Subtitling of the drama Nirvana in Fire: a multimodal approach

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine subtitle translation from a multi-modal perspective considering not only the spoken mode, but also other important resources such as sound effects, music, moving images, and written text. The study focuses on episodes 1-10 of the Chinese costume drama Nirvana in Fire and aims to contribute to the development of a theoretical framework that fully takes into account the diverse modes involved in subtitle translation. A theoretical framework based on Delabastita's (1990) theory of shifts will be employed, which assumes that meaning in audiovisual texts is conveyed through the use of a combination of signs related to various acoustic and visual codes. Through the case study of this drama, the study has made significant findings in three interrelated areas: (1) the identification of intersemiotic shifts in the subtitle translation of Nirvana in Fire, (2) the examination of the role and interaction of various modes in the translation process, and (3) the investigation of the causes of these intersemiotic shifts. It can be concluded that five intersemiotic shifts were identified in the subtitling of this drama. Moreover, the verbal and non-verbal modes interact dynamically in response to the requirements of semiotic processes. Lastly, the intersemiotic shifts are found to occur for a variety of reasons, including technical, discourse, and cultural constraints. Key words: subtitle translation; Nirvana in Fire; multimodality; intersemiotic shift; constraintsMaster of Arts (Translation and Interpretation