On The Translation Of Culture-Loaded Words In Film Subtitles: From The Perspective Of Relevance Theory

As Chinese films make more and more presence in the world film stage, films are playing an increasingly indispensable role in the intercultural communication between China and foreign countries. Along with it, film subtitle translation is gaining more significance as well. As for foreign audiences, Chinese culture-loaded words are hard to comprehend, which is also a headache for subtitle translators. So adopting Relevance Theory as the theoretical framework, this thesis attempts to explore the strategies of translating culture-loaded words in film subtitles by taking "Farewell My Concubine" as a case study.In view of this particular translation genre, this thesis makes suggestions for the translation theory proper to subtitle translation:Relevance Theory. Relevance Theory contains several basic elements. By applying its basic elements into translation practice, this thesis further analyzes that RT stands out to be the most appropriate theory to explain the film subtitle translation with its central claim that film subtitles should be made relevant enough to produce the optimal relevance so as to achieve the best communicative effects.Then this thesis explores the translation strategies for translating culture-loaded words in subtitles under the guidance of RT:foreignization and domestication. The two main strategies have their own concrete translation methods respectively. Adopting "Farewell My Concubine" as a case study, these translation methods are further analyzed in detail.Under the present condition that there is no generally accepted guiding theory for film subtitle translation, this thesis proposes RT as the most appropriate one. It attempts to discover the real mechanism of film translation and offer effective translation methods.