ABSTRACT：Lately, as the cross-cultural communication between China and the West becomes intensive, a booming number of foreign audiovisual products are flowing into China, among which American TV plays enjoy a widespread popularity. Due to the tremendous distinction of languages and cultures that occurs in different countries, the audience have to depend on a platform like translated subtitle to assist them in understanding and appreciating those products. Subtitle translation has become a pivotal component in contemporary translation practice so as to promote intercultural communication. Nonetheless, domestic studies in the field of subtitle translation appear to be immature and unsystematic, which is not compatible with the status of subtitle translation. As a result, it is of vital significance for the audience to appreciate subtitle translation under certain successful theory guidance.

However, owing to many existing barriers, to obtain a complete functional equivalence between the source and target text is tough. Due to the fact that the work of translation is demanding and complex, a desirable translation should reflect the information to the target audience as the original text do. The thesis conducts an analysis on the application of functional equivalence theory to the translation of the American TV play-Two Broke Girls in terms of language and culture on the basis of Nida’s functional equivalence theory. The paper selects specific examples from language and culture facets to expound the adoption of several translation strategies in subtitle translation, aiming at emphasizing the instructional impact the functional equivalence theory exerts on subtitle translation. Thereby, subtitle translation will be promoted and Chinese audience can have a better knowledge of English-speaking countries, which is propitious to international cultural exchanges.

Keywords: functional equivalence theory; Two Broke Girls; subtitle translation strategies

摘  要：近年来，随着中西方国家之间的文化交流日益频繁，越来越多的外国影视作品涌入中国，其中美剧受到中国观众的普遍欢迎。由于各国之间存在着语言和文化差异，观众需借助字幕这一平台去理解并欣赏这些作品，于是字幕翻译便成为当今翻译实践中重要的组成部分，极大地促进了跨文化交流。然而目前我国在字幕翻译领域的发展尚未健全，且缺乏相应的理论指导，与当今字幕翻译的地位不符。因此，如何通过理论指导成功地完善美剧字幕翻译，使观众对字幕翻译有进一步的认识具有重大意义。

鉴于各国之间的种种沟通障碍，实现译文与原文的功能对等比较困难。由于翻译工作的复杂性，要想达到颇为令人满意的字幕翻译，必须努力实现目标受众与原文欣赏者在译文理解层面的对等。本文以美剧《破产姐妹》为例，通过语言、文化等方面探究了功能对等理论在该剧字幕翻译中的运用，强调功能对等理论在字幕翻译领域的指导作用，从而提升字幕翻译质量，使广大中国观众对字幕翻译能有更全面的理解，进一步促进跨文化交流。

关键词：功能对等理论；《破产姐妹》；字幕翻译策略

Table of Contents

1 Introduction 1

1.1 A Brief Introduction to Subtitle Translation 1

1.1.1 The Features of Subtitle Translation 2

1.1.2 The Constraints of Subtitle Translation 2

1.2 A Brief Introduction to Two Broke Girls 2

1.3 Research Background and Significance 3

2 Literature Review 4

2.1 Previous Studies on Subtitle Translation 4

2.1.1 Overseas Studies 4

2.1.2 Domestic Studies 5

2.2 Nida’s Functional Equivalence Theory 5

2.2.1 The Content of Functional Equivalence Theory 6

2.2.2 The Principles of Functional Equivalence Theory 6

2.3 The Application of Functional Equivalence Theory to Subtitle Translation 7

3 Subtitle Translation Strategies Adopted in Two Broke Girls 8