On Subtitle Translation Of The Big Bang Theory

Under the context of globalization in the Internet age, a growing number of English films and TV series are flocking into China. American TV series is regarded as an important channel to facilitate cultural transmission and information transfer. Subtitling is playing an increasingly significant part in intercultural communication. Nevertheless, researches on fansub translation rarely find any way into the academic world. Due to its innovative subject, interesting plot, humorous dialogue, and distinctive characters, The Big Bang Theory is widely favored and accepted by Chinese audiences. The thesis will probe into the flexible and creative translation techniques and strategies employed by fansubs by analyzing typical examples excerpted from the fifth season of The Big Bang Theory, hoping to provide reference for future subtitle translation.The fifth season of this sitcom consists of111episodes along with2220minutes. The author download videos and subtitles from YYeTs(“人人影视”in Chinese), YTET(“伊甸园”in Chinese), and FRM(“风软”in Chinese), and Shooter.cn (“射手网”in Chinese).Firstly, the author makes textual analysis of The Big Bang Theory by means of synopsis and character analysis, and explores such language styles as epochal features, situational context, personalized language, intertextuality.Secondly, based on the subtitle materials of the fifth season, the author explores subtitle translation of The Big Bang Theory by analyzing typical examples. Subtitling possesses its linguistic features as simplicity, colloquialism, popularization, personalization, fashion and synchronization, and such cultural features as domestication and cultural transmission. Moreover, by means of empirical analysis, the author probes into subtitle translation of The Big Bang Theory in detail by expounding specific translation difficulties in humor, terminology, culture-loaded words, long and complicated sentences, and analyzing its unique translation approaches, i.e. cultural image transformation, use of popular language, internet language, dialects, application of expressions with Chinese characteristics and employment of annotation, and effective strategies from lexical level,i.e. wordplay, slang, accent, syntactic level, i.e. addition, deletion, and cultural level, i.e. translation of names, special terms, customs, educational background, and the limitations of the Chinese subtitles, i.e. losses of humorous effects, cultural image and pragmatic effects.Furthermore, the author elaborate on fansubs’s operating process and features, analyzed TL audiences’aesthetic demands and expectations, attempting to explore the enlightenment of Internet culture and fansub groups on subtitle translation, which include such influences of fansubs groups, online resources reception, and online communications on subtitle translation. Translators of fansub groups are capable of breaking through shackles of traditional translation belief, making best of teamwork and bringing transltors’subjectivity and creativity into full play, and employing flexible translation techniques and strategies, so as to fulfill specialized effects and functions. The Big Bang Theroy stands out from other American TV shows for its creativity and typicality. Thereby, the author selects this sitcom as research object, hoping it can provide reference for audio-visual translation’s process, strategies and approaches. This thesis tries to inquire into fansub’s translation, in an attempt to suggest feasible approaches and enlightenment to future audio-visual translation, in hope of drawing some attention from society and academic world.