Eco-Translatology Perspective on the English Translation of Subtitles in the Documentary Eight Hundred Years of Chu State

Abstract

Based on the concept of translational eco-environment, oriental ecological wisdom, and the Darwinian principle of natural selection, the concepts of eco-translatology and relevant theoretical ideas were proposed and explained by Professor Hu Gengshen from 2001 on. This interdisciplinary theory of translation studies and ecology considers translation as a translator's adaptation and selection activities, and its translation methods include the linguistic, cultural, and communication aspects. Eight Hundred Years of Chu State is a large-scale documentary about Chu culture. It systematically tells about the great history of the 800 years of Chu State, interpreting the brilliant and splendid civilization of Chu with its magnificent cultural relics, and revealing the laws worth pondering behind its ups and downs. Taking as examples the Chinese-English subtitle translations of the documentary Eight Hundred Years of Chu State, this paper aims to take the interdisciplinary theoretical perspective of eco-translatology to explore its implications for documentary translation from the linguistic, cultural, and communicative dimensions. Aiming also to improve the English translation of Chinese-made documentaries to a higher level, this paper hopes to promote the spread of Chinese traditional culture, especially Jingchu culture, and to enhance the world's understanding of China and its splendid culture.