Recently, there is a century of nearly 60 years of film history of the big IP on a new movie - "007 no time to die". Out of the professional habits of a Shunfei person, I went to see the original film title - "no time to die", based on the style of this series of movies or the unique charm of "James Bond" that swept the world, this translation can be described as appropriate, and it is very much the home and country feeling of "giving up life and forgetting death" in the bones of the Chinese people.
Of course, a good translation name can not be "lonely and self-congratulatory", you have to "shop around", in view of the rigorous professional attitude of a Shunfei person, I went to see the Hong Kong and Taiwan versions of the translated name respectively... (Well, in fact, I want to be a "happy person", the same movie on both sides of the strait and three places, different translations have been the "source of happiness" of l jun.) ）
(From left) China-Hong Kong-Taiwan edition
Since the film appeared in the public eye under the name of "the seventh art", foreign films have maintained great potential and influence in the Chinese market. When we talk about foreign films, we can't avoid the Chinese titles of foreign films, and Chinese the translation of titles is good or bad, which will have an immeasurable impact on the promotion of films. (Presumably, many people, like l Jun, have missed a lot of good movies because of many strange movie titles)
A good translated name has a positive appeal to potential audiences, both to match the direction of the plot and to maintain the hazy feeling of "holding the pipa and half covering the face". Therefore, the translation of the title is a great challenge.
As a kind of popular art, the translated name should be based on the appreciation level of the target audience, and be translated in the language that they are most familiar with and most acceptable, and the translation should be elegant and popular, and the form and spirit should be both. Film is an industrial product, but it should be a work of art.
When a film enters the target market, it must "follow the customs", not only to show the value of cultural dissemination, but also to maximize the commercial attractiveness. Generally speaking, the film title translation process goes through three stages, namely language conversion, cultural adaptation, and market forecasting. Correspondingly, the criteria that guide the translation of titles are language conversion standards, cultural adaptation standards, and market feedback standards. Therefore, film translation is a secondary creation based on the local language culture and market audience.
To explain this passage simply, that is, although the translated name fascinates you, it is the choice of the masses.
There is no best translation, only a more appropriate translation. It's a well-deserved entry point when people start to get started with the film. In layman's terms, it is "the beginning of everything".
So when looking at film titles, we need to use translation methods and techniques to support. Generally speaking, there are four methods of film title translation, literal translation, paraphrasing, naturalization, and marketing translation. Based on the above principles, some people shout "absolutely desperate", and some people directly "can't stop laughing".
Literal translation
The so-called literal translation is a translation method that not only maintains the content of the original text, but also maintains the form of the original text. This translation method can maximize the authenticity of the film's title, and convey the information of the original film to the audience concisely and efficiently. Literal translation is the most common and safest method in the translation of film titles, and is widely used in the form of phrases and phrases.
The artist
Original title of the movie: annihilation {annihilation; Annihilation; Extinction; < > (annihilation of particles and antiparticles) }
(From left) US-China-Hong Kong version
As a science fiction movie, first of all, this name allows the audience to roughly understand the meaning, and annihilation is a physical concept, referring to the process of disappearing after the collision of matter and its corresponding antimatter and producing high-energy photons and other energy, after watching the movie, you know that this is the concept that runs through the story line of the movie, perfect. The continental version of the translation name is completely victorious.
Original title of the movie: Slumdog Millionaire (Slum Millionaire)
L Jun personally feels that the Hong Kong version is more evocative in translation, and the allusion used in "One Million and One Nights" is the well-known "One Thousand and One Nights". The setting of the minister's daughter telling the king a story every night and living an extra day in "One Thousand and One Nights" is very similar to the game in which the Indian male protagonist advances to the next level every time he answers a question correctly. The translation of the Taiwan and mainland versions is not outstanding, and L Jun unilaterally announced that the Hong Kong version of the translated name won.
paraphrase
When the original name word or phrase of the film has a huge contextual difference from the target word, or the word contained in the original name does not have a corresponding word in the target language. Paraphrasing is usually used at this time. The paraphrasing mainly starts from the interpretation of the story content of the film, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is "starting from scratch", but it must be based on a full understanding of the core of the film. Paraphrasing can give the audience a prominent role in the theme of the film, while at the same time having the beauty of localized language.
The film's original name: inception (beginning, beginning, beginning; Earn a degree)
The original title did not have any corresponding target vocabulary in the target language, and if it was translated literally, the audience was confused. And Chinese version of the translated name, as long as you have a little understanding of this movie, you know how much this translation is both form and god, which can be called a classic. The Hong Kong and Taiwan sides are not very elaborate in their words, and they are inferior.
