Contents

Acknowledgments

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Background of the Study-1

1.2 Significance of the Study-1

1.3 Structure of the Study-1

Chapter Two Literature Review-2

2.1 An Introduction on Subtitle-2

2.1.1 The Definition of Subtitle-2

2.1.2 The Classification of Subtitle-2

2.1.3 The Features of Subtitle-3

2.2 Previous Studies of Subtitle Translation-3

2.3 Adaptation Theory-4

Chapter Three Contextual Adaptation and the Subtitle Translation of Empresses in the Palace-6

3.1 Linguistic Context-6

3.1.1 In Terms of Cohesion-6

3.1.2 In Terms of Intertextuality-7

3.1.3 In Terms of Sequencing-8

3.2 Communicative Context-8

3.2.1 Adaptation to the Mental World-8

3.2.2 Adaptation to the Social World-10

3.2.3 Adaptation to the Physical World-11

Chapter Four Conclusion-12

References-13

Abstract

With the development of the world’s movies and teleplays, and the growing prosperity of Chinese movies and teleplays on the world stage, subtitle translation has been attracted great attention as a new subject. This paper analyzes the impact of contextual adaptation to subtitle translation of Empresses in the Palace from the perspective of adaptation theory.

Verschueren’s Adaptation Theory holds that language use is a process of continuous selection for the realization of communicative purposes at different levels of consciousness. Language users are able to make many choices because of the three characteristics of the language: variability, negotiability and adaptability. Negotiability is the core of the process of language use, and the use of any language should adapt to the linguistic context and the communicative context. The study of subtitle translation plays an important role in improving the quality of subtitle translation and promoting the development of domestic movies and teleplays in the foreign market.

Key Words: subtitle translation  linguistic context  communicative context  Empresses in the Palace