How feminism and postcolonialism manipulate translation-the case of the pioneer feminist series-Sex and the City

• Main Author: Li, Weishan
• Other Authors: Cui Feng
• Format: Thesis-Master by Coursework
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Humanities::Linguistics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168120
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

As a film about women’s awakening, Sex and the City has generated considerable discourse. Despite the fact that the women in this film are independent, they are nevertheless portrayed as “things of male want” and created as attractive models of masculine aspirations. In this context, translators influenced by the feminist movement translate subtitles containing “anti-feminist” content. And how do translators “escape” the confines of the target language’s philosophy and patrons? This dssertation examines the interaction between feminism and postcolonialism in the translation of the groundbreaking feminist television series “Sex and the City.” The purpose of this study is to comprehend how the junction of these two theoretical frameworks affects the translation of the series and the depiction of its feminist message in various cultural contexts. The research objects include of the original English version of Sex and the City as well as its translations in various languages and cultural situations. The study employs a critical discourse analysis methodology to investigate how the translation process and cultural environment influence the depiction of the feminist message in the series. This study indicates that the translation of “Sex and the City” is influenced by cultural and power imbalances, leading to the standardization of cultural representations and the marginalization of varied perspectives. The study shows the difficulties and complexities of translating a feminist book in a postcolonial environment, as well as the significance of a culturally inclusive and fair translation strategy. This dissertation shows that the junction of feminism and postcolonialism in translation is a complicated and multifaceted topic that requires a critical investigation of cultural representations and power dynamics in the translation process.