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A Study on Translation of Multimodal Texts: Focusing on Culture-Specific Items in the Japanese Subtitles of a Chinese TV Drama

Japanese (日本語)

Intercultural Studies Review

38

72-94

神戸大学大学院国際文化学研究科

2025-03-18

This paper proposes an analytical framework for multimodal texts, focusing on the translation of culture-specific items (CSIs) within the Japanese subtitles of a Chinese TV drama. The study employs Zhang’s (2009) multimodal discourse analysis framework, which encompasses four levels: culture, context, content, and expression. It examines how various modes contribute to the construction of meaning in CSIs. The primary objective is to adapt Zhang’s model to emphasize the equal importance of both linguistic and non-linguistic modes in subtitle analysis. The framework is illustrated through detailed case analyses, demonstrating how different modes interact to realize the representation of CSIs. Specifically, the study highlights visual-verbal modes (e.g., subtitles, signboards), visual-nonverbal modes (e.g., images), acoustic-verbal modes (e.g., dialogue), and acoustic-nonverbal modes (e.g., sound effects). The analysis concludes that the translator effectively exercises sufficient subjectivity in reconstructing the relationships between these modes, resulting in a coherent and integrated whole that preserves the original meaning while adapting it for the target audience. By creating a practical analytical framework for multimodal texts, this paper aims to enhance the research methodologies for translation in digital and audiovisual media and to facilitate further exploration in the field of multimodal translation.

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