A Study On Creative Treason In Subtitle Translation From The Perspective Of Hermeneutics

Traditional translation theory takes the author and original text as the core, while translators are regarded as servants. When translation study enters the phase of post-structuralism, skopos theory, polysystem theory and hermeneutics begin to flourish. The role of translators in the process of translation is attached greater importance. At the initial stage, hermeneutics is not targeted at translations, but at understanding artistic works. However, since appreciating and understanding artistic works and interpreting, analyzing and reproducing in target language in the process of translation share a lot in common, translation studies can draw on hermeneutic thinking. As a prestigious representative of hermeneutic, Gadamer who is not supportive of pursuing the sole right meaning of the text prevailing in traditional hermeneutics, proposes the three concepts in philosophical hermeneutics, namely historicity of understanding, fusion of horizon andeffective history. He holds that human existence is historical and so is understanding. True understanding is not to surmount the historical restriction, but to objectively evaluate it and adapt to it. Besides, he pus forward that understanding is by no means passively copy the text, but a kind of creative labor, which fully showcases the initiative and creativity of human existence. The concept of creative treason is first put forward by French sociologist Robert Escarpit in his book Sociologie de la Litteature (Sociology of Literature) in 1987. Chinese scholar XieTianzhen has made enormous contribution in disseminating the concept in China. The creative nature of translation embodies the translator’s proactive effort to reproduce the text. In contrast, the treacherous nature of translation reflects the translator deviates from the text consciously. Gadamer thinks that the historicity of understanding brings about "prejudice". The concept of prejudice affirms the validity of creative treason theoretically. Both hermeneutic translation theory and creative treason pay attention to the translator, the subject of translation. Subtitle translation involves, but is not limited to text translation. Just like traditional text translation, the role of the translator should also be highlighted. Analyzing subtitle translation from the perspective of Gadamer’s hermeneutic theory will facilitate reflections on the status and role of the translator and the establishment of subtitle translation norms. It will also offer guidance to subtitle translation practice and quality assessment. The Big Bang Theoryisa sitcom attracting a great number of funs in recent years. Different from ordinary sitcoms, the heroes of the play are scientific geeks. Therefore, the lines of the play are not daily chat, but including a lot of terminology in science and physics. It not only poses difficulty on the translator, but also makes the subtitle translation worthy of research. The author analyzes the subtitle translation in The Big Bang Theory by building on the three concepts put forward by Gadamer and sums up the translation strategies employed by the subtitle translator, such as elimination, simplification, annotation, amplification, rewriting and additional translation, which all embody creative treason. At last, faithfulness and the relations between faithfulness and creative treason, on the basis of which, the connotation, nature and subject of faithfulness in subtitle translation are discussed.