A Study Of E-C Subtitle Translation Of English Film The King’s Speech Based On Translational Action Theory

Film, with its peculiar interest, has been an irreplaceable recreational way of the masses since itsemergence. The audience not only enjoys pleasure brought by the film but also acquires language andcultural knowledge included in a film. Especially foreign films, which came in to the audience’s visiongradually since Reform and Opening-up, have become an indispensable way of entertainment till nowbecause of their advantages that meeting the audience’s need of learning about foreign culture and exoticlifestyle. In the process of spreading foreign films, subtitle translation work should be of importance for thereason that it takes a role of a communicative medium between the source text and the target audience.With boom of foreign films in China, subtitle translation work develops rapidly. Generally, a film may getseveral different translation versions. All of these versions have their own advantages and disadvantages.This thesis attempts to conduct a descriptive study on film subtitle translation from the perspective ofTranslational Action Theory.In Translational Action Theory, translation is regarded as intentional interaction, as interpersonalinteraction, as a communicative action, as intercultural action, as a text-processing Action. In this thesis, theauthor mainly does research on the only four kinds of Chinese versions of the English Film The King’sSpeech existing on the Internet currently under the guidance of two branches of Translational ActionTheory which are “translating as intercultural action” and “translating as a text-processing action”. InTranslational Action Theory, the main idea of “translating as intercultural action” is that translators shouldtry out to eliminate “rich points” which refers to some difference causing barriers in the communicatingprocess among different groups. In the other branch which is “translating as a text-processing action”, thesource text is just regarded as a way of offering information. As a translator, he could transform theinformation by some ways which are conducive to the target readers’ understanding.After researching, the author found out that in the film of The King’s Speech which told historicalstory in England, some part of the script conveys particular national culture. This part of script is likely tobe “rich points” which may cause the target readers’ misunderstanding. Thus translators must docultural-transforming work well. Besides, there is also some part of script which, if translated word to word,may not be conducive to deliverance of information of the film. For this part of script, translators should dotext-processing work. In this thesis, the author first picks up these two parts of subtitle translation amongfour Chinese versions of this film as cases, then compares and analyzes them under the guidance of two branches of Translational Action Theory-“translating as intercultural action” and “translating as atext-processing action”, trying to find out some adoptable translation strategies and put forward someuseful advice for subtitle translation.The author supposes that under the guidance of Translation Action Theory, translators may transmitfilm information better. Though this study, the author expects that firstly, film subtitle translators may takemore cautious attitude towards their work, secondly, more scholars could participate in subtitle translationwork in order to advance current subtitle translation work.