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PALGRAVE STUDIES IN TRANSLATING AND INTERPRETING
SERIES EDITOR: MARGARET ROGERS

The Prosody
of Dubbed
Speech
Beyond the Character’s
Words

Sofía Sánchez-Mompeán
Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting

Series Editor
Margaret Rogers
School of Literature and Languages
University of Surrey
Guildford, UK
This series examines the crucial role which translation and interpret-
ing in their myriad forms play at all levels of communication in today’s
world, from the local to the global. Whilst this role is being increasingly
recognised in some quarters (for example, through European Union leg-
islation), in others it remains controversial for economic, political and
social reasons. The rapidly changing landscape of translation and inter-
preting practice is accompanied by equally challenging developments
in their academic study, often in an interdisciplinary framework and
increasingly reflecting commonalities between what were once consid-
ered to be separate disciplines. The books in this series address specific
issues in both translation and interpreting with the aim not only of
charting but also of shaping the discipline with respect to contemporary
practice and research.

More information about this series at

http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14574
 Sofía Sánchez-Mompeán

The Prosody
of Dubbed Speech
Beyond the Character’s Words
Sofía Sánchez-Mompeán
Department of Translation
and Interpreting
University of Murcia
Murcia, Spain

Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting

ISBN 978-3-030-35520-3 ISBN 978-3-030-35521-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35521-0

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2020

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether
the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse
of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and
transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by
similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt
from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this
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To Fran
 Acknowledgements

This book is an outgrowth of my great passion for dubbing, which

started several years ago when I first took the Audiovisual Translation
module in my 3rd year of degree at the University of Roehampton in
London. I continued indulging this passion two years later when I came
back to the same university to study the MA in Audiovisual Translation,
which turned out to be the beginning of a beautiful journey that culmi-
nated in a doctoral thesis. Looking back, I realise how important it is
to be surrounded by people who inspire you, who make you grow both
professionally and personally and who, even without their realising, fan
your flames every single day. I would like to express my most heartfelt
gratitude to all of them.
This journey would have definitely been so much difficult and less
rewarding if I had never crossed paths with Pablo Romero-Fresco,
sometime in 2009. His insightful mentorship, relentless support and
contagious enthusiasm have always been an inspiration to me. I feel
blessed he let me see audiovisual translation through his eyes. A very
special thank you goes to Frederic Chaume for sowing the seeds of my
love for dubbing and always sharing his endless knowledge generously
and passionately. I am deeply thankful to Irene Ranzato and Serenella

vii
viii      Acknowledgements

Zanotti for their wholehearted support and for making me feel at

home in Rome, where I wrote the last part of the monograph. I am
also indebted to a number of scholars and practitioners who, directly or
indirectly, have left their fingerprints on this book: Jorge Díaz Cintas,
Rocío Baños, Elena Di Giovanni, Anna Matamala, Giselle Spiteri
Miggiani, Juan José Martínez Sierra, Dan McIntyre, Marco Mete and
Rafael Monroy Casas. I would also like to thank the voice talents Ana
Serrano, Ricardo Escobar and Santi Aguirre for taking the time to share
with me the ins and outs of their gorgeous job. I am also grateful to all
my peers in the GALMA research group for easing up the pitfalls of our
academic path with joy and vocation. I feel also indebted to my editors,
Cathy Scott and Alice Green, and to the series editor, Margaret Rogers,
for their suggestions and substantial help throughout. My gratitude also
goes to the anonymous peer reviewers of this manuscript for their posi-
tive and valuable feedback.
The completion of this book would have not been so gratifying and
invigorating if my family had not navigated the ebb and flow of the
process with me. Credits are due to my parents and my three sisters for
being the bedrock of my life and always standing by me through thick
and thin. This is also to my grandparents for watching over me from
high above wherever I go.
Finally, this book is dedicated to all those who love the art
of dubbing and who are at least a little curious about
what these pages hold in store for them…
 Praise for The Prosody of Dubbed Speech

“An excellent example of solid scholarship, The Prosody of Dubbed

Speech: Beyond the Character’s Words constitutes a ground-breaking con-
tribution to dubbing, where Sofía Sánchez-Mompeán makes an impor-
tant and thought-provoking contribution to the language of dubbing
by examining non-verbal features that characterise dubbed speech.
Essential reading for those interested in dubbing and dubbese, the
author intelligently focuses on prosody, going beyond the traditionally-
researched use of awkward words and clumsy syntax that often feature
in dubbed productions. Based on an updated select bibliography, this
insightful volume reveals aspects on the language of dubbing not yet
revealed in typical research. It will soon become a must-read for practi-
tioners, researchers and lecturers in Audiovisual Translation.”
—Prof. Frederic Chaume,
Universitat Jaume I, Spain/University College London, UK

ix
x Praise for The Prosody of Dubbed Speech

“Published at a time when dubbing is enjoying a sweet revival in aca-

demic interest, The Prosody of Dubbed Speech: Beyond the Character’s
Words boldly goes where no other books have gone before and takes
the reader on an adventurous and rewarding voyage into the nonver-
bal dimension of speech and its communicative significance in dub-
bing. Rigorous, up-to-date and written in a most engaging prose, this
is a must-read for all interested in finding out about the intricacies
that make dubbing such an arresting and fascinating experience for the
audience.”
—Prof. Jorge Díaz-Cintas, Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS),
University College London, UK

“The Prosody of Dubbed Speech: Beyond the Character’s Words is a rigor-

ous, up-to-date and insightful book that carefully analyses the exciting
intersection of dubbing and prosody, where how characters say what
they say is often the key to understanding what they mean. This book
manages to shed light on concepts that are often mentioned in dubbing
but very rarely explored in detail, such as intonation, loudness, tempo,
rhythmicality and the impact that they have on the meaning of the
dubbed script and the viewers’ perception. Written in an engaging and
accessible style, this book is essential reading for practitioners, research-
ers and trainers in dubbing, as well as for anyone with an interest in the
nonverbal dimension of speech. A wonderful contribution by an excel-
lent young scholar.”
—Pablo Romero-Fresco, Ramón y Cajal Researcher,
Universidade de Vigo, Spain/Honorary Professor
in Translation and Filmmaking, University of Roehampton, UK
 Contents

1 Introduction: Unhiding the Art 1

References 10

2 Dubbing and Prosody at the Interface 19

2.1 Dubbing 19
2.1.1 The Art and Craft of Dubbing 20
2.1.2 The Shackles of a Skilful Practice 28
2.1.3 A Ninety-Year Journey 37
2.1.4 A Forethought in the Filmmaking Process 41
2.2 Prosody 44
2.2.1 Intonation 46
2.2.2 Loudness 50
2.2.3 Tempo 52
2.2.4 Rhythmicality 53
2.2.5 Speech Tension 56
2.3 Where Dubbing and Prosody Intersect 57
2.3.1 Comparing Dubbed and Spontaneous
Speech at the Prosodic Level 60
2.3.2 (De)Constructing Attitudinal Content 63

xi
xii Contents

2.3.3 Dubbing Prosody (Un)Naturally 68

References 74

3 Prosodically Speaking in Dubbing 89

3.1 The Study 89
3.1.1 A Proposed Model of Analysis 90
3.1.2 Measurable Variables 94
3.1.3 The Source Text 98
3.1.4 The Target Text 102
3.2 Prosodic Phenomena in Dubbed Dialogue 103
3.2.1 Dubbed Intonation 103
3.2.2 Dubbed Loudness 110
3.2.3 Dubbed Tempo 111
3.2.4 Dubbed Rhythmicality 115
3.2.5 Dubbed Tension 118
3.3 Regularities in Conveying Attitudinal Meaning 119
3.3.1 Level of Agreement 120
3.3.2 Level of Certainty 126
3.3.3 Level of Intensity 133
3.3.4 Other Considerations 140
3.4 Naturalness in Dubbed Prosody: Taking Stock 143
3.4.1 Naturalness on the Tightrope 144
3.4.2 Two Sides of the Same Coin 146
3.4.3 The Notion of “Dubbitis” 148
3.4.4 The Breach Between Dubbed and Non-dubbed
Oral Speech 150
References 153

