7.1.2 Identifying the Effectiveness of Using Popul...
Alongside the traditional expressions described in the last chapter,the researcher regards traditional expressions and popular expressions as forms of culturally loaded words in the subtitle translations of the 15 films.In contrast with traditional expressions (representative of traditional culture),popular expressions (as explained in the previous section) embody the language tendency in modern Chinese,as it contains elements of Internet memes (more examples will be discussed in Section 7.3),newly created words (examples will be given in the following section),and reinterpreted idioms and archaisms (e.g.,see example no.19).Therefore,popular expressions represent the modern cultural iteration of the Chinese language; unlike traditional expressions,which are concerned with monoculturalism,popular expressions reflect the multiculturalism of today’s China (e.g.,loanwords,internet memes,dialects and colloquialism).In the following section,the effectiveness of using popular expressions in the translation of film subtitles will be presented in relation to the 15 animated films by comparing them with direct translations and highlighting the application of any specific translation strategies.My observations concerning the examples are intended to verify the positive function of the use of popular expressions in the given data.
① 00:07:19,410 to 00:07:21,240
Very funny.Real mature.(Original subtitle)
好笑。有够成熟。（Released translation）
Very funny.Mature enough.(Back translation)
非常有趣。真的成熟。（Direct translation）
Very funny.Real mature.(Back translation)
(Rio 1,2011)
Observations： Two popular expressions are found in the released translation.One is the translation for the first sentence.In oral Chinese，“好笑” means very funny or interesting.Compared with the direct translation，although “非常有趣” looks more symmetrical in structure，it involves a more serious tone of voice，unlike “好笑”，which sounds more relaxed and informal.Moreover，when considering the ideal length，the released translation is 50% shorter than the direct one.The other use of popular expression is “有够”： compared with “好笑”，this expression does not originally emanate from oral Chinese language； rather it is believed that this expression comes from the language customs of Cantonese and means “very”.It is a tendency that some expressions in Cantonese have been integrated into Mandarin after the pro-reform policies introduced in China since 1978.With more and more communication between Hong Kong and mainland China，including Hong Kong films being distributed on the mainland，it has become fashionable for mainland Chinese to imitate the language customs of Cantonese and integrate them into their daily language because of the humour and wit they contain.Therefore，this kind of loaned expression has become part of modern Chinese language.To this extent，the use of the popular expression “有够” in the translated subtitle does indeed make the translation more interesting than its direct translation.
② 00:07:40,400 to 00:07:41,420
Classy.(Original translation)
亮瞎。（Released translation）
Too shiny to look at it directly.(Back translation)
非常漂亮。（Direct translation）
Very pretty.(Back translation)
(Rio 1,2011)
Observations： This example also comes from Rio 1，which is the film that has the highest frequency of using popular expressions among the 15 selected.Furthermore，the subtitler of Rio 1 gives the impression that using humorous popular expressions is their style of translating.“亮瞎” literally means “bright” or “blinding”.The indicated meaning of this word is similar to the English expression about something or someone being too bright，even blinding，to look at directly.However，in modern Chinese，this kind of exaggerated description is always used to praise the beautiful physical appearance of someone or something，with “亮瞎” regarded as the highest level of describing beauty.Therefore，“亮瞎” will make the receiver happier than “非常漂亮”.In addition，in common with the above example，although “非常漂亮” is symmetrical in structure，“亮瞎” has the advantage of being 50% shorter in length.
③ 00:10:16,826 to 00:10:18,202
Awesome! (Original subtitle)
哇，帅呆了！（Released translation）
Wow,so handsome that it makes me dumbfounded! (Back translation)
（这一球）太帅了！（Direct translation）
(This shoot) is rock! (Back translation)
④00:10:24,333 to 00:10:26,752
Busted.Time to go.(Original subtitle)
妈妈生气了。快闪。（Released translation）
Mum is angry.Quickly go.(Back translation)
妈妈生气了。该走了。（Direct translation）
Mum is angry.Time to go.(Back translation)
(Rio 2,2014)
Observations： Compared with the former example，if “亮瞎” is generally used to describe a girl who is beautiful，“帅呆” in this example，as a relative expression，can be normally used to describe a boy who is handsome.Furthermore，the use of “呆” indicates that he is “so handsome that it makes me dumbfounded”.In the specific subtitle，it refers to the highest possible praise one can give to someone who scores a goal in a ball game.
