Manifestation of Translator’s Subjectivity on Subtitle Translation

Long Yang

【Abstract】With the focus shifting from the writer to the translator since 1970s, issues concerning about the translator have gained more and more attention. This paper will discuss the importance of the translator and the subtitle translation by taking examples from the popular American sitcom Friends to analyze the subtitle translation.

【Key words】subtitle translation; translation subject; subjectivity

【作者簡介】龍旸(1990.11-)，女，漢族，江西人，江西應用科技學院，商務英語教研室主任，講師，碩士研究生，研究方向：翻譯理論與實踐、商務英語教學。

1. Introduction

Traditional translation theories place the author and the original text at the center but ignore the role of the translator. However, translation is not only the conversion, but also the re-creation activity. With the cultural shift, the identity of the translator has been affirmed. Nowadays, audience can watch foreign TV series or programs on Internet. But the behind-the-scene translators—subtitle groups shouldnt be ignored. .

2. Literature review

2.1 Translators subjectivity

In a narrow sense, translation is the activity of the translator, so the translator is the most important subject of translation. The translators subjectivity refers to “the self-consciousness of the translator in translation” (Xu ,2003). And Liu Biqing thinks that the translator is both the reader of source text, the decision maker of translation,and the creator of translated works(Liu, 2001).

2.2 Factors affecting translators subjectivity

Lefevere puts forward the influence of ideology, patron and poetics as the elements or restrictions on the translators. Factors can be divided into internal factors and external factors:(1) Internal factors such as the translators gender, personality, values, standpoint, etc.(2) External factors such as background, environment, ideology, sponsors, target readers, etc.

3. The embodiment of translators subjectivity in the subtitle translation of Friends

Gottlieb regards subtitle translation as “a written, additive, immediate, synchronous and poly-media” translation (Gottlieb, 2001). Due to the limit of time and place, subtitle translation should not only keep the language style, but also maintain the contextual effect. FRIENDS is an American sitcom with great popularity. Considering flexibility of subtitle group, this paper will regard the subtitle group as a whole, and analyze the factors affecting the translators subjectivity from 2 aspects: sponsors and target readers.

3.1 Sponsors(patrons) refer to all kinds of power in influencing translation, such as political class, government, publishers, etc. Subtitle group enjoys a rather high degree of freedom in translation, but it doesnt mean that its completely out of control. The platforms and relevant provisions will also have certain restrictions on its translation.

E.g.1 : Charlie: Its something. You go, girlfriend.(真了不起，向上吧少年！) (S10-E1)

Sohu subtitle group belongs to Sohu videos subtitle group, so the translation activity promoter is Sohu video. “Teenagers Upward ”is a TV program broadcast on Hunan TV and Sohu is one of its producers, so the translation is not only humorous, but also an implicit propaganda of Sohu.

3.2 Target audience. The translator should adopt the corresponding translation based on the target audience. In order to satisfy the audience, the translator should consider the potential audiences age, gender, language ability, cultural background and so on.

4. Conclusion

Translation is ultimately completed by the translator who exerts subjectivity. This paper finds that due to the particularity of subtitle translation, the translator does have a certain freedom to give full play to subjectivity. Subtitle translation is not standard enough. Therefore, we also need to improve the overall quality of subtitle translators.

References：

[1]Gottlieb, Henrik, Subtitling Diagonal Translation[J]. Perspectives: Studies in Transtology, 1994:101-109.