4 Translating Beyond Words 161

4.1 Lost in Translation 161
4.2 A Tone Is Worth a Thousand Words 164
4.3 Words Never Walk Alone 172
References 185
 Contents     xiii

5 Pitch Perfect 189

5.1 The Effect of Dubbed Prosody on Audience Response 189
5.1.1 Linguistic Contrivances and Spectatorial
Comfort 190
5.1.2 Suspension of Prosodic Disbelief 193
5.2 A Matter of Conventions 195
5.2.1 A Heterogeneous Environment 196
5.2.2 Prosodic Rendition Scripted 200
5.3 Teaching and Training 204
5.4 Through the Lens of Dubbing Actors 210
References 217

6 Conclusions 225
References 229

Appendix: Quantitative Data 231

Index 235
 Abbreviations

AVT Audiovisual translation

BT Back translation
dB Decibels
DV Dubbed version
MA Media accessibility
OV Original version
SDH Subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing
ST Source text
TT Target text
TV Television
Wpm Words per minute

xv
 List of Figures

Fig. 2.1 Multilayered cyclic comprehension process (Adapted

from Culpeper 2001) 34
Fig. 2.2 Non-segmental layers of speech (Adapted from Crystal
1969) 45
Fig. 2.3 Pitch contours of the sentence Eso es mentira uttered
with different attitudes 67
Fig. 3.1 Audio file displayed with WASP (left) and Praat (right) 99
Fig. 3.2 Pitch contour of the exclamation “Bad lawyer!” and its
dubbed version 107
Fig. 3.3 Comparison of loudness in the question “Why are you
in our bed?” and its dubbed version 112
Fig. 3.4 Pitch contour of the wh-question “What if he asks
you out?” and its dubbed version 122
Fig. 3.5 Pitch contour of the statement “I don’t deserve
these delicious cupcakes” and its dubbed version 123
Fig. 3.6 Pitch contour of the statement “Our flight leaves
at 9 pm, not am” and its dubbed version 125
Fig. 3.7 Pitch contour of the wh-question “What makes
them jerk?” and its dubbed version 127
Fig. 3.8 Pitch contour of the yes/no question “Are you shocked?”
and its dubbed version 129
xvii
xviii      List of Figures

Fig. 3.9 Pitch contour of the question tag “You didn’t break
any laws, did you?” and its dubbed version 131
Fig. 3.10 Pitch contour of the exclamation “Oh, boy,
that was a crazy story!” and its dubbed version 132
Fig. 3.11 Pitch contour of the statement “They’re gonna
stop global warming” and its dubbed version 134
Fig. 3.12 Pitch contour of the wh-question “Where the hell
are we?” and its dubbed version 136
Fig. 3.13 Pitch contour of the command “Be sure to invite Stella”
and its dubbed version 138
Fig. 3.14 Pitch contour of the yes/no question “Another
care package?” and its dubbed version 139
Fig. 3.15 Pitch contour of the exclamation “There’s only point
eight miles to go!” and its dubbed version 141
Fig. 3.16 Comparison of loudness in the exclamation “There’s only
point eight miles to go!” and its dubbed version 142
Fig. 3.17 The written-spoken continuum at the prosodic level
(Adapted from Chaume 2012) 145
Fig. 4.1 Comparison of loudness in the exclamation “I can’t
believe this moment is finally here!” and its dubbed
version 175
Fig. 5.1 Processes encouraging the suspension of prosodic
disbelief 194
Fig. 5.2 Example of an extract of a film script marked
by the Spanish dubbing actress Ana Serrano (Some
fragments of the dubbed script have been intentionally
crossed out by the author for copyright reasons) 203
 List of Tables

Table 2.1 Scales of loudness 50

Table 2.2 Scales of tempo 52
Table 2.3 Variations in rhythmicality 54
Table 2.4 Degrees of speech tension 56
Table 3.1 List of phonetic symbols used in the study 96
Table 3.2 Elongation of sounds in the dubbed corpus 117
Table 5.1 Percentage of annotation types found in the script
received by dubbing actors 201
Table 5.2 Types of annotations dubbing actors write down
in the script 202
Table 5.3 Key factors when dubbing a character 213
Table 5.4 Important skills when dubbing a character 214
Table 5.5 Important requirements to become a dubbing actor 215
Table 5.6 Other questions concerning the dubbing session 215

xix
 1
Introduction: Unhiding the Art

Audiovisual translation (AVT) makes media content accessible to all

types of viewers by removing linguistic and sensory barriers through
interlingual, intralingual or intersemiotic translation. Regarded as an
“interdiscipline” (Díaz Cintas and Neves 2015: 2) due to its obvious
connection to other analogous disciplines such as film studies, linguistics
or cultural studies, AVT has become “one of the most vibrant and
vigorous fields within Translation Studies” (Díaz Cintas and Anderman
2009: 8) thanks to the wealth of publications,1 international conferences
and dedicated workshops and events that have definitely and decisively
propelled the field from the periphery to centre stage (Díaz Cintas and
Neves 2015). The coming of age of AVT has run parallel to the impact
of digital technology on the production and consumption of audiovisual
material, in which translation occupies a central role (Chaume 2018).
New developments have given viewers total control over the audiovi-
sual content they watch, deciding when, where and how to consume
audiovisual products, switching freely from one language to another and
between different AVT modes, and becoming (inter)active participants
in the media landscape by sharing, modifying and customising content.
Fast-changing technological methods, along with the “empowerment

© The Author(s) 2020 1

S. Sánchez-Mompeán, The Prosody of Dubbed Speech,
Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35521-0_1
2 S. Sánchez-Mompeán

of end users” (Di Giovanni and Gambier 2018: viii), certainly raise
interesting possibilities and bring real challenges to translation from the
point of view of observation and experimental research.
One of the most widespread and long-standing interlingual modal-
ities within AVT is dubbing, a form of revoicing2 where the original
soundtrack is substituted with a new aural track recorded in the tar-
get language. The source script is firstly translated, then adjusted and
finally voiced in the dubbing studio. The more coherent and cohesive
each one of these tasks is, the more unnoticed the linguistic and cul-
tural switch goes for the target audience. The need to conceal every
trace of the original aural text has led to the conception that “with dub-
bing the art is to hide the art” (Kilborn 1993: 645). Perhaps as a direct
reflection of this account, dubbing has lacked recognition and visibil-
ity from both an academic and professional perspective for many years
now. Even though interest in dubbing develops at a slow pace and “re-
mains stubbornly low” (Díaz Cintas 2015: xiii), especially if compared
with other flourishing AVT modes such as subtitling/captioning, promis-
ing paths have recently been followed in terms of research and practice,
particularly within dubbing countries (Di Giovanni 2018). Consider-
able strides, for instance, have been made in reception-centred research,
where several authors have started to explore how dubbing can shape the
audiences’ viewing experience and their perception to dubbed content
(see Perego et al. 2015, 2016, 2018; Matamala et al. 2017; Ameri and
Khoshsaligheh 2018; Ameri et al. 2018; Di Giovanni 2018). Other dom-
inant dubbing-related topics that seem to have resurged over the past few
years are censorial and ideological works, including taboo language, pol-
itics, race, age, gender, gayspeak and self-censorship (see Ranzato 2012,
2015, 2017; Parini 2014; Mereu 2016a, b; Sandrelli 2016; Zanotti 2016;
Giampieri 2017, 2018; Martínez Sierra 2017; Díaz Cintas 2018). The
dubbing of multilingual versions has also gained ground in academia
(see De Bonis 2014; De Higes-Andino 2014; Díaz Cintas 2014; Heiss
2014; Voellmer and Zabalbeascoa 2014; Zabalbeascoa and Corrius 2014;
Zabalbeascoa and Voellmer 2014; Monti 2016; Dore 2019; Magazzù
2019) and other groundbreaking studies such as non-professional dub-
bing or fandubbing (Chaume 2013; Nord et al. 2015; Baños 2019a),
fundubbing or parodic dubbing (Baños 2019a, b), redubs (Zanotti
 1 Introduction: Unhiding the Art 3