In Example 4，the subtitler uses another popular expression in the translation of “time to go”： “快闪” （“快” means to be quick or fast，while “闪” means to leave quickly or in a flash）.The indicated meaning of “快闪” not only means “go quickly” but also that someone did something wrong in order to avoid being punished，that is，they escaped quickly.As this indicated meaning is relevant to the given context in this film，the use of this popular expression is effective in conveying this indication to the audience.Generally，it is supposed that the Rio film series continues the translation style involving humour by using these kinds of popular expression.
⑤ 00:06:01,018 to 00:06:05,114
La la la la la la,this is so wrong! (Original translation)
啦啦啦啦啦，这有点不靠谱！（Released translation）
La la la la la la,this is not reliable! (Back translation)
啦啦啦啦啦，这有点不对劲！（Direct translation）
La la la la la la,this is so wrong! (Back translation)
(The Smurfs 1,2011)
Observations： “不靠谱” in Chinese originally refers to an instrumentalist who is so skilled that they do not need to refer to any musical score when performing.The last character is the core word in this expression，meaning “musical score”.However，the first word “不” involves the privative meaning “no”，while “靠” is a shortened version of the expression “依靠”，meaning “rely on”.But，in today’s Chinese，the meaning of the core character “谱” in the term “不靠谱” has been changed into “reliable”，while the remaining two characters retain their original meaning.Therefore，the current meaning of the term “不靠谱” is unreliable or unrealistic.In this specific subtitle，as the speaker thinks something is not right，he says，“This is so wrong！” The subtitler has translated “wrong” as “不靠谱” for one of two reasons： one is that this expression is found in colloquial language in Chinese and refers to the speaker’s sceptical attitude towards something； the other is that，compared with the direct translation，“不对劲”，which also involves a negative attitude towards something，and is also a colloquial expression，“不靠谱” also shows the speaker’s despicable or reckless attitude.In the context of the film，although the evil wizard is the smurfs’ enemy，the brave smurfs are unafraid of his threat.Hence，in order to highlight this motif，“不靠谱” is more relevant.
⑥ 00:21:45,879 to 00:21:50,724
No.No! Oh,my goodness! Oh,my gosh! (Original subtitle)
不，不，噢，天哪！噢，我的神啊！（Released translation）
No.No! Oh,my goodness! Oh,my god! (Back translation)
噢，不，不，天哪！噢，天哪！（Direct translation）
No.No! Oh,my goodness! Oh,my gosh! (Back translation)
(The Smurfs 1,2011)
Observations： In this example，the expressions “my goodness” and “my gosh” both indicate a sigh of emotion on the speaker’s part； there is almost no difference between them.Similarly，in Chinese，“天哪” and “我的神啊” share the same meaning.Therefore，it is confirmed that，in the direct translation，the translation of “天哪” appears twice.However，the subtitler of the released translation has chosen “我的神啊”，rather than to use the same term twice with two layers of intention： that is，to avoid repetition by using synonyms to explain one meaning in one subtitle，and that “我的神啊” is a popular catch phrase from a well-known 2006 television series，My Own Swordsman，in China.The leading protagonist’s pet phrase is “我的神啊”： people felt that this expression sounded funny when the protagonist concerned utters it to show all her sighs of emotion in her dialect，such that more and more people begin to imitate her by using this expression in their daily communications.The subtitler arguably uses this expression in order to make audiences experience more fun in this film.
⑦ 00:28:49,677 to 00:28:51,054
Over here! Get him! (Original subtitle)
快来！搞定他！（Released translation）
Over here! Defeat him! (Back translation)
快来！打倒他！（Direct translation）
Over here! Beat him up! (Back translation)
(The Smurfs 1,2011)
Observations： This is one more example，which is selected from The Smurfs 1，whereby the subtitler of this film built up their translation style by using this kind of popular expression in order to make it amusing and engaging.“搞定” represents a new type of colloquial language in Mandarin used by young people.This term originates from a slang form of Cantonese，which indicates approval of the speaker when they accomplish something thought of as difficult or big.On some occasions，“to搞定somebody” indicates that the speaker believes their opponent is weak such that they look down on their opponent’s ability，saying “to搞定them” （to defeat them easily）.In this specific translated subtitle，this kind of indication exists.Therefore，“搞定” shows more confidence than the use of “打倒” in the direct translation.
