Tóth József (szerk.): Nyelv, kultúra, megértés: új kutatási módszerek a humán tudományok területén
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2. Nyelvhasználat és interkulturalitás
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Dialects on screen. Display of dialectal significance in the series Poldark • Nóra Estélyi-Tala, Ildikó Hortobágyi
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4. A specific example: dialects in the Poldark series

4. A specific example: dialects in the Poldark series

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

A remake of the 1970s film series running between 2015–2019, originally based on the historical novel series (1945–2002) with the same title by Winston Graham, provides a great illustration of both the significance of and the challenges posed by dialects in their translation. The plot takes place in Cornwall, South-West England, and follows the lives of Ross Poldark, a British Army officer, his family, servants, and the miners and other inhabitants of the village. Due to the social and class differences between the characters, which is not simply portrayed, but even put in focus in the series, the dialectal differences are a primary tool to mark the social (sometimes even hierarchical) inequality between the characters.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Cornish has its roots in Britonnic Celtic language, and influenced by its roots, Cornish English has its own grammar and own colloquialisms (O’Neill, 2016). At the phonological level, Cornish accent is characterised by “its rhoticity, or rolling rrrrrs and fricatives, or consonant sounds, like ‘f’ and ‘s’ becoming ‘v’ and ‘z’” (Merrington, 2019). At the lexical level, a use of local expressions illustrates the local commoners’ origin, like stank meaning a walk, or chacking meaning thirsty; but also Cornish phrases like Wasson me cock? (What are you up to?), or Aright, my ’ansum? (How are you?) are used by the locals (BBC, 2017; Visit Cornwall, n. d.). There are also syntactic differences from the standard British English: VSO-order as opposed to the standard SVO-order (O’Neill calls them ‘reversals’), e.g. Her aunt brought she up, or non-standard use (or omission) of the definite article and prepositions (O’Neill, 2016).

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

In the series, the hierarchical abyss between the nobles and the commoners is strongly characterised by the difference in their accents. The actors playing the former ones speaking the Queen’s English, or a version very close to it, while the latter ones attempting to use the local Cornwall accent. (To what extent the actors manage to comply and how satisfied the viewers are with their performance has not been investigated yet.)

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

We must also consider that the series take place at the end of the 18th century, and therefore, dialects do not only mark the social difference between the characters but also serves as a form of alienation from the present-day audience, with archaic and non-standard forms. The female star, Eleanor Tomlinson (playing Demelza, a low-rank girl, daughter of a miner, who becomes first the servant, then the wife of the titular Ross Poldark) was specifically coached how to speak “properly” the accent Cornish commoners of the time would speak. “[S]he was determined to master the authentic 18th-century Cornish accent. […] [T]o cope with the salt and wind, locals would clench their jaws when they spoke – something she tried to emulate” (Furness, 2015). With the change of her social status, her accent also softens. “With Demelza’s accent, she never loses it but she tames it” (ibid.).

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

As we can see, the goals the dialects in the Poldark series serve are manifold. They are a tool for social, regional/spatial, as well as temporal distinction. Therefore, it is obvious that the translation of dialectal differences is essential in the process of dubbing (or even subbing) the film series.
 
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