Abstract
Functional translation theory, within which Skopos theory serves as a central framework, provides a new perspective for subtitle translation studies. Taking the subtitles of Detective Chinatown as a case study, this paper examines the application of Skopos theory in Chinese-to-English (C-E) subtitle translation. It ana-lyzes translation strategies including literal translation, free translation, domestication, and foreignization. The study argues that subtitle translation should be purpose-oriented and culturally adaptive in order to improve cross-cultural communication and help international audiences better understand the linguistic and cultural connotations conveyed in the film.
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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
Subtitle Translation Strategies in Detective Chinatown: A Functional Translation Theory Perspective
How to cite this paper: Na Guo, Peng Miao. (2026). Subtitle Translation Strategies in Detective Chinatown: A Functional Translation Theory Perspective. Translation and Foreign Language Learning, 2(2), 186-191.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2026.02.003