Language Characteristics Of English Films And Translation Of Film Subtitles With A Case Study Of The Lord Of The Rings

As cultural exchange increases between China and other countries, an increasing number of English films have been introduced into our country. Naturally, it is exceptionally important to adequately translate English films into Chinese so that more Chinese people can enjoy seeing them and benefit from them. This thesis makes an attempt to explore language features of English films and discuss main strategies for translation of film subtitles, with a case study of The Lord of the Rings.The thesis first reviews the history of film translation, overviews major researches on film translation at home and abroad, and briefly surveys the two major translation strategies, i.e. foreignization and domestication. Next, the thesis examines the evolvement of film language and illustrates language characteristics of English films with examples from the film series of The Lord of the Rings. Then, the author expounds subtitling and dubbing. Finally, the thesis probes into application of domestication and foreignization by analyzing typical examples from the film series.The thesis concludes that the translator's appropriate and flexible combination of domestication and foreignization can help him do much better in film translation and enable the audience to overcome language barriers and appreciate the films.