When translation plays with your mind: conceptual blending and humoristic effects of “read in English” memes

Abstract

This paper investigates “Read in English” memes, in which the phonetic translation of a Portuguese expression into English resembles an action illustrated in the image, generating a humorous effect. The research adopts a qualitative approach and uses Fauconnier and Turner’s (2002) Conceptual Blending Theory as an analytical tool. As operational concepts, it uses the notions of Frame (Fillmore, 1976, 1982; Duque, 2015, 2017) and Mental Spaces (Fauconnier, 1985, 1997) to understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying the construction of meaning in these memes. The analysis explores how the overlapping of linguistic and visual structures activates multiple mental spaces, allowing the translation to be reinterpreted within a new semantic frame. In addition, the relationship between cognition and humor in interlingual translation is discussed, highlighting how conceptual blending contributes to the humorous experience and linguistic creativity of speakers. The study seeks to demonstrate that these memes not only reflect linguistic phenomena, but also reveal complex cognitive processes in the mediation between different languages and cultures.
Keywords: Conceptual Blending. Mental Spaces. Frame.