With the rapid promotion in engineering in recent old ages, more and more information has been presented in or transferred into audiovisual formats, and subtitling has become an indispensable technique for easing communicating and has been widely discussed. As a affair of fact, subtitling interlingual rendition, so, should non be overlooked since, harmonizing to a study, 95 per centums of motion-picture fans are non able to wholly understand the duologues in English films ( Yiu, 2001 ) . Such being the instance, in Hong Kong, a big figure of motion-picture fans rely on reading the Chinese captions to follow the plot line of English films ; and for that affair, about all films in theaters in Hong Kong are equipped with Chinese captions. Since I realised that subtitling is now turning to be the preferable manner of screen interlingual rendition in Hong Kong, I found that it is of extreme importance to build an in-depth survey on the Hong Kong Chinese subtitling.
More specifically, this thesis concerns Hong Kong Chinese subtitling of English slangs because it is interesting to happen that slangs appear in English speech production films are frequently inadequately translated. For case, in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, after John and Jane encountered each other on a occupation and discovered they are both skilled bravos working for different houses, they sought to extinguish the other and Jane called John “ cunt ” when he balked and laid his gun down. “ Pussy ” is subtitled as bou2zhong4 ( a¬c?® ; lit: coward ) , a term which is of formal registry, and to some grades, non normally used in both spoken and written Hong Kong Chinese today. Much of the elicited significances are lost in the Chinese subtitling as a consequence. Up to this point, the purpose of my survey is to demo the ways in which English slangs are inadequately translated in Hong Kong Chinese captions and to exemplify different grounds for this phenomenon. Furthermore, since English films, particularly adolescent films, are ever full of colloquialisms and supply a legion aggregation of practical illustrations, this specific movie genre is selected as the medium for look intoing the norms of English slang every bit good as the Hong Kong Chinese subtitling.
Based on Chen ‘s ( 2004 ) research on Chinese subtitling of English curses, I would wish to reexamine old literatures and further analyze the features of Hong Kong Chinese and Hong Kong Chinese captions and how it affect the manner of subtitling of English slangs. In add-on, I would wish to concentrate on analyzing local norms, particularly people ‘s attitudes towards slangs, and demonstrate that it may be counted as one of the causes of the unequal interlingual rendition.
The new cognition or apprehension I hope to lend is that this paper will uncover features every bit good as restrictions of Hong Kong Chinese subtitling. Wayss for bettering the Chinese captions are so suggested consequently. Besides, probe of the attitudes towards slangs will uncover facets of civilizations vary from those of English speech production states. Greater apprehension of different civilizations may assist decrease debatable communicating to some extents.
Purpose:
To demo the ways in which English slangs are inadequately translated in Hong Kong Chinese captions and to exemplify different causes of this phenomenon.
Project treatment issues:
to exemplify how English slangs are translated in Hong Kong Chinese captions ;
to analyze the Hong Kong system of movie censoring and its relation to the unequal interlingual rendition ;
to analyze the features of Hong Kong Chinese and Hong Kong Chinese captions and their dealingss to the unequal interlingual rendition ;
to look into how people ‘s attitudes towards slangs may associate to the unequal interlingual rendition ; and
to propose ways for bettering the captions.
Method:
1. Parallel texts
Melamed ( 2001, p. 235 ) suggested that a beginning text and its interlingual rendition can be seen as “ a harsh map between the two linguistic communications ” . In this survey, parallel captions ( English and Chinese ) of the selected films will be extracted so word correspondences will be identified and used as an challenging beginning of informations for exemplifying how English slangs are translated in Hong Kong Chinese captions.
2. Literature reappraisal
To look into the Hong Kong system of movie censoring and the features of Hong Kong Chinese and Hong Kong Chinese captions, anterior literatures in related countries will be reviewed. Cooper ( 1988 ) commented that a literature reappraisal studies original scholarship and aims to clear up or incorporate the content of one ‘s ain survey. Bolderston ( 2008 ) further indicated that a literature reappraisal can be an enlightening and critical synthesis of a peculiar subject since it identifies what is already known and what is still controversial in the capable country.
Summarizing old surveies, Webster & A ; Watson ( 2002 ) suggested that an ideal literature reappraisal article is characterized by critical and systematic rating and analysis of anterior literature in related countries. Besides, actuating the research subject, uncluttering the reappraisal ‘s parts, depicting the cardinal constructs, stipulating the boundaries, and steering future research are besides of import constituents of a good literature reappraisal.
3. Survey
A study seeking to analyze people ‘s attitudes towards slangs will be conducted between June and July 2010. 60 anon. questionnaires will be distributed. 30 native English talkers and 30 native Cantonese talkers will be selected as the participants and both genders will be every bit distributed in each group, i.e. 15 female native English talkers, 15 male native English talkers plus 15 female native Cantonese talkers and 15 male native Cantonese talkers. Furthermore, these participants should be of different ages, businesss, every bit good as instruction degrees.