⑧
a) 00:00:49,840 to 00:00:51,550
Let’s see.(Original subtitle)
我来瞧瞧。（Released translation）
Let’s have a look.(Back translation)
让我们看。（Direct translation）
Let’s see.(Back translation)
(The Smurfs 2,2013)
b) 00:00:51,852 to 00:00:54,956
See the lion,look at the lion,you get the lion.(Original subtitle)
看见狮子了吗，看看这只狮子，来抓狮子呀。（Released translation）
See the lion,look at the lion,you get the lion.(Back translation)
看见狮子了吗，看这只狮子，来抓狮子呀。（Direct translation）
See the lion,look at the lion,you get the lion.(Back translation)
(Madagascar 2,2009)
c) 00:01:46,557 to 00:01:51,278
Look on the bright side Zuba.After I defeat you and take over as alpha lion,(Original subtitle)
看看好的那一面嘛。在我把你打败了、代替你做领头狮子之后，（Released translation）
Look on the bright side Zuba.After I defeat you and take over as alpha lion,(Back translation)
要看好的一面嘛。在我把你打败了、代替你做领头狮子之后，（Direct translation）
Look on the bright side Zuba.After I defeat you and take over as alpha lion,(Back translation)
(Madagascar 2,2009)
Observations： In this example，“瞧瞧” is representative of a typical vernacular phrase in Chinese.The difference between written form and colloquial form of some verbs，such as “看” （to look），“听” （to listen），“说” （to say） and “闻” （to smell），is solely used as written language （e.g.，“看”）； verbs as oral language are repeatedly used （e.g.，“看看”： see Examples b and c）.In the released translation，the repeated character of “瞧瞧” is synonymous with “看看”，both of which mean “to have a look” or “to see”.Moreover，when comparing“瞧瞧” with “看看”，the former is even more informal than the latter in terms of tone of voice.As we know，film subtitles mostly involve the dialogue that happens among characters； therefore，when translating foreign films into Chinese，this kind of typical Chinese vernacular phrase is inevitable.Besides，another kind of formation of this type of Chinese vernacular phrase could be a general form in the translation into Chinese： “瞧一瞧” or “看一看”.There could be one more character “一” （one） in between the two repeated characters.Although this kind of formation is common and acceptable in oral Chinese，when it comes to film subtitle translations，the shorter the translation，the better choice in most cases.
⑨ 00:03:01,430 to 00:03:03,760
Hi.Holy moly.(Original subtitle)
嗨。我的亲娘哎。（Released translation）
Hi.My biological mother.(Back translation)
嗨。我的天啊。（Direct translation）
Hi.Holy moly.(Back translation)
(The Smurfs 2,2013)
Observations： In the released translation，the subtitler uses the popular expression “我的亲娘”，which comes from the collection of popular expressions selected from the 2011 CCTV Spring Festival Gala （www.hinews.cn/news/system/2011/02/03/011964099.shtml）.Popular expressions，which appear in every CCTV Spring Festival Gala，are collected and presented in multimedia formats via the Internet and text messages to smartphones to people.It has become fashionable in China to use these kinds of expression.Typically，these popular expressions from the afore-mentioned gala are generally humorous and witty，complemented by exaggerated performances，which leave a deep impression on audiences.According to the investigation into the data，I found that the use of such popular expressions also appears in other selected films （more examples will be given in the latter section of this chapter）.
