The Cultural Factors in English Film Title Translation英文电影名翻译的文化因素.docx

The Cultural Factors in English Film Title Translation英文电影名翻译的文化因素.docx

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TheCulturalFactorsinEnglishFilmTitleTranslation英文电影名翻译的文化因素

英文电影名翻译的文化因素

TheCulturalFactorsinEnglishFilmTitleTranslation

内容摘要

随着世界范围内频繁的文化交流，翻译越来越受到关注。

英语电影是我们了解异域文化的窗口，英语电影名称的翻译显得尤为重要。

本文研究了不同的英文电影名称翻译原则和策略，说明好的翻译要中和两种不同的文化——西方文化和中国文化。

译者在翻译的过程中不仅要考虑到原片的内涵还要结合文化因素，这样才能得到更加满意的英语电影名称翻译。

关键词:

英语电影名称翻译；文化因素

ABSTRACT

Withthepromotionoffrequentculturecommunicationaroundtheworld,translationisdrawingmoreattention.Englishfilmisanaccesstoknowtheexoticculture,andtheEnglishtitletranslationisespeciallyimportant.ThepaperdoesresearchesintodifferentEnglishtitletranslationprinciplesandstrategies,andobtainthatagoodEnglishtitletranslationshouldcombinedwiththeculturalfactor.Therearetwoculturesinfluencingthetranslation——thewesterncultureandtheChineseculture.Translatorshouldconsiderboththeoriginalfilmcontentandtheculturalfactorinthetranslatingprocess.IinthiswaycantranslatorobtainasuccessfulEnglishfilmtitletranslation.

Keywords:

Englishfilmtranslation;Culturalfactor

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………….

AbstractinChinese………………………………………………………………………...

AbstractinEnglish………………………………………………………………………....

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………....1

1.Cultureandfilm.................................................................................................................1

1.1CulturaldifferencesbetweenEasternandWesternworld……………………………1

1.1.1Geographicaldifferences…………………………………………….………….2

1.1.2Differenceinhistoricalbackground.………………………………………...….2

1.1.3Differenceinreligiousbeliefs…………………………………………………...2

1.1.4Differenceinvalues……………………………………………………………..2

1.2Filmandfilmtitle……………………………………………………………………..3

1.2.1Filmgenres………………………………………………………………………3

1.2.2Namingmethodsoffilmtitle……….…………..……...………………………..3

2.Filmtitletranslation…………..…………………………………………………………4

2.1Fourprinciplesoffilmtitletranslation……….………………………….………...….4

2.1.1Informativevalueprinciple…………………………………………..........…….4

2.1.2Culturalvalueprinciple………….…………………..…………………...…...…4

2.1.3Aestheticvalueprinciple………………………………………………………..5

2.1.4Commercialvalueprinciple……………………………………..........................5

2.2EnglishfilmtitletranslationStrategies……………………………………..…………6

2.2.1Nativization……………………………..…..……………………………..…..…6

2.2.2Alienation…………………………………….………….…………….……...…6

2.3.Somecases………………….…………………………………………..………...….7

2.3.1TheclassiccasesofEnglishfilmtitletranslationwithculturefactor….…..….7

2.3.2Differentfeaturesofmainland,HongKongandTaiwantranslation...…...…....10

3.Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...….10

Bibliography………………………………………………………………………...…..…11

TheCulturalFactorsinEnglishFilmTitleTranslation

Introduction

Inaworldofglobalization,Chinesepeoplearereceivingalargenumberofthingsthatcoversalmostallaspects,suchas,society,religion,economy,technologyandculture.Filmisoneoftheimportantmanifestationsofculture.Thefrequentmovieculturecommunicationaroundtheworldisawaycanintroducetheexoticculturetopeopleindifferentcountriesandregions.But,sometimes,theEnglishfilmandtitle,influencedbytheliterature,history,philosophy,religion,tradition,customofwesternnations'culturalsystem,becomesthecommunicationbarriersbetweenChineseandEnglishculturecircles.

Intheprocessoftranslation,translatorchooses,regulates,strengthens,andexcludestheEnglishculturalelements.Andatthesametime,thetypicalChinesecharacteristicsandimagesareaddedtothetranslation.Asaresultofthereconstruction,thegeneralaudiencesarewillingtoacceptthenewimagesofculture,andunderstanditbetter.

Filmtitleundertakesthefirstimpressionofthewholework.Assoonaspeopleseethefilmtitle,theywillassociatesomethingfamiliarintheirmindandunderstandthecontentbetterbeforeseeingthefilm.Forexample,ifChinesestory《梁山伯与祝英台》wastranslatedintoRomeoandJulietofChina,westernpeopleareabletounderstanditscontentandprofoundinfluencequickly.Onthecontrary,TheButterflyLoversorLiangShanboandZhuYingtaiwouldconfusethewesternaudience.Thetitle《阿甘正传》maybeisoneofthereasonswhyForrestGumparesopopularinChina.ThetruestoryofAhQ（《阿Q正传》）istheworkofLuXunwhowasagreatthinkerinChina.WiththeimpressionofChineseculture,peoplewillwanttoknowwhoheisinthisfilm.

Atpresent,therearemanypaperstalkingabouttranslationofliteraryworksorscientificliterature,butfewofthemareconcernedwiththetranslationoffilms,letalonefilmtitles.Thepaperstudiesthetranslationprocessoffilmtitlesfromthepointviewofculture,anditanalysessometranslatingstrategiesandprinciplesofEnglishfilmtitle.Atlast,thepapersetsseveralfilmtitletranslationexamplestoillustratethattranslationshouldcombinewithculturalbackground.

