A Report On The Subtitle Translation Of The Croods:Family Tree Season 4 (Excerpt) From The Perspective Of Adaptation Theory

With the increasingly close cultural exchanges between countries and the continuous development of cultural diversity,many excellent Western film and television works have been introduced to China,helping people understand foreign cultures.However,due to the differences in language and culture between China and the West,audiences may need help understanding the content and values of the works.Therefore,high-quality subtitle translation is required.The translator selected the subtitles of the first,third,and seventh episodes of the popular American animation The Croods: Family Tree Season 4 as the source text.Adaptation Theory guides this report.Based on the characteristics of animation subtitles,such as time and space constraints,frequent occurrence of idioms and colloquial words,and flexible use of language,the aim is to achieve “adaptation” from four aspects: structural elements of adaptability,contextual adaptability of correlation,dynamics of adaptability,and salience of adaptability.Regarding the structural elements of adaptability,the translator analyzes them from three aspects: phonetic structure,vocabulary,and sentence patterns.By adding exclamations,using four-character words,splitting long sentences,adjusting word order,converting,and repeating,the translator adapts to the speaking habits of the audience and achieves a matching of images and subtitles.In terms of the contextual adaptability of correlation,the translator analyzes the adaptability of the social and mental worlds,focusing on cultural differences and the psychology of the audience.By using Chinese idioms,catchwords,liberal translation,and amplification,the translator achieves “adaptation” to the social culture and psychology of the target language audience.Regarding the dynamics of adaptability,the translator accurately conveys the meaning of the characters through free translation,reflecting the process of adaptation.In terms of the salience of adaptability,the translation adapts to the conceptions and designs of the playwrights and the producers of the animation.This practice has found that Adaptation Theory can effectively guide translators in converting the lexical,syntactic,psychological,and social factors of English animation subtitles into Chinese,resulting in an ideal translation.Since animation subtitle translation is a complex task,translators must understand the cultural differences between Chinese and English,acquire relevant professional knowledge in the field of subtitles,enhance their understanding of subtitle work,and pay attention to new developments in subtitle technology at home and abroad,thus presenting excellent subtitles to the audience.After completing this report,the translator summarized some experiences and shortcomings,hoping to provide a reference for other subtitle translators.