⑩
a) 00:01:17,870 to 00:01:18,990
Guys?(Original subtitle)
伙计们？（Released translation）
Friends? (Back translation)
朋友们？（Direct translation）
Friends? (Back translation)
(Madagascar 3,2012)
b) 00:00:23,457 to 00:00:25,538
Well done boys.(Original subtitle)
干得好，伙计们。（Released translation）
Well done friends.(Back translation)
干得好，孩子们。（Direct translation）
Well done boys.(Back translation)
(Madagascar 2,2009)
c) 00:01:31,500 to 00:01:33,680
Hey man,thanks.(Original subtitle)
伙计，谢谢。（Released translation）
Hey friends,thanks.(Back translation)
谢谢大家。（Direct translation）
Thanks everyone.(Back translation)
(Madagascar 1,2005)
Observations： In this film series，because the main characters — such as Alex （the lion） and Marty （the zebra） — appear in the first to the third instalments，the way they refer to each other and their styles of speaking persist as well.Therefore，in the three instalments，the same translation “伙计” appears in the released translation.This is worth recommending to the future subtitler of any film series，because this is an effective strategy to provide audiences of the first instalment with a reassuring，familiar continuity as they watch the subsequent instalments.From the perspective of psychology，people will find it easier to accept what is familiar，as a manifestation of continuity，as opposed to encountering unsettling，unfamiliar phenomena.Furthermore，“伙计” was originally used to describe a partner or an employee of a private company in olden times.Now，it has become an oral expression，which is mainly used in Northern China，mostly among male friends.It is an appropriate translation of the concerned film subtitles because the main roles，Alex and Marty，are respectively a male lion and a male zebra in this film series.This explains the function and degree to which they call each “brothers”； “伙计” shows a close relationship among male friends.For female friends，they also use two specific expressions to show their close friendship： “姐妹” （sisters） and “闺蜜” （bosom female friends）.In modern Chinese，“伙计” and “闺蜜” are more popular than “兄弟” and “姐妹” when used to show the relations among young people.In recent years，people have even invented another new word，namely，“男闺蜜” （male bosom friend），to describe a close friendship between a boy and a girl.Their relationship belongs to the degree of being closer than common friends，but less than couples.These appellations represent a culture and the accompanying language custom of a certain era.Therefore，when these expressions are used in film subtitle translations，they symbolize the language custom of the specific era.
00:05:13,390 to 00:05:16,140
Yeah,they’re probably bored out of their minds! (Original subtitle)
没错，可能他们正无聊到爆呢！（Released translation）
Exactly,they probably feel extremely bored! (Back translation)
是的，他们很可能无聊得发狂呢！（Direct translation）
Yeah,they’re probably bored out of their minds! (Back translation)
(Madagascar 3,2012)
Observations： The two underlined expressions share the same meaning in English，that is，they mean “bored out of their minds”.However，in “无聊到爆”，the literal meaning of the last character，“爆”，is “explode”； here，in this specific sentence，it means that the degree of boredom felt by the speaker is at the extreme； furthermore，“爆”，as a popular expression，means that somebody’s mood or emotion is approaching the most extreme.This belongs to a kind of exaggerated description in Chinese.Young people prefer to use these kinds of exaggerated expression in their language； similar expressions were also discussed in previously observed examples，such as “亮瞎” （extremely beautiful） and “帅呆” （extremely handsome）.In the direct translation，however，“无聊得发狂” is considered as translating every word of the original expression more equally，although the tone of voice when using “无聊得发狂” is weaker than “无聊到爆”.
00:02:02,392 to 00:02:05,770
I am better looking,I have better hair,I am deceptively smart and...(Original subtitle)
我长得比较帅，发型比较酷，我看起来也比较聪明……
(Released translation)(https://www.daowen.com)
I am more handsome,I have cooler hair style,I am deceptively smart and...(Back translation)
我更好看，发型更好，我看起来也比较聪明…… （Direct translation）
I am better looking,I have better hair,I am deceptively smart and...(Back translation)
(Madagascar 2,2009)
Observations： In the above example，the subtitler uses two popular expressions in the translation.These two expressions belong to new colloquial words found in Chinese； their prototypes are “英俊” （handsome） and “时髦，新潮” （stylish）（in this context，it specifically refers to a hair style）.Compared with these two written forms，the use of “帅” and “酷” more often appear in oral language and are briefer.
00:05:56,210 to 00:05:59,192
I still think he is kind of a show off.(Original subtitle)
我还是觉得他太显摆了。（Released translation）
I still think he is kind of a show off.(Back translation)
我还是觉得他太炫耀了。（Direct translation）
I still think he is kind of a show off.(Back translation)
(Madagascar 2,2009)
Observations： The use of “显摆” involves dialect from Northern China and has become widely used in colloquial language in modern Chinese，usually to describe somebody who always sings their own praises.In the direct translation，“炫耀” is the written and formal expression of“show off”.Both of these expressions in Chinese are negative words,in common with the original function of the phrase in English.
