Translation Studies on Chinese Films and TV Shows

313 Pages·2023·5.883 MB·English

by  Feng Yue

Feng Yue   Editor
Translation
Studies
on Chinese Films
and TV Shows
Translation Studies on Chinese Films and TV
Shows
Feng Yue
Editor
Translation Studies
on Chinese Films and TV
Shows
Editor
Feng Yue
School of Foreign Languages
Fujian Normal University
Fuzhou, Fujian, China
Translated by
Hanxiong Zhu Hui Li
School of Foreign Languages School of Foreign Languages
Wuhan University of Technology Wuhan University of Technology
Wuhan, China Wuhan, China
Kaixuan Wang
Faculty of Education and Social Work
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
ISBN 978-981-19-5999-8 ISBN 978-981-19-6000-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6000-0
Jointly published with China Social Sciences Press
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Chief Editor
Feng Yue
Preface
I worked for Fujian TV Station continually from 1992 to 2005, first as a translator
and then as a proofreader of translations. I had many discussions with my language
consultants, who were native speakers of English, and felt strongly that one man’s
meat could be another man’s poison, both linguistically and culturally speaking. The
journalist intends to present his or her thought in a piece of news to audience in one
way, while people from another culture comprehend it in another through translation.
There will always be problems in this because people from different cultures have
different needs and schema. When I was proofreading translations, I was constantly
mediating between translators, who more or less represent the writers of the source
texts, and the target audience by revising the translations to make both sides happy.
With increasing international influence, China has a stronger desire to disseminate
Chinese culture. Historically, Chinese culture had worldwide influence, such Chinese
elements as Confucian classics, Chinese Kongfu or traditional Chinese medicine are
popular in some circles. While the Chinese have keen cultural consciousness, the
international audience, according to our recent research, have a strong tendency
for deculturalization. They may like Kongfu, but they don’t care which school the
Kongfu belongs to or whether the Kongfu maters are Chinese, Japanese, Korean or
of any other nation. Chinese Kongfu films are sometimes set in ancient times, which
includes numerous Chinese elements such as official titles. These are particularly
unwelcome, not because they are Chinese, but because they are so culturally specific
that they are difficult to understand. Audience complain that cultural elements hinder
their understanding. So translators need to think about serving the purposes of both
Chinese films and international audience.
This book consists of five parts. The first is a statistics-based survey on the export
of the Chinese film industry. The world influence of Chinese films has been soaring
these years, but the audience in developed countries are mostly overseas Chinese.
Outside China, Chinese films are shown mostly for free. Chinese films are accepted,
but not yet embraced by international audience. Chinese films have not yet taken
root on the international stage. The second part is the cultural studies of subtitle
translation. Some translators try to reproduce all cultural elements, which are often
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viii Preface
poorly received by international audience. Some translators simplify or even elimi-
nate certain cultural elements, which is criticized by researchers at home. Hollywood
blockbuster Kungfu Panda managed to strike the balance, throwing light on the direc-
tion for our film industry. With a strong intention to disseminate a culture so alien
to the target audience, the translator risks putting off the audience. The mainstream
of deculturalization seems to entrap translators in a Catch-22. Balancing between
the purpose of the film and the taste of international audience is a delicate art. The
third part is the linguistic study of subtitle translations. All agree that translators
should be encouraged to tap into their creativity. But to what extent? The fourth part
is the study of film title translation. The fifth part is the study of translation for TV
programs, which comes close to film translation. But it could involve more ideolog-
ical elements since it is regularly related with news and documentaries. A conscious
translator keeps ideological differences in mind and bridge the difference through
proper diction.
Finally, people come to movie houses to be entertained. What really counts on
an international stage is the success of the film art, including technology-based
special effects. The audience need to be attracted to the movies before they can
learn something about the Chinese culture.
Fuzhou, China Feng Yue
Acknowledgements
Yue Feng, Ph.D., professor at the School of Foreign Languages of Fujian Normal
University, Ph.D. supervisor, and postdoctoral mobile station co-supervisor, is the
project leader. He designed and reviewed the entire book. He is the author of Chap. 11.
Zhou Qinchao is a lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages, Concord
University College, Fujian Normal University. He is the author of Chap. 1.
Xie Yuchao, MA, served on the Executive Committee of the Silk Road Interna-
tional Film Festival and wrote Chap. 10.
Han Lanhua, MA, a teacher at Fuzhou Tongpan Middle School. She is the author
of Chap. 6.
Gao Qingyun, MA, deputy the director of the Free Trade Office of the Management
Committee of Jiangyin Gangcheng Economic Zone, Fuzhou, wrote Chap. 2.
Lai Liping, MA, a teacher at the Experimental High School Subsidiary of Xiamen
University, wrote Chap. 3.
Wang Jianxiong, MA, a teacher at Fuzhou Liren Middle School, wrote Chap. 5.
Zhu Lanting, MA, a teacher at Putian No. 1 Middle School, wrote Chap. 8.
Weng Rong, MA, a teacher at Fuzhou Dongsheng Primary School, wrote Chap. 7.
Chen Yan, MA, working for Newland Technology Group. She wrote Chap. 4.
Sun Hongjuan, MA, a teacher at Mudanjiang No. 1 High School, wrote Chap. 9.
Acknowledgements also go to the 2017 MTI students of the College of Foreign
Languages.
ix
Contents
1 Review of China’s Film and TV Drama Export in Recent Years .... 1
Qinchao Zhou
2 Cultural Default and Translation Compensation in the English
Translation of Chinese Films: Taking Ang Lee’s Family
Trilogy as an Example ......................................... 21
Qingyun Gao
3 On Subtitle Translation from the Perspectives of Semantic
Translation and Communicative Translation ..................... 61
Liping Lai
4 Cultural Default and Transmission of Martial Arts Imagery:
The Translation of Cultural-Loaded Words in the Grandmaster .... 93
Yan Chen
5 On Film Subtitle Translation from the Perspective of Skopos
Theory: Taking Black Coal, Thin Ice as an Example .............. 137
Jianxiong Wang
6 On Feng’s Humor from the Perspective of Equivalent Effect
Translation: Taking Feng Xiaogang’s New Year Comedies
as an Example ................................................ 151
Lanhua Han
7 On the English Translation of Culture-Loaded Words
in Finding Mr. Right from the Perspective of Manipulation
Theory ....................................................... 193
Rong Weng
8 Translation of Culture-Loaded Words in Audiovisual
Translation—Taking Empresses in the Palace as an Example ...... 213
Lanting Zhu
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xii Contents
9 Meme Transmission and Domestication and Foreignization
in the CE Translation of Film Titles ............................. 241
Hongjuan Sun
10 Translation for International Film Festival Under
the Guidance of Functional Equivalence Theory ................. 265
Yuchao Xie
11 Considerations for CE Translation of TV News and Production
of Foreign-Related TV ......................................... 283
Feng Yue
Bibliography ...................................................... 291