2015; Di Giovanni 2017; Di Giovanni and Zanotti 2019), dubbing

of videogames (Bernal-Merino 2014; Méndez 2015; Mejías-Climent
2018), archival research (Zanotti 2019a, b), eye-tracking experimental
research (Di Giovanni and Romero-Fresco 2019; Romero-Fresco 2020)
and first steps in the integration of dubbing into the filmmaking pro-
cess (Sánchez-Mompeán 2019a) are now breaking through in the cur-
rent audiovisual landscape. All these lines, which include transgressive
and creative forms of audiovisual material, draw a clear picture of how
this research field is evolving and foretell a promising future ahead.
Dubbing has been categorised as a type of isosemiotic translation
(Gottlieb 2005), which means that the information contained in both
the original and dubbed versions is transmitted through the same semi-
otic channel. Transferring the semiotic load from one language into
another requires synchrony between the source text (ST) and the tar-
get text (TT) at different levels: verbal auditory (dialogues), non-verbal3
auditory (prosodic, paralinguistic as well as extra- or non-linguistic signs
and soundtrack) and non-verbal visual (images). The specificity of this
audiovisual mode, which “unlike narrative, is ultimately produced in
the audio-oral medium and, unlike theatre, is irreversibly bound to a
fixed, represented context” (Freddi and Pavesi 2009: 1), and the dif-
ficulties it poses for translation have always sparked scholarly interest,
bringing both the language of dubbing and linguistic approaches into
the core of academic research. Over the past few years, special atten-
tion has been placed on the translation of demonstratives, interroga-
tives, discourse markers, interjections, adverbial intensifiers, phrasal verbs
or semantic loans, amongst others (see Baños 2013; Valentini 2013;
Freddi and Malagori 2014; Ghia 2014; Minutella and Pulcini 2014;
Calvo 2015; Minutella 2015; Pavesi 2015, 2016; Zamora and Alessandro
2016) and different correlations have been observed between the lan-
guage used in translated and non-translated dialogue. As explained by
Pavesi (2013: 104), the dubbed version is characterised by the combined
presence of linguistic units giving the impression of spontaneity, labelled
as “privileged carriers of orality”, and features that relate dubbed speech
directly to film language. The alignment between translated dialogue and
naturally occurring conversation, however, has only been established on
the verbal side, that is, strictly on the basis of what characters say. The
4 S. Sánchez-Mompeán

non-verbal dimension of speech, paramount in dubbing by virtue of its

oral nature and yet very often relegated to the sidelines (Pérez-González
2014; Bruti and Zanotti 2017), is still awaiting further investigation.
To bridge this long-standing gap the present book extends the scope
of analysis beyond the verbal by bringing the way characters say what
they say into the limelight. This approach is materialised in the fruitful
intersection between two core disciplines, namely AVT and linguistics, or
more specifically, dubbing and prosody, thus building an interface that,
in Zanotti and Ranzato’s (2019: 174) view, represents “a positive cross-
contamination of disciplines”. How we say what we say is as important
as what we actually say and very often the non-verbal accompaniment
holds the key to deciphering or understanding correctly the verbal con-
tent of utterances (Prieto and Rigau 2007). Verbal and non-verbal input
can reinforce each other or contradict each other. Within the non-verbal
auditory channel, prosodic information is an intrinsic component of lan-
guages in spoken discourse that carries attitudinal, syntactic or pragmatic
meaning, facilitates both expression and comprehension, and enriches
the verbal message. In an AVT mode such as dubbing, these features
become especially relevant to and exert a considerable impact on the
different stages of the dubbing process, particularly, as will be argued
throughout the pages of this book, on translation (and dialogue writing)
and on revoicing (i.e., dubbed performances).
Despite the obvious need “to incorporate this field into the multidisci-
plinary study of translation as well as in its practice” (Mateo 2014: 114),
this subject area still remains virtually unexplored. Some exceptions
are Solé (1989) and Mateo (2014), whose studies, founded on literary
grounds, have delved into the bearing of intonation on translation, and
Pettorino and Vitagliano (2003), who have focused on speech tempo
to assess naturalness in Italian dubbing. If compared to the meagre
literature available in AVT studies, prosody enjoys more popularity
within the boundaries of linguistics. However, few attempts have been
made to investigate prosodic traits within the audiovisual context, with
the exceptions of linguists such as Mompeán González and Monroy
Casas (2010) and Komar (2013), who have dug into the role of tones in
TV commercials.
 1 Introduction: Unhiding the Art 5

This book intends to unhide the art of dubbing prosody not only
from the standpoint of research but also from a practical perspective.
Professionally speaking, both the potentialities and intricacies of prosody
and its influence on decision-making and problem-solving when trans-
lating and dubbing an audiovisual text tend to be almost unknown to
practitioners working in the dubbing industry. Becoming aware of how
prosodic content can affect the production and interpretation of mean-
ing as well as how linguistic systems can constrain prosodic structures
help professionals to decide “what is worth saying, and how best to say
it” (Chesterman 2002: 23). A high level of sensitivity to the trends and
norms that are prevalent in the target language is, according to Mateo
(2014: 131), a necessary step towards the production of “successful trans-
lations” and the natural delivery of the dialogue. She takes intonation
as an example. Whereas the English language is extraordinarily flexible
in terms of intonation and resorts to this suprasegmental trait to con-
vey a wide variety of meanings, other syntactic alternatives such as word
order or a change in the lexical repertoire is sometimes favoured in Span-
ish in order to reflect the content transmitted intonationally in English.
For instance, a sentence such as “She came to hear about it” can have
two distinct meanings in English depending on how the utterance is
divided into chunks and where the nuclear tone is placed by the speaker
(Tench 2009). If an intonation break is located after the verb “came”
and there are two different clauses (with two different nuclear tones),
what the speaker means is that she came deliberately to hear about it.
However, if there is only one nuclear tone and no break, the addresser
implies that she heard about it by chance. Since intonation, and more
specifically pitch segmentation, becomes the key to disambiguating the
meaning intended by the speaker in every case, the translator will have
to pay attention to this prosodic cue and modify the translation accord-
ingly. Unlike in English, in Spanish this difference in meaning needs
to be made by changing both the syntactic structure of the utterance
and the lexical choice: Vino (expresamente) para escucharlo (if the origi-
nal sentence consists of two clauses and two nuclear tones) vs Lo escuchó
por casualidad (if there is just one clause and one nuclear tone in the
original utterance). Although the use of prosody in cases like this one
becomes paramount to interpreting and conveying the right meaning, it
6 S. Sánchez-Mompeán

is also worth mentioning that contextual factors alongside other infor-

mation delivered both paralinguistically and kinesically by the actors
can facilitate comprehension, parsing and the correct disambiguation of
sentences.
Example 1.1
English Spanish Back Translation (BT)
She came / to hear Vino (expresamente) She came (deliberately)
about it // para escucharlo. to hear about it.
She came to hear Lo escuchó por She heard about it by
about it // casualidad. chance.

