Subtitle Translation In A Functionalist Approach With A Case Study Of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

As a newly developed research, the study of subtitle translation covers time and space constraints, its relevance to multimedia translation, strategies adopted in translating subtitles, quality control and standardizations. This paper, however, attempts to adopt a functionalist approach to analyze the factors influencing strategies taken in subtitle translation, which is left undone in the previous study. The present research is conducted in three inter-woven aspects in a functionalist approach.In terms of skopostheorie, subtitle translating is a purposeful activity. The conventional assignment is to provide, within the constraints of time and space, the relevant information conveying the director's intention in the most efficient way. However the specific skopos are up to each film, which leads to the particular strategy. This is the application of "skopos rule", called by Vermeer.In terms of theory of trnslational action, subtitle translating is taken as an interpersonal interaction. In the different roles in subtitle translating, focus is given to the director's more influencing role as commissioner and target text user in one person, whose intention fluencies the skopos of the film, inspires what strategies will be taken in translating a certain film, and consequently influences the final shape of subtitles and the success of the film.In terms of skopostheorie. Coherence rule interprets the relationship between the source and target texts. The source is a finished film with dialogue, image and music. And the target text is the "same" film with subtitles added. The final shape of subtitles should meet the intratextual coherence. Intertextual coherence is considered subordinate to intratextual coherence, and both are subordinate to the skopos rule. This can also be verified in terms of audience design, through which taxonomy of categories of text receiver is provided.Applying these theories to the translation of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it is concluded that in functionalist approach, the director, Ang Lee's intention of delivering Wuxia Culture in a way different from what is usually done in Asia is the major part of translation brief. Following it, reduction and re-rendering are widely used to keep the intratextual coherence of the subtitles, which helps to improve the legibility and connectivity.In this paper, chapter 1 makes an introduction to the background in which the present study is carried out. Chapter 2 reviews the previous studies made in this field. In chapter 3, functionalist approach is adopted to the study of subtitles translation, in terms of skopostheorie, theory of translational action and audience design. Chapter 4 makes a case study of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Detailed analysis is conducted in the three aspects mentioned in the previous chapter. Chapter 5 draws the conclusions.