硕士学位论文-系统功能语言学与影视翻译语域理论在字幕翻译中的应用.doc

摘 要影视作品是现代社会人们生活中不可缺少的一部分，而且，欣赏外国影视作品能促进不同文化间的相互了解和沟通，因而，影视作品翻译近年来逐渐兴起，成为翻译研究中的一个新兴领域，在中外文化交流中发挥着不可替代的作用。随着现代生活节奏的加快,特别是网络时代的到来，配以字幕的影视作品能让观众在短时间内获取最大的信息量,同时也能让他们欣赏“原汁原味”的影视作品。因此,作为影视翻译的一个重要组成部分,字幕翻译就显得尤为重要。近几年，字幕翻译的研究飞速发展，但大多学者是从目的论的角度进行阐述。而本文的创新点就在于，尝试使用系统功能语言学中的语域理论对字幕翻译进行分析，以期对提高字幕翻译质量有所帮助。本篇论文首先介绍近年来影视翻译的研究现状，归纳影视翻译的本质特征及其分类，然后阐述字幕翻译作为硬是翻译一个基本分支其定义是什么，并介绍字幕翻译的历史研究。第二章中，作者总结了字幕翻译固有的特点及存在的局限性。第三章是本文的重点，主要是研究语域理论在字幕翻译中的应用。首先介绍韩礼德的语域理论，以及语域三个变项（语场，语式，语旨）之间的关系，再根据该理论在翻译中的应用实践，进而阐述它在字幕翻译中的作用和价值。研究结果证明，语域理论对字幕翻译的实践具有指导意义，对提高字幕翻译的质量能够起到重要作用。文章的最后，作者对整篇论文进行了总结，并提出字幕翻译的研究有待进一步深入。关键词：影视翻译；语域理论；字幕翻译；语场；语式；语旨AbstractMovies and TV programs have become an essential part of our modern life. They are important channels for information. To watch foreign audiovisual products also furthers mutual understanding and communications between different cultures. Recent years have seen a growing demand for audiovisual translation, the study of which therefore becomes a relatively new research field and plays an irreplaceable role in cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. Subtitling is one kind of audiovisual translation. With the rapid pace of modern life, especially the coming of the Internet age, the audiovisual products with subtitles could provide the maximum information in a short time for audience to appreciate the original movies and TV programs. Therefore, subtitling translation is particularly significant as an important component of audiovisual translation.During the last few years, the subtitling translation has developed rapidly, more and more scholars have paid much attention to it. However, most of them studied it by applying Skopostheory. This thesis is an endeavor to apply the register theory to subtitling, with a view to improving the quality of E-C/C-E subtitling translation. Firstly, it introduces the current situation of audiovisual translation study, and comes to its nature and the categories. Then, the author gives a definition of the subtitling translation, one of the basic categories of audiovisual translation, and a brief introduction to the history of the subtitling translation. The second chapter refers to the characteristics and constraints of the subtitling translation. The following chapter is the major part of the whole paper, which focuses on the application of the register theory to the subtitling translation. At first, it introduces Hallidays Register Theory and the relationship between the three variables of the register (field, mode and tenor). To take a step further, the author analyzes the practical application of the theory to the subtitling translation. As a result, it proves that audiovisual translation studies can be made within the framework of Register Theory and that the application of this theory to translation practice can improve the quality of subtitling translation. After the detailed research, the significance of applying Register Theory to subtitling translation study is brought into focus. In the end, the author gives a conclusion for the whole thesis and points out that there is still a long way to go in the study of audiovisual translation, especially that of the subtitling translation.Key Word: audiovisual translation; subtitling translation; the register theory; field; mode; tenorContentsAcknowledgements摘要-1Abstract-2Introduction- 6Chapter 1 A General Introduction to the Study of Audiovisual Translation - 81.1 The Present Study of Audiovisual Translation- 81.2 The Nature of Audiovisual Translation-101.3 Categorization of Audiovisual Translation - 111.3.1 Definition of Subtitling - 121.3.2 The History of Subtitling Translation - 13Chapter 2 Characteristics and Constraints of Subtitling Translation -142.1 Characteristics of Subtitling Translation - 142.1.1 Diasemiotic- 152.1.2 Polysemiotic- 152.1.3 Overt Translation- 162.2 Constraints of Subtitling Translation- 17Chapter 3 Register Theory and Its Application to Subtitling Translation- 203.1 Introduction to Hallidays Register Theory-203.2 Relationship Between Three Register Variables and Linguistic System- 213.2.1 Relationship Between Register Variables and Three Types of Meaning in Language- 223.2.2 Relationship Between Register Variables and Lexical-grammatical System- 233.3 The Theorys Application in Translation- 253.3.1 Three Variables and Their Application in Translation- 25 3.3.1.1. Field and Its Application in Translation-263.3.1.2 Mode and Its Application in Translation-273.3.1.3 Tenor and Its Application in Translation-273.4 Realization of Register Equivalence in Subtitling Translation- 283.4.1 Realization of Equivalence of Field in Subtitling Translation- 293.4.1.1 Choices in Lexis- 293.4.1.2 Selections in Transitivity Pattern- 313.4.2 Realization of Equivalence of Mode in Subtitling Translation-353.4.2.1 Degree of Formality-363.4.2.2 Nominalization-423.4.3 Realization of Equivalence of Tenor in Subtitling Translation-453.4.3.1 Levels of Formality- 463.4.3.2 Levels of Politeness-503.4.3.3 Levels of Impersonality- 523.4.3.4 Levels of Accessibility- 54Chapter 4 Attainments and Significance of the Theorys Application in Subtitling Translation-594.1 Attainments of Register Equivalence in Subtitling Translation-594.2 Significance of Its Application in Subtitling Translation- 60Conclusion-64Biology-66IntroductionAs