Losses And Gains In The Subtitle Translation Of Prison Break From The Perspective Of Functionalist Approaches

As a unique text type, screen subtitle falls into the category of audiomedia texts according to Katharina Reiss. It is mainly aimed at providing necessary information for the audience and appealing to them to appreciate the plots of films and TV plays. Besides dubbing, subtitling in the target language is another effective way to introduce foreign films and TV plays. As an intercultural and communicative action, subtitle translation should serve the goal of enabling the average audience to understand and appreciate foreign films and TV plays while enhancing cultural exchanges between different countries.Since China adopted the policy of taking reforms and opening up to the outside world, a lot of popular foreign films and TV plays have been introduced to China. The fast-developing information technology is quickening the spread of them on the Internet with the subtitling as a major means. However, subtitle translation is greatly affected by two things: the constraint of both time and space and the competence in language and translation skills on the part of the subtitle translators. Therefore, problems concerning translation itself, technical processing and cultural information can be found here and there in the translated subtitles of many films and TV plays which can be downloaded from the Internet. Functionalism or Functionalist Approaches refer to a relatively mature and influential trend of translation theories. It is based on language functions and focuses on"Skopos rule"to address different translation issues. As an evolving and constantly developing translation theory, Functionalism involves four inter-connected translation perspectives: Text Typology, Action Theory, Skopostheorie and Function plus Loyalty.Research on subtitle translation started rather late compared with that of literary translation. Up to now, there have been no systematic and comprehensive theoretical studies in this respect in China. Books and articles concerning the application of a mature translation theory to subtitle translation are also a rare thing. With Functionalist Approaches as the theoretical support, the thesis tries to analyze subtitle translation from the four related perspectives. Prison Break, a very popular American TV series, is taken as a case for study. More importantly, the study involves the discussion of two translation principles– conciseness and instant legibility and some translation strategies such as reducing source text, free translation, literal translation, toning down and omission with the intention to help subtitle translators improve their work and consequently achieving the goals of subtitle translation.