Document Type : Translation Studies

Author

• Samin Salajegheh

MA in Translation Studies, Translation Studies Department, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Museums are crucial cultural and educational institutions that facilitate visitors’ learning by integrating diverse modes of engagement, including linguistic, visual, auditory, and spatial elements. Consequently, coherence of these elements is crucial for effectively presenting information and maximizing its impact on visitors. Utilizing Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2020) principles of composition, specifically focusing on information value and salience, this study sought to assess text-image interaction in the images at the Omidvar Brothers Museum and their corresponding Persian labels, as well as to compare the interaction in the Persian labels with that in the English labels. The analysis revealed that the criterion “information value: left vs. right” received minimal attention, while the “information value: center vs. margins” criterion was the most consistently met in both Persian and English descriptions. However, the overall accuracy of multimodal interaction between the images and labels decreased by 7.40% in the English labels compared to the Persian labels, indicating a decline in translator performance relative to the original authors. This reduction in verbal-visual coherence suggests a less engaging experience for English-speaking foreign visitors compared to Iranian audiences. These results emphasize the necessity of addressing multimodality within museum contexts, as such focus can significantly enhance visitor experiences and deepen their understanding of museum exhibits.

Keywords

• Information value
• label
• multimodality
• museum translation
• salience