economic globalization has given rise to a form of cultural globalization, borderlines are narrowed between the East and the West, the center and the periphery. The cultural globalization puts a tremendous impact on the reconstruction of the world cultural framework and it will raise questions about the possible consequences on literary studies. As a main means of cross-cultural communication in the twenty-first century, the audiovisual product is an important carrier of human culture since it was invented. To watch movies and TV programs of other countries enlarges peoples vision of the world. These products provide large number of information and experience about the manifold life. For so many reasons, people try to better appreciate foreign films and TV programs through various forms of language transfer. Various forms of language transfer have been used since the birth of movies and TV plays to overcome the language barriers imposed through the linguistic fragmentation in Europe. Chinese people and other viewers in non-English speaking regions are well accustomed to watching foreign audiovisual products in dubbed or subtitled version. Recent years, China has witnessed a skyrocketing rise in imported audiovisual products, which makes a great demand for the translation practice in this field. To explore the question of how to translate audiovisual products properly, this thesis will concentrate on one basic category of audiovisual translation, namely subtitling translation, by employing the register theory, one branch of Hallidays Systemic-functional theory, to analyze its practical application in the subtitling translation.However, there is a great discrepancy between the important statue of the subtitling translation and the researches that have been done in this field especially in China as the development of the theories concerning this field is very rare. In Western world, the research is also relatively young compared with other fields. The translation of subtitles is thus attracting more and more attention as it has its own special features. It is possible and significant to review the subtitling translation of successful audiovisual products and draw some lessons for future moviemakers who are ambitious to enter a wider land.The present study is a target-oriented product research, focusing on a descriptive and explanatory analysis of the E-C/C-E subtitles. A Systemic-functional theory is adopted into the research. Considerable effort has been taken to figure out various factors that should be taken into account during subtitling to bridge the gap between specific constraints of the subtitling translation and its function in target culture. To make it more convincing, detailed examples from films and TV plays are transcribed and analyzed to explore the feasibility of the application of the register theory into the subtitling translation.This thesis falls into four parts besides this introduction and the conclusion. Chapter 1 is a general introduction to the study of audiovisual translation. Chapter 2 describes the characteristics and constraints of the subtitling translation. Chapter 3 proceeds to introduce the register theory and to analyze its application to the subtitling translation, providing many examples taken from the movies and TV plays. Chapter 4 refers to attainments and significance of the theorys application in the subtitling translation. Chapter 1 A General Introduction to the Study of Audiovisual TranslationIn recent years, audiovisual products have become an important part of our life, and have the closer and closer relationship with human beings. Since the motion pictures were invented at the end of the 19th century by Edison, movies and TV programs had sustained rapid technologic progress and became an attractive art for the daily lives of common people. Films and TV plays can give people beautiful images and moving feelings. People appreciate audiovisual products to laugh, to cry or even to find something new. People can find what they expect in those products such as happiness, sadness, humor and hope. Meanwhile, as today many people devote more energy to their work and thus the pace of life becomes much faster than before, watching movies and TV programs has become a main way of common peoples entertainment.With the rapid development of the technology and the variety of the mass media, audiovisual products also have a pervading influence on our daily life. The fact that television has become an essential part of our everyday lives shows the impact that TV industry has on our personalities and the way we live. For example, daily quotations or catchphrases often come from popular films and TV series. Instead of staying in and reading a book, one is now more likely to go to the movies or watch a videotape at home. Nowadays, audiovisual products are no longer constrained to a certain area or country; instead, they have crossed national boundaries and become international. A large number of foreign audiovisual products provide people a fresh view of various lives in other countries. Therefore, the translation of audiovisual products from the source language to the target language is indispensable when we introduce these products to the target country. 