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Application of Register Theory to the Study of Film Title Translation

Author: WangZuo
Tutor: ZhangDeLu
School: Ocean University of China
Course: Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Keywords: register theory field mode tenor intertextuality film title translation
CLC: H315.9
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 294
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Abstract

With the present popularization of multi-culture, the development of films is strikingly noticeable. Film as a visual art, embodies the history, geography and culture of a nation. Thus film becomes a cultural medium of intercourse between the two peoples. When cultural exchanges with the outside world have never been more lively, the film exchanges with the foreign countries are on a daily broadening scale. However, film translation is barely satisfactory; especially the low quality of the film title translation discourages the audience. As the centre of attraction, film title is the most informative part. So it is urgent to change this disordered situation by making more attempts to find new ways of translating film titles.To solve the problem, many scholars have done helpful researches under the guidance of linguistic theories, such as Newmark’s translation theory, Skopos theory, cross-cultural theory, equivalence theory, adaptation theory, Intertextuality theory, Andre Lefevere’s rewriting theory etc. In this thesis, register theory is introduced into film title translation both from English to Chinese and from Chinese to English. The concept of register in a Hallidayan sense is that register can be defined as a configuration of meanings that are typically associated with a particular situational configuration of field, mode, and tenor. The three situational variables could make film title translation operative within a rule-based and step-by-step framework. Besides, the intertextuality theory is also taken into the study. The thesis is intended to exemplify that film title translation can be done comprehensively and objectively by using register theory to assess the quality of the film title translation.The present thesis will employ both the qualitative approach and quantitative approach. The qualitative approach will be used in detailed analysis by using the register theory and at the same time taking the intertextuality into consideration. In the quantitative approach two hundred film tittles of English and Chinese will be collected and classified to conclude the general rules governing the future film title translation. In the qualitative analysis, four pairs of corresponding concepts are used. 1) The situational variable-field corresponds to the film subject which is embodied in the glossary and expression of the film title;2) The situational variable-mode corresponds to genre of films;3) The situational variable-tenor corresponds to familiarity the audience in different languages towards the subject or main character of the film;4) The context of culture corresponds to intertextuality, which takes advantage of borrowing or imitating the already-influential film title to arouse the audience’s empathy.In qualitative analysis, the operational steps for film title translation are listed below:1) Intertextuality:when translators find two or more films are similar in plot or in subject, they could borrow or imitate the already-influential film title to arouse the audience’s empathy. When these films are unavailable, the following steps could be employed.2) Field:translators should summarize the main content of the film to test whether the title could exactly reveal the subject of the film and whether literal translation of the film title could be totally understood.3) Mode:translators should carefully identify the film genre and use fitting wording to show its genre-action, romance, science-fiction, horror, comedy and cartoon.4) Tenor:translators should fully consider the audience’s receptivity. Tenor may be used to decide the choice between the method of literal translation and the method of free translation. If the viewers are familiar with the subject and characters of the film, literal translation can be used. And if the subject and characters are strange ones, suitable supplements must be added to make the titles comprehensible.In quantitative analysis, the writer of the thesis concludes the following film title translation rules:1) In relation to field:English words and Chinese characters of the same sense will possibly express different events. Special expression or English slang may cause field deviation and register shift.2) In relation to mode:when English action film titles are translated into Chinese, several Chinese characters as生,死,龙,虎etc are frequently used; when Chinese action film titles are translated into English, some words as Kungfu, Master etc are frequently used.When English romance films are translated into Chinese, the Chinese characters like爱，恋etc often appear in the corresponding Chinese titles. And conversely, the爱-related Chinese film titles are often translated as…love.When titles of English horror films are translated into Chinese, the following Chinese characters are often used-古,狂,鬼etc.When English cartoon titles are translated into Chinese, the Chinese phrase总动员is frequently used. Such as Toys story-《玩具总动员》,Cars-《汽车总动员》,Finding Nemo《海底总动员》Despite the limitations of this study, these findings can, to a large extent, fill up the deficiency of film title translation from Chinese to English.This study gives film title translators more choice in translation practice and provides some helpful clues to the future study on film title translation.

Application of Register Theory to the Study of Film Title Translation

Abstract

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