5.4.1 Issues Leading to Inappropriate Length in th...
According to the current data,I found that there are two typical issues that lead to imperfect length.The following examples help me to describe the problems as well as offer a series of suggestions and possible solutions.
1) The first kind of issue in the data is concerned with the inappropriate use of the expansion strategy in subtitle translations:
It is discovered that the translated subtitles are considerably longer than the original text.As a consequence,the audience may not have had sufficient time to comprehend the translation; for instance,one line of original text may have resulted in a two-line subtitle.To this end,the following examples highlight instances where the Chinese subtitles are noticeably longer than the original English text - the use of expansion in translation; however,the inappropriate use of this strategy may lead to unnecessarily long lengths in translated subtitles.There are three examples from Despicable Me 1:
① 00:05: 16,234 to 00:05: 17,870
...unless they’re dead...(4 words)
如果死了就不会到处乱跑了…… （12 characters）
(Back translation: He won’t be fooling around if he dies.)
Observations： According to the context，the last original subtitle，“They go wherever they want to go”，together with “unless they’re dead” as the subsequent subtitle，has the function of complementing a condition in relation to the previous subtitle.The released translation is actually a repetition or combination of these two subtitles.This is an appropriate way to offer a complete set of information to the audience.However，it is not the best way for subtitled translation because it involves the use of expansion，which makes the translated subtitle longer in length and repetitive in terms of content.When comparing the two language versions of the dialogue，it can be seen that the Chinese translated subtitle is much longer than the English original text.The expression of the highlighted pattern directly means “won’t be fooling around”，while the function of the expression in the translated subtitle is to explain the intended meaning of the speaker，that is，he is threatening to kill the dog.It shows that the characteristic of Gru，the main character，is built on the image of him being a major villain in the film and being mean to others.This is also a foreshadowing of the development of the storyline，that Gru is finally reformed by his accidentally adopted daughters.In order to highlight the obvious change in Gru’s personality and offer high praise for the true，the good and the beautiful in human beings’ original nature，the subtitler needs to be aware of the intention of the film’s overall theme.The given translation conveys the full meaning of the speaker； however，the degree of the expression is not enough.In my view，the translation might be “如果弄死它就不会了” （back translation： If he is put to death，he won’t do this anymore）.This is an obvious threat to the listener，but it may be relevant to the personality of the speaker.Moreover，the recommended translation has nine characters，which are three characters less than the given one.Therefore，the expansion strategy in this subtitling is acceptable，but the technique of strengthening the nature of Gru，a bad man in the beginning of the story，is worth considering，while the shorter translated subtitle will be more readable in practice.Thus，the suggested translation takes a balanced position： on the one hand，it complements “就不会了” （They won’t do this） to make the expression complete in isolation； on the other hand，given that “就不会了” （They won’t do this） provides a brief meaning of “他们想跑到哪儿就跑到哪儿” （They go wherever they want to go） in this context，in turn reducing the length of the translation.Therefore，for this example，the subtitler uses the strategy of expansion in his translation，but the suggested translation is more effective and practical subtitle translation in consideration of mechanical limitations.
② 00:06: 19,339 to 00:06: 23,480
Watch this.Leave a message,beep.(6 words)
听好了，有事请留言，哔—— （9 characters）
(Back translation: Listen carefully.Please leave a message if you have business,“beep”)
Observations： The highlighted pattern in the above is an expansion of the original subtitle.At first，“好了” is a modal particle used in the verb “听” （listen）.This is a typical custom of expression in Chinese； secondly，“有事” means “if you have anything need to say”； thirdly，“请” is an honorific in Chinese，which is equivalent to the English word “please”，but in the original subtitle，there is no “please”.Therefore，there are these three instances of expanded words in the corresponding translated subtitle.These expansions make the translation authentic in the context of real life，as Chinese people are familiar with the expression “请您在听到哔的一声后留言。” （back translation： Please leave a message after you hear the beep）.However，for this specific subtitle，expansion is not needed.Conversely，in my understanding，it even can be reduced to “有事请留言，哔——” （back translation： Please leave a message，beep）.As this translation is already delivered，the key information in the original subtitle，“Watch this”，is an expression to make the potential listener notice the words that follow； it is a film effect to reinforce the speaker’s characteristics.As the previous pieces of dialogue，for example，according to the above-discussed subtitles，have already emphasized Gru’s personality，in order to avoid repetition and a longer length，it is recommended that the translation incorporates the condensation strategy.
