Aesthetic Representation of Subtitle Translation of American Drama from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics

Xi’an Shiyou University,Xi’an,China Email:2356875375@qq.com

Dong Mei

Xi’an Shiyou University,Xi’an,China Email:2548121615@qq.com

[Abstract]With the development of globalization,more and more excellent American TV series are introduced into China,so subtitle translation plays an increasingly important role.This paper uses translation aesthetics as methodology and analyzes the subtitle translation of American dramas taking“Desperate Housewives”as an example.By adopting the ABC principle of translation aesthetics,the aesthetic needs of the audience are met.

[Keyword]translation aesthetics;ABC principle;subtitle translation;aesthetic representation

Introduction

Desperate Housewives is a family ethics drama series produced by ABC.It tells the story of four middle-class housewives married in Fairview.Once the TV series was broadcasted,it struck a chord with many audiences and soon became a cultural phenomenon that swept the United States and was broadcast in more than 100 countries and regions around the world.Due to the differences in language and culture between different regions,subtitle translation is particularly important in order to better convey the content.From the perspective of translation aesthetics,subtitling has always been an aesthetic activity.Excellent subtitling translation can not only provide the audience with ups and downs of the plot,but also meet their aesthetic needs.

The Evolution of Translation Aesthetics Theory and Its Significance in Subtitle Translation of American TV Series

MAO Ronggui(Mao,2005)dividedTranslation Aestheticsinto four parts:the main part,the question of beauty,the obscure part and the practice part.From the perspective of aesthetics,he deeply analyzed the language sense and aesthetic feeling,the factors of aesthetic feeling,the beauty of English and Chinese,the vague review and the practice and evaluation of English-Chinese translation.He proposed that the aesthetic value of Chinese-English translation depended largely on the use of transferring words to express ideas and contents from vulgarity(Mao,2005,p.139).

In his bookPractical Translation Aestheticspublished in 1993,Fu Zhongxuan(1993,p.175)mainly discussed the aesthetic object,aesthetic subject,aesthetic activity,aesthetic standard and aesthetic reproduction in translation,which further deepened the research on translation aesthetics in China,according to whom,“translation is an aesthetic activity in which the aesthetic subject(translator)transforms the aesthetic object(original text)into another aesthetic object(translated text)through the aesthetic intermediary(the translator’s aesthetic consciousness).The aesthetic activity of translation is also the human practice of creating aesthetic value.”

Liu Miqing(2012,p.15)publishedIntroduction to Translation Aesthetics,which promoted the development of translation aesthetics theories,according to whom,“Aesthetics is of special significance to Chinese translation theory,and Chinese aesthetics is of special significance to Chinese translation theory.The combination of translation and aesthetics is one of the important features of Chinese translation theory.”

With more and more attention paid to American TV series,an original American drama and high-quality subtitle translation not only bring Chinese audiences pleasant visual enjoyment,but also provide them with a good platform to learn English.The play with standard pronunciation and idiomatic oral expressions is one of the fastest ways to improve one's English level.At the same time,watching US TV series deepens Chinese audiences’understanding of American culture and historical background,and increases relevant knowledge,such as the concept of freedom and equality advocated by American TV series.However,due to the wide range of American drama,the guidance of systematic translation theory is needed if we want to get high-quality subtitle translation.Liu Miqing believes that the aesthetic subject of translation is at the mercy of the aesthetic object,including the limitations of the formal beauty of the source language,the non-formal beauty of the source language,bilingual cultural differences and the time-space difference of art appreciation,as well as the subjectivity of the translator(Liu,2012,pp.134-138).Under the guidance of translation aesthetics,the analysis of subtitles of US TV series will improve the translation level of subtitles of American dramas in China,thus providing a better learning platform for English learners.

aesthetic Representation of Words in Desperate Housewives from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics

Liu Miqing(2012,p.69)divided the aesthetic composition of the translated aesthetic object into formal system and non-formal system according to its nature.The formal system includes the phonetic aesthetic information,the literal aesthetic information,the aesthetic information of words and the aesthetic information of sentences and paragraphs.The non-formal system includes emotion and aspiration,image and artistic conception,and hypertext implication.

This paper analyzes the subtitle translation of Desperate Housewives from the perspective of words in the formal system.Words bearing information are most commonly used in language.In order to make the translation show beauty,ABC principle of translation aesthetics is adopted here.(1)Appropriateness(abbreviated as A)means that the word is used accurately.It has two meanings.One is to precisely express the original meaning,and the other is to adapt to the context,grammar,logical rationality and the idiomatic expression on the nose.(2)Beauty(abbreviated as B)does not only means using grand rhetoric,but also means that the translation can be more enjoyable.(3)Compactness(abbreviated as C)means refined.Translator should avoid wordy and use useless words piling up(Liu,2012,p.93).

