Eco-Translatology Perspectives on Subtitle Translation in Zootopia 2

Eco-Translatology, a framework that integrates linguistic, cultural, and communicative elements in translation, serves as the foundation for this paper’s analysis of subtitle translation in Zootopia 2. Several key techniques are involved: syntactic restructuring, colloquialization, cultural image substitution, and emotional intensification. Syntactic restructuring happens when a long English sentence gets broken into shorter Chinese clauses to fit Chinese grammar, like recording adver-bial phrases to ensure natural expression; colloquialization turns formal lines into everyday talk, for instance, changing “I am very grateful” to “Thanks a lot”; and emotional intensification strengthens wording to convey characters’ moods more vividly, like adding words “真的” to make a character’s excitement feel stronger. These choices effectively help bridge language gaps while keeping the film’s humor and emotional beats. Eco-Translatology achieves a dynamic balance across three dimensions in animated subtitle translation. The linguistic dimension en-sures natural and fluent expression, the cultural dimension preserves and adapts culturally loaded elements, and the communicative dimension prioritizes the delivery of the original purpose and emotional impact of the dialogue. This approach guides translators’ adaptive choices in the translational eco-environment under multiple constraints, such as time pressure and cultural expectations. This study also extends Eco-Translatology to audiovisual translation, demonstrating its potential as a robust theoretical framework for future research and practice in animated film subtitle translation.