电影译名差异及翻译技巧(上)

电影译名差异探因及其翻译技巧

Difference in movie names translation and skills engaged

　　Abstract: This study is trying to research the reasons of differences in the translation-movie- names and the skills engaged. By the angles of economy, society, policy and the theories of translation I analysized the differences how to appear and the advantages and the disadvantages of the skills engaged. In general, translation-movie-names can be affected by some elements, what kinds of elements effect on, how they effect on, the result of the influences, are focused on in this thesis, including the styles of the skills engaged.

　　Key Words: translation-movie-names affect skills difference reason

　　摘 要： 该论文研究的是产生电影译名差异的原因以及相关技巧。从经济、社会、政治和翻译理论的角度，我分析了这些差异是如何出现的和相关技巧的优点和缺点。概括地说，电影译名可以被一些因素影响，那么，什么样的因素可以影响，怎么样影响，以及这种影响导致的结果就是本篇论文所关注的，还包括相关技巧的分类。

　　关 键 词： 电影译名 影响 技巧 差异 原因

　　Introduction:

　　Since the movie name was touched by audiences at first. Thus, the translation of it will be very important, especially under the tendency of globalization, Movie names translation is not only a question about commercial benefit but also a kind of recreational art. Different skills of translation will product different movies translation names.

　　American Beauty, which won the best movie award in 2001 Oscar, has three different names when it flowed in China. In mainland it is called 《美国美人》,it was called 《美丽有罪》 in Hong Kong. A more aesthetic and literature name,《美国心 玫瑰情》,appeared in Taiwan. Why does one same movie has three names? The purpose of this article is trying to find out and analyzing these differences, at the same time, trying to find skills used in these different translation.

　　As China is a country with abundant customs in different areas, the same thing may have different cognitions. Especially in recently 50 years, China has experienced great changes politically. These differences inturn can be reflected in field of movie names translation.

　　1. Two stages

　　At first, we can divide the course of Chinese movie names translation into two stages. One is before the year of 1949, the other is after that year.

　　1.1 First stage: before 1949

　　In this period of time, one feature is that it is so unite that there was no different translations for a same movie in most cases. It can be illustrated by some members: according to the statistics, among the eleven movie names before 1949, nine translations of them are completely same in the eleven ones before 1949. It takes nearly 82% in total. However, on the contrary only nine, among 43 were the same after 1949. But it takes approximate only 16% in the total number after 1949. Many reasons can be accounted for the change but may be the most important one is due to the political division. Translation is a kind of goculturics. Local culture may effects the translation and translation there inturn expresses the local culture. A unite country may get the same name more easily than the country that was divided into three parts. Before liberation China was a unite country so the unified translation was found in three areas. Another possible reason is the influence of commercial, reform and opening. This will be further discussed below.

　　The other feature is concerning the translation skill that the translated names usually use the Chinese ancient allusions to compare the similar stories. Simple words can give a lot of meanings. The spirit of the movie was shown completely. There are many appropriate add the touch that bring a life to name of translation. The word used was selected carefully. The liberal translation skill is frequently employed. Following are some representative examples.

　　The most typical one of this period is 《魂断蓝桥》（waterloo bridge） This romantic name is sentimental and it contains a ancient Chinese allusion. "蓝桥"（blue bridge）has special meaning in the Chinese literature. Once upon the time there was a young learner named PeiHang. He met a beauty and fell in the love with her. Finally they married. The allusion is similar with the movie story and point out the use of bridge, where the love started and ended. "魂断"（the hearts is broken）means the failure of the marriage and conveys expressing the grieving ambience totally. People also compared disloyal women with "蓝桥久通"（conservation long at Lanqiao）in ancient China. It hints the heroine's terrible experience.

　　Another example is the translation of Bathing Beauty, a classical music comedy movie. It is translation into 《出水芙蓉》. There is a tradition in China that flowers are analogical meaning of pretties. "芙蓉"（lotus）is a kind of beautiful flower, which grows in the water and fully blooms on the surface of the water. Just like those girls in the movie, they were dancing in the water when the music is powerful and grandeur; suddenly the music turned to soft and the girls dispersed, a most beautiful star girl raised form water slowly. The drops of water on her body are shining, sparkling, glittering and translucent, and the scenes were splendid. The Chinese name fits the sense completely.

　　At than time, there appear a lot of excellent movie's names. They are still the good models for today translation. For example, 《红菱艳》、《乱世佳人》、《蝴蝶梦》，and so on.

　　Chinese culture has its own sediment and accumulation in thousands of years. A lot of stories, tales and allusions were passed on orally or in the write form. The culture has its own value tendency. Old tradition was kept in that period of time. At that time people attach great importance to likely literature. People thought the education is important. The translation of movies must pay much attention to the taste of those translators. The agriculture was attached greater importance to and the commercial was looked down on at that time.