2. Literature Review

Subtitle translation studies start with the development of film industry, high technology industry and globalization. In retrospect of the development of subtitle translation, the author classifies them according to perse aspects. That is to say it is from the aspect of translation studies both at home and abroad.

2.1 Review on Skopos Theory

Since 1978, Hans J. Vermeer who is a German translation theorist abandoned the linguistic translation theory which centers source-text. On the basis of action theory, translation is defined by Vermeer as a human activity which takes place in a certain situation. And he made a breakthrough because he put forward the distinguished Skopos Theory. This theory is viewed as the symbol of functional translation. Nord makes the definition of Skopos Theory that “Skopos is a Greek word for purpose. According to Skopos Theory, the prime principle determining any translation process is the purpose of the overall translation action. This fits in with intentionality being part of the very definition of any action.” “Skopos Theory focus on the translation’s aim, which decides translation strategies that are to be used for producing a functionally adequate consequence and it is important for translators to understand why a source text is translated and what the function of the target text will be.” (Munday, 2012:10)

The three principal rules in Skopos Theory are the Skopos rule, the coherence rule and the loyalty rule. The Skopos rule explained by Vermeer is as follows:

“Each text is produced for a given purpose which the text is intended to serve. The Skopos rule is the prime principle. It reads as follows: translate/ interpret/ speak/ write in a way that enables your text/ translation to function in the situation in which it is used and with the people who want to use it and precisely in the way they want it to function.”(Nord, 1997:12)