Construction Of A Multi-level Network Of Fansub Translation From The Perspective Of Actor Network Theory

In the 1980s,a group of anime lovers decided to co-translate the subtitles of anime and share it on the Internet for free,hence the birth of fansub groups.Since then,this unique translation phenomenon has emerged and flourished all around the world,naturally attracting the attention of translation scholars.Previous research on fansub groups focus on separate aspects with an absence of a coherent framework.Inspired by Latour’s ActorNetwork Theory,the author views the fansub translation as a multi-level actor network,which may be able to include the studies from various perspectives.Through an over-four-year experience as a fansubber and a two-week field research during which time the author conducted participant observation and semi-structured interviews,a triple-level network of fansub translation is established,focusing on the process of creating subtitles from beginning to end(including linguistic translation),the management of a fansub group,and the whole fansub community.This multi-level network can hopefully provide a framework for future research and continue to refine itself in the process.In a typical English-to-Chinese fansub group,the production of fansubs is usually initiated and led by the proofreader,who align the interests of many actors involved to achieve a common goal.The subtitles shared by fansub groups for free have some irreplaceable advantages,but the gratuitousness of fansub translation and the hidden cost required to run and manage a fansub group create a paradox.Therefore,turnover of members and decrease in enthusiasm are almost inevitable.Fansub community in China is declining after two decades of development,with funding,copyright,and management issues eliminating many of them.The rise of official multilingual subtitles has further taken up the space for fansub groups.Even the ones having survived the competition are developing towards a more professional direction.A new cooperation model between copyright holders and fansub groups could bring a ray of hope to this community.