Feng Yue - Translation Studies on Chinese Films and TV Shows

Jointly published with China Social Sciences Press

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I worked for Fujian TV Station continually from 1992 to 2005, first as a translator and then as a proofreader of translations. I had many discussions with my language consultants, who were native speakers of English, and felt strongly that one mans meat could be another mans poison, both linguistically and culturally speaking. The journalist intends to present his or her thought in a piece of news to audience in one way, while people from another culture comprehend it in another through translation. There will always be problems in this because people from different cultures have different needs and schema. When I was proofreading translations, I was constantly mediating between translators, who more or less represent the writers of the source texts, and the target audience by revising the translations to make both sides happy.

With increasing international influence, China has a stronger desire to disseminate Chinese culture. Historically, Chinese culture had worldwide influence, such Chinese elements as Confucian classics, Chinese Kongfu or traditional Chinese medicine are popular in some circles. While the Chinese have keen cultural consciousness, the international audience, according to our recent research, have a strong tendency for deculturalization. They may like Kongfu, but they dont care which school the Kongfu belongs to or whether the Kongfu maters are Chinese, Japanese, Korean or of any other nation. Chinese Kongfu films are sometimes set in ancient times, which includes numerous Chinese elements such as official titles. These are particularly unwelcome, not because they are Chinese, but because they are so culturally specific that they are difficult to understand. Audience complain that cultural elements hinder their understanding. So translators need to think about serving the purposes of both Chinese films and international audience.

This book consists of five parts. The first is a statistics-based survey on the export of the Chinese film industry. The world influence of Chinese films has been soaring these years, but the audience in developed countries are mostly overseas Chinese. Outside China, Chinese films are shown mostly for free. Chinese films are accepted, but not yet embraced by international audience. Chinese films have not yet taken root on the international stage. The second part is the cultural studies of subtitle translation. Some translators try to reproduce all cultural elements, which are often poorly received by international audience. Some translators simplify or even eliminate certain cultural elements, which is criticized by researchers at home. Hollywood blockbuster Kungfu Panda managed to strike the balance, throwing light on the direction for our film industry. With a strong intention to disseminate a culture so alien to the target audience, the translator risks putting off the audience. The mainstream of deculturalization seems to entrap translators in a Catch-22. Balancing between the purpose of the film and the taste of international audience is a delicate art. The third part is the linguistic study of subtitle translations. All agree that translators should be encouraged to tap into their creativity. But to what extent? The fourth part is the study of film title translation. The fifth part is the study of translation for TV programs, which comes close to film translation. But it could involve more ideological elements since it is regularly related with news and documentaries. A conscious translator keeps ideological differences in mind and bridge the difference through proper diction.

Finally, people come to movie houses to be entertained. What really counts on an international stage is the success of the film art, including technology-based special effects. The audience need to be attracted to the movies before they can learn something about the Chinese culture.

Yue Feng, Ph.D., professor at the School of Foreign Languages of Fujian Normal University, Ph.D. supervisor, and postdoctoral mobile station co-supervisor, is the project leader. He designed and reviewed the entire book. He is the author of Chap..

Zhou Qinchao is a lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages, Concord University College, Fujian Normal University. He is the author of Chap..

Xie Yuchao, MA, served on the Executive Committee of the Silk Road International Film Festival and wrote Chap..

Han Lanhua, MA, a teacher at Fuzhou Tongpan Middle School. She is the author of Chap..

Gao Qingyun, MA, deputy the director of the Free Trade Office of the Management Committee of Jiangyin Gangcheng Economic Zone, Fuzhou, wrote Chap..