Translation of Culture-Loaded Words in Journeys in Nature: The Ewenki Series from the Perspective of Domestication and Foreignization

Abstract

Documentary is an important medium for the overseas dissemination of culture. Therefore, subtitle translation in documentaries has made the translation of culture-loaded words a significant topic in translation studies. This paper takes the documentary Journeys in Nature: The Ewenki Series as its research subject, analyzing the subtitle translation of culture-loaded words within the framework of domestication and foreignization. It explores the translation strategies for different types of culture-loaded words and their intercultural communication effects. The findings reveal that foreignization is predominantly adopted for place names among ecological culture-loaded words and domestication is employed for linguistic and social culture-loaded words. Meanwhile, the translation of material culture-loaded words demonstrates great flexibility. Overall, the documentary exhibits a strategic preference for domestication supplemented by foreignization, offering a reference for the subtitle translation of documentaries on ethnic minorities and the international dissemination of Chinese culture.