1.1 The Study of Audiovisual TranslationFor several decades almost every country all over the world has improved its own unique tradition of filmmaking as well as rendering foreign products into the target language. Nowadays films and TV programs have become tremendously influential and extremely powerful vehicles for transferring values, ideas and information between different cultures. While meeting and satisfying viewers expectations and curiosity concerning various cultures, it should ensure the originality and hence the foreignness of films. Audiovisual translation seems to have been absent from academic exchanges on translation until very recently. Since about 1995, the study of screen translation has been progressing rapidly for several reasons. Firstly, the year 1995 became a milestone in the history of screen translation. It was the centennial anniversary of the cinema, so the Council of Europe wanted to celebrate it and agreed to host a forum on audiovisual communication and language transfer. From that year on, seminars and conferences have been held each year. The number of publications also has a significant rise. Secondly, the breakthroughs of new technology make on-line and off-line services and products a reality. We are now surrounded by screens. The third one is the change of language policy and the increase of language awareness, especially in Europe. Minority groups now realize that the media could be a useful tool to promote and reinforce their languages and cultural identities. Last but not least, translation practice also changes rapidly. (Gambier 2003:171)Except audiovisual translation, the other two terms frequently used are screen translation and film translation. According to Karamitroglous, he prefers “audiovisual translation” to “screen” or “film translation” because audiovisual translation emphasizes the two dimensions of the audio-visual communicative mode. Audiovisual communication means that both the acoustic channel through air vibrations and visual channel through light waves are simultaneously utilized. Although having preference and aspects stressed respectively, Karamitroglous still agrees that the three terms actually refer to one thingthe transfer of language in a multimedia mode. In the introduction of a special issue on Screen Translation in The Translator journal, Gambier proposes “transadaptation”, a term which “might allow us to go beyond the usual dichotomy (literal/free translation, translation/adaptation, etc.) and take target audiences into consideration more directly.” (ibid:178)Gambier (ibid:172-7) divides types of screen translation into two groups: Dominant types: interlingual subtitling, dubbing, consecutive interpreting, simultaneous interpreting, voice-over, free commentary, simultaneous (or sight) translation and multilingual production. Challenging types: scenario/script translation, intralingual subtitling, live (or real time) subtitling, subtitling, and audio description.Among all these, subtitling has gained more attention in the past studies.1.2 The Nature of Audiovisual TranslationThere is a long-standing contempt against audiovisual translation that can be traced in Ballester (1995:178 cit. in Karamitroglou, 2000:10): But it is a well-known fact that audiovisual translation has always been considered inferior to (written) literary translation, most probably because of the lack of cultural prestige in audiovisual mass-media, compared to canonized literature. However, such contempt is not only shortsighted, but also ill-founded. These two kinds of translation have their own special requirements due to different types of art, media channels, and their audience. In literary works, language is the only raw material for creation. Images and the concerns of life are carved from words in the readers mind. Hence, “indirection” is a very typical feature found in the art of language. Yet, as movie and TV is an audio-visual art, the images are already there and the translator only needs to develop the characters language. As a matter of fact, large quantities of movies or TV series are adapted from literary works; whats more, at present, there emerges a tendency which accepts translations of audiovisual material as literary facts in a systemic constellations of relations under the precondition that it views “literature” as “the totality of the activities involved with the literary system” and “literary system” as “the network of relations that is hypothesized to obtain between a number of activities called literary”, and consequently these activities themselves observed via the network. (Even-Zohar, 1990:28 & 54 cit. in Karamitroglou, 2000:13) On the other hand, granted the audial and visual qualities of audiovisual translation, the audiovisual product is such a complicated and comprehensive form of art that it partly covers literary genres like fiction, drama, poetry etc. in many ways. Thus there is no wonder that it is incorporated by She Xiebin into Chinese literature as a type of audiovisual literature (佘协斌，2001:53). Besides, another important reason for counting the audiovisual product into literary line lies in its language. As a core element, the language of a movie or TV play is mainly created beforehand so that it is composite of well-thought-of dialogues. These dialogues are multifunctional as not only do they contribute to th