A Study On E-C Translation Of Humorous Subtitling In Sitcoms

The age of information witnessed a scenario of electronic mass media collapsing space and time barriers in human communication, enabling people to interact and live on a universal scale. A global village was unsurprisingly followed by a global theater– since Sputnik and the worldwide access to internet, the planet is enclosed in a manmade environment that turns the globe into a repertory theater to be programmed and studied. As a result, American movies, sitcoms in particular, for being the apple-pie popular among viewers of all languages, are logically supposed to be enjoyed and appreciated online worldwide.Beyond the conquered technical challenge, here comes language gap awaiting to bridge. Compared with dubbing and lectoring, subtitle translation is overwhelmingly practiced, due to the benefits of saving cost, turnaround-time and labor. Considering from an artistic perspective, subtitle translation is also praised for the possibility for the target language viewers to appreciate the original dialog and voices of the actors.The current situation, however, is far from being satisfactory. In the practice of sitcom translation, subtitling is frequently disparaged for not being able to offer the masterpiece of a sitcom– sense of humor. Furthermore, a growing body of scholars in the concerning field have articulated that it is mission impossible for subtitle to be a perfect translation method, being technically challenged by practical limitation and culture differences. Trapped in the shell, subtitlers of Sitcoms need way out. Functional Translation Theory and General Theory of Verbal Humor has broadened the horizon of subtitlers and armed them with crucial weapons, thus expended the humor translatability of American sitcom through subtitling. By adopting Transplantation Strategy, Seed Transplanting Theory has freed subtitlers from haunting fear of not being able to clone the original humor; Compensation Strategy has further expanded the tolerance of target viewers. Equipped with established theories and qualified strategies, subtitlers are ready to conquer looming difficulties while translating subtitle of American sitcoms.