Staff Profile

Background

I am a PhD candidate in queer translation studies at Newcastle University, looking at fan subtitling of lesbian representation from English to Chinese in Anglo-American audiovisual products. I have been working as a freelance subtitler since 2015.

Education

MA in English Language and Literature (Audiovisual Translation), Communication University of China

BA in English (Translation and Interpreting), Sichuan International Studies University

Qualification

China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters (CATTI), Translating, Grade 2

Thesis Title

Fan Subtitling of Lesbian Representation from English to Chinese in Anglo-American Audiovisual Products

Abstract

This project intends to investigate how and why Anglo-American lesbian representation is subtitled in Chinese fan subtitling (in short: fansubbing). The author will use the Netflix lesbian TV drama Orange Is the New Black (OITNB, the USA, 2013-2019), fansubbed by the Chinese fansubbing group, YYeTs, as a case study to illustrate a big picture and ensure an in-depth analysis. The two main research questions are: 1) How is lesbian representation subtitled from English to Chinese in Anglo-American audiovisual products, especially in OITNB; 2) What could influence the subtitling of lesbian representation from English to Chinese in Anglo-American audiovisual products, followed by objective and subjective factors that influence fansubbers. To answer the first question, I will apply multimodal critical discourse analysis to lesbian speech and lesbian gestures of six selected lesbian characters, as they are various performances of lesbian sexuality and the social construction of identity (Cass, 1984; Butler, 1990; Sedgwick, 1990; Godard, 1991; McCarn & Fassinger, 1996), together with their subtitling of OITNB (only when gestures occur with speech). The two constitute lesbian representation in my project (Pérez González, 2014; Taylor, 2016). To answer the second question, I will interview 10 Chinese fansubbers who have subtitled lesbian audiovisual products from English to Chinese, including but not only OITNB, trying to find their translation choices for lesbian representation and influences on their choices. For instance, censorship, audiovisual modalities, lesbian (in)visibilities, fansubbers’ identities, knowledge, and values. It could illustrate the manifestations and reasons for general Chinese fansubbing of English lesbian-related audiovisual texts.

Research Interests

My research interests lie in gender and sexuality in translation. More broadly, my research interests include audiovisual translation, multimodality, feminist translation, queer translation, literary translation, and lesbian identity.

Conference

Oral presentation at Translators’ [In]visibilities Workshop (virtual), "Translators’ (in)visibilities in English to Chinese fan subtitling of lesbian representation in Orange Is the New Black," University of Calgary, Canada, February 2022.

Guest speaker at 2022 Translating & Interpreting Spring Conference, speech titled "中国女同性恋（研究）的发展," Newcastle University, UK.

Chair at Chinese Modernity and Everydayness, Newcastle University, UK, 18th July 2022.

Supervisory Team

Dr. Pauline Henry-Tierney, School of Modern Languages, Newcastle University

Dr. Ya-Yun Chen (Yalta), School of Modern Languages, Newcastle University

CHN8035 Subtitle and Video Game Translation

TRI4002 Translation Theory and Practice 3 (subtitling)