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Article published In: What can research on indirect translation do for Translation Studies?:
Edited by Hanna Pięta, Laura Ivaska and Yves Gambier
[Target 34:3] 2022
► pp. 465–488

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Indirect translation of foreign films for cinematic release in China

 | Communication University of China
 | Communication University of China
 | Hebei Institute of Communications
Published online: 2 August 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.00010.jin
Abstract
Scholars have acknowledged the widespread use of indirect translation in audiovisual translation. Some researchers have made use of text analysis to explore the effects of indirect translation on voiceover and subtitling. However, a bigger picture of indirect translation in the audiovisual translation landscape is yet to be painted. We create a database of 242 foreign films, which contains all the imported films for cinematic release in China in 2018 and 2019, and do a quantitative and qualitative analysis to present an overview of indirect translation of foreign films for cinematic release in China. Professionals from film translation studios in China are interviewed to reveal the indirect translation process. Furthermore, we use Prooi ‘Prey’ (Maas, Dick. 2016. Prooi [Prey]. Shooting Star Filmcompany BV and Parachute Pictures. NL: Dutch FilmWorks (DFW), 2016. Theatrical.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), a Dutch horror film directed by Dick Maas, and its Chinese subtitled version as a case study to investigate the implications of indirect translation on the ultimate target text in the Chinese context.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.An overview of the indirect translation of foreign films for cinematic release in China
  • 3.The process of indirect translation for theatrical foreign films in contemporary China
  • 4.Indirect translation of Prooi
    • 4.1Mistranslation at word and sentence level
    • 4.2Reductions and omissions
    • 4.3Translation strategies for ECRs
    • 4.4Rewriting and omitting swearwords
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Filmography
  • References
References (26)
Filmography
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Vinterberg, Thomas. 1998. Festen [The celebration]. Nimbus Film Productions. CA: Alliance Atlantis Home Video, 2004. DVD.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
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