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Intralingual and Interlingual Translation in Taiwanese Film Subtitling

Author(s)

Xu Guangxian1,2,*, Gao Yuan1,2

Affiliation(s)

1School of Humanity and Law, Fuzhou Technology and Business University, Fuzhou, China 2CEAS, National University, 1008 Metro Manila, Philippines *Corresponding Author

Abstract

As a shining gem among Chinese-language films, Taiwanese cinema captivates audiences with its rich cultural connotations and multilingual features. The prevalent use of Taiwanese Hokkien in these films vividly reflects Taiwan’s linguistic landscape, carries the collective linguistic memory of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and plays a vital role in disseminating the diversity of Chinese culture Sinophone cultural diversity. With the expanding reach of Taiwanese cinema, subtitling has become crucial for cross-cultural communication. To effectively convey film content to global audiences, a significant portion of Taiwanese dialogue undergoes a dual-process: 1) Intralingual translation into written Mandarin Chinese subtitles for non-dialect speakers, facilitating comprehension within the same linguistic sphere; and 2) Interlingual translation into English subtitles based on the Mandarin version, enabling international distribution by explaining one linguistic sign system with another. This paper examines these processes through case studies of several high-grossing contemporary Taiwanese films.

Keywords

Subtitling; Intralingual translation; Taiwanese film; Taiwanese Hokkien.

References

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