幽默字幕翻譯探討：以《辦公室瘋雲》繁體與簡體中文字幕的文字遊戲為例

Abstract

文字遊戲的翻譯困難重重，考驗譯者的語感和創意，許多學者甚至 認為語言幽默具有「不可譯性」。然而，當幽默在原文中扮演關鍵角色 時，譯者不應犧牲幽默。本研究以美國喜劇《辦公室瘋雲》(The Office) 為案例，探討其中字幕對文字遊戲的翻譯方式與策略。該劇大量運用言 與文化幽默，對劇情和角色發展具有重要影響。作為一種影視翻譯，字 幕帶給譯者諸多限制與挑戰，因此本主題與相關翻譯策略更值得深入探討。本研究從 Amazon Prime Video 上的繁體與簡體中文字幕中擷取了 130個例子，分析譯者如何處理幽默並檢視其翻譯成效。研究旨在用 Peter Newmark 的溝通翻譯理論與 Dirk Delabastita 提出的雙關語翻譯策略為架 構，對不同類型的文字遊戲進行分類與分析。研究結果發現，文字遊戲 大多數以非雙關語策略處理。此外，亦觀察到部分案例以雙關語及其他 修辭方式來翻譯，試圖保留原作的幽默效果。總而言之，此研究希望能 對語言學習者以及對關注幽默翻譯與影視翻譯的研究者提供實質參考。Wordplay translation presents significant challenges, testing translators’ linguistic abilities and creativity, with many scholars referring to linguistic humor as “untranslatable.” Nevertheless, when humor is integral to the source text, it should not be sacrificed. This case study investigates the translation of wordplay in the subtitles of the American TV series The Office, a sitcom rich in humor that is crucial to the plot or character development. Subtitling, as a form of audiovisual translation, introduces additional constraints and limitations that make the translator’s task more complex thus making it even more worthwhile to explore translating approaches.A total of 130 examples were extracted from Traditional and Simplified Chinese subtitles available on Amazon Prime Video to identify the strategies and techniques employed to render humor and evaluate their effectiveness. The study draws on Peter Newmark’s Communicative Translation Theory and Dirk Delabastita’s pun translation strategies to analyze various types of wordplay. Findings reveal that Pun to Non-Pun strategy, which prioritizes meaning over humor, was most commonly used, although instances of Pun to Pun and Pun to Related Rhetorical Device were also observed in attempts to preserve the humorous effect. This study may be of importance for language learners and those interested in humor and audiovisual translation studies.