③ 00:07:06,386 to 00:07:09,520
They’re saying he makes all other villains look lame.(10 words)
他们都说跟他相比，其他坏蛋都算是太菜了。（22 characters）
(They all said,compared with him,other badass are rookies.)
Observations: This example has been discussed and analysed in 3.5.1.And more language points will be discussed from the perspective of the use of popular expressions in the following chapter as well.
2) The second kind of issue regarding imperfect length in translated subtitles is the inappropriate translation of the names of the characters or places.
As for the names of places,characters,academic terms,and loan words,there is not a unified translation standard for current film subtitling to adhere to.Among these 15 selected films,some films used the original English names for their mentioned places and the film characters,but some did not.The following examples show the difference among the data:
① 00:00:47,062 to 00:00:48,757
This is Agent Leland Turbo.
这是特工Leland Turbo。
② 00:00:48,864 to 00:00:50,855
I have a flash transmission for Agent Finn McMissile.
我有给Finn McMissile特工的紧急消息。
(Cars 1,2011)
③ 00:09:14,300 to 00:09:20,100
Well,we stole the Times Square Jumbotron!
我们偷了时代广场的大屏幕！
(Despicable Me 1,2010)
④ 00:09:36,400 to 00:09:39,500
...the small one from Las Vegas.
……拉斯维加斯最小的一个。
(Despicable Me 1,2010)
⑤ 00:14:33,915 to 00:14:37,959
As you can see,in the wrong hands,the PX-41 serum …
如你所见PX-41血清如果落到坏人手里……
(Despicable Me 2,2013)
Some were even not unified within one single film:
⑥ 00:06:39,210 to 00:06:40,330
Thanks,Linda!
琳达，谢了！
⑦ 00:06:44,040 to 00:06:46,210
...but who would take care of Blu?(https://www.daowen.com)
……可是谁要照顾Blu？
(Rio 1,2011)
Observations： In these example data，it is clear to see that there is no unified standard to the translation of these names in current released animation films.According to Luo （2014： 79），there are three strategies for translating names： 1） to use the given standard transliteration approach （e.g.，Jack：杰克）； 2） to use the given translated name （e.g.，New York：纽约）； 3） to translate them with a certain degree of equivalence （e.g.，Dr.Nefario：黑博士）.Suggestions for this kind of issue，in order to make all released films follow a unified format，could take two forms.The first way would be to keep using the traditional translations of these names.That is to find similar pronounced Chinese characters to make the original pronunciation of the names remain.This method would，at least，make sure all the names “sound the same”.However，as regards the names of some famous places or landmarks，like the above example of “Times Square”，According to Hu，I recommend the subtitlers to translate them by using the already given versions of Chinese characters，for this is an already accepted standard version used widely in the target language （2006：34-36）.Another solution to the above issue could be to keep using the original English names.The first advantage of this is that the addition of English names in Chinese translated version will shorten the subtitle compared with fully translated Chinese ones.The difference in the visual presentation is because of the difference between the features of Chinese characters and English words.Generally，Chinese characters are more complicated and intricate in terms of visual detail than English letters.In an early section of this research，I already identified that the length of Chinese translated subtitles is normally greater than the original English ones.If the subtitler directly uses English names，it will be a good solution to make the translated subtitles shorter and easier to read.For example，in Cars 1，2011：
00:21:47,998 to 00:21:51,559
Francesco is familiar with this reaction to Francesco.
