ArticleTranslation Theories and Skills http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2026.01.005
Study on Subtitle Translation from the Perspective of Skopos Theory: Taking Empresses in the Palace as an Example
Jiajia Chang, Fang Yuan*
School of Liberal Arts, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi, China.
*Corresponding author: Fang Yuan
Published: January 31, 2026
Abstract
Against the backdrop of increasing global cultural exchange, film and television have emerged as a powerful medium for the international dissemination of national cultures. The overseas release of Chinese television films, has played a significant role in promoting Chinese culture abroad. Guided by Skopos Theory, this study examines the subtitle translation of the American version of Empresses in the Palace through the three core principles of the framework—the Skopos rule, the Fidelity rule, and the Coherence rule. This paper analyzes the selection and application of translation strategies and methods, with the aim of effectively conveying the original cultural and contextual nuances. The findings are intended to serve as a reference for future television subtitle translation and to support the global dissemination of Chinese television and culture.
Keyword
Skopos theory; Empresses in the Palace; subtitle translation; translation strategy
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Copyright
© 2026 by the author(s).
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not modified or adapted.
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How to cite this paper
Study on Subtitle Translation from the Perspective of Skopos Theory: Taking Empresses in the Palace as an Example
How to cite this paper: Jiajia Chang, Fang Yuan. (2026). Study on Subtitle Translation from the Perspective of Skopos Theory: Taking Empresses in the Palace as an Example. Translation and Foreign Language Learning, 2(1), 27-31.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2026.01.005