Aesthetic representation of Principle A in Desperate Housewives from the perspective of translation aesthetics

Principle A requires that the translation should not only be in lines with context,but also accurately reflect the aesthetic feeling the original author wants to express.

Example 1:

Bree:Apologize now.I am.

andrew:I’m saying,do you always have to serve cuisine?Can’t we ever just have food?

布里:我求你趕緊道歉。

安德魯:我的意思是，有必要總是顯擺你的廚藝嗎？難道我們就不能簡(jiǎn)單地吃頓飯？

Bree had prepared dinner for her children,but Andrew was ungrateful.He believed that Bree had an excessive pursuit of perfection,especially for food.“Serve”means“to provide an area or a group of people with a product or service”,but literal translation cannot well reflect the characters' emotions.It is appropriate to translate it into“showing off”,which is a better expression of Andrew's dissatisfaction with his mother.

Example 2:

Lynette:How’s the firm?

Natalie Klein:Good.Everyone misses you.We all say if you hadn’t quit,you’d be running the place by now.

勒奈特：公司還好嗎？

娜塔麗·柯萊恩：很好，大家都很想你。大家都說(shuō)如果你不走的話，現(xiàn)在肯定是老板了。

In Example 2,Klein felt sorry for Lynette because she thought Lynette was capable of being a boss,so“running the place”here cannot be literally translated as“managing this place”.According to the characters’actual situation,it should be translated as“being a boss”more appropriately.This translation shows both Lynette's ability to work and the contrast with her current situation as a full-time housewife.

Example 3:

When she has aged with the help of the dean of her situation,Susan took a moment to mourn her loss.It did not take Susan long to realize,this was just not her night.

盡管她心緒難平，蘇珊還是坐下來(lái)傷了一會(huì)兒心，蘇珊馬上就發(fā)現(xiàn)今天晚上她注定倒霉。

In Example 3,the original meaning of“precariousness”is“extreme dangerousness”.Based on the above,it means that Susan was in a bad mood,so it is more appropriate to translate it as“It’s hard to calm down.”From the plot,Susan thought that her crush was with someone else,and she accidentally lit her rival’s house,which made she feel worried and regretful about this.So the translator translated“this was just not her night”into“今天晚上她注定倒霉”rather than literal translation.This translation is in accord with the development of the plot and the features of the characters.

Example 4:

I hesitate to bring this up,since you got so ugly about it last time...

我本來(lái)不想說(shuō)的，因?yàn)樗坪跄銓?duì)此很敏感……

In Example 4,“ugly”usually means“unpleasant to look at”,but according to the plot,Lynette had a talk with the teacher because her children got in trouble at school.In this situation,it was impossible for Lynette to blame the teacher impudently,so here it can be translated as“sensitive”,which is more suitable.

Aesthetic representation of Principle B in Desperate Housewives from the perspective of translation aesthetics

Beauty also exists in American TV series.Translators need to accurately convey the beauty of language,so that the audience can enjoy the beauty of subtitle translation.

Example 5:

Bree:I'm thinking about chicken Saltimbocca.

Rex:I want a divorce.I just can't live in this...this detergent commercial anymore.

布里：我打算做些煎雞肉卷。

雷克斯：我們離婚吧。我實(shí)在不能忍受這種毫無(wú)瑕疵的生活。

In Example 5,“detergent commercial”means“detergent advertisement”,which refers to“false marriage.”In the play,Bree was a perfect housewife who never easily shows her true feelings,such as sadness and helplessness.Her husband,Rex,found it unbearable,thinking that their marriage was unreal just like wearing a mask,so if“detergent commercial”is literally translated here,it could cause ambiguity.

Example 6:

The search for power begins when we’re quite young.As children,we’re taught that the power of good triumphs over the power of evil.But as we get older,we realize that nothing is ever that simple.

從孩提時(shí)代起我們就開始了對(duì)力量的探尋,年幼的我們都被灌輸著邪不勝正的道理,可隨著年齡逐漸增長(zhǎng),我們意識(shí)到現(xiàn)實(shí)遠(yuǎn)沒有如此簡(jiǎn)單,邪惡的影子總是伴隨在我們身邊。

In Example 6,the entire translation appears to be very smooth.Although it has been slightly modified,it is more in line with the Chinese language expression,which brings people a sense of beauty.For example,“when we’re quite young”is not literally translated as“當(dāng)我們小的時(shí)候”in Chinese.Instead,it is“孩提時(shí)代(childhood)”,which echoes the following text“as children”.

Example 7:

Susan was infuriated by Paul’s evasive Answers.She was working he was deliberately hiding Zach and hiding the true.She hoped that finding one would lead to the other.To succeed,Susan would have to be evasive.

