On The Subtitling Of Foreign Movies

The subtitling of foreign movies, a special translation mode, is playing a more and more important and indispensable role in both the practice of translation and intercultural communication.In view of the special features and technical constraints (space and time) relating to subtitled movies, this paper makes suggestions for the translation theory proper to this particular translation type, that is functional equivalence. It puts a great emphasis on the responses the audience will get. With regard to translation strategies, reduction is the most favored method frequently used in subtitling due to the unique constraints of space and time to movie subtitles. Since cultural items are rather crucial for a successful intercultural communication, which is an essential social function of foreign movies, this paper also uses one chapter to discuss subtitling approaches to cultural elements. Here, literal subtitling is greatly recommended, for it can preserve cultural images and do great good for the cultural exchanges between different peoples. Chapter five lays out for subtitlers three main procedures for doing subtitling, from preparation to actual subtitling, and ending up with testing. Though there seems no difference from the other translation types, the detailed steps and methods differ.It is sincerely hoped that more translators will show interest in subtitling foreign movies and do more research work for a more solid theoretical framework so that foreign movies can better serve intercultural communications.