弗兰切斯科很明白这种对弗兰切斯科的迷恋。
Observations： “Francesco” is obviously a character’s name，and when it was translated into Chinese，it becomes a five-character word “弗兰切斯科”，and what is more，every single Chinese character is not simple in spelling.As a result，when reading this word，it would take more seconds than reading the original English name.As for the target audience，even though a small number of them may do not know this original name，they should understand it as a “name” according to the context，so，this will not compromise their comprehension of the whole film.In other words，the non-translation of the English names should be acceptable in translated films.
To the subtitlers，they need not translate these names； they need only transfer them into the translated version.This way of translation could be regarded as a possible new tendency in today’s translation field，because of globalization across the world.More and more people become aware of other people’s cultural customs，they gain familiarity with their names，and they prefer to use their original names with each other.Therefore，for the commonly used names，I would recommend that subtitlers maintain the English language names of the characters and of the famous places in the source text.However，this approach does have a couple of disadvantages： it implies that the target audience should have a solid knowledge of English language names or some Latin origins’ names，and of world famous places and landmarks.Nevertheless，this method is assumed to be workable in English language animated films because the researcher found that the majority of the audience of this type of film are young people，and in China，the younger generation are usually well educated and have a satisfactory level of knowledge of the English language and of the world.There is another disadvantage： keeping original names in English means that there is often translation loss when comic names have a particular meaning.Many current Chinese audiences would not understand the ethnic and attitudinal meanings within the name “McMissile” mentioned in an earlier example，or the sense of dynamism contained in the name “Turbo”.But again，with time，and with better education and global interaction，their cultural awareness would increase at this level too.Therefore，in practical subtitle translation work，subtitlers need to balance every aspect of their translations，as well as sometimes needing to keep the original common names simple for the purpose of making a shorter translated subtitle.However，in other circumstances，it is necessary to translate the indicated meaning of some names，for example，as previously mentioned in this book，“Dr.Nefario” to “黑博士”，which means “Dr.Black” （black is a colour but also implies evil in Chinese culture）.
Another similar weakness in the given data is that,in most of selected films,I found that the subtitler applied fairly difficult Chinese characters in their translation of certain features of the original subtitles.These characters may influence the reading speed of the audience because of their complicated spellings.From the perspective of Chinese character’s word formation,it is considered as another kind of length problem in current data,because visually,the complicated word formatted words may occupy more time than the simple formatted ones.For example,in Madagascar 3,2012:
00:00:50,960 to 00:00:51,920
— Flaps.— Check.
—襟翼。—检查完毕。
Observations： The subtitler translated the word “flaps” to the Chinese “襟翼”.Because “flaps” is an aeronautical term，the subtitler found the equal Chinese term “襟翼” to use.However，for a common audience，aeronautical knowledge should not be expected.It is assumed that relatively few people know the meaning and function of “襟翼” in the context of an airplane.And what is more，the two characters of this word are difficult characters with very complicated structures in their spelling.It is arguable that，with one or two seconds to read a line of subtitle，some people even cannot realize or recognize what the two characters are.Therefore，although the subtitler found an equivalent term to translate this word，his/her translation is not successful in terms of communication.The translation of “副翼” may be better in application，it is simpler in spelling，and “副” is a more common word in Chinese； most people who have a primary knowledge in Chinese should know its meaning of “the assistance of something or someone”，so they may mentally connect the function of “副翼” to an airplane.
Another example from Frozen,2013:
00:01:52,846 to 00:01:59,072
Born of cold and winter air...
它来自寒冷的冬天……
and mountain rain combining.
裹挟着山中的雨滴。
Observations： This example shows the use of expansion in subtitling.In the previous chapter，I discussed Gottlieb’s typology in her study，and keeping the difference in features between the English and Chinese languages in mind，I finally concluded that there are four elements of Gottlieb’s typology that are particularly suitable in E-C subtitling.They are condensation，paraphrase，transcription and transfer.It is rare to use “expansion” in film subtitling because of the technical requirements concerning the length of a single-line subtitle.Unless it is necessary to expand something in order to offer the audience more details to better understand the subtitle，or for special purposes in the use of film subtitling，for example，when film subtitling is used as a kind of teaching material in language teaching and learning curricula.In this specific example，the use of expansion is not successful，because of the two following reasons.First，“and” in English is a simple conjunction word，which shows two entities have similarities or are related in terms of equality； in some cases，it does not even need to be translated or explained.Secondly，in Chinese，“and” has an equal term known as “和”； in most cases of translation，this equivalence is the right one to be used.So，the direct translation of this subtitle could be “它生于寒冷的冬天和山里的雨水” （It was born of cold winter and the rain of mountain combining），or to be artistic and graceful，more like a song，it can be “它生于寒冬，身披山雨而来” （It was born of cold winter，with mountain rain）.
