A Study on the Translation Strategies of the Documentary Mills Explores Ecological China from the Perspective of Cross-Cultural Communication
Abstract
The international dissemination of documentaries plays a crucial role in shaping national image and enhancing cross-cultural understanding. Taking the BBC documentary Mills Explores Ecological China as a case study, this paper analyzes its Chinese-English subtitle translation strategies through the lens of cross-cultural communication theory. Drawing on representative examples, the study focuses on culturally loaded expressions—such as plant names, symbolic imagery, and intergenerational knowledge transmission—and examines how translation techniques, including functional equivalence, cultural adaptation, and audience orientation, are employed. The analysis reveals that translators often adopt a hybrid strategy that combines domestication with explanatory foreignization. For instance, cultural metaphors like "见血封喉树" are translated into scientific terms like Antiaris toxicaria, supplemented with descriptive phrases such as "it's lethal" to retain communicative effectiveness while avoiding cultural misinterpretation. Similarly, expressions such as "文明与野性交界" are softened into "where wildlife meets humanity," aligning the narrative with global discourses of ecological harmony. These strategies reflect a balance between semantic accuracy and cultural acceptability, facilitating meaning reconstruction across different cultural contexts. This study contributes to the theoretical development of cross-cultural communication in ecological media contexts and offers practical insights for the translation of nature-themed documentaries. It highlights the translator's role not just as a linguistic mediator, but as a cultural negotiator. Ultimately, the research provides a foundation for enhancing the global communicability of China's ecological narratives through effective subtitle translation.
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