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So this paper, guided by German Functionalist theory, is aimed at taking advantage of the popularity of “Downton Abbey” as well as its two offered versions to compare the acceptance of these two versions and reasons caused by different translation strategies. Then through comparing the acceptance by polling, the paper shall try to discuss the development trend of dubbed and subtitled AVTs in the future.
1.3 Methodology
The paper is aimed at observing the two different versions of translation of “Downton Abbey” and describing the various subtitling practices and strategies taken by different translators. At the same time, by referring to the functionalist theory, the paper will also evaluate the purposes achieved through the strategies and compare them from the perspective of target audience.
Furthermore, in order to find out the acceptance degrees of the translation, some investigation will be carried out in forms of questionnaires or interviews.
1.4 Research Value and General purpose
Theoretically, the functional theory has been developing for a long period and constant testimony of the lasting theory has continually improved it continuously. Meanwhile, descriptive researches in comparison between different translations might be springing up, and this paper will contribute to the development of such researches to a certain extent.
Practically, by evaluating the accuracy, fidelity and authenticity of the dubbed version introduced by CCTV and the subtitled version provided by non-professional translators’ group from the Internet, it can be predicted that distinct strategies must be adopted to fulfill varied tasks of translation and the purposes of different tasks must differ from one to the other.
Hopefully, the paper can show a future picture of the development of subtitled translation and dubbed translation.
2. Literature Review
2.1 AVT Studies
Although AVT study in China has not caught up with that of western countries, it still witnesses rapid growth in recent years due to the popularization of English education and Internet technology.
Some scholars believe that AVT should be studied as an independent subject (Li Heqing: 2005) while most other scholars who themselves are experienced translators put forward some strategies and problems through their translating practices. For example, Zhao Chunmei(2002) compared the differences in considering shape of mouth and speech formality when they studied the dubbed and subtitled versions of AVTs.
As both the practices and studies of AVTs mushroom in China, translators begin to summarize some universal strategies and those widely-used translation strategies, such as domestication and foreignization, are not only applied but also analyzed on how those strategies are utilized in various AVTs. Gradually, more and more scholars and translators tend to criticize translation works from perspectives of systematical linguistic theories like the adaptation theory, relevance theory as well as the theoretical support of this research, German Functionalist theory.
However, as for the difference between subtitled AVTs and dubbed ones, there have been few researches that compare the two with relatively systematic translation theories. As has been concluded in the research review by Liu Liai(2008), most of the studies of domestic AVTs are restrained on a microscopic level, namely lacking comprehensive theoretical guidance, and some of them duplicate each other.
2.2 Introduction to German Functionalist Theory
In 1970s, the German translator Katharina Reiss published “Possibilities and Limitations in Translation Criticism”, in which she proposed that text function should also be considered as a translation standard if textual equivalence is already achieved. Then in the co-work “Groundwork for a General Theory” with another representative of the functionalist theory, Hans Vermeer (1984), she defined two ways to distinguish text typologies, text type (i.e. description，narration, exposition, argumentation, instruction, etc.) and text genre (i.e. novel, essay, slogan, poem, etc.) By understanding the text typologies of both target language and source language, a translator can determine the equivalence degree of his translation. Zhang Meifang(2004) thinks at that time in Germany, most linguistic scholars basically focused on equivalence theory, so Reiss’s theory was deeply influenced by it and believed an ideal translation could manage to achieve the equivalence in ideas, formalities as well as communicative function. As the pioneer and explorer of functionalist theory, Reiss still laid the foundation for its future development.