Subtitling Chinese Cinema: A Case Study of Zhang Yimou's Films

Table of Contents

Chapter One Introduction

Chapter Two Literature Review

Chapter Three Subtitling Humour: The English version of A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (Zhang Yimou, 2009)

Chapter Four Politeness in Subtitling: To Retain or Not to

Chapter Five Dialect in Subtitling: The Flowers of War (Zhang Yimou, 2011)

Chapter Six Historical Subtitling: Archaisms and the Unstable Decades of Contemporary China

Chapter Seven The Subtitling of Songs and the Peking Opera in Zhang Yimou’s Films

Chapter Eight Conclusion

Research Objective and Core Themes

This thesis explores the subtitling of Chinese cinema into English, utilizing Zhang Yimou’s films as a primary case study to investigate how cultural references are handled. It argues that a prevalent "domestication" strategy often reduces or omits essential cultural nuances, and proposes a more balanced, neutral approach that respects both the source culture and the target language reader.

• The impact of translation strategies (domestication vs. foreignization) on Chinese film subtitling.
• Categorization of cultural elements prone to omission, including humour, politeness, dialect, history, and musical performances.
• The multimodal nature of film subtitling and the role of non-verbal cues (visuals/sound) in bridging cultural gaps.
• The critical importance of "cultural confidence" and respectful translation practices for international distribution.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

Chapter One Introduction: Outlines the research focus on subtitling Chinese cinema into English, highlighting the prevalence of domestication and the need for a semiotic, multimodal approach to translation.

Chapter Two Literature Review: Examines the development of "New Chinese Cinema" and the Fifth Generation filmmakers, while exploring scholarly debates on cultural translation and the reception of Chinese films in the West.

Chapter Three Subtitling Humour: The English version of A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (Zhang Yimou, 2009): Analyzes how humor and culture-specific references are often lost through domesticating translation strategies and advocates for better retention of these elements.

Chapter Four Politeness in Subtitling: To Retain or Not to: Investigates the treatment of Chinese address terms and self-denigration as politeness strategies across four of Zhang Yimou’s films, highlighting the tendency to simplify or domesticate these complex social markers.

Chapter Five Dialect in Subtitling: The Flowers of War (Zhang Yimou, 2011): Focuses on the challenges of translating the Nanjing dialect and demonstrates how standardisation strategies can effectively erase regional identity.

Chapter Six Historical Subtitling: Archaisms and the Unstable Decades of Contemporary China: Explores the translation of archaic terms and history-bound vocabulary from the Cultural Revolution, discussing how simplification can mask political and social contexts.

Chapter Seven The Subtitling of Songs and the Peking Opera in Zhang Yimou’s Films: Discusses the significance of musical elements in Zhang Yimou’s films and criticizes the frequent omission of song lyrics in English subtitles.

Chapter Eight Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that while domestication is common, it often leads to unnecessary loss of cultural information, and reiterates the need for more respectful and accurate translation practices.

Keywords

Subtitling, Chinese Cinema, Zhang Yimou, Domestication, Foreignization, Cultural Translation, Multimodality, Humour, Politeness, Dialect, Archaisms, Cultural Confidence, Submissive Translation, Film Studies, Translation Studies

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this thesis?

The thesis fundamentally investigates the strategies used in subtitling Chinese films into English, specifically analyzing the frequent, and often unnecessary, use of "domestication" which obscures original cultural references.

What are the central themes discussed?

The work focuses on humor, linguistic politeness, regional dialects, historical archaisms, and the role of music/opera within the films of Zhang Yimou.

What is the primary research question?

The research asks what categories of source cultural specifics are lost in translation, how their essence can be better retained, and how these elements correlate with visual and acoustic information to affect the viewer's interpretation.

Which methodologies are employed?

The author adopts a combined methodology utilizing theories from film studies, translation studies, and specific Chinese cultural studies to provide a semiotic and dynamic analysis of film subtitles.

What does the main body cover?

The main body consists of five case-study chapters, each dedicated to a specific cultural domain—humor, politeness, dialect, history, and music—analyzing specific examples from Zhang Yimou's filmography.

How would you characterize the keywords?

The keywords center on the intersection of translation theory and film studies, emphasizing the specific cultural challenges presented by Chinese cinematic language and its adaptation for international audiences.

What is the author's argument regarding "submissive translation"?

The author defines "submissive translation" as a strategy where a source-language speaker domesticates content to court target-culture expectations, often born out of a perceived lack of cultural confidence.

How does the role of the translator-editor (Zhang Mo) complicate the study?

As the daughter of the filmmaker and the subtitler/editor of several of his recent films, her dual role makes it difficult to distinguish between translation choices made for audience accessibility versus intentional editorial decisions by the production team.