Contrasting Translation Strategies for Local Culture: An Adaptation Theory Perspective on The Rise of a Metropolis
School of Foreign Languages, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| Abstract: | With the continuous deepening of globalization, the translation of local cultures plays an increasingly important role in cross-cultural communication. However, due to differences in cultural backgrounds, language habits, and reader receptivity between China and other countries, translators from China and abroad exhibit certain differences when dealing with local cultural elements. Since Verschueren proposed the “Adaptation Theory” in 1987, researchers in China have widely introduced, explained, and applied this theory in various fields, including translation, literature, and pragmatics. This study employs Verschueren's Adaptation Theory as its theoretical framework to conduct a comparative analysis of the bilingual subtitles in the promotional video of Wuhan's city image, The Rise of a Metropolis. By selecting typical examples that reflect the differences between Chinese and Western cultures in the video and analyzing them specifically through the lens of contextual adaptation within the Adaptation Theory framework, this study summarizes the differences in reader receptivity, language style, and cultural imagery between Chinese and Western cultures. The findings reveal distinct translation strategy preferences: Chinese translators tend to preserve cultural imagery more literally, while translators targeting Western audiences prioritize linguistic accessibility and functional clarity, often resorting to paraphrasing or explanatory translation. It aims to explore the selection of different translation strategies and their influencing factors, providing references for improving the quality of the translation of local cultures and promoting cultural exchange. Ultimately, the study underscores the importance of dynamic adaptation to the target audience's context in achieving effective cross-cultural communication of local culture. |
| Keywords: | Adaptation Theory; Local Culture; Cultural Translation; Translation Strategies |
| DOI: | 10.57237/j.ssrf.2025.03.001 |
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Received: 24 April 2025
Accepted: 18 June 2025
Published Online: 19 July 2025
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