On Subtitle Translation From Functionalist Perspective

Cultural communication between China and other nations has increasing greatly since reform and open-up, especially film communication as a big proportion. However, according to our current situation in film subtitle translation, we need further research. Although we have plenty of books about translation theory, subtitle translation was involved in only very few chapters. Although the relevant subjects occasionally appeared in some thesis, they are far too enough to set up a complete translation theory for subtitle translation. Therefore, subtitle translation is still delayed in such shallow stage, subtitle translation practice still lack of effective direction and supervise.This paper will discuss subtitle translation from the functionalist perspective. 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 translational 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. In this paper, chapter one makes an introduction to the background in which the present study is carried out. Chapter two introduces the functional translation theory. In chapter three reviews the previous studied in this field. Chapter four discusses the subtitle translation from functionalist approach with the detailed examples. Chapter five draws the conclusions.