Dubbed performances can also benefit from a practical understand-

ing of prosodic variation in spoken discourse. The way voice talents
deliver their lines has obvious implications for identity and character-
isation (Bosseaux 2018; Ranzato 2019), attitudinal and affective con-
tent (Cuevas Alonso 2017; Sánchez-Mompeán 2019b), interpretive and
deductive reasoning (Cuevas Alonso 2017) as well as for the credibil-
ity and naturalness of the final version (Chaume 2012; Bosseaux 2015;
Sánchez-Mompeán 2019c). Prosody also helps dubbing actors to suit
a particular fictional genre and makes it easier for the audience “to
revel and participate in the pleasure of performance and personifica-
tion” (Whittaker 2012: 303). How actors say what they say can make
the difference between an outstanding and a poor performance, between
a positive and a negative review or between a success and a failure,
thus becoming imperative in the movie-going experience (Kozloff 1999).
One of the principles underlying the Stanislavski method acting is that
actors need to mean more than what is set down on the paper to
improve a naturalistic performance and to preserve the audience’s cin-
ematic illusion (Gutekunst and Gillett 2014). They can fill their words
with life and expressiveness through prosodic, paralinguistic, kinetic or
proxemic accompaniment. Dubbing actors must thus extract this infor-
mation from the source version and transfer it into the target dialogue
by using the resources of their own languages and by taking into account
the norms governing their own linguistic systems. The prominent role
of prosody in the viewer’s perception (Bruti and Zanotti 2017) and
its bearing on the interpretation and construction of meaning certainly
 1 Introduction: Unhiding the Art 7

contribute “to the semiotic fabric of films” (Pérez-González 2014: 200)

and evinces, if only partially, the importance of bringing this promising
area into the spotlight in dubbing.
The purpose of this book is to offer insights into the intersection
between dubbing and prosody. Five prosodic correlates will attract our
attention here: intonation, loudness, tempo, rhythmicality and speech
tension. Although some of these features can be elicited by punctua-
tion marks (commas, question and exclamation marks, etc.) and inner
pauses in the written mode, prosodic variation becomes fully explicit in
spoken discourse. The prosodic characteristics of speech are at the same
time amongst the most universal and the most language-specific traits of
human language (Hirst et al. 2001). All languages are melodic in nature
and can be generally recognised by speakers by virtue of their prosodic
behaviour. Yet, the patterns used in one language do not necessarily have
to sound right and be understood if applied to a different language. In
fact, similar features can bear different meanings and similar meanings
can be expressed by different features. Such cross-language divergences
make prosodic content especially significant in terms of both translation
and revoicing.
This volume will become the first interdisciplinary work that focuses
exclusively on the characteristics of dubbed speech from a prosodic
standpoint and on the implications that intonation, loudness, tempo,
rhythmicality and tension exert over translation for dubbing. It covers a
wide range of topics directly related to this field, namely orality, natu-
ralness, characterisation, credibility, humour or the viewer’s perception,
amongst others. The following chapters will provide the reader with all
the necessary ingredients to understand the relevance of prosodic fea-
tures in spoken and dubbed discourse and to develop a comprehensive
framework that can be applied to the training and professional practice
of dubbing. The monograph is also designed to strike the right balance
between different degrees of specialisation, which means that it is inclu-
sive for readers who do not have expert prosodic knowledge as well as for
those specialists who wish to approach the topic from a different angle.
Equally, the present book intends to encourage practitioners to ponder
over the interpretation and production of prosodic cues and to raise their
awareness about other parts of the dubbing process.
8 S. Sánchez-Mompeán

In general, three main aims are pursued throughout the pages of this
volume:

• To offer a descriptive and practical monograph that takes stock of and

bridges the gap between two fields that have been poorly researched at
the interface.
• To examine dubbing and translation in prosodic terms and to explore
the most distinctive traits that typify dubbed dialogue at the prosodic
level.
• To produce an interdisciplinary and comprehensive work that tack-
les a range of prosodic-related topics of special interest for scholars
and practitioners alike, namely orality, naturalness, characterisation or
perception, amongst others.

Chapter 2 gives an in-depth overview of dubbing and prosody from a

twofold approach: as two autonomous and consolidated disciplines and
as two interrelated disciplines that interact in the construction of mean-
ing. It also offers the backdrop for Chapter 3, which explores and anal-
yses empirically the most distinctive traits typifying dubbed speech at
the prosodic level. A corpus-based study consisting of 12 episodes from
the US television (TV) sitcom How I Met Your Mother (Carter Bays and
Craig Thomas, 2005–2014) provides evidence-based support for under-
standing prosodic behaviour in dubbed speech and assessing the import
of intonation, loudness, tempo, rhythmicality and tension into attitudi-
nal content and (un)natural delivery. The translation of prosodic features
in dubbed speech is addressed in Chapter 4, which devotes attention to
potential translation difficulties and proposes alternatives and solutions
to deal with them. Key discussion topics related to the effect of dub-
bing prosody on audience response, current guidelines and professional
trends in the marketplace or aspects regarding the training and teach-
ing of prosody in the AVT classroom are covered in Chapter 5. Finally,
Chapter 6 pulls all the threads together by emphasising the most strik-
ing findings and suggesting future avenues of research that can encourage
further developments within this field.
Now that audiovisual products are travelling the world in multiple lan-
guages and dubbing is extending its global appeal even in non-dubbing
 1 Introduction: Unhiding the Art 9

countries motivated by streaming giants such as Netflix,4 issues about

quality and naturalness are giving a major cause for concern in everyday
practice (Goldsmith 2019). In this quest, prosody plays a pivotal role in
the oral and written rendition of dubbed dialogues and is an invaluable
tool for producing naturalistic performances and conveying the nuances
behind the characters’ words. The interest in its production and recep-
tion makes it necessary to find new paradigms that can cater to the needs
of the current fast-growing audiovisual industry. This book expects to
do full justice to a fascinating—and yet often-hidden—subject area that
brings prosodic features to the very core of dubbing research and prac-
tice.

Notes
1. The launch of The Journal of Audiovisual Translation (JAT), an interna-
tional journal dedicated exclusively to this field, is a major step forward
in this direction, as is the growing number of training programmes and
the incipient collaboration between AVT scholars and industry partners
in research projects.
2. Revoicing, as opposed to subtitling/captioning, is the umbrella term to
refer to both intralingual and interlingual post-synchronisation. Accord-
ing to Chaume (2012), the most popular revoicing types are dubbing,
partial dubbing, voice-over, free commentary, simultaneous and consec-
utive interpreting, audio description, audio subtitling, fandubbing and
fundubbing.
3. Some authors such as Nord (1997) and Ziem (2014) make a distinc-
tion between non-verbal elements (i.e., gestures, facial expression…) and
paraverbal elements (i.e., prosodic features, accents…).
4. As has been reported in Goldsmith (2019), many Netflix subscribers
in the US acknowledge to prefer watching international shows dubbed
rather than subtitled. Figures speak for themselves. The Danish series The
Rain (Jannik Tai Mosholt, Esben Toft Jacobsen and Christian Potalvino,
2018–ongoing) was watched with dubs by 85% of its English-speaking
viewers; 78% chose the dubbed version over the subtitled version of
10 S. Sánchez-Mompeán

the German series Dark (Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, 2017–ongo-
ing); and the Spanish show Money Heist (Álex Pina, 2017–ongoing) was
watched dubbed into English by 72% of native spectators.

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Another random document with
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sustained a very great loss by a violent and sudden flood, which
carried away the said mill, with a considerable quantity of paper,
materials and tools, with other things therein, whereby they were
reduced to great distress; and, therefore, recommending to such
persons as should be disposed to lend them aid, to give the sufferers
“relief and encouragement, in their needful and commendable
employment,” as they were “desirous to set up the paper-mill
again.”—This certificate is without date: but Mr. Penn was twice in
Pennsylvania. He first arrived in the year 1682, and returned to
England in 1684; his second arrival was in 1699, and he finally left
the province in 1701. It was probably during the latter period of his
residence in his proprietary-dominion, though, perhaps, in the first,
that the Germantown paper-mills were destroyed.

The William Rittinghousen (so Mr. Penn writes the name) here
mentioned, is supposed to be the same named in the text, and to
have been the great-grandfather of our astronomer. In Mr. Penn’s
certificate he is called an old man, and is stated to have then been
“decrepid.”

In order to shew the present importance of that article, as a

manufacture, in the United States, and which was first fabricated in
this country by the Rittenhouses, the reader is presented with the
following view of the quantity of paper, of various descriptions,
annually made at one hundred and eighty-five paper-mills, within the
United States; taken from the latest information furnished on this
subject.

