从功能翻译理论看_越狱_字幕翻译的得与失_36_40

translation scholar and translation trainer. She is also a productive theorist, but few of her books are translated into English. As a result, not many people know well about her translation theories.

She first presented her theory of “translational action” in 1981 and published it in a more elaborate form in 1984. In her theory and methodology, she even avoids using the term “translation” in its strict sense. This is helpful for her to move away from the traditional concepts and expectations connected with the word. Actually, “her theory is based on the principles of action theory and is designed to cover all forms of intercultural transfer, including those which do not involve any source or target texts” (qtd. in Nord 12-13).

According to her action theory of translation, translation is defined as a complex action designed to achieve a particular purpose. “The generic term for this phenomenon is ‘translation action’. The purpose of ‘translation action’ is to transfer message across culture and language barriers by means of message transmitters produced by experts” (qtd. in Nord 13). Justa Holz-Mänttäri points out “translation action is the process of producing a message transmitter of a certain kind, designed to be employed in superordinate action systems in order to coordinate actional and communicative cooperation” (ibid).

“Justa Holz-Mänttäri places special emphasis on the actional aspects of the translation process, analyzing the roles of the participants including initiator, translator, user and message receiver and the situational conditions like time, space and medium in which their activities take place” (ibid).

2.2.2.2 Subtitle Translation: a Translational Action

Based on the translation action theory, Christiane Nord classifies the

following six “translational actions”: translating as a form of translational interaction, translating as a form of intentional interaction, translating as a form of interpersonal interaction, translating as a form of communicative action, translating as a form of intercultural action and translating as a form of text-processing action.

As we all know, “communication is carried out by means of signs, which are verbal or nonverbal associated with a concept or meaning by the producer, the receiver, or both. The meaning associated with the sign need not be the same for both the producer and the receiver. Any form of behavior (perhaps a smile or brief silence) may be intended to have a meaning X by the producer and interpreted as having meaning Y by the receiver. Even an accidental state of affairs can be interpreted as a meaningful sign, just as a sign intended to be meaningful may go unnoticed by the addressee” (qtd. in Nord 22-23). “The use of signs is teleological in the sense that it aims at a particular goal. In order to obtain the intended goal, the producer and the receiver must have some kind of agreement about the meaning of the sign. Signs are conventional and thus culture-specific” (Nord 23).

As to the specific form of subtitle translation, the author holds that subtitle translation is first a communicative action, second an intercultural action and third a text-processing action besides its intentional and interpersonal properties. Subtitle translation is made to facilitate the audience to understand and appreciate the films and TV plays. It is not a direct communication between two people. But it is aimed to make the communication between the audience and the verbal speech in the films and TV plays.

It is obvious that translation takes place in specific, concrete and definable situations that involve different people speaking different languages from different