Translator’s Subjectivity In Subtitle Translation From The Perspective Of "Function Plus Loyalty" Principle

With China’s WTO entry, cultural exchange between the two countries becomesmore frequent and a large number of foreign TV series and films come into China,which becomes an important way for Chinese audience to understand the foreignculture. While the transmission of these foreign TV series and films cannot beseparated from subtitle translation and how to make the audience have a betterunderstanding of the foreign culture is the task of subtitle translator. Therefore, thestudy of translator’s subjectivity of subtitle translation is of great importance andshould be emphasized.This thesis analyzes the strategies, rationality and restraints of translator’sbringing his subjectivity into play from the perspective of Nord’s “Function plusLoyalty” principle with the descriptive method and a qualitative case study analysisof Modern Family. Here several questions will be discussed: How does the translatorbring his subjectivity into play? why should the translator bring his subjectivity intoplay and what kind of restraints will be encountered? The perspective of “Functionplus Loyalty” offers not only a new insight for studying translator’s bringing hissubjectivity into play, but also makes up the shortfall of the former scholars throughanalyzing the rationality and restraints of translator’s bringing his subjectivity intoplay and give some instructions for subtitle translators.The following conclusions can be drawn from this thesis:(1)In subtitle translation, the translator’s bringing his subjectivity into play will beaffected by some objective and subjective factors, such as, cultural difference,aesthetic difference and the purpose of translator. Therefore, the translator shouldadopt some strategies to help bring his subjectivity into play. This part mainlyanalyzes the strategies such as, addition of notes, deduction of redundantexpressions and domestication of cultural-loaded items to bring the translator’ssubjectivity into play and realize predicted aims from the perspective of Nord’s“Function plus Loyalty” principle.(2) Translator’s subjectivity means the translatorshould bring his subjective initiative into play so as to realize some purposes and atthe same time, the bringing of translator’s subjectivity will be restricted by someelements. Nord’s “Function plus Loyalty” principle shows its better application inanalyzing the translator’s subjectivity in subtitle translation. Nord’s “Function” principle means that the translated text should realize its predicted purpose, whichasks the translator to bring his subjectivity into play. Nord’s “Loyalty” principlerefers to an interpersonal relationship among the initiator, the original author andtarget readers, which asks the translator to take the interests of the initiator, theoriginal author and target readers into consideration, which restricts the translator tobring his subjectivity into play. Whereas in subtitle translation, the translator’sbringing his subjectivity into play is not at will, it will be restrained in these aspects:the expectation of target readers, the translator himself and the original text.