Tons. Reams. Value.

For Newspapers, 500 50,000 $150,000
[59a]

Books, 630 70,000 245,000

Writing, 650 111,000 333,000
Wrapping, 800 100,000 83,000
—-— —-—- —-—-—
—
 2580 331,000 811,000
59a. The number of Newspapers, printed annually in the United States, is
estimated at twenty-two and an half millions.

60. Mr. Benjamin Rittenhouse, a younger brother of David,

speaking of his paternal ancestors, in a letter addressed to the writer
of these memoirs, says: “The family originally settled in the state of
New-York, while a Dutch colony; and were, undoubtedly, the first
paper-makers in America.” This fact was also communicated to the
writer, by Dr. Franklin, some years before.

61. At the peace of Breda, in 1667, the Dutch colony of New

Netherlands was confirmed to the English, to whom it had been
ceded in 1664. But the Dutch having reduced the country in the
years 1672 and 1673, it was finally restored to the English by the
peace of Westminster, on the 9th of February, 1674. The
Rittenhouses are supposed to have seated themselves, before this
latter period, in that part of the colony afterwards called East-Jersey.
Some of the name reside in the state of New-Jersey, at this day; but
it is not known that any of them are inhabitants of the state of New-
York. Those in New-Jersey, with most of those of the name in
Pennsylvania, are descendants of Nicholas.

62. The Rittenhouses who first settled in America, are supposed to

have leaned towards the religious tenets of (if they did not belong to)
that peaceable branch of the Anabaptists, denominated Mennonites.
Simon Menno, the founder of this sect, was one of the first
reformers: he was born at a village called Witmarsum, in the
Batavian province of Friesland, in 1505; the same year in which John
Knox was born, and four years before the birth of Calvin.

Menno had been a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, and

some have endeavoured to stigmatize him, as one who was “a
notorious profligate.” This, however, may be attributed to his having
left the communion of the church of which he was originally a
member: for, he is represented to have been “a man of probity, of a
meek and tractable spirit, gentle in his manners, pliable and
obsequious in his commerce with persons of all ranks and
characters, and extremely zealous in promoting practical religion and
virtue, which he recommended by his example as well as by his
precepts.” He was, moreover, a man of genius and eloquence, and
possessed a considerable share of learning. This extraordinary man
died in the duchy of Holstein, in the year 1561.

The fundamental principles of the followers of Menno are, in some

respects, similar to those of the people called Quakers: They use,
likewise, great plainness in their apparel, and adhere to some of the
practices of the primitive Christian church. But this peaceable sect
baptize adults, and celebrate the eucharist in a manner peculiar to
themselves.

Some of Menno’s disciples came into Pennsylvania from New-

York, in the year 1692. The principal congregation of this sect was
established at Germantown, soon after the Rittenhouses had settled
themselves there; and this may be considered as the mother of the
sect, in America. The Mennonites have since become a numerous
body in Pennsylvania, principally in the county of Lancaster; and this
religious society comprehends, among its members, many intelligent
worthy men, and valuable citizens.

63. In the Preface to a printed copy of the celebrated Speech

delivered in the House of Assembly of Pennsylvania, on the 24th of
May, 1764, by the late John Dickinson, Esq. the Merits of the
Founder of Pennsylvania, as they were declared at various times, in
the proceedings of the Legislative Body of the colony, and in some
other public Documents, are thus summed up by the writer.

“WILLIAM PENN,
A Man of Principles truly humane;
An Advocate for
Religion and Liberty;
Possessing a noble Spirit,
That exerted itself
For the Good of Mankind;
was
 The great and worthy Founder
of
Pennsylvania.
To its Inhabitants, by Charter,
He granted and confirmed
Many singular Privileges and Immunities,
Civil and Religious,
Which he continually studied
To preserve and defend for them;
Nobly declaring,
That they had not followed him so far,
To lose a single tittle
Of the Great Charter,
To which all Englishmen were born.
For these Services,
Great have been the Acknowledgements
Deservedly paid to his Merit;
And his Memory
Is dear to his People,
Who have repeatedly confessed,
That,
Next to Divine Providence,
Their Happiness, Prosperity, and Increase
Are owing
To his wise Conduct and singular Goodness;
Which deserve ever to be remembered
With
Gratitude and Affection,
By
Pennsylvanians.”

For the materials of which the foregoing Eulogy is composed, its

author[63a] has referred his readers to the Minutes of Assembly, for
the years 1719 and 1725, to those from the year 1730 to 1740, both
inclusive, excepting only 1736, 1737 and 1739; also, for 1745, 1755
and 1756; to other proceedings of the assembly, in the years 1730
and 1738; and to their Address to Governor John Penn, in 1764.
 A very respectable Memorial of another nature, in honour of the
justly celebrated Penn, decorates the edifice of a noble public
institution in the capital of his former domain; an institution devoted
to the purposes of charity, humanity and benevolence. It is a finely
executed metallic statue, in bronze, of that great man; representing
him in his appropriate attire, and holding in his right hand The
Charter of Privileges.[63b] The statue stands on an elegant pedestal of
marble, in an handsome area on the south front of the Pennsylvania
Hospital: and the four sides of the pedestal contain these modest
inscriptions; viz.

“William Penn—Born, 1644—Died, 1718.”

(And underneath, the Family-Arms, with his Motto; viz.)
“Mercy—Justice.”

“Pennsylvania Granted by Charles II. to William Penn,

1681.”

“The Proprietary arrived in 1682; made a just and amicable

arrangement with the Natives, for the purchase of their Lands; and
went back to England in 1684.”

“Returned to Pennsylvania, 1699; and finally withdrew to his

Paternal Estate, 1701.”

The public in general, with the Pennsylvania Hospital more

particularly, are indebted for this Memorial of true Greatness, to the
munificence of a Grandson of the Founder of the extensive Dominion
that bears his name; John Penn, of Stoke-Poges in
Buckinghamshire, Esquire; by whom the statue was presented, in
the year 1804.

63a. In the continuation of the Life of Dr. Franklin, (written by the late Dr.
Stuber, of Philadelphia,) it is said that the Preface to Mr. Dickinson’s Speech was
drawn up by the late learned Provost Smith, and that Dr. Franklin wrote the
Preface to Mr. Galloway’s, in reply.

63b. See Note 64

64. The Charter of Privileges, granted and solemnly confirmed to

the freemen of Pennsylvania and territories belonging to the
province, by the proprietary, on the 28th of October, 1701, was, after
being approved and agreed to by the legislative body of the
province, accepted by them the same day; in lieu of the Frame of
Government originally stipulated between Mr. Penn and the Planters,
in the year 1683. The first article of this charter provided for a full
enjoyment of the Liberty of Conscience, by all persons who should
acknowledge “One Almighty God, the Creator, Upholder, and Ruler
of the World.” It also declared to be capable of holding any office or
place, under the government, all persons professing faith in “Jesus
Christ, the Saviour of the World,” and who should, when required,
attest their allegiance, &c.

65. Incorporated with that edition of the Laws of Pennsylvania,

which was published in the year 1810, “under the authority of the
legislature,” with Notes and References, by Charles Smith, Esq. is
an article that bears a respectful testimony to the justice and
clemency of the founder of that state: It is an important and very
interesting Note to an act of assembly passed the 1st day of April,
1784, (entitled, “An act for opening the Land-Office, for granting and
disposing of the unappropriated Lands within this State,”) containing
“a connected view of the land-titles of Pennsylvania from its first
settlement to the present time.” In this document the learned editor
speaks of the integrity and virtuous policy manifested by Penn, with
respect to his conduct towards the Indian natives of the country, to
which he had acquired the dominion under his sovereign, in these
terms.

“William Penn, although clothed with powers as full and

comprehensive as those possesed by the adventurers from Portugal
and Spain, was influenced by a purer morality and sounder policy.
His religious principles did not permit him to wrest the soil, by force,
from the people to whom God and nature gave it, nor to establish his
title in blood; but, under the shade of the lofty trees of the forest, his
right was fixed by treaties with the natives, and sanctified, as it were,
by incense smoking from the calumet of peace.”

