Abstract:With the development of globalization, culture is no longer confined within only one country. As an important means of cultural exchange, films are playing an increasingly important role in this field, so the current age is one that calls for subtitle translation of a high quality. To make subtitling a still better medium of communication between different cultures, this dissertation explores strategies for film subtitle translation from the perspective of skopostheorie via a case study of the film A Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and discusses other strategies occasioned by constraints of time and space in subtitle translation that call for attention.

Key words: subtitle translation; skopostheorie; translation strategy; the film A Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Table of Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Research Background-1

1.2 Research Task and Thesis Structure-2

2. Literature Review-3

2.1 Characteristics of Subtitles-3

2.1.1 Instantaneousness-3

2.1.2 Colloquialism-3

2.1.3 Comprehensiveness-4

2.2. Comparison of Dubbing and Subtitling-4

2.3 Subtitle Translation’s Entertaining Function-5

2.4 Importance of Subtitles for a Foreign Movie-5

2. 5  Skopostheorie in Movie Subtitle Translation-5

2.6 Basic Principles of Subtitle Translation-6

2.6.1 Constraints of Time and Space in Movies.-6

2.6.2. Recompense of Images for the Loss of Some Subtitles-7

3. Case Study of A Curious Case of Benjamin Button-9

3.1 Box Office Record-9

3.2 The Plot of the Movie-9

3.3 Case Study-9

4. Other Subtitle Translation Strategies-12

4.1 Culture’s Reflection in Subtitles-12

4.2 Ways of Perfect Translating across Different Cultures-13

5. Conclusion-14

Bibliography-15

ACKNOWLEDEMENTS-16