Functionalist Translation Theory And Film Subtitle Translation

Film subtitle translation is a branch of multimedia, translation, and plays an important role in the translation field. Due to many restrictions and constraints, film subtitle translation poses a great challenge to subtitlers. Although it is a newly developed branch, film subtitle translation has already attracted the attention and research of worldwide scholars in translation field, which covers the studies on its relevance to multimedia translation, studies on strategies adopted in translating subtitle, studies on quality control and standardization of subtitle translation. On the basis of predecessors' research, this paper adopts a functionalist approach to analyze the influencing factors that affect the choice of film subtitle translation strategy.This paper expounds, in the third chapter, the functionalist translation theory and analyzes the specific constraints of film subtitle translation, and then points out the possibility of applying functionalist theory to guide film subtitle translation.In the fourth chapter, this paper uses the analyzing methods of functionalist theory to analyze some concrete subtitle translation examples transcribed from Feng's two films, A World without Thieves and Big Shot's Funeral.From this, this paper draws enlightenment on film subtitle translation from functionalist translation theory, i.e. the influencing factors that affect the choice of subtitle translation strategies:(1) Film subtitle translation is a purposeful activity. Its 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. The specific skopos (purpose) of each film is different, which determines different strategies should be adopted.(2) Subtitle translation is also an interpersonal interaction. In the process of subtitle translation, the role of the director, the initiator and the target text user, is especially important. Subtitler should adopt certain strategy according to director's intention or translation brief. Therefore, directors play an important role in subtitle translation and whether their intention or translation brief is carried out determines the success of the film.(3) Subtitle translation should also accord with coherence rule --inter-textual coherence and intra-textual coherence. Inter-textual coherence is considered to be subordinate to intra-textual coherence, and both are subordinate to the skopos rule.Under this premise, subtitler should think over the comprehension and appreciation of the target audience. Translated subtitle should be able to be accepted and comprehended by the target audience. Consequently, the .subtitler also should think over the importance of the target audience!;Feng Xiaogang wants to shoot films, which reflect common citizens' own life and which they like to see and hear. And at the same time, he wants to march into international film market and let foreign audience accept his films and appreciate Chinese-style humor. This constitutes the director's intention or the major part of translation brief. Following this, the subtitler adopts strategies, such as reduction, paraphrasing, omission, domestication, literal translation as well as adding relevant information, to guarantee the fulfillment of skopos and keep the intratextual coherence of the subtitle to improve the legibility and connectivity.