The presence of source viewership in fansub paratexts

Abstract

Online viewers’ paratextual activities when watching video content include rating, commenting and reviewing. These have received greater attention in audiovisual translation studies, since viewers’ paratexts can provide clues as to how the subtitled product is understood and what elements capture viewers’ attention. This paper examines the English fansubs of a Chinese period drama, to explore Chinese viewers’ motives for watching the show with English subtitles. Special attention is paid to the roles they play in the meaning-making processes of the online community. The paratextual elements include selected timed comments (comments synchronised to the video timeline), forum comments and reviews. The results show that although Chinese viewers are critical of the subtitles, they are highly aware of the fansubbers’ efforts and are enthusiastic about promoting Chinese culture to the wider world. Further, Chinese viewers participate in conversations with non-Chinese online viewers, bringing novel interpretations and circulating creative pleasure.