2. Literature Review

In recent years, with the development and deepening of foreign cultural exchanges, a large number of excellent foreign films have been introduced to China, and are loved by people. With the import of a large number of foreign films, the demand for English subtitle translation has increased. However, there is no uniform standard for subtitle translation in English films. But for the film and television works are created by the playwright according to his own life experience, reflecting a certain social and cultural background. Its language dialogue is different from other stylistic features. Therefore, when we translate English films, we should grasp the characteristics of translation.

This requires us to use the theory of ecological translation to complete it. Subtitle translation is not only literary translation, but also multimedia translation which should follow the principle of simplicity and comprehensibility. It has the following characteristics. (1) Colloquial: most of the languages in movies are derived from life, it has vivid language and small vocabulary. The sentences are simple and easy to understand, and have many popular words and expressions, it’s translation should follow the principle of colloquial and popularized. (2) Transient: the subtitle flashes by so fast that cannot be read like the book times and times, so it does not allow to have too many annotates. ‘The characteristics of the film itself determine the short-term existence of the film translation language’. (Huang 16) (3) Space: as a later additive, subtitles exist on the premise that the overall visual effect of the picture can not be damaged. Therefore, the translator should take full account of the spatial factors to ensure that the maximum amount of information is provided without affecting the viewing of the audience. Help the audience understand the story better.

The study of Ecological translation is analyzed from three dimensions. The linguistic dimension is corresponding to colloquial, the cultural dimension and the communicative dimension are corresponding to space. Next, the thesis will first introduce the characteristics of ecological translation and film subtitle translation, then taking some subtitles translation from the popular film Coco as an example, this thesis analyzes the application of Ecological Translation in this film from three aspects: linguistic dimension, culture dimension and communicative dimension. 

2.1 A review on ecological translation

Ecological translation studies are developed on the basis of the theory of adaptation to translation selection. Based on the theory of ‘adaptation and selection’ in Darwinian theory of biological evolution, Eco-translation studies regards translation activities as a selective human behavior, and probes into the ‘translation ecological environment’. The process of translation is regarded as a process of adaptation and selection. This theory regards the translator as the center of translation, that is, translation is ‘the translator's choice to adapt to the ecological environment of translation’. Professor Hu Gengshen, who first began to study ecological translation in China, put forward that ‘the ecological environment of translation’ is the ‘world’ presented by the source language and the target language. Language, communication, culture, society and authors, readers, delegates and other interconnected interactions as a whole. At the same time, the theory uses the natural law of ‘survival of the fittest’ to put forward and demonstrate the translator's central position, leading role and adaptive mechanism of ‘self-adaptation’ in the process of translation.

The development of ecological translation conforms to the sustainable scientific development view of ecological balance development in China. The translation process is understood as an ecological integration process involving the translator, the translation, the translation culture. Each element and link affects the process of translation to varying degrees. Translation is no longer a simple process of language conversion, but more embodies the overall interaction and integration of language, communication and culture.