Analysis of Subtitle Translation from

the Perspective of Cultural Translation Theory

By Lin Xueying

In partial fulfillment of the requirement

for the BA degree

Department of English

School of Languages and Cultures

Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology

May 2017

Acknowledgements

To begin with, I have to convey my gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Li Ping, who has offered beneficial advice and constant encouragement during the entire thesis writing. If it were not for his professional guidance and valuable suggestions, this thesis would not be finished smoothly.

Second, my special thanks also go to all professors for everything they have done to help me in the past four years. Their devoted teaching and enlightening lectures inspire my enthusiasm to learn English. I am also very grateful to my friends and classmates who have helped me during my thesis writing.

Last but not least, I am indebted to my beloved parents for their continuous concern and support.

Analysis of Subtitle Translation from

the Perspective of Cultural Translation Theory

Lin Xueying

Department of English

School of Languages and Cultures

Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology

Abstract: The growing trends toward economic and cultural globalization have made the relationship between China and other countries become tighter and tighter. A lot of outstanding foreign films and TV series are introduced into China, and become more and more popular among Chinese audiences especially young people and students. Therefore, subtitle translation is of great importance. Excellent film translations can not only help the audience have a good understanding of the information and foreign culture which are included in the films, but also promote the cultural communication. This essay discusses the basic knowledge of subtitle and subtitle translation. Under the guidance of the cultural translation theory, this essay comes up with some basic strategies in subtitle translation by analyzing Desperate Housewives and the Hobbit: the Battle of Five Armies.

Key words: foreign films and TV series; subtitle translation; the cultural translation theory; translation strategies

摘要

经济和文化全球化趋势的日益发展，使中国与世界各国的联系越来越密切。大量优秀的欧美影视作品被引进中国，受到中国观众特别是年轻人和学生的喜爱。因此，字幕翻译开始成为一个越来越重要的翻译领域。优秀的影视翻译能帮助观众更好地理解影片所要传达的信息和其中所蕴含的外国文化，促进文化传播和交流。本文论述了字幕和字幕翻译的基本知识，并在文化翻译观的指导下，通过分析《绝望的主妇》和《霍比特人：五军之战》提出字幕翻译的基本方法。

关键词：外国影视剧；字幕翻译；文化翻译观；翻译策略

Contents

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Research Background 1

1.2 Purposes and Significance of This Paper 1

2. Literature Review 2

2.1 Previous Studies in Foreign Countries 2

2.2 Previous Studies in China 3

3. An Overview of Subtitle Translation 4

3.1 Definitions of Subtitle Translation 4

3.2 Features of Subtitles 4

3.2.1 Instantaneity 4

3.2.2 Colloquial Language and Popularization 5

3.2.3 Time Constraints 5

3.2.4 Comprehensiveness 5

3.3 Plights in Subtitle Translation 5

4. Susan Bassnett’s Cultural Translation Theory 6

4.1 Susan Bassnett 6

4.2 The Content of Cultural Translation Theory 7

4.2.1 History and Development of Cultural Translation 7

4.2.2 The Content of Cultural Translation Theory 8

5. Case Analysis 9

5.1 The Introduction of Desperate Housewives and the Hobbit Ⅲ 9

5.2 Analysis of Subtitle Translation Strategies 9

5.2.1 Domestication 9

5.2.2 Foreignization 11

5.2.3 Substitution 11

6. Conclusion 13

6.1 Major Findings 13

6.2 Limitations of the Paper 14

References 14

1. Introduction

Nowadays, a growing number of Chinese audiences are fond of foreign movies and TV series. So subtitle translation gradually becomes a new branch of translations and it is pretty important in daily life. This chapter mainly introduces the research background, purposes and significance of this paper.

1.1 Research Background

Our country has entered an era of multimedia communication and information as a result of the rapid development of globalization and economy. People can watch foreign films or TV series very easily and quickly. However, only a few people can appreciate the original English works in our country. Thus it is necessary to dub or match subtitles so that Chinese people can understand alien culture better. So subtitle translation is playing the significant role in the cross-cultural communication between China and the West.

In the field of subtitle translation, foreign studies are more in-depth and extensive. In China, although more and more Chinese people take an interest in English films and TV series, few experts specialize in subtitle translation. A lot of scholars pay more attention to the traditional important topics like literary translation. Therefore, most of dubbed films and TV series are far from satisfaction because of the poor quality of translation.

1.2 Purposes and Significance of This Paper

There are many translation theories at home and abroad. Which one is suitable for subtitle translation? The best judge is the audience. As we know, “audiovisual programs are a popular art and their value can’t be separated from the audiences’ appreciation, so translators must consider the target audiences’ subjective requirements and acceptance and TV series, as a cultural carrier, belong to a part of culture.” (Hu, 2010: 2) Thus, in essence, subtitle translation is cultural translation.

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