从目的论的角度看影视字幕翻译.doc

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1、从目的论的角度看影视字幕翻译Skopos Theory and Film Subtitle TranslationAbstract: Film is not only a typical form of art most people love to see and hear, but also one of the most influential media in the society. As an important part of the film, film subtitle is of informative expressive and aesthetic functions,

2、 but film subtitle translation is no easy task. Although quite a few translators have put forward different kinds of translating techniques in this field, we are still lacking a series of scientific and instructive translation theories and principles as guidance in translating practice. This thesis

3、attempts to adopt skopos theory to analyze subtitle translation. The products of translation should be evaluated by the purpose or skopos achieved, not by the approaches employed. Therefore, skopos theory can be considered as a feasible and scientific guideline to the translation of subtitles. Key w

4、ords: film; subtitle translation; skopos theory摘要：电影是人们喜闻乐见的艺术形式，作为电影的重要组成部分，电影字幕具有传达信息，表现美感和吸引观众的功能。但是，电影字幕的翻译并非易事，虽然目前很多译者就电影字幕的翻译提出各种各样的翻译方法，但仍然缺少具有科学性和指导性的系统翻译理论。本文试图运用德国功能主义的“目的论”，分析研究电影的字幕翻译。一切以目的而不是以手段评价译文的优劣，力求各种关系的协调一致，因此目的论为影视翻译提供了科学、可行的指导意义。关键词：电影；字幕翻译；目的论Contents. Introduction.1. Purpose

5、 and Significance1. Skopos Theory.2A. Three stages.21. Katharina Reiss and the functional category of translation criticism22. Hans J. Vermeer and skopos theory.23. Justa Holz-Manttari and the theory of translational action. 3B. Three rules.31. The skopos rule.32. The coherence rule.33. The fidelity

6、 rule.4. Previous Studies on English Film Translation.4A. New definition of translation.4B. Previous studies on English film translation4. Application of Skopos Theory to Film Subtitle Translation5A. Foreignization.6B. Domestication7C. Compromise.8D. Omission8E. Transliteration.9.Conclusion.10Works

7、Cited.11. IntroductionWith the rapid development of globalization, digitalization, and multimedia technology as well as the widening and deepening of crosscultural communication, there are more and more exchanges of audio-visual products between China and the outside world. Without good subtitle tra

8、nslation, there could be no successful exchanges of the products. Among all the theories employed in film translation, Skopos theory has provided a solid theoretical foundation for the faithful transference of subtitle in films. Skopos theory liberates translation from the chain of the source text a

9、nd provides a new perspective to elucidate translational activities. . Purpose and SignificanceAppreciation of foreign films has become an essential part of modern life in China. Its an important channel to further understanding and communication between different cultures. In recent years, the audi

10、ovisual translation (AVT) has showed its mounting significance. Researches on AVT have been carried out more extensively and intensively in the West, thus common ground has been reached and conventions have been established in terms of translation strategies and quality control. In comparison, resea

11、rches in this field are far from enough in China. At present, audiovisual products spring up in great amount at the market, but their qualities are at quite different levels due to the lack of theoretical instructions and normalization. The function of subtitle is to maximally convey, under the cons

12、traints of time and space, the information of the oral speeches to the audience and achieve conversion of cultures at the same time. Skopos theory holds that translation should center on translation purpose, the translation standards should be multi-faceted and the multi-lateral relationships betwee

13、n the original author, translation initiator, translator and target readers should all be taken into consideration in the translation process. Meanwhile, the function of cross-cultural communication should be stressed. Obviously, Skopos theory can provide feasible theoretical instruction for subtitl

14、ing. The translation strategies under the supervision of Skopos theory go beyond the limit of any single translation criterion. Skopos theory broadens the horizon of film translation by putting translation into a scope of dynamic actions that integrate the multi-lateral relationships between the fil

15、m producer, translator, target audience, translation brief, time, space and medium. The products of translation should be evaluated by the purpose or Skopos achieved, not by the approaches employed. Therefore, Skopos theory can be considered as a feasible and scientific guideline to the translation

16、of subtitles. Skopos TheorySkopos theory is an approach to translation proposed in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Reiss and Vermeer. It stresses the interactional, pragmatic aspects of translation, arguing that the shape of target text should above all be determined by the function or “skopos” th

17、at it is intended to fulfill in the target context. Skopos theory sees translation as a form of human action. Therefore, like any other forms of human action, translation has a purpose. And translating should be taken as a purposeful activity. The word “skopos”, derived from Greek, means nothing but

18、 “aim” or “purpose”, then, is a technical term for the aim or purpose of a translation (Vermeer 227).A. Three stages The development of functionalism goes through three stages: Katharina Reiss and the functional category of translation criticism, Hans J. Vermeer and Skopostheorie, Justa Holz-Manttar

19、i and the theory of translational action.1. Katharina Reiss and the functional category of translation criticismShe holds the view that the ideal translation is one “in which the aim in the target language is equivalence as regards the conceptual content, linguistic form and communicative function o

20、f a source language text”. She refers to this kind of translation as “integral communicative performance”(Nord 9). 2. Hans J. Vermeer and skopos theoryReiss initiates the functionalist theory but is still restrained by the dominant criterion-equivalence. Her student Hans J. Vermeer shakes off the bo

21、ndage of equivalence and focuses on the purpose. He provides a new access to translation studies from the perspective of Skopos based on the theory of action. He defines human action as intentional, purposeful behavior that takes place in a given situation and translation is a type of human action.

