Study on the Film Title Translation in Mainland China and Taiwan: A Functionalist Perspective

Abstract

English film is an access to know the exotic culture, and the English title translation is especially important. As China’s film market embraces foreign products more openly, English films flood into Chinese market, the study of the translation of film titles is not only necessary but also urgent. Film titles have four functions, the informative, the expressive, the aesthetic, and the vocative function. These functions serve as guidance for standardizing translation of movie titles.

For the same original film titles, different versions are adopted in Mainland China and Taiwan. The thesis employs the functionalist theory as theoretical foundation and elaborates the functions and translation approaches of film titles. After that, the thesis explores the discrepancies between the translations of Mainland China and Taiwan by studying their different focus of functions and choice of approaches. At last, it sums up the discussion highlighting the issue of how to improve English movie title translation in the light of functionalism; it also mentions the limitations of the present study and suggests some issue for further research.

Key words: film titles, translation, functions, Mainland, Taiwan

摘        要

随着中国与世界各国的文化交流越来越频繁和广泛,大量国外涌入市场。这些影片能否为中国的观众所接受,能否在中国电影市场获得一席之地, 英语电影片名汉译的作用不可小瞧。电影片名具有四种功能, 即信息功能、表达功能、审美功能、呼唤功能。电影片名的功能能否实现是英语电影片名汉译的基本原则,翻译方法也须由预期目的或功能决定。

对于一部电影中国存在多种译法,尤其是中国大陆与台湾译名各异。本文以德国功能主义的翻译理论为理论基础,从电影片名的功能和翻译策略入手,对两岸的影片译名进行分析比较,阐释了大陆和台湾对片名功能的侧重,翻译策略的不同运用以及各自的利弊得失。通过以上分析,对电影片名翻译进行总体的分析和概括,以期为探讨电影片名翻译的正确方向和途径。

关键词：电影片名,功能,翻译,大陆,台湾