00:03:36,000 to 00:03:37,690
Wake up! Rise and shine! (Original subtitle)
醒醒！太阳晒屁股啦！（Released translation）
Wake up! The sun already shines on your bottom! (Back translation)
醒醒！太阳都升起来了！（Direct translation）
Wake up! Rise and shine! (Back translation)
(Madagascar 1,2005)
Observations： In the released translation of this subtitle，the subtitler uses a well-known Chinese phrase，“太阳晒屁股啦”.It is a humorous way to persuade someone to get up quickly because it is nearly late morning.In oral communication，this expression is usually used by parents to their children.
0:07:34,800 to 00:07:38,550
Wow.Aren’t you just a little ray of sunshine? (Original subtitle)
你还真是会说话啊？（Released translation）
Aren’t you really putting a good word on me? (Back translation)
哇噢。难道你不是一道小阳光？（Direct translation）
Wow.Aren’t you just a little ray of sunshine? (Back translati on)
(Turbo,2013)
Observations： At first，from the direct translation，it can clearly be seen that the subtitler of the released translation uses free translation to explain the real meaning of the sentence.If the direct translation had been used，the audience may have felt confused or experienced difficulty in understanding this subtitle.Secondly，the released translation of this subtitle uses an ironic tone of voice in order to strengthen the speaker’s unpleasant reaction to the former comment towards her from others.According to the context，someone shows a negative attitude of the main character Turbo towards a snail’s participation in a racing competition.He does not believe a snail can win the race.Therefore，when he utters some negative words when asking Turbo to give up the race，Turbo responds by using this sentence.In Chinese，it is a custom to use a reversing expression to protest against others’ negative or unsporting attitude.Therefore，although “你真会说话啊” means “you are really putting in a good word for me”，its real meaning is “you are not really saying anything good about me” or “you are not really encouraging me”.In addition，because this is a kind of ironic expression to show people’s unhappiness or dissatisfaction about someone else’s words，in Chinese，it always ends with an exclamation rather than a question mark.However，in this specific example，in order to follow the original context，the subtitler continues with the use of a question mark in their translation.
00:01:44,364 to 00:01:45,592
We’re going to die! (Original subtitle)
我们要完蛋了！（Released translation）
We’re going to die! (Back translation)
我们快死了！（Direct translation）
We’re going to die! (Back translation)
(Alpha and Omega,2011)
Observations： In the released translation，the use of “完蛋” is an oral expression meaning “to die”.In Chinese，since “死” is a taboo word，people are all afraid of facing death； they create varied expressions to indicate this direct word.As in English，“to die” also has its euphemistic alternatives： “to pass away” or “to go to heaven”.The equivalences of these two euphemistic expressions in Chinese are “去世” （formal word） and “上天堂” （for good people，while “下地狱” is used for bad people，as it means “go to hell”）.
00:01:50,203 to 00:01:51,966
What was I thinking? (Original subtitle)
我刚刚大脑短路了吗？（Released translation）
Was I just shorting out? (Back translation)
我刚刚在想什么呢？（Direct translation）
What was I thinking? (Back translation)
(Alpha and Omega,2011)
Observations： “大脑短路” is a humorous way to dismiss someone’s sudden thoughts.Compared with the direct translation，“大脑短路” can explain the indicated meaning of this speaker； however，the direct translation is not able to convey this indication.Therefore，this is an effective translation of the specific subtitle.
00:06:50,690 to 00:06:54,250
The rookie fired his crew chief.The third this season! (Original subtitle)
这个新人炒了他的领队。这赛季的第三个了！（Released translation）
The rookie fired his crew chief.The third this season! (Back translation)
这个新人解雇了他的领队。这赛季的第三个了！（Direct translation）
The rookie fired his crew chief.The third this season! (Back translation)
00:01:49,355 to 00:01:51,323
(Cars 1,2006)
Right where you paid me to bring you.(Original subtitle)
这就是你出钱雇我带你来的地方。（Released translation）
This is the place you paid me to bring you to.(Back translation)
这就是你花钱让我带你来的那个地方。（Direct translation）Right where you paid me to bring you.（Back translation）
(Cars 2,2011)
Observations： The translation of “fire” is “解雇” （to dismiss somebody from employment） in Chinese.This expression is formal and usually used in formal documentation （e.g.，a contract） as written language.However，in modern language，“炒鱿鱼” （“to fry cuttlefish” in direct meaning，but “to fire somebody” in indication） is more informal and humorous.In this released translation （Example 18），the subtitler uses the abbreviated expression “炒鱿鱼”，“炒”，because this expression is more often used in oral Chinese.Then，in the final series of Season 2，I found the antonym of the expression “炒”： “雇” （to hire，to employ）.The formal form of this expression in written Chinese is “雇用”； in the released translation （Example 19），the use of “雇”，same as the use of “炒”，is more informal and often used in oral Chinese.
