On the English Translation of Culture-Specific Items in the Gua Sha Treatment Based on Domestication and Foreignization

Abstract

The film, The Gua Sha Treatment, is regarded as a global successful in spreading Chinese culture internationally. Its subtitles are normally loaded with culture-specific items which may directly or indirectly influence the acceptability of film audiences. By collecting and classifying the culture-specific items in the subtitle translation of the film, the paper analyzes its subtitle translation from the perspective of domestication and foreignization. It demonstrates that the subtitle translation of culture-specific items in the film prioritizes domestication, with foreignization as a secondary option. Free translation is frequently employed in translating those items loaded with Chinese culture, followed by literal translation and transliteration. This facilitates the international dissemination of Chinese culture by making subtitles easily comprehensible to target audiences. In addition, the translation model can provide references for the ongoing subtitle translation of the film characterized with Chinese culture.