This project presents an English–Vietnamese subtitle translation for selected footage from the short film Saigon Spatial #2: Perspectives, produced by Chimnon Studio. Building on this practical translation experience, the team investigates how pragmatic force can be effectively preserved across languages in audiovisual translation, particularly within the specialized context of architecture.
The translation process follows a systematic three-phase methodology. In the pre-translation stage, macro-level strategies were employed to analyze both intra-textual and extra-textual elements of the source material. At this stage, the team also prepared a full transcription of the dialogue and developed a specialized glossary of architectural terms. During the translation stage, micro-level strategies were applied to produce the English–Vietnamese subtitles, while the translation choices were evaluated using House’s revised model of translation quality assessment. In the post-translation stage, the subtitles were carefully proofread and formatted according to audiovisual subtitling conventions. In addition, a questionnaire was conducted to gather audience feedback on subtitle clarity, readability, and communicative effectiveness.
A key component of the project is the analytical application of four evaluative criteria from House’s revised model, Field, Tenor, Mode, and Genre, to assess how well the subtitles preserve the pragmatic force of the original discourse. The findings highlight the importance of considering these dimensions while applying translation strategies flexibly to suit the specific demands of audiovisual media. The study also underscores the critical role of translators’ cultural competence and domain-specific knowledge, particularly in the field of architecture, in ensuring both accuracy and appropriateness in meaning transfer.
Overall, this is