Subtitle Translation on <i>Titanic</i> with Communicative Translation Theory

Abstract

Subtitle translation is essential to help Chinese audiences enjoy foreign movies aesthetically. As a well-known translation theorist, Peter Newmark’s Communicative Translation Theory offers numerous suggestions for translators. This paper will choose Titanic as a case and discuss the translation strategies that the translator adopts under the guidance of Communicative Translation Theory. The first part is divided into three parts, focusing on the introduction of subtitle translation. The second part is the overview of Newmark’s Communicative translation Theory and current research outcomes, which sets up a theoretical framework for the thesis. At the same time, the third part consists of specific case studies and the translation skills that the translator adopts, such as the use of Chinese idioms, conversion, free translation and domestication to figure out how these translations convey the original meaning and emotions to target language audiences. Finally, the author discusses the outlook of subtitle translations.