22、Therefore, translation is purposeful. One of the most important factors determining the purpose of a translation is the addressee, who is the intended receiver or andience of the target text with their culture-specific world knowledge, their expectations and their communicative needs. Every translat

23、ion should be directed at an intended addressee. Vermeer regards the source text as only an “offer of information” and considers translation to be a type of transfer where communicative verbal and non-verbal signs are transferred from one language into another. The status of the source is clearly mu

24、ch lower in Skopostheorie than in equivalence-based theories.3. Justa Holz-Manttari and the theory of translational actionJusta Holz-Manttari is a radical functionalist and even avoids using the term “translation” in the strict sense which enables her to move away from the traditional concepts and c

25、onnotations connected with the word. She proposes a new term “message transmitters” consisting of textual material combined with other media such as pictures, sounds and body movements. Translators are experts in producing appropriate message transmitters in intercultural communication. “Holz-Mantta

26、ri places special emphasis on the actional aspects of the translation process, analyzing the roles of the participants (initiator, translator, user, message receiver) and the situational conditions (time, place, medium) in which their activities take place”(Nord 13). B. Three rulesSkopos theory is m

27、ainly constructed by three rules: Skopos rule, coherence rule and fidelity rule.1. The skopos ruleSkopos rule, as the top-ranking rule for skopostheorie says that a translational action is determined by its Skopos which means “the end justifies the means” (Reiss 101). Vermeer explains the Skopos rul

28、e in the following way: “Each text is produced for a given purpose and should serve this purpose. The Skopos rule thus reads as follows: translate/interpret/speak/write in a way that enables your text/translation to function in the situation in which it is used and with the people who want to use it

29、 and precisely in the way they want it to function ”(Nord 29).The rule is intended to solve the eternal dilemmas of free vs. faithful translation dynamic vs. formal equivalence, good interpreters vs. slavish translator, and soon. It means that the skopos of a particular translation task may require

30、a “free” or a “faithful” translation, or anything between these two extremes, depending on the purpose for which the translation is needed. 2. The coherence ruleThe coherence rule coming from intratextual coherence means that any translation should be understood by the receiver and it should make se

31、nse in the communicative situation and culture in which it is received. What a translator can do, and should do, is to produce a text that is at least likely to be meaningful to target-culture receivers.3. The fidelity ruleOriginating from inter-textual coherence, it suggests that the target languag

32、e text or the translated text should be faithful to the corresponding source language text. Inter-textual coherence should exist between source and target text, while the form it takes depends both on the translators interpretation of the source text and on the translation Skopos. It may be a maxima

33、lly faithful imitation of the source text or a complete deviation. Fidelity rule is considered subordinate to both coherence rule and the Skopos rule. . Film TranslationFilm translation is a relatively new genre in the field of translation studies although it dates back to the twentieth century. It

34、is essential to give a brief but clear introduction to film translation first.A. New definition of translation “I have defined translation as information offered in a language of culture which imitates information offered in language of culture so as to fulfill the desired function. That means that

35、a translation is not the trans-coding of words or sentences from one language into another, but a complex action in which someone provides information about a text under new functional, cultural and linguistic conditions and in a new situation, whereby formal characteristics are imitated as far as p

36、ossible.” (Snell-Hornby 46)B. Previous studies on English film translationIn the west, the research on multimedia translation began from the beginning of 20th century and has enjoyed a rapid development especially in recent decades. Many research institutes have been established for multimedia resea

37、rch, such as the European Association for Studies in Screen Translation (ESIST), the European Institute for the Media (EIM), and the Independent Television Commission (ITC). From the studies on the types, features, strategies, assessment and training of multimedia translation, they have a relatively

38、 complete system and mechanism to operate and to follow. Subtitling as the one type of film translation had gained remarkable achievements. In China, however, audio-visual translation in the media is a new genre. It has not been largely unexplored in the field of translation studies. We are still on

39、 the stage of summarizing strategies and experiences and seldom touch the point of mythology and theory. We could see that imported film and TV industry are booming while few people have conducted systematic research towards film translation. Up until now, we mostly focused on the strategy and metho

40、d. Like Professor Qian Shaochang, Zhang Chunbai, Li Yunxing and Ma Zhengqi etc. They are all pioneers researchers in this field in China. Film translation is an interdisciplinary research. We need to find certain theory and norm in certain aspects, among which skopos theory is a good one. Applicatio

41、n of Skopos Theory to Film Subtitle TranslationFilm is both an artistic form and mental product, with which cultural, political, and ideological elements are conveyed. Nowadays, with the industrialization and commercialization of film industry, film has far exceeded the conventional artistic form. T

42、herefore, films, especially film titles, should not be seen and translated as pure literature under the direction of traditional translation theories, which overly emphasize the linguistic forms and attach too much more importance to the source text than to the target cultural conditions and intende

43、d audience. It helps to free translators from the bondage of traditional theories by providing them a new way of thinking, and establishes a profound foundation, helping people to penetrate deeper into cultural and translational phenomena. According to skopos theory, the prime principle determining

44、any translation process is the purpose of the overall translational action. For this reason, it is necessary to define the skopos of film subtitle translation first. For Nord, there are mainly three kinds of purposes, namely, the general purpose aimed at by the translator in the translation process

45、(perhaps to earn a living), the communicative purpose aimed at by the target text in the target situation (perhaps to instruct the reader) and the purpose aimed at by a particular translation strategy or procedure (Nord 27-8). As in the specific case of film subtitle translation, such three kinds of

46、 purposes could be understood in the following way: (a) general purpose: For translator, film subtitle translation can be regarded as a means of earning his living and a successful translated work may win him great fame. (b) communicative purpose: also the ultimate goal of film subtitle translation,

47、 which is to arouse the audiences interest and draw their attention. (c) purpose of using particular translation strategies: to achieve the three functions, namely, informative function, aesthetic function and commercial function, to instruct and entertain the audience. If a translation fulfills the primary purpose of transl