1.Cultureandfilm

1.1CulturaldifferencebetweenEasternandWesternworld

Languageisnotonlyacarrierofculturebutanimportantpartofculture.Eachnationhasownculturalinformation.Ononehand,itrepresentsanation’shistoricalandculturalbackground.Ontheotherhand,italsoincludespeople'soutlookonlife,lifestylesandmodesofthinkingandsoon.Thetranslationisaconversionforwordsandlanguageswhichdatefromdifferentculturebackground,socialenvironmentandmodeofthinking.Inaword,anytranslationscouldn’texistalonewithoutculture,andtheassentoftranslationisculturalcommunication.

It’smoreimportanttolearntwokindsofculturethantocommandtwokindsoflanguagesforareallysuccessfultranslatorinthatwordswilllosttheirmeaningsiftheylefttheculture.Therefore,whenwetranslatesomething,wemustpayattentiontodifferencebetweenChineseandwesterncultureandalsochoosesomeeffectiveways.

1.1.1Geographicaldifferences

ThereexistevidentdifferencebetweenclimateandgeographicalenvironmentunderChineseandwestern.Wecanfindthemeverywhere.Forexample,weoftensaythat:

“AspringriverflowsEast”,however,inwesterncountries,theydon’tthinkso.Becausetheirriverflowsfromsoutheasttonorthwestintosea.Takeanotherexample,Americanoftensaysthat:

“fromseatosea”toexpressthewholecountrybecausetheinfluenceofgeographicalenvironment.（王国桥，2008；42）Butwedon’tthinkso.

1.1.2Differencesinhistoricalbackground

EverypeopleknowthatChinaisfamoushistoricalcountryandwehave5000culturalbasis.Duringlonghistoryprocession,wehavecontributedforhumanbeingstoomuch.Forexample,“fourgreatinventions”.Meanwhile,wehadsomesayings,suchas:

“knowthemselves,knowyourself”,whileinwesterncountries,theyareexpressedinotherways.Forexample,theyliketouse:

“waterloo”standingforfailurebecauseNapoleonhadpoisonedhere.

1.1.3Differenceinreligiousbeliefs

Thereexistslotsofuniquereligiousculture.ChristianityisthemainreligioninBritainandAmerica.Whenwesternersfeelsurprised,theyalwaysliketosay“Jesus”,however,intheeyesofMuslimsandJews,“sevenday”istheirreligion.Theythink“sevenday”issuchplaceinwhichGodandangelslivehappily.InChina,Chinesehasalotofproverbstoexpressreligion.Suchas,“Oliverboundless”isconnectedwithBuddhaandsoon.

1.1.4Differenceinvalues

Everycountryhasitsemotionoflanguage.However,thereexistsdifferentwaystoexpresssothattheyhaveownvalueforthesamething.Thevalueofwesternersisproudofindividualist.Suchas:

“Don’tputyourfingerinthepie”istosaythatyoujustdoyourthingsratherthandisturbingothers.Westernersarecherishtime.Somegoodsayingsprovethispoint,forexample,“Timeismoney”canconveytheirattitude.

ThevalueofChinesehasbeenkeenonCollectivism.Chineseliketoworktogetherandthinkthepowerofgroupismuchstronger.Chineseoftensaid:

“manyhandsmakelight”“afenceofthreepiles,headsarebetter”.AllofthemcanstandforthevaluetrendofChinese.Chinesealsothinkhighoftime.However,TheconceptofTimeisinferiortowesterners’.

Wecantake“Dog”asexamplebetweentwocountries.Manyofthemliketokeepdogasamemberoftheirfamilysothatthewordof“dog”alwaysconveysagoodsymbol.Forexample,“everydoghasitsdog”means“人人都有得意日”inChinese.“Luckydog”means“你是个幸运儿”andsoon.Onthecontract,Chinesethinkabadsymbolof“Dog”,Suchas,“狗娘养的”“狗东西”andsoon.

1.2Filmandfilmtitle

1.2.1Filmgenres

Filmgenresarecategories,classificationsorgroupsoffilmsthathavesimilar,familiarorinstantly-recognizablepatterns,techniquesorconventionsthatincludeoneormoreofthefollowing:

setting,contents,themes,plot,motifs,styles,structures,situations,characters（orcharacterizations）,andstars.（蔡圣勤，2003:

35）

Inthispaper,moviesaredividedintosixmaincategories:

westernmovie,comedy,dramamovie,horrormovie&thesuspensethriller,sciencefictionandwarfiction.

1.2.2Namingmethodsoffilmtitle

Beforefilmartscommunication,filmtitleonehasappeared.Itisaharbinger,whichhaspromotioneffect.Agoodtitletranslationcanenrichfilm’sconnotation,andpromotethecross-culturalcommunication.InordertohaveabetterunderstandingofEnglishmovietitle,weneedtoknowEnglishmovietitlesources.Generallyspeaking,Englishmoviesarealwaysnamedbythebackground，theme，plot，maincharacter,orthreadofmovie.

Namingbybackground.Thebackgroundthatplaysaveryimportantpartincharacterizationhasseveralelements,suchastime,placeandenvironmentinwhichthestoryhappens.Manyfilmtitlesbelongstothissort,Casablanca《卡萨布兰卡》,Titanic《泰