保羅閃爍其詞的回答讓蘇珊很惱火，她確信是他把扎克藏了起來(lái)，也把真相藏了起來(lái)。她希望找到扎克就能夠找到真相，想要成功，蘇珊自己也得閃爍其詞一回。

In Example 7,the original meaning of“evasive”is“回避的”in Chinese.In order to make the translation smoother,the translator translated it as“閃爍其詞”.In the sentence“She hoped that finding one would lead to the other”,“one”refers to Zach(Paul’s son),and“the other”refers to the truth.If the translator just translates the pronoun vaguely,it will make the audience feel confused.Instead,such translation brings the audience the feeling of the beauty in the use of words.

Example 8:

a:Maisy does love to rule her little kingdom.Hasn’t changed since girl scouts.Girls smile at you to your face and then behind your back,make fun of you're the only one not shaving your legs yet.

B:That wouldn’t happen in boy.When I worked with men,I preferred the way they preferred.A guy takes his governor on face-to-face,and once he’s won,he’s top dog.It’s primitive but it’s fair.And a lot less sneaky.

a:梅茜是挺愛作威作福的,從女童子軍那時(shí)候起就這樣。女生表面對(duì)你微笑，然后在背地里嘲笑你是唯一沒刮腿毛的。

B:男童子軍里可不會(huì)發(fā)生這種事，跟男人一起工作時(shí)，我比較喜歡他們那種解決方式。男的通常都當(dāng)面說(shuō)出反對(duì)意見，一旦勝利了，他就是老大。很原始，但是很公平，而且光明正大得多。

In order to make the translation pleasing to the audience,it is necessary to understand its cultural background and idiom,and select the appropriate corresponding Chinese.“Rule her little Kingdom”should be translated as“作威作福”rather than“統(tǒng)治她的小王國(guó)”in Chinese.This translation not only expresses the author’s original meaning,but also is accord with the linguistic habits of Chinese.“Top dog”means“a person who is successful or dominant in their field”,but it is more appropriate to translate it as“老大”here.

The aesthetic representation of Principle C in Desperate Housewives from the perspective of translation aesthetics

This principle requires the translator to be able to express the author’s original meaning in a straightforward and concise way,so as to better convey information.

Example 9:

Three days after my Funeral,Lynette grief with a much more useful emotion.Indignation

葬禮過去三天后，勒奈特不再悲傷了，而是憤怒。

In this sentence,if the translator translates every word,it will be“葬禮過去三天后，勒奈特用一種更有用的情感來(lái)代替她的悲傷”.Such a translation would seem very wordy and at the same time make the audiences feel confused.Through the context,you can know that the more useful emotion is anger.Here you can omit the translation of some words to make the translation easier to understand.

Example 10:

Because Mary Alice was a wonderful person.And now all doings about her is that she went off the deep end and did this terrible,selfish thing.And I think there’s more to it than that.She was my friend,Julie,and I owe it to her to find out the truth.

因?yàn)楝旣悺ぐ蚪z是個(gè)好人，而現(xiàn)在只要有人想起她，就會(huì)把她跟自私還有恐怖聯(lián)系在一起?？晌矣X得這另有隱情。她是我朋友，朱莉，我應(yīng)該查出真相。

In Example 10,subtitles are different from books.Sometimes the plot develops fleetly and the audience needs to know the content quickly.As for Chinese audiences,English is different from their mother tongue,so concise and clear subtitles are especially necessary.The translator,sometimes,chooses to use omission.For example,the translator omitted this phrase“went off the end(自殺)”,because this is what do we learn from above information.This translation translates the thoughts of the original text,not the words.

Conclusion

Based on the theory of translation aesthetics and the ABC principle in the use of words(Liu,2012,p.93),this paper analyzes the subtitle translation ofDesperate Housewives.A good film and television translation should accurately express the information of the source language,meanwhile,take into account the audience’s linguistic habits,cognitive level and understanding ability.The translator should not be rigid in translating words,nor should he tamper with the author's original meaning.He should try his best to convert the two languages reasonably,so as to reflect the aesthetic value of the works,so that the audience can improve their English level while enjoying the film and television works easily and joyfully.I hope that this paper can provide reference for subtitle translation of American TV series under the theory of translation aesthetics,promoting better spread of American TV series in China and benefit more people.

Acknowledgements

Writing a paper is an arduous task.I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the following people who helped me a lot during this period.

First of all,I must extend my deep gratitude to my mentor Dong Mei.No matter what difficulties I meet in my study,she will patiently answer me and give me valuable advice.It is obvious that her enlightening instruction benefits me a lot.

Secondly,I would like to thank my friends.They always help me without hesitation.

Finally,I am also very grateful to my beloved family for their love and support through these years.Without their guidance and encouragement,l could not complete this paper.