There will be two sets of inquiries which the first set ( questionnaire 1 ) targets the English speech production group and asks their sentiments on the odiousness of some English slangs by circling the appropriate Numberss on graduated tables from 1 ( least violative ) to 5 ( most violative ) . Questionnaire 2 divided into three parts targets the Cantonese speech production group. Separate A asks the Cantonese talking group their sentiments on the odiousness of the same set of English slangs. Similarly, they are required to circle the appropriate Numberss on graduated tables from 1 to 5. Part B gives the corresponding Chinese captions of the English slangs and once more, asks the Cantonese talking group their remarks on the odiousness of these Chinese captions by circling the appropriate Numberss on graduated tables from 1 to 5. Part C aims at look intoing the acceptableness of different interlingual renditions of the slangs. Both the Chinese captions and the suggested Cantonese equalities of the English slangs are provided and that Cantonese participants are required to circle the more acceptable 1s.
Literature Reappraisal:
A. General research on subtitling
Subtitling as a agency to test interlingual rendition
Creation of subtitling day of the months back to 1927, when the first sound movie reached the audience. The method of adding textual strips of translated duologue to movies, normally displayed at the underside of the screen, was shortly subsequently invented as an cheap option to nicknaming ( Gottlieb, 2001 ) .
Linguistically, two chief types of subtitling can be distinguished: ( 1 ) ‘intralingual subtitling ‘ , which is subtitling of domestic plans for the deaf people ; and ( 2 ) ‘interlingual subtitling ‘ which “ the subtitler ‘crosses over ‘ from construing the spoken foreign-language duologue to showing a written domestic linguistic communication interlingual rendition on the screen ” ( Gottlieb, 2001, p.1006 ) . I will concentrate on the latter type in the followers.
Subtitling, as stated before, is ab initio divided into two chief classs i.e. ‘intralingual subtitling ‘ and ‘interlingual subtitling ‘ by Gottlieb ( 2001 ) . Compare to Gottlieb ‘s research, Dries ( 1995, p. 26 ) added the point that interlingual subtitling somehow encompasses the communicating from spoken duologue into “ a written, condensed interlingual rendition ” . This corresponds to what De Linde & A ; Kay ( 1999, pp. 1-2 ) mentioned in their book, that “ the sum of duologue has to be reduced to run into the proficient conditions of the medium and the reading capacities of non-native linguistic communication users ” in its efforts to “ accomplish something nearing interlingual rendition equality when carry oning subtitling ” .
Some bookmans suggested that presents, the attack to screen interlingual rendition is bit by bit shifting towards subtitling instead than nicknaming for economic grounds since the increasing production calls for a quicker and cheaper method of interlingual rendition ( Gottlieb, 2001 ; Sanchez, 2004 ) . But to most of the bookmans, the economic advantages of subtitling are secondary ; while retaining the genuineness of the original production is the most of import.
B. General research on slang
Specifying “ slang ”
Early on last century, Greenough & A ; Kittredge ( 1901, p.55 ) had already considered slang as legitimate address and defined slang as “ a curious sort of vagabond linguistic communication, ever hanging on the outskirts of legitimate address, but continually rolling or coercing its manner into the most respectable company. ” The construct of slang was much clearer in the old yearss, nevertheless, the thought of slang so “ bit by bit evolved to denote other subcultural address ” ( Allen, 1998, p. 878 ) . For case, Eble ( 1996, p. 11 ) related slang with sociality and defined slang as “ an of all time altering set of conversational words and phrases that talkers use to set up or reenforce societal individuality or coherence within a group or with a tendency or manner in society at big. ” Others, such as Dumas & A ; Lighter ( 1978, p. 14-16 ) , avoid definitions wholly and alternatively suggesting four placing standards for slang. They argued that an look should be considered “ true slang ” if it meets at least two of the undermentioned standards:
Its presence will take down the grade of formality of address or authorship.
Its usage implies user ‘s particular acquaintance either the referent or with that category of people who have such particular acquaintance and utilize the term.
It is a tabooed term in ordinary discourse.
It is used in topographic point of the well-known conventional equivalent word, particularly in order ( a ) to protect the user from the uncomfortableness caused by the conventional point or ( B ) to protect the user from the uncomfortableness or irritation of farther amplification.