The other problem is the inappropriate use of Chinese particular expressions in subtitling.As it is well-known that the language in animated films is always simple and brief,most of them feature colloquial language.However,in some subtitling,some expressions are translated overlong; this will influence the reading speed to the audience.Therefore,the correct rule of subtitling should be make the translation simple and brief if this does not impact the content of the original information.
For examples,in Alpha and Omega,2011:
① 00:05:38,498 to 00:05:40,344
Forget about it,Humphrey.
别妄想吃天鹅肉了，汉弗莱。
Observations： According to the context，the translation of the first feature is not necessary，although the subtitler used a very good Chinese saying here.Being an oral expression，it is better to translate it as “算了吧”.This is more brief and simple but conveys the same meaning and the same manner of speaking.In English，it is a kind of request to someone else not to persist in doing something or trying to do something.
② 00:01:00,220 to 00:01:03,189
It’s time to ride the slide and taste the wind.
是时候感受一下飞速滑行的感觉了。
Observations： This example shows a repetition in subtitling.It is a form of language mistake in Chinese，strictly speaking.The better translation could be “是时候体会一下速滑的快感了”.In the correction，“体会” has the similar meaning as “感觉” when “感觉” is a verb.Both of these words mean “to feel or to experience”，but there is no repetition in the single sentence.Another improved word “快感” means “a kind of happy feeling”； it is more vivid to express the character’s feeling than the word “感觉”.“感觉” in Chinese，is a neutral word，meaning “some kind of feeling”.To describe “this kind of feeling”，people usually need to add an adjective in front of “感觉”.Therefore，“快感” will be shorter in length.
Other examples from The Smurfs,2013:
① 00:05:24,610 to 00:05:27,200
Yet another ground-breaking feat of illusion
前无古人后无来者的创新大师格格巫
00:05:27,280 to 00:05:31,200
...from the most innovative conjurer the world has ever seen.
……又为全世界观众呈现了一场超乎想象的幻觉盛宴。
Observations： These data show，again，the unnecessary use of a Chinese archaism when this sentence is translated.It could be simply translated as “世界第一，or世界唯一” （The world No.1 or the world only one） in order to simplify the expression and make it easier for audience to read the subtitle.
② 00:05:32,790 to 00:05:34,450
...the magical sensation that has captivated,
……这场魔法轰动席卷了整个国家。
00:05:34,450 to 00:05:37,170
...the nation from New York to Las Vegas,
……从纽约一直到拉斯维加斯。
Observations： The translation in this subtitle is a form of wordfor-word translation.In fact，it is not necessary to translate the word “sensation” and “captivated” at the same time in one Chinese sentence，because either one of these two in Chinese can explain a complete meaning in this sentence.The appropriate translation for this sentence can be either “这场魔法轰动了整个国家” or “这场魔法席卷了整个国家”.Both of these two ways of subtitling can describe how the magic had a big impact all over the country.In the whole process of subtitling，the subtitler should have a clear awareness that their work should comply with priorities that have a certain order of precedence.The essential criterion of film subtitling，in line with the often colloquial，simple，brief and instantaneous features of film language，is that the subtitling should be simple，brief and clear； artistry and humour should be the second consideration.This precedence rule also reflects the order of my hypotheses： it is important to adhere to a standard，concise subtitle length first，and only then should the subtitler’s attention turn towards using some traditional or idiomatic Chinese expressions to make the subtitling more acceptable to the target audience.Hence，to simplify the order of the rules，“readable” comes before “culturally acceptable”.