A Study of Chinese-English Subtitle Translation Strategies for Chang An Under the Guidance of the Skopos Theory

Against the backdrop of globalization, translation plays a vital role in cross-cultural communication and the international dissemination of Chinese culture. Examining the translation strategies employed in the English subtitles of Chang’an: Three Thousand Miles not only facilitates the broader outreach of Chinese culture but also contributes to the advancement of contemporary Chinese poetry translation theory. This study examines the English subtitles of the 2023 Chinese animated film Chang’an: Three Thousand Miles, which grossed 1.824 billion yuan at the box office. Employing a teleological framework, it analyzes linguistic and cultural differences between Chinese and English texts, focusing on cultural connotations, emotional expression, culturally loaded words, and translation approaches for poetic subtitles to meet crosscultural audience needs. The study demonstrates that applying teleology to cultural translation offers valuable insights for Chinese-to-English subtitle translation practice. Translating poetic subtitles requires balancing subtitle timeliness with the “three beauties” principle of poetry to enhance the literary quality and emotional impact of the translation.