One particular position on slang pointed out by Mencken ( 2009, p.364 ) is that, “ what slang really consists of does n’t depend upon intrinsic qualities, but upon the environing circumstance. It is the user that determines the affair, and peculiarly the user ‘s accustomed ways of thing. If he chooses words carefully, with a full apprehension of their significance and relishs, so no word that he uses earnestly will belong to slang, but if his address is made up chiefly of footings poll-parroted, and he has no sense of their sunglassess and restrictions, so slang will bulk mostly in his vocabulary. ”
The beginning of the word ‘slang ‘ is regarded as unknown by most bookmans ( Eble, 1996 ; Stenstrom, 2000 ) . One noteworthy exclusion is Skeat ( 1963, p. 490 ) , who claimed that slang is of Norse beginning. Similarly, Partridge ( 1970, p. 2 ) indicated that there are certain resemblances between the English word ‘slang ‘ and the Norse ‘sling ‘ proposing that these words seem to be developed from a common Germanic root. Another speculation is suggested by McKnight ( 1923, pp. 37-38 ) , who referred slang to the specialised vocabulary of underworld groups.
By and large, most bookmans e.g. Andersson & A ; Trudgill ( 1990 ) , Eble ( 1996 ) , and Allen ( 1998 ) agreed that slang is frequently originative, playful and metaphorical ; and it is a group-related, ephemeral, of all time altering conversational linguistic communication assortment. More specifically, some bookmans e.g. Eble ( 1996 ) further suggested that slang normally occurs in teenage talk. Up to this point, I will chiefly aim on the captions of adolescent films in my survey.
Linguistic belongingss of English slang
Jespersen ( 1922, p. 299 ) argued that “ slang is more productive in the lexical than in the grammatical part of linguistic communication ” . Andersson & A ; Trudgill ( 1990 ) likewise stressed that slang affects above all vocabulary. In the literature, it is normally pointed out that slang affects vocabulary but non grammatical buildings. However, while most linguists tend to delegate slang to the vocabulary, Mattiello ( 2008 ) contrasts this sentiment and alternatively, assign English slang ‘s relevancy to phonemics ( dramas with sounds or assimilation ) , morphology ( e.g. combination, affixation, transition, shortening and intermixing ) , semantics ( e.g. metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, euphemism, and sarcasm ) every bit good as grammar and pragmatics. Equally far as grammar is concerned, three chief characteristics have been regarded by Mattiello as typical of slang: ( 1 ) an unusual affectional usage of the definite article ‘the ‘ ; ( 2 ) the skip of copular ‘be ‘ in present tense sentences ; and ( 3 ) the particular usage of adjective word ‘total ‘ with the adverbial map of ‘completely ‘ .
The societal function of slang
Slang is frequently used on intent. Partridge ( 1954, p. 4 ) commented that being the ether of conversational address, “ slang must ever be related to convenience instead than to scientific Torahs, grammatical regulations and philosophical ideals. As it originates, so it flourishes best, in conversational address. ”
It is normally agreed that slang is frequently used to demo belonging to a group or attachment to a tendency, so as to “ maintain foreigners outside ” ( Andersson & A ; Trudgill 1990 ) . Eble ( 1996 ) besides argues that slang is used by talkers for the intent of making or reenforcing relationship with a group or a tendency. Allen ( 1998, p. 878 ) , similarly, emphasizes that slang is a sociological instead than a lingual phenomenon, and it is by and large used to tag societal differences.
So why is slang used at all? Partridges ( 1954 ) synthesized old literature and believed that slang is employed because of one ( or more ) of the following 15 grounds:
In sheer high liquors or for merriment by largely adolescents.
As an exercising either in humor and inventiveness or in temper.
To be different, to be fresh.
To be picturesque ( either positively or, as in the want to avoid boringness, negatively ) .
To be unmistakably collaring, even galvanizing.
To get away from cliches, or to be brief and concise.
To enrich the linguistic communication.
To impart an air of solidness, concreteness, to the abstract ; of earthiness to the idealistic ; of immediateness and aptness to the remote.
To soften the linguistic communication.
To talk or compose down to an inferior, or to divert a superior public ; or simply to be on a conversational degree.
For easiness of societal intercourse.
To bring on either friendliness or familiarity on same comment.
To demo that one belongs to a certain group or tendency.
Therefore, to demo or turn out that person is non in certain group or tendency.
To be secret, non understood by those around one.
C. Research on slang based on the context of Hong Kong
The impact of English slang on Hong Kong Chinese
Several writers have introduced slang footings from the English linguistic communication, but the most popular in Asia is Teacher Ben ( Benjamin Tankittikorn ) , a celebrated best-selling writer in Thailand who has single-handedly popularized American slang through his book “ American Slang. ” Having grown up in America and has been a frequent user of ghetto slang, he made the book interesting by stating Thai people about his life and how to utilize American slang decently.
