Chinese Film Title Translation Under The Guidance Of Skopos Theory

As a comprehensive art integrated with various medias, film has been familiar with everyone. With the introduction of foreign films, Chinese film translation also makes great progress since the beginning of reform and opening up. Many translators have noticed this field and done great contributions. The author of this thesis tries to analyse and research Chinese film title translation from the angle of skopos theory. As the card of films, title is one of the most important factors in films and is the first impression for foreign audiences. Therefore, the author of this thesis takes the view that researchers should pay much attention to film title translation in order to spread Chinese culture to the whole of the world.For film titles, there are three main functions: informative function, aesthetic function and vocative function. The translated Chinese film titles can help the foreigners understand Chinese national conditions, history and people. Through watching Chinese films, foreigners and Chinese people can improve the understanding and communication between each other. So film translation is a communicative and transcultural activity. It may be carried out under the skopos theory to complete the informative, aesthetic and vocative functions and ultimately achieve its commercial value. The short film title should take the vocative function as the purpose.This paper is carried out under the core theory of German Functionalist approaches, the skopostheorie. The writer points out that Chinese film title translation should adopt flexible ways according to skopostheorie to complete the informative, aesthetic and vocative functions. Many translation methods can be used in film title translation, including transliteration, literal translation, addition, omittion and so on. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. According to skopos theory, the only standard is that whether it has attained the purpose of the translation. The literal translation is popular in Chinese film title translation because many foreign friends can understand the meaning and at the same time we hope films can be a tool which can spread Chinese culture in the whole world. Sometimes, the three functions of film title cannot be completed at the same time. A translator sometimes will give up the informative function to complete its vocative or aesthetic function, so he may create a new title which will be very different from the original one. This kind of translated film title can be accepted for it still shows the real contents of the film. In a word, the skopostheorie gives the translator more freedom to choose the best translation method so that the translated title will be proper and can meet the requirements of the specific functions of a film.