The note from which this extract is made, (and which comprizes
156 large 8vo. pages, printed on a small type,) forms a valuable
treatise, historical as well as legal, of the territorial rights of the
former proprietaries, and of the land-titles deduced from them by the
citizens of Pennsylvania.

66. Germantown was settled in the year 1682. It was so called by

its founders, a small colony of Germans from the Palatinate, mostly
from the vicinity of the city of Worms, who are said to have been
converted while in their own country, to the principles of the people
called Quakers, by the preaching of William Ames, an Englishman.
Germantown is now a populous village, of considerable extent; and
by reason of its proximity to the capital, this place furnishes an
agreeable residence to many respectable families from thence. See
also Note 62.

67. This township derives its name (which it gave also to Mr.
Rittenhouse’s patrimonial farm and his original observatory,) as does
likewise the neighbouring town of Norriston, the county-town of the
(now) county of Montgomery, from the respectable Pennsylvania
family of Norris; of which Isaac Norris, Esq. was eighteen times
chosen Speaker of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, during
the term of half a century from the time of his first election, in the
year 1713. Mr. Norris held many public offices in Pennsylvania with
great reputation and honour. He is represented as having been “an
ornament to his country;” and this gentleman, who died in the year
1735, then held the Chief-Justiceship of the Province.

68. In the year 1683, Enoch Flower undertook to teach English in

the town of Philadelphia. Six years afterwards, originated the
Friends’ Public School in the same town, then in its infancy; and in
1697, this school was incorporated, on the petition of Samuel
Carpenter, Edward Shippen, Anthony Morris, James Fox, David
Lloyd, William Southby, and John Jones, in behalf of themselves and
others. In the year 1708, this corporation was enlarged and
perpetuated by a new charter, under the name of “The Overseers of
the Public School, founded in Philadelphia, at the request, cost, and
charges of the people called Quakers.” It was further extended in the
year 1711; when the three first named gentlemen, together with
Griffith Owen, Thomas Story, Richard Hill, Isaac Norris, Samuel
Preston, Jonathan Dickinson, Nathan Stanbury, Thomas Masters,
Nicholas Waln, Caleb Pusey, Rowland Ellis and James Logan, were
appointed Overseers.

As this was the earliest considerable school established in

Pennsylvania, as well as the first institution of the kind, in the
province, the names of its promoters deserve to be held in
remembrance, among the Patrons of learning and useful knowledge
in this country.

From this view of the origin of schools in the capital of

Pennsylvania, it will be perceived, that the means of acquiring even
the rudiments of literary instruction must have been difficult of
access in country places, for some considerable time after the
periods just mentioned. This is one of the most serious grievances to
which the settlers in new and unimproved countries are subjected.

69. Margaret, who intermarried with Edward Morgan; Esther, with

the Rev. Thomas Barton; David, the subject of these Memoirs;
Andrew, who died in his minority; Anne, who intermarried with
George Shoemaker; Eleanor, who intermarried with Daniel Evans;
Benjamin, yet living; Jonathan, who died in his minority; and Mary
and Elizabeth (twins,) of whom the latter died in her minority,
unmarried: Mary, who is living, has been twice married, but without
issue; her first husband was Thomas Morgan. David had no sons;
and two of his three brothers having died young and unmarried, the
only persons, descended from our philosopher’s father, Matthias,
who now bear the name of Rittenhouse, are the surviving brother of
David, namely, Benjamin, and his sons. Benjamin has been twice
married; first, to a daughter of General John Bull; and, secondly, to a
daughter of Colonel Francis Wade: By both marriages he has male
issue; and, as it is believed, two of the sons by the first wife are
married.

70. “There is,” says a late ingenious writer,[70a] “a strong propensity

in the human mind to trace up our ancestry to as high and as remote
a source as possible.” “This principle of our nature,” he observes,
“although liable to great perversion; and frequently the source of
well-founded ridicule, may, if rightly directed, become the parent of
great actions. The origin and progress of individuals, of families, and
of nations, constitute Biography and History, two of the most
interesting departments of human knowledge.”

The pride of ancestry is, indeed, “liable to great perversion,” and is

too frequently “the source of well-founded ridicule:” yet the
experience and the history of mankind, in every age and country,
have shewn, that it is connected with and derived from principles of
our nature, which are not only laudable in themselves, but such as, if
“rightly directed” and properly applied, become eminently useful to
society.
70a. See a “Discourse delivered before the New-York Historical Society, at
their anniversary meeting, December the 6th, 1811: By the Hon. De Witt Clinton,
one of the Vice-Presidents of the Society.”

71. It is not this occupation that, in itself, usually attaches to those

who follow it, the idea of clownishness: but it is the ignorance that,
unfortunately, too generally characterizes persons employed in it,
which, by an association of ideas, is apt to derogate from the
worthiness of the employment itself. If the profession of husbandry
be an honourable one, and every rational consideration renders it
such, then one of the most important operations in conducting the
great business of the agriculturist, cannot be destitute of dignity. To
follow the plough is not a servile labour: it is an employment worthy
of a freeman; and if the person, thus engaged, be a man of native
talents, aided by some improvement of mind, scarcely any
occupation can afford him greater scope for philosophic reflection.

While, therefore, the reader contemplates the celebrated

Rittenhouse, such as he was in his maturer years; and then takes a
retrospective view of the embryo-philosopher in the period of his
youth, directing the plough on his father’s freehold; let it be
recollected, that the sovereigns of a mighty empire, in the Eastern
world, occasionally guide this truly important machine with their own
hands, in honour of agriculture: let him recal to his mind, that, in the
proudest days of the Roman republic, consuls, dictators, senators,
and generals, were not unfrequently called forth from the actual
occupancy of this implement of husbandry, by the voice of their
country; and, seizing either the civil or the military helm of its
government, with hands indurated by the toils of the peaceful field,
have by the wisdom of their counsel, or by their valour, supported the
tottering fabric of the state and saved the commonwealth: let them
remember, in fine, that—

“In ancient times, the sacred plough employ’d

The kings and awful fathers of mankind;”[71a]

and that Washington, himself, the pride and boast of his age as
well as country, disdained not to engage himself, personally, in
agricultural pursuits.
71a. Thomson’s Spring.

72. This gentleman was commissioned by Governor Mifflin, in the

year 1791, to be one of the associate judges of the court of common
pleas, in and for the county of Montgomery: but his tenure of this
office was afterwards vacated, by his removal to Philadelphia.
 73. “Astronomy,” says Mr. B. Rittenhouse, in the letter before
referred to, “appeared at a very early day to be his favourite study;
but he also applied himself industriously to the study of opticks, the
mechanical powers,” &c.

74. The zeal and attention with which our young philosopher
pursued his early studies, and such mechanical objects as are more
intimately connected with those branches of natural philosophy to
which he was most devoted, will appear from the following extract of
a letter, addressed by him to Mr. Barton, on the 20th of September,
1756, being then little more than twenty-four years of age; viz. “I
have not health for a soldier,” (the country was then engaged in war,)
“and as I have no expectation of serving my country in that way, I am
spending my time in the old trifling manner, and am so taken with
optics, that I do not know whether, if the enemy should invade this
part of the country, as Archimedes was slain while making
geometrical figures on the sand, so I should die making a telescope.”

75. It is observable, that, in like manner, an accidental

circumstance seems to have given the first impulse to the
philosophical researches of that eminent mathematician, Colin
Maclaurin, the friend and disciple of Newton. His biographer, Mr.
Murdoch, relates, that “his genius for mathematical learning
discovered itself so early as at twelve years of age; when, having
accidentally met with a copy of Euclid in a friend’s chamber, in a few
days he became master of the first six books, without any
assistance: and thence, following his natural bent, made such a
surprising progress, that very soon after we find him engaged in the
most curious and difficult problems.”