a) 00:08:40,095 to 00:08:43,758
Yeah,we’re so goddam proud of him,but I wish he’d hurry up and get back,(Original subtitle)
是啊，我们为他骄傲得要死，但我希望他能快点回来，（Released translation）
Yeah,we’re so deadly proud of him,but I wish he’d hurry up and get back,(Back translation)
是啊，我们真太为他骄傲了，但我希望他能快点回来，（Direct translation）
Yeah,we’re very proud of him,but I wish he’d hurry up and get back,(Back translation)
b) 00:10:57,162 to 00:10:59,153
This is going to be good! (Original subtitle)
一定会爽翻天！（Released translation）
This is going to be dead good! (Back translation)
一定会很好！（Direct translation）
This is going to be good! (Back translation)
c) 00:39:30,174 to 00:39:32,802
This time,I’m going to make sure you stay dead! (Original subtitle)
这次，我会让你死彻底了！（Released translation）
This time,I’m going to make you thoroughly dead! (Back translation)
这次，我要确保弄死你！（Direct translation）
This time,I’m going to make sure you stay dead! (Back translation)
(Cars 2,2011)
Observations： Generally，the translation of Cars 2 is found to be humorous with many exaggerated expressions，such as “为他骄傲得要死” （meaning the highest degree of feeling proud of someone），“爽翻天” （meaning something is so good that it makes people feel crazy） and “死彻底” （its literal meaning is “to die thoroughly”，while，in the given film context，this expression means “to make sure someone has no chance of winning a race”）.However，the use of this expression highlights the speaker’s exaggerated attitude towards making opponents fail.Usually，these exaggerated descriptions are used in oral Chinese in order to strengthen the speaker’s tone of voice and show their strong emotion.In English，the equivalence of this kind of expression is “dead + adjective” or even “damned + adjective”.
00:01:39,721 to 00:01:41,641
Anything new is bad.Curiosity is bad.(Original subtitle)
新鲜无好货，好奇害死猫。（Released translation）
Anything new is bad.Curiosity killed the cat.(Back translation)
任何新事物都不好，好奇心也不好。（Direct translation）
Anything new is bad.Curiosity is bad.(Back translation)
(The Croods,2013)
Observations： From the back translation of the released translation，it is clear that the subtitler uses a well-known Western saying to translate the second sentence，“curiosity killed the cat”； “好奇害死猫” is the word-for-word translation for this saying.As in the previous observations regarding certain examples，I concluded that absorbing various foreign language terms into modern Chinese suggests language development tendency.There should be a certain number of Chinese people who are interested in Western literature and know this saying very well.However，“好奇害死猫” has become popular because of the film entitled as《好奇害死猫》 （Curiosity Kills the Cat）（2006）.This film enjoyed strong box office receipts while the leading actress received a nomination in the 2006 Golden Horse Awards （one out of the three highest awards among Chinese film competitions）.With the popularity of this film，“好奇害死猫” has become a popular expression in Chinese people’s daily communication.Moreover，the subtitler also considers the balance of the two sentences in this subtitle，making their translation of these two sentences symmetrical in structure，as well as rhyming when reading.
00:20:51,750 to 00:20:53,756
I’ve had an offer of employment elsewhere.(Original subtitle)
别人向我抛来了橄榄枝。（Released translation）
Someone else threw me the olive branch.(Back translation)
别家给我发来了工作机会。（Direct translation）
I’ve had an offer of employment elsewhere.(Back translation)
(Despicable Me 2,2014)
Observations： The released translation used “抛来了橄榄枝” to describe receiving an offer of employment.This is also a kind of loan expression，which is used according to a new definition in modern Chinese.This expression originates from a Western Bible story，in which the green colour of the olive branch means “life” and the olive branch symbolizes “hope”.Normally，extending an olive branch to someone or some country refers to “to seek peaceful relations with each other”.However，in modern Chinese，there is one more indication，which is to give a job opportunity to somebody.Compared with the direct translation，the use of “抛来了橄榄枝” to describe receiving a job opportunity means that the receiver probably feels satisfied with this potential job and feels happy about the salary and other conditions.
