1887
Volume 10, Issue 1
  • ISSN 2352-1805
  • E-ISSN: 2352-1813
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

Online viewers’ paratextual activities when watching video content include rating, commenting and reviewing. These have received greater attention in audiovisual translation studies, since viewers’ paratexts can provide clues as to how the subtitled product is understood and what elements capture viewers’ attention. This paper examines the English fansubs of a Chinese period drama, to explore Chinese viewers’ motives for watching the show with English subtitles. Special attention is paid to the roles they play in the meaning-making processes of the online community. The paratextual elements include selected timed comments (comments synchronised to the video timeline), forum comments and reviews. The results show that although Chinese viewers are critical of the subtitles, they are highly aware of the fansubbers’ efforts and are enthusiastic about promoting Chinese culture to the wider world. Further, Chinese viewers participate in conversations with non-Chinese online viewers, bringing novel interpretations and circulating creative pleasure.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/ttmc.00126.qiu
2024-02-09
2024-10-07
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Ascott, Roy
    1990 “Is There Love in the Telematic Embrace?” Art Journal49 (3): 241–247. 10.1080/00043249.1990.10792697
    https://doi.org/10.1080/00043249.1990.10792697 [Google Scholar]
  2. Birke, Dorothee, and Christ Birte
    2013 “Paratext and Digitized Narrative: Mapping the Field.” Narrative21(1): 65–87. 10.1353/nar.2013.0003
    https://doi.org/10.1353/nar.2013.0003 [Google Scholar]
  3. Boni, Marta
    2016 “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Paratexts in a Flexible World.” InThe Politics of Ephemeral Digital Media: Permanence and Obsolescence in Paratexts, ed. bySara Pesce, and Paolo Noto, 213–227. London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Chesterman, Andrew
    2016Memes of translation: The Spread of Ideas in Translation Theory. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/btl.123
    https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.123 [Google Scholar]
  5. De Kloet, Jeroen, and Liesbet van Zoonen
    2007 “Fan Culture: Performing Difference.” InMedia studies: Key Issues and Debates Pages, ed. byEoin Devereux, 322–341. London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Dhoest, Alexander, and Nele Simons
    2016 “Still ‘Watching’ TV? The Consumption of TV Fiction by Engaged Audiences.” Media and Communication4 (3): 176–184. 10.17645/mac.v4i3.427
    https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v4i3.427 [Google Scholar]
  7. Douban. 琅琊榜 [Nirvana in Fire]. AccessedFebruary 24, 2022. https://movie.douban.com/subject/25754848/
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Genette, Gérard
    1997Paratexts: Thresholds of Interpretation [orig.Seuils]. Translated byJane E. Lewin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511549373
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511549373 [Google Scholar]
  9. Goldbart, Max
    2021 “The ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Lupin’ Effect: 50% of European Netflix and Amazon Viewing could be to Non-English Language Shows By 2030.” Deadline. AccessedFebruary 23, 2022. https://deadline.com/2021/12/digital-i-report-netflix-amazon-non-english-language-viewing-1234900060/
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Gray, Jonathan
    2010Show Sold Separately: Promos, Spoilers, and Other Media Paratexts. New York: New York University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Jenkins, Henry
    1992Textual Poachers: TV Fans and Participatory Culture. London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Klecker, Cornelia
    2015 “The Other Kind of Film Frames: A Research Report on Paratexts in Film.” Word and Image31 (4): 402–413. 10.1080/02666286.2015.1053035
    https://doi.org/10.1080/02666286.2015.1053035 [Google Scholar]
  13. Lee, Sang-Bin
    2020 “Reception and Revision of Women-related Translation Paratexts: South Korean Cases.” The Translator26 (2): 176–189. 10.1080/13556509.2020.1783881
