Functionalist Approaches To The Study Of Strategies In The E-C Subtitle Translation Of Ugly Betty

Films and TV series are means of mass media to transfer cultural information. With economic globalization, the expansion of the market of films and TV series, and in particular the popularity of the internet, more and more foreign films and TV series have been introduced to China. However, the quality of subtitle translation is far from being satisfactory, which, to some degree, has a negative effect on the target-language audience's enjoyment and appreciation of the films and TV series, thus hampering the healthy development of subtitle translation and cultural transmission. Therefore, the improvement in the quality of subtitle translation plays a significant role in strengthening the target -language audience's understanding of the plot of the films and TV series and in promoting the sound development of subtitle translation.This thesis, through the adoption of functional translation theory, conducts a research on translation strategies of the subtitles of the online American comic TV series, Ugly Betty in the hope that some valuable strategies and skills the translators have adopted in the process of translating Ugly Betty can be dug out through comparative analysis.Functional translation theory of German School has broken the bound of traditional translation theories, complemented the theories of translation studies and provided a new approach for subtitle translation. Functional translation theory contains four aspects: Katharina Reiss's text typology; the core concept of functional translation theory"Skopostheorie"; Justa Holz Manttari's the theory of translational action; Christina Nord's function plus loyalty.The films and TV series belong to the fourth text type. Subtitle translators should choose proper translation strategies based on the features of the fourth text type that is informative function supplemented by expressive function and appellative function. The purpose decides the adopted translation methods. The initiators'and the translators'purposes, the intended functions of the translation and the expectations of the target-language audience decide the strategies of subtitle translation employed in the whole translation process. From the perspective of the target-language audience, on the one hand, they want to enrich their spiritual life and get amusement and entertainment through watching Ugly Betty. On the other hand, a large group of students watch Ugly Betty in the hope of being able to learn about American culture and improve their English. From the perspective of initiators, as a matter of fact, producers, and translators, the intention of subtitle translation is to maximize the number of the target-language audience by meeting the needs and expectations of them in order to obtain the maximum profit. In conclusion, The translators are required to adopt appropriate translation strategies not only based on the text type and"translation brief"from the initiators'but also the target-language audience's experience, expectations, background knowledge, and the intended function as the general principle supplemented by the principle of function plus loyalty.Based on functional translation theory, this thesis, through data analysis and comparative study of the E-C translation of the subtitles of TV series Ugly Betty, has come up with the translators'translation strategies and methods. They employ reduction, explicitation, domestication and foreignization to achieve the intended functions or purposes of the translation. Subtitle translation is actually a new area of translation research. This thesis is an attempt to conduct a study in this new area by analyzing the translation strategies of the subtitles of American TV series Ugly Betty based on functional translation theory. The author of this thesis will pay constant attention to this research area and hopes to see more research findings in the near future.