Inaccurate subtitling for Pacific Rim reflects commercialization

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Inaccurate subtitles for the film Pacific Rim have provoked an audience debate about the original meaning of the film. The translator, Jia Xiuquan, has failed to please the local audience with his attempted interpretation.

　　Starting from Garfield 2, subtitles for imported films have been causing concern. More recently, the subtitles for the current blockbuster Pacific Rim have been criticized for the quality of their translation, with suggestions that they are neither professional nor accurate. The translation of the phrase "Elbow Rocket" (a fighting technique clearly associated with the Jaizu of Pacific Rim) into "Pegasus Meteor fist" (a technique belonging to Saint Seiya, a completely different manga) caused considerable annoyance. This is one example of translations that stray too far from the original.

　　When Kung Fu Panda first came to China in 2011, it was praised for the localization of its Chinese subtitles, which helped to increase the popularity of the film. But as interpreters add growing numbers of popular local phrases to subtitles of imported films, their audience is beginning to tire of the practice. Adding too many unnecessary ingredients to the main dish no longer attracts the audience's interest; rather it begins to seem no more than a reflection of cultural commercialization.

　　Inaccurately translated subtitles are one aspect of the whole film environment in China. Big box office revenues and winning the favor of Hollywood are encouraging an excess of commercialization and a loss of aesthetic value.

　　Inevitably, the commercialization of a film often impacts on its artistic quality. The pursuit of profit is not necessarily wrong, as long as it is not carried to excess, but accuracy is a key principle when translating and subtitling films. Increasing the use of recognizable catchphrases can help to bridge the gap between an imported film and its Chinese audience, as long as the original meaning of the language is not distorted. Too much focus on entertainment value and commercialization, in contrast, will do serious damage.

　　Excessive commercialization is a phenomenon that casts its shadow wider than the world of film. Translations of works of foreign literature have already experienced the same problem in the past. There needs to be a change in mindset in the Chinese film market.

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