Movie Original Name: 클래식 (Classic)
English translation: classic
Chinese and Hong Kong version of the translation: If love has Providence
Taiwanese translation name: Origin does not perish
Movie Original Name: Ghost
Chinese version name: Man ghost love is not over
Taiwanese translation name: The sixth sense of life and death love
naturalization
The British Dictionary of Translation Studies defines naturalization as " a translation strategy that uses a transparent, fluid style in translation to minimize the strangeness of the original text." The famous translator Venuti pointed out that the naturalized translation method includes six aspects: 1. carefully select the original work suitable for naturalized translation; 2. consciously adopt a fluent and natural style of the target language; 3. make the translation conform to the type of target discourse; 4. Add explanatory material; 5. Eliminate the geographical and historical color of the original language; 6. Make the translation generally consistent with the stereotypes and preferences of the target language. [1] In short, it is necessary to take a certain approach to making the translation conform to the local language habits and culture. It is often presented with the help of a pun, quoting scriptures and other techniques.
Original movie name: lolita {[personal name] Lolita}
Hong Kong and Taiwan translation: "A Tree of Pear Blossoms Pressed Begonias"
"Lolita" is adapted from the novel of the same name by American writer Vladimir Nabokov, which tells the story of the unrequited love between a middle-aged man Humbert and a young girl Lolita. Lolita is only 14 years old and is Humbert's stepdaughter.
"A Tree of Pear Blossoms Pressing Begonias" is a poem written by Su Shi for his friend Zhang Xian to marry an eighteen-year-old concubine at the age of eighty.
"Eighteen brides eighty langs, pale hair against red makeup. Mandarin ducks are lined up in double nights, and a tree of pear blossoms presses begonias. ”
Original title of the movie: Waterloo Bridge
Chinese translation name: Soul Break Blue Bridge
Japanese translation: Sorrow
(From left) U.S.-China-Japan version
The earliest legend of the "Blue Bridge" is the allusion to the "tail holding pillar" that I know as well. "Zhuangzi • Thief": "The tail and the woman are under the beam, the woman does not come, the water does not go, and the beam and pillar die." ”
Legend has it that the place where they met was the "Blue Bridge". Su Shi's "Nan Gezi Meaning" in "Where to find Yunying in the Blue Bridge." There is only amorous flowing water and accompanying people. He chose allusions to express his insistence on love.
Marketing Translation
To put it bluntly, it is a translation that is done to make the movie more popular. No matter what kind of translation theory is based, no matter what form the translation is, as long as it can be more popular, it will be carried out. Even if it is a translation of "the wind and horses are not matched". Therefore, this kind of translation is also called translation without a bottom line. Also called "happy translation", as the name suggests, happy is good.
The Shawshank Redemption
Chinese Translation: The Shawshank Redemption
Taiwanese translation: Stimulus 1995
(From left) US-China-Taiwan version
Explain why it translates so much. "The Shawshank Redemption" was released in the United States at the beginning of the box office to be dismal, and the station was introduced in 1995. In 1994, Taiwan introduced a film called "Deception in Deception /the sting", which was translated as "Stimulation" and achieved a high box office in Taiwan at that time. In order to make "The Shawshank Redemption" also have a high box office, it was translated into "Stimulation 1995", which is to say that it is rubbing heat to raise the box office. But it did work, and "The Shawshank Redemption" broke The Taiwan's box office record that year. Of course, at that time, Tai Xuanfa won, but this translation name was also forever nailed to the shame column of the shadow name translation. When it comes to movie translation jokes, it must not be able to avoid the peak.
Here also a wave of criticism is also named, and "Farewell to the King" is translated as "Farewell my concubine" - "Goodbye, My Little Wife".
epilogue
The Chinese language is broad and profound, the Chinese culture has a long history, and the translated name of the film is both a language and a culture, which can vividly reflect the humanistic environment of the two sides of the strait and the three places, and feel the value of pluralism in Chinese culture.
No matter what kind of translation, there are advantages. The translation of film titles from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan has all appeared in classic works, and there have also been full of slots. However, it is precisely because of the different translation names of the two sides of the strait and the three places that they can collide with sparks, burst out of the machine, and bloom different flowers on the same branch. (Listen to the applause!) ）
Finally, let us show you the source of joy for l jun. Guess which movies are below? See Oh ~