00:24:05,810 to 00:24:06,800
I don’t care.Beat it! (Original subtitle)
我不管。滚！（Released translation）
I don’t care.Get out of here! (Back translation)
我不管。走开！（Direct translation）
I don’t care.Beat it! (Back translation)
(Despicable Me 1,2010)
Observations： Strictly speaking，the expression of “滚” is a kind of taboo expression in film translation，which the subtitler is better off avoiding.However，the use of this word can appropriately indicate the speaker’s personality.As previously introduced by this film，the leading role Gru is man who “has villainy in his blood” （cited from Dru’s line in Despicable Me 3，2017），who is unfriendly to others.When the girls introduce themselves，and try to sell cockles to him，he simply replies that he does not care about them and rudely asks them to quickly leave his front door.Therefore，the speaker’s strongest tone of voice and ruthless attitude could only be indicated by using such an unpleasant expression.
00:36:17,779 to 00:36:19,340
Big summer blow out.(Original subtitle)
夏日跳楼大甩卖。（Released translation）
Big summer big sale at breakdown price (Back translation)
夏日大甩卖。（Direct translation）
Big summer big sale.(Back translation)
(Frozen,2014)
Observations： In the released translation，the use of “跳楼大甩卖” is a kind of exaggeration，since the word-for-word meaning of this expression is the breakdown price that forces the owner to leap to their death.It is known that a businessman is always smarter than the customers： they know the real bottom price of their selling products； the so-called “breakdown” price is never the real breakdown price，while the purpose of labelling like this is to gain a good sale.But the use of this kind of exaggerated expression in the film subtitle makes an audience experience more fun than with regard to its direct translation.
00:37:24,863 to 00:37:26,493
Oh dear,that’s no good.See...(Original subtitle)
客官！这可不行。明白吗…… （Released translation）
Dear customer,that’s no good.See...(Back translation)
亲爱的顾客，这可不好。明白吗……（Direct translation）
Dear customer,that’s no good.See...(Back translation)
(Frozen,2014)
Observations： “客官” is a polite way of addressing customers in the style of Chinese archaisms.However，I categorize this expression in this specific subtitle as a form of popular expression because，in modern Chinese，especially among young people，using ancient forms of address is preferred，rather than the corresponding modern terms，in order to make something sound amusing.In this released translation，the subtitler is regarded as having this kind of intention in their translation as well.In order to attract a bigger audience，especially from among the main consumers of translated animation films，that is，young people，imitating their language custom is a necessary strategy.However，the subtitler should be aware of this style when applying it to the whole film translation to ensure consistency and integrity.
All in all,with the observations concerning the corpus data of the 15 selected films,the researcher found that the use of different types of popular expression in subtitle translations is inevitable.These expressions make the data more humorous in terms of language and more impressive in terms of current Chinese culture.As a rapidly developing country,China has become open and multicultural; the language tendency reflects this change by embodying the following popular expression formats: 1) vernacular phrases or dialects,e.g.,Cantonese; 2) new definition of old terms; 3) loan phrases from different cultures e.g.,Japanese; 4) Internet language (including those taken from popular films,television series,famous people’s remarks and the CCTV Spring Festival Gala); 5) the exaggerated way of using expressions in Chinese (including using taboo terms).However,these varied and colourful expressions make the modern Chinese language more popular; when these typical expressions,which embody the new era in China,are used in translated films,they define the era depicted by these films.Currently,in some Chinese universities,film translation has become part of the curriculum for English major students.For these students,translation using popular and traditional expressions may help them to better understand the development of Chinese,the development of E-C translation and the development of China.
However,using each traditional expression or popular Internet expression in E-C subtitling is not a “go as you please” process; subtitlers should consider if his use of these sometimes peculiar expressions is technically and reasonably correct and acceptable.Therefore,the consideration and selection of appropriate translation strategies which can help to convey these expressions are justified.