Towards a practice of translanguaging subtitling for the mediatised articulation of fangyan

Abstract

Abstract This article addresses an underexplored intersection between subtitling and translanguaging with reference to the representation of diverse Chinese fangyan in hip-hop music videos. Drawing on recent progress in the intersection between translanguaging and Translation Studies, the article sketches the multilingualism of the Han ethnic majority and its precarious existence under the governmental policy and language planning of China. Second, it contextualises the rising audibility and visibility of local speeches and non-standard writing in cinematic, metrolingual, and digital cultures. This highlights the social and technological conditions that enable culture creators and language users to practice novel representations of linguistic diversity and variations in the subtitling medium. Furthermore, the case-study analyses illustrate how Chinese hip-hop musicians assemble linguistic, multimodal, and multisemiotic resources to effect translanguaging performance across different communicational repertoires. The conclusion outlines the practical and theoretical implications of translanguaging subtitles for alternative media representations of linguacultural diversities in China and beyond.