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13556509.2020.1783881 [Google Scholar]
  14. Li, Jinying
    2017 “The Interface Effect of a Contact Zone: Danmaku on Video-Streaming Platforms.” Asiascape: Digital Asia41: 233–256. 10.1163/22142312‑12340079
    https://doi.org/10.1163/22142312-12340079 [Google Scholar]
  15. Livingstone, Sonia
    2013 “The Participation Paradigm in Audience Research.” The Communication Review16 (1–2): 21–30. 10.1080/10714421.2013.757174
    https://doi.org/10.1080/10714421.2013.757174 [Google Scholar]
  16. Mittell, Jason
    2015Complex TV: The Poetics of Contemporary Television Storytelling. New York: New York University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. MyDramaList. Nirvana in Fire
    MyDramaList. Nirvana in Fire (2015) AccessedFebruary 24, 2022. https://mydramalist.com/9025-nirvana-in-fire
  18. Nirvana in Fire
    Nirvana in Fire 2015 Season 1. Directed byKong Sheng, and Li Xue. Aired 2015, on Viki.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. O’Sullivan, Carol
    2018 “‘New and Improved Subtitle Translation’: Representing Translation in Film Paratexts”. InLinguistic and cultural representation in audiovisual translation, ed. byIrene Ranzato, and Serenella Zanotti, 265–279. London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Sakai, Naoki
    1997Translation and Subjectivity: On “Japan” and Cultural Nationalism. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Schrøder, Kim
    2019 “Audience Reception Research in a Post-broadcasting Digital Age.” Television and New Media20 (2): 155–169. 10.1177/1527476418811114
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476418811114 [Google Scholar]
  22. Švelch, Jaroslav
    2013 “The Delicate Art of Criticizing a Saviour: ‘Silent Gratitude’ and the Limits of Participation in the Evaluation of Fan Translation.” Convergence19 (3): 303–310. 10.1177/1354856513486531
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856513486531 [Google Scholar]
  23. Tavares, Sérgio
    2015 “Paratextual Prometheus. Digital paratexts on YouTube, Vimeo and Prometheus Transmedia Campaign.” International Journal of Transmedia Literacy11: 175–195. 10.7358/ijtl‑2015‑001‑tava
    https://doi.org/10.7358/ijtl-2015-001-tava [Google Scholar]
  24. Tuominen, Tiina
    2019 “Experiencing Translated Media: Why Audience Research Needs Translation Studies.” The Translator25 (3): 229–241. 10.1080/13556509.2019.1615694
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13556509.2019.1615694 [Google Scholar]
  25. Viki
    Viki. Reviews and Comments [Nirvana in Fire]. AccessedFebruary 24, 2022. https://www.viki.com/tv/22943c-nirvana-in-fire#reviews
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Viki Team
    Viki Team 2012FAQ: How Does Viki License Content?AccessedFebruary 23, 2022. https://blog.viki.com/faq-how-does-viki-license-content-52883673ce08
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Wu, Helena Yuen Wai
    2012 “A Journey across Rivers and Lakes: A Look at the Jianghu in Chinese Culture and Literature.” 452ºF. Electronic Journal of Theory of Literature and Comparative Literature71: 58–71.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Yang, Yuhong
    2021 “Danmaku Subtitling: An Exploratory Study of a New Grassroots Translation Practice on Chinese Video-sharing Websites.” Translation Studies14 (1): 1–17. 10.1080/14781700.2019.1664318
    https://doi.org/10.1080/14781700.2019.1664318 [Google Scholar]
  29. Yang, Lijun, and Yongnian Zheng
    2012 “Fen Qings (Angry Youth) in Contemporary China.” Journal of Contemporary China21 (76): 637–653. 10.1080/10670564.2012.666834
    https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2012.666834 [Google Scholar]
  30. Zhang, Leticia-Tian, and Daniel Cassany
    2020 “Making Sense of Danmu: Coherence in Massive Anonymous Chats on Bilibili.com.” Discourse Studies22 (4): 483–502. 10.1177/1461445620940051
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445620940051 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/ttmc.00126.qiu
Loading
/content/journals/10.1075/ttmc.00126.qiu
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error