An Analysis Of The Subtitle Translation Of Game Of Thrones In Light Of Skopostheorie

Ever since movies were invented, they have played an important role in the cross-culture communication and have taken the advantages over other media as the most important carrier. China’s opening-up and Chinese economy have developed a lot during recent years, the communication between China and western countries is becoming far more frequent, among which, movie exchanges occupy a quite large part. An abundant of foreign movies rush into China and attract lots of attentions. Because the language style of Europe is different from ours, the theoretical research has studied wider and deeper than that in China, and the researchers there have formed some particular common thoughts and standards in strategies, norms and quality control. However, in China, the study of subtitle translation has been relatively delayed, and lacks of regulations, too. What’s more, it should be acknowledged that people do not pay enough attention to the area of subtitle translation. What’s worse, the subtitle translators in the market do things in their own ways recently, which makes the quality of subtitling uneven and develop in way which is not that healthy.This thesis tries to study the theory of American TV series, translation is recognized as a purposeful activity—the ends always justifies the means. This is different from other translation theories. Skopostheorie holds that the first principle determining any translation process is the purpose of the overall translational action, and the translators can use the skills freely to get its purpose, which embodies the basic principle of Skopostheorie——the intention which determining the means. According to Skopostheorie, coherence rule needs intra-textual coherence within the target language and its target environment, it is required as the translation have to conform to culture and the situation accepted by the target audience: another strategy — — fidelity(intra-textual coherence) illustrates that the relationship between the target text and the original text with the source words and the translated subtitles. Intertextual coherence is treated subordinate to intra-textual coherence, and both are subordinated to(the Skopos rule, which shows that in subtitle translation, acceptability is much more important to fidelity. While in subtitle translation, the Skopos is settled by both the intention of the director(as the initiator) and the expectation of audience(as the receiver).First of all, based on the Skopostheorie, the descriptive analysis of the Skopos of the subtitle translation, constrains. The factors effecting the techniques of film is subtitle translation. Then a case study of Chinese and English subtitles in Game of Thrones is conducted to further illustrate the applicability of Skopostheorie to film subtitle translation. By the analysis of great a lot of examples, some useful strategies which can be used as guidance to the translators’ translational skill are put forward within the framework of Skopostheorie.First of all, this paper introduces the research background, significance and the structure of the present study. Chapter One introduces the subtitle and the translation of Game of Thrones. Chapter Two makes the analysis of the theoretical structure of Skopostheorie, including its theoretical foundation——theory of action——and the three rules of Skopostheorie. Chapter Three introduces the directive function of Skopostheorie to the Game of Thrones and takes the American film Game of Thrones as an example for case study to find out the particular problems to explain the feasibility of the three rules of Skopos theory. It also includes the content of Skopostheorie and its feasibility of the usage in subtitle translation. Chapter Four explains the effects of Skopostheorie on the subtitle translation of Game of Thrones. The last chapter is the conclusion of the whole paper, and also some advices for further study of subtitle translation by the interested learners.Based on the Skopostheorie, applying it to the aim of translation of American series subtitle by discussing principle, strategy, and cultural environment, this tentative study on English-Chinese TV series subtitle translation is both theoretically and practically helpful.