases fall into both
categories. A taxonomy of offensive and taboo language is given,
showing subcategories within the two groups. For example, an insult
may be derogatory and therefore offensive, but it may not necessarily
contain taboo words or touch on taboo topics. This chapter delves deep
into the intricacies of taboo topics and taboo terms. These are not
always the same from language to language, a situation that
complicates the work of the subtitler. Barring any type of censorship,
the subtitler hopes to produce an impact on the TT reader similar to
that which a term has on the ST listener. AVT professionals must
therefore take into account not only linguistic but also cultural
differences. As the author observes, “[d]etermining the degree of
rudeness or vulgarity of the word/expression in question is a
difficult task, especially when looking for an equivalent idiomatic
expression in the TL [target language]” (p. 55).
In Chapter 4, “Model of Analysis for Offensive/Taboo Language”,
Ávila-Cabrera discusses subtitling strategies, such as, for example,
literal translation, the use of a more general term, and compensation.
Compensation refers to “making up for a translation loss in one
exchange by being more creative or adding something extra in another”
(Díaz Cintas & Remael 2021, p. 215, quoted on p. 76). These are just
some of the strategies available. Many have the same, rather
straight-forward, motivation: the need to conserve space in the
subtitles.
Ávila-Cabrera walks us through the application of the various
subtitling strategies, such as when the affective load of an offensive
or taboo word is either maintained in the TT, diminished, or
augmented. In some cases a taboo expression might be neutralized, and
to compensate for this, a taboo word appears elsewhere in the
subtitles in order to preserve the overall impact. The author notes an
interesting case of this, in which the juxtaposition of the f-word
with a religious term could “be very offensive for a Spanish audience
in Spain if translated faithfully” (p. 80). He further explains that
“[t]he subtitler chose to tone down the TT by just swearing to God,
which can also sound strong to religious people. This example could be
a case of self-censorship because the subtitler did not dare to be
fully faithful to the original because of the possible effect on the
audience. However, the subtitler included the term [...a scatological
reference] to transfer the verb in the ST [...the f-word] and then a
swearing to God, milder but still with taboo connotations” (p. 80).
Chapter 4 concludes with a section on research design, for students
and scholars who wish to carry out their own investigation. This
section is a practical guide to figuring out a research project’s
purpose(s), conceptual framework, research questions, methods, and
sampling procedures.
EVALUATION
The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language: A
Theoretical and Practical Guide is a slim, information-dense volume.
Its short length will make it attractive to instructors choosing texts
for undergraduate courses in translation. Graduate students and their
professors will find the section on research design (4.2, pp. 81-87)
especially useful.
The book’s organization adds to its effectiveness. The placement of
the List of Abbreviations at the front of the volume is optimal. The
main chapters’ division into subsections, with each one easily located
from the Table of Contents, helps the reader revisit and preview
information. The ancillary sections facilitate the quick location of
citations for films, TV series, books and articles, and websites.
The Answer Key, which occupies some 44 pages, is replete with examples
and detailed explanations for the book’s copious exercises. It should
be noted that although the book focuses on translation from English
into Spanish, the exercises could be used for teaching translation
into, and subtitling in, other languages.
The sections on ideological manipulation and censorship (Chapter 2)
promised to be of particular interest. The author focused on
censorship in the US, the UK, and Spain. Unfortunately, these sections
occasionally read like an annotated bibliography. This important data
might be better organized by censorship type rather than by a
historical timeline and list of academic studies on censorship for
each of the three countries. In addition, the final paragraph leaves
the reader wanting more: “...in Western societies, individuals may be
self-censored in exercising their opinions because of potential
retaliation from the mass media and academia” (p. 37). This statement
could bear some expansion and illustration with at least one or two
current examples.
This annotated bibliography style surfaces at various points in the
book, in which the organization of information study-by-study (as
opposed to by topic), occasionally leads to repetition.
AI is mentioned in the case of the South Korean TV series Squid Game,
which was reported to have used automatic translations that were later
edited, instead of contracting the services of professional
subtitlers. However, given that one of this book’s stated purposes is
didactic, it is surprising that there is not more mention of AI and
its impact on translation and the teaching of translation and
subtitling.
Notwithstanding these minor criticisms, The Challenge of Subtitling
Offensive and Taboo Language into Spanish represents a thorough study
of the problem named in its title. As stated above, the book will be
of particular interest as a teaching and learning resource.
Instructors and students of translation, and of course most especially
of subtitling, will find its content and exercises to be of great
relevance.
REFERENCES
Chaume, Frederic. 2018. Is audiovisual translation putting the concept
of translation up against the ropes? The Journal of Specialised
Translation. 30. 84-104.
Díaz Cintas, Jorge. 2018. ‘Subtitling’s a carnival’: New practices in
cyberspace. The Journal of Specialised Translation. 30. 127-149.
Díaz Cintas, Jorge & Aline Remael. 2021. Subtitling: Concepts and
Practices. New York: Routledge.
Inglourious Basterds. 2009. Quentin Tarantino. Universal Pictures, The
Weinstein Company, A Band Apart, Zehnte Babelsberg, & Visiona
Romantica. USA & Germany.
Pulp Fiction. 1994. Quentin Tarantino. A Band Apart, Jersey Films, &
Miramax Films. USA.
Reservoir Dogs. 1992. Quentin Tarantino. Live Entertainment & Dog Eat
Dog Productions Inc. USA.
Squid Game. 2021. Hwang Dong-hyuk. Siren Pictures Inc. South Korea.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Laura Callahan has done Spanish<>English translation and
interpretation for a range of disciplines, and has taught a course in
English>Spanish translation. Her research includes publications on
codeswitching, and presentations on the use of Spanish in
English-language media. She has held academic positions in the public
university systems of California, Michigan, and New York, and in one
private institution in California.



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