It is not ascertained at what age Rittenhouse obtained access to

his uncle Williams’s little collection of books and papers; though it
was, probably, before his twelfth year. But it is to be observed, that at
the early age of twelve, Maclaurin had been a year at the University
of Glasgow, where he was placed under the care of one of the most
eminent and learned professors of the age; while Rittenhouse, for
some years after that period of life, had his time occupied in
agricultural pursuits, and was almost entirely uneducated.

One particular in which similar merit attaches itself to these two

distinguished philosophers, is, that all their more serious studies
were directed towards objects of general utility.

Having introduced the name of Maclaurin more than once into

these Memoirs, the author of them cannot refrain from presenting to
his readers the following epitaph upon that great mathematician. It is
attributed to the late Dr. Johnson: the delicacy and chasteness of the
sentiment, as well as the classical purity of the language, certainly
render it a specimen of this species of composition worthy of the pen
of that justly-admired writer.—

H. L. P. E.
Non ut nomine paterno consulat;
Nam tali auxilio nil eget;
Sed, ut in hoc infelici campo,
Ubi luctus regnant et pavor,
Mortalibus prorsus non absit solatium:
Hujus enim scripta evolve,
Mentemque tantarum rerum capacem,
Corpori caduco superstitem crede.

The writer of the Adversaria, in a respectable periodical

publication,[75a] observes, that “it would not be easy to do justice to
this elegant and nervous sentence, in English.” But, as he has given
a very good prose translation of it into our language, the subjoined
versification of this was attempted by a young lady, at the request of
the writer of these memoirs:—

Not to perpetuate his father’s praise,

For no such aid his lofty fame requir’d,
 Did filial piety the marble raise;
But other thoughts the friendly deed inspir’d.
Here, in this tearful vale, where sorrow dwells
And trembling mortals own the reign of fear,
At his command, the sculptur’d tablet tells,
Where hope exists, to dry the wand’rer’s tear.
For, read his works, O man! and then believe,
The mind that grasp’d at systems so sublime,
Beyond the mortal part must ever live,
And bloom, in sacred heav’n’s ethereal clime.
75a. The Port-Folio.

76. In order to gratify the curiosity, if not to remove the doubts, of

such persons as are not disposed to believe in the reality of any
thing like an hereditary power, bias, or propensity of the mind, the
following memorable instances are selected from many others which
might be adduced; to shew that mental faculties, as well as corporeal
qualities and even mental and bodily diseases, are sometimes
inherited by children from their parents: perhaps cases of this kind
exist more frequently than is either observed or imagined.

Mr. James Gregory, the inventor of the reflecting telescope in

common use, called the Gregorian, was one of the most
distinguished mathematicians of the seventeenth century. This
eminent man, who was born at Aberdeen in Scotland in the year
1638, was a son of the Rev. Mr. John Gregory, minister of Drumoak
in the same county: his mother was, moreover, a daughter of Mr.
David Anderson, of Finzaugh, a gentleman who possessed a
singular turn for mathematical pursuits.

Mr. David Gregory, a nephew of the foregoing, was some time

Savilian professor of astronomy at Oxford. This Subtilissimi Ingenii
Mathematicus, as he is styled by his successor Dr. Smith, was born
at Aberdeen, in the year 1661. Of the four sons of this celebrated
mathematician,—
 David, a mathematician, was regius professor of modern history,
at Oxford;

James was professor of mathematics, at Edinburgh; and

Charles was also professor of mathematics, at St. Andrew’s.

Besides these men of genius in the same family, was the late Dr.
John Gregory, professor of medicine in the University of Edinburgh;
who had previously held the philosophical chair in the University of
St. Andrews, from which he delivered lectures on the mathematics,
experimental philosophy, and moral philosophy. This gentleman was
grandson of the inventor of the Gregorian telescope, son of Dr.
James Gregory, professor of medicine at Aberdeen, and father of
another James, successor of Dr. Cullen, in the medical chair at
Edinburgh.

A mathematical genius was hereditary in the family of the

Andersons; and, from them, it seems to have been transmitted to
their descendants of the name of Gregory. Alexander Anderson,
cousin-german of David abovementioned, was professor of
mathematics at Paris, in the beginning of the eighteenth century; and
published there in 1712, Supplementum Apollonii redivivi, &c. The
mother of the James Gregory, first named, inherited the genius of
her family; and observing in her son, while yet a child, a strong
propensity to mathematics, she herself instructed him in the
elements of that science.

Margaret, the mother of the late Dr. Thomas Reid, professor of

moral philosophy in the University of Glasgow, was a daughter of
David Gregory, Esq. of Kinnardie in Banffshire, elder brother of the
James Gregory first mentioned. It is remarked by a celebrated writer,
that “the hereditary worth and genius which have so long
distinguished, and which still distinguish, the descendants of this
memorable family, are well known to all who have turned their
attention to Scottish biography: but it is not known so generally, that
in the female line, the same characteristical endowments have been
conspicuous in various instances; and that to the other monuments
which illustrate the race of the Gregories, is to be added the
philosophy of Reid.”—(See Dugald Stewart’s Account of the Life and
Writings of Dr. Reid.)

The great mathematical genius of the celebrated astronomer, John

Dominick Cassini, descended to his great-grandson. John-James,
the son of John-Dominick, who inherited the genius of his father,
succeeded him as professor of astronomy in the Royal Observatory
at Paris, a place which the father had filled more than forty years:
John-James’s son, Cæsar-Francis Cassini de Thury, (who died in the
year 1784, at the age of seventy years,) was an eminent astronomer:
and his son, the Count John-Dominick de Thury, was also a
distinguished astronomer.

The eldest of these Cassini’s was a native of Italy, and born in

1625. He died in the seventy-seventh year of his age; and in the year
1695, a medal was struck to honour his memory, by order of the king
of France.

These instances of genius in three families, afford striking

examples of its being sometimes hereditary. It is further observable,
that, in the case of the great professor Simson, his mathematical
endowments were said to be derived from his mother’s family; as Mr.
Rittenhouse’s were likewise supposed to have been from that of his
mother.

77. Mr. Barton resided on a farm, near what are called the Sulphur
Springs (now comprehended within the limits of the new county of
Adams,) from some time in the year 1755, until the spring of 1759;
during which period he officiated as a missionary from “the society,”
established in England, “for the propagation of the gospel in foreign
parts,” for the counties of York and Cumberland. While he resided in
that then remote settlement of Pennsylvania, he was greatly
instrumental, both by his precept and example, in stimulating the
people to avenge the numerous barbarities perpetrated on the
inhabitants and their property in that frontier, by their French and
Indian enemies. In the expedition against Fort Du Quesne (now
Pittsburg,) undertaken in the year 1758, under the orders of
brigadier-general Forbes, he served as a chaplain to the forces then
employed, by virtue of a commission from governor Denny: and in
that campaign he became personally acquainted not only with the
commander in chief, but, among others, with colonel (afterwards
general) Washington; colonel (afterwards general) Mercer; colonel
Byrd of Virginia; colonel Dagworthy; colonel James Burd of
Pennsylvania; all provincial officers of great merit; besides colonel
(afterwards general) Bouquet, sir John St. Clair, sir Peter Hacket,
major Stewart, and other gentlemen of worth and distinction, who
held commands in the British regiments engaged in that service.
With most of these very respectable military characters Mr. Barton
occasionally corresponded, afterward; and his services, during a
residence of between three and four years in that part of
Pennsylvania, were honourably acknowledged, as well in England as
among his fellow-citizens, in various instances.

After Mr. Barton left the county of York, he became established in

Lancaster, where he officiated as rector of St. James’s church in that
borough, and missionary to the large and respectable country-
congregations of Caernarvon and Pequea, nearly twenty years.

