The translation of multimodal texts: challenges and theoretical approaches

This article introduces a thematic issue devoted to the translation of multimodal texts as well as some of the theoretical approaches used by researchers. It provides an overview of some of the most recent publications on the interaction between multimodality and translation as well as some of the challenges that both translators and researchers encounter when dealing with multimodal texts. Drawing on functional linguistics, Kress and van Leeuwen proposed a model of the analysis of 'visual grammar' that has been widely used in several disciplines, including Translation Studies. Some of the articles included in this thematic issue also draw on Kress and van Leeuwen's approach, while others explore the modes of the source texts (including films, opera, museum texts, comics, and video games) by considering linguistic, cultural, and technical aspects from various theoretical standpoints.