Translatability in CE/EC interlingual rendition
It is by and large believed that, in consequence, a perfect interlingual rendition from one linguistic communication to another is non ever possible, and that there are restrictions on translatability. Guo ( 2001 ) argued that in CE/EC interlingual rendition, there are ever differences at cultural degree, grammatical degree every bit good as stylistic degree.
In the same twelvemonth, Liu ( 2001 ) studied the interlingual rendition processs in CE/EC transportation and found that the whole procedure can be broken down into three phases:
The First Phase: Analytic Surveies, chiefly on the beginning linguistic communication:
Morphologic / lexical analysis
Semantical analysis
Syntactic analysis
Textual analysis
The Second Phase: Synthetic Surveies, chiefly on the receptor linguistic communication:
Word order readjustment
Sentence organisation
Textual agreement
Stylistic gloss
Cultural ordinance
The Third Phase: Check and trial modus operandis
She farther pointed out that the systematic methodological analysis developed in CE/EC interlingual rendition pattern has been so far described in assorted studies comprises techniques including: film editing, uniting, splitting, change overing, replacing, change by reversaling, switching, widening, bleaching or reconstructing, footnoting, adding, deducting or excluding, recasting, and blending.
D. Research on subtitling based on the context of Hong Kong
Subtitling in Hong Kong
With the rapid developments in high engineering in recent old ages, more and more information has been presented in or transferred to audiovisual formats, and subtitling has become a cardinal technique for easing communicating and has late been widely discussed. Indeed, subtitling interlingual rendition should non be overlooked since 95 per cent of motion-picture fans can non wholly understand the English duologue ( Yiu, 2001 ) . Such being the instance, in Hong Kong, a figure of motion-picture fans count on reading the Chinese captions to understand the plot line ; and for that affair, about all films in theaters in Hong Kong are equipped with Chinese captions. Hence, I found that it is of extreme of import to build an in-depth survey on the Hong Kong Chinese subtitling. Furthermore, captions can be a utile medium for look intoing the norms of English slang since films, particularly adolescent films, are ever full of colloquialisms and hence supply a legion aggregation of practical illustrations.
In Yiu ‘s ( 2001 ) article, he mentioned thirty old ages ago, most transcribers in Hong Kong were non really familiar with American conversational looks and hence many amusing and dismaying errors occurred when they subtitled. Their apprehension of both British and American looks improved in 1990s, and since so, transcribers have made great advancement in subtitling interlingual rendition.
To analyze the features of Hong Kong Chinese subtitling, in peculiar that of titillating duologue, Chen ( 2005 ) looked into the Chinese captions of Kaufman ‘s movie, Quills, and identified six major jobs:
Language non being audience-oriented plenty ( Although Cantonese is the female parent lingua of most Hong Kong Chinese, Hong Kong subtitling is chiefly done in standard Chinese or Mandarin which is far less intimate and personal to Hong Kong people. )
Unidiomaticality in footings of elegance ( Unnecessary neutralisation of Western metaphors )
Unidiomaticality in footings of coarseness ( Undertranslation of English curses )
Inconciseness
Inappropriate Westernization particularly the abuse of articles and word order
Occasional inaccuracy
The usage of Cantonese for subtitling English films
Lung ( 1998, p. 4 ) has pointed out that sexually implicative elements are frequently omitted or mistranslated in English-Chinese subtitling, as a consequence of which impact is lost in their rhetorical utilizations.
From the point of position of Nornes ( 1999 ) , merely by to the full using the power of the mark linguistic communication are we able to “ escalate the interaction between the reader ( audience ) and the foreign, ” which, is one of the most important maps of subtitling, and hence, one of the greatest joys of traveling to the film.
Chen ( 2004, p. 142 ) besides advocated the usage of Cantonese equivalents for subtitling English in films because “ they convey the original spirit most efficaciously and elicit the greatest empathy on the portion of the Hong Kong audience, who are largely native talkers of Cantonese. ”
Harmonizing to a study done by Lo ( 2001 ) on the attitude of the Hong Kong audience towards utilizing Cantonese in captions, more than 50 % of the 413 respondents consider that Cantonese, compared to standard Chinese, is better able to render the spirit of the original English vulgar looks. Additionally, film fans composing in Internet confab suites agree that Cantonese captions are “ direct, ” “ familiar, ” and since they can catch the original spirit, they make the audience feel more occupied and the movie-watching experience more enjoyable.
Finally, it does non represent a Category III evaluation when f-words are spoken and heard in English, merely when they are written and seen in Chinese. In fact, although curses can be heard everyplace in mundane life, they appear much less often in texts of Chinese civilization which stresses the importance of the cleanliness of written linguistic communication. However, curses can readily be seen in Western dramas and books. The under-translation of English swear words is a phenomenon which evidently demonstrates lingual bias and inequality, and Hong Kong people should fight for the right to see the original characteristics of English curses revived in the captions.