78. Although commonly called Dunker’s-Town, the proper name of

this once noted village is Ephrata. The little community which
formerly resided there, usually styled Dunkers, date the origin of their
sect about the year 1705. The original members of this religious
society, in Germany, Switzerland, and some other parts of Europe,
having been persecuted and banished from their homes, assembled
themselves in the duchy of Cleves, under the protection of the king
of Prussia: and from thence they migrated to Pennsylvania, mostly
between the years 1718 and 1734, a few of them only remaining
behind. See also the next note.

79. The proper name of this place is Ephrata; and the very
singular religious society to whom it belongs, are denominated
Seventh-Day Baptists.

The society is said to have originally consisted of about twenty

families who migrated from Germany to Pennsylvania, about the
year 1718 or 1719; part of whom settled at this place, and founded
the village of Ephrata (the head-quarters of the sect,) which is
situated about thirteen miles, north-eastward, from Lancaster, on a
little stream called the Cocolico-creek. These people hold the
doctrine of an universal redemption, ultimately, denying the eternity
of future punishment; that war and judicial oaths are unchristian; and
that it is not justifiable to take interest, for money lent. They keep the
seventh day of the week as their sabbath, and baptize by
submersion; whence they derive their name: they also inculcate the
propriety of celibacy, and of maintaining a community of goods; but
when any of them marry, and acquire property independent of the
society in Ephrata, they are obliged to retire from thence and reside
elsewhere. The men generally wear their beards, and clothe
themselves in a habit not unlike that of the Carmelites or White
Friars: the women dress like nuns. Both men and women observe
great abstemiousness in their diet, living chiefly on vegetables, and
submit to some privations and corporal severities, besides, in their
religious discipline; they lie upon benches, with a wooden block
instead of a pillow: but though meek, humble, and even timid, in their
deportment, they are very civil to strangers who visit them.

The society of Ephrata is supported by cultivating their lands,

conducting a printing-press, a grist-mill, a paper-mill, a saw-mill, a
tan-yard, &c. and the women are employed in spinning, knitting,
sewing, making paper-lanterns and other toys, &c.

The village consists of about ten or a dozen buildings; and is

mostly composed of the cloisters and convent, two churches, and
the mills. One of their places of worship adjoins the sisters’
apartments, as a chapel; another belongs to the brothers’
apartments: and to these churches, the brethren and the sisterhood
respectively resort, every morning and evening, sometimes, too, in
the night, for the purpose of worshipping; much of which is made up
of soft and melodious chanting, by the females. There is said to be
one other place of worship, wherein all the members of the society,
within the bounds of the settlement, meet once a week to celebrate
worship publicly.
 Such, indeed, was the pleasant, sequestered little village of
Ephrata, at the time our then very young philosopher visited it; and
such was the condition of that little-known sect of Christians, while
the society continued under the direction of their second and last
president, the late Mr. Peter Miller. This venerable old German, who
had been bred to the priesthood in some one of the Protestant
churches of his native country, became a convert to the principles of
this obscure ascetic sect, over which he long presided with much
reputation, after the death of its reputed founder, Conrad Beixler,
his patriarchal predecessor. But, though possessing a good share of
the old scholastic learning, with a large portion of piety, the mind of
Mr. Miller was strongly tinctured with many mystical notions in
divinity; such as well comported with the “whimsies” of the religious
society he governed.

Since the death of this good man, the ancient discipline of the
religious community at Ephrata, which had become greatly relaxed
during the revolutionary war, has almost wholly disappeared. The
chief seat of the Seventh-Day Baptists is no longer what it was: for,
in lieu of the solemn devotional stillness of the secluded cloysters
and cells of its once monastic inhabitants, and which, at this time,
are nearly deserted, are now substituted various occupations of
industry, amidst “the busy haunts of men.”

A letter from lady Juliana Penn to the second and last worthy
president of this little religious society, has a place in the Appendix. It
is indicative of the goodness of her ladyship’s heart.

80. The county-town of Berks, in Pennsylvania, pleasantly situated

on the Schuylkill, about fifty-six miles, north-westward, from
Philadelphia.

81. A neighbouring township to Norriton, the place of Mr.

Rittenhouse’s country residence.

82. This farm contained about one hundred and fifty acres. It was
lately sold by the heirs of Dr. Rittenhouse.
 83. “Omnium autem rerum, ex quibus aliquid acquiritur, nihil est
agriculturâ melius, nihil uberius, nihil dulcius, nihil homine, nihil libero
dignius,” Cic. De Offic. ii. 42.

84. The opinion, that Mr. Rittenhouse was, in his youth and the
first years of his manhood, “without literary friends or society, and
with but two or three books,” though erroneous in fact, was
propagated pretty early; and that opinion has, since, generally
prevailed. About twenty-two years before his death, a book was
published in Philadelphia, under the title of Caspipina’s Letters; of
which the Rev. Mr. Duché, then assistant-minister of Christ-church
and St. Peter’s in that city, was the writer. In that pleasant little work,
its amiable and worthy author (who has been dead many years) has
thus mentioned our philosopher. “After taking a few turns in the
garden, we walked back again to the college, where we had
appointed to meet the modest and ingenious Mr. Rittenhouse, who,
without one single advantage from a private tutor, or public
education, by the mere force of genius and industry, may now justly
be reckoned the first astronomer and mathematician in the world.”

Under such circumstances as these, it is by no means a matter of

surprise, that Dr. Rush should have been led into a similar mistake.

It is, nevertheless, truly astonishing to find an American writer (the

late Rev. Mr. Linn,) who, five years after Dr. Rittenhouse’s death,
published in Philadelphia, where both resided, a poem entitled, “The
Powers of Genius;” but, in which the name of Rittenhouse is not
once noticed! And yet that gentleman had not omitted to introduce, in
one of his notes, an observation which shews, that an European
philosopher, also of sublime genius, was present to his mind’s eye!
—“From the exhibitions of American talents,” said Mr. Linn, “I indulge
the warmest expectations. I behold, in imagination, the Newtons,
the Miltons, and the Robertsons, of this new world; and I behold the
sun of genius” (likewise “in imagination,” it is presumed,) “pouring on
our land his meridian beams.”

The writer of these memoirs believes Dr. Linn to have been a very
worthy, as well as an ingenious man: as such, he regrets his
premature death, and entertains a respect for his memory. But he
could not, in justice to the merit of Dr. Rittenhouse’s character, pass
unnoticed so unaccountable an omission as the one just mentioned,
in Dr. Linn’s Poem.

85. Dr. Herschel, by means of his admirable telescopes, the most

powerful that have ever been constructed, discovered on the 13th of
March, 1781, a new planet without the orbit of Saturn, called the
Georgium Sidus. The newly discovered star was thus named by Dr.
Herschel himself, in honour of his patron King George III. by whose
bounty he was enabled to construct, and to make incessant and
laborious observations with those wonderful telescopes, by which
this astronomer has extended our knowledge of the planetary and
sidereal system, far beyond its former limits.[85a]

Some astronomers on the continent of Europe, and in America

likewise, have affected to call this new planet Herschel; while others
have endeavoured to give it the name of Uranus. Would it not be
well, in order to avoid the perplexity and confusion arising from
various names for the same thing, that astronomers of eminence
should designate this planet, in future, by the name which the
discoverer—who, it may be presumed, was best entitled to give it a
denomination—chose to apply to it? It is a strange kind of
compliment to Dr. Herschel, if it could have been intended as a mark
of respect to him, to refuse an adoption of that name which he had
assigned to his own discovery; even by changing it for that of the
Doctor himself! He wished this planet, no doubt, to retain the
appellation of Georgium Sidus, as a memorial of his grateful respect
for his royal benefactor; and in this object of his wish he would be
disappointed, by changing it for any other.

The name Uranus is also objectionable, and on another ground.

Uranus was a fabulous personage. It is pretended, that in the isle
called Panchay,[85b] to the east of Africa, is to be seen on a column of
gold, a recital of the principal actions of Uranus, together with those
of Saturn and Jupiter. It is said that the former was the most ancient
king in the world; and that, having been a just and beneficent man,