The Chinese Oliver Twist

Abstract

Abstract This article sheds light upon subtitling as the audiovisual translation (AVT) mode applied to three subtitled versions of Oliver Twist. The comparison takes place within the subtitling context of two officially sanctioned versions (i.e., the musical and the film) and the non-professional and transcreated versions released on social media platforms. Research has been carried out within audiovisual translation studies with the scope of verifying issues relating to the translation of characters’ names (appellation), religious terminology, and songs, which are subject to changes and innovative transformations when transcreated. There is an increasingly high demand for viewer-generated participation in the translation of audiovisual productions as opposed to traditional passive viewing experiences (Di Giovanni and Gambier 2018, vii–viii). The significant rise of user-oriented modes of translation released on popular video-sharing platforms has not been systematically researched. Attention is primarily paid to the Chinese subtitles produced for Oliver Twist’s most recent film adaption directed by Polanski (2005). These subtitles reinterpret and redirect the product’s cultural and temporal specificities and complexities to reinforce Chinese cultural heritage (Liang 2020, 26). A particular role is played by transcreation in subtitling as a translation method that is able to embrace the richness of Oliver Twist in its various adapted forms: theatre, cinema, and social media platforms. Drawing upon the concept of abusive subtitling coined by Abé Mark Nornes (1999), the paper investigates the definition of transcreation within subtitling procedures and scrutinises technological advances and multimodal creativity within the context of Oliver Twist. In this sense, transcreation as a fan-driven practice in subtitling has the scope of giving visibility to artistic works in a more creative way, as well as of presenting them tinted with individualised characteristics which cater to the various demands for a variety of audiences.