A Study On The Translation Of Cultural Image In Subtitles

As a new field of translation, the study of subtitle translation is attracting more and more attention. How to deal with cultural images in subtitles poses a tricky task for translator. This paper attempts to analyze factors influencing strategies adopted in translating cultural images in subtitles from the perspective of Skopostheorie,.In the 1970s, German theorists of the functional theories of translation put forward the theory of translational action and the Skopos theory which is considered as the core theory of the function theories of translation. The theory pioneers the Skopos rule, reaffirms the fidelity rule and proposes the notion of poly-criteria for translation; it stresses the role played by translators. It also suggestes that translation not merely involves in language, but involves cultures, too. The"Skopos rule"considers that the purpose of the translation determines the translation strategy. The"intratextual coherence rule"states that the TT must be interpretable as coherent with the TT receiver's situation, given the TT circumstances and knowledge. The"intertextual coherence rule"also called the"fidelity rule"merely states that there must be coherence between the translation and the ST, but they are not necessarily of the same content. The degree and form of the fidelity in Skopos theory are determined by the purpose of the translation and the translator's understanding of the text. The theory also pays attention to cultural issues and differences between ST and TT by deeming translation as the comparison of two cultures and the cultural particularizes must be dealt with in translation.With Skopostherie as theoretical foundation and with the consideration of features of subtitle language, this thesis analyzes many cases concerning the translation of cultural images in different subtitles. From the point of view of Skopostheorie, a tentative conclusion is made that guided by different purposes given to him, the translator is flexible to choose different strategies in translating the same cultural image.