E-C Movie Subtitle Translation Under Toury's Norms Theory—A Case of The Shawshank Redemption

This paper explores the subtitle translation of The Shawshank Redemption through Gideon Toury’s translation norms theory, highlighting the influence of translation norms on the film’s subtitle adaptation in China. The study applies Toury’s framework to examine the initial, preliminary, and operational norms shaping the translation process. The findings reveal that the initial norm led translators to favor strategies that align with the target language culture, enhancing viewer acceptance. The preliminary norm reflects an understanding of the social, cultural, and ideological expectations of the time, ensuring the translation resonated with Chinese audiences. Under operational norms, translators employed techniques, such as omission, rewriting, and transformation to meet language and cultural norms while adhering to target audience reading habits. This research not only sheds light on the subtitling practices of The Shawshank Redemption, but also demonstrates the applicability of Toury’s theory in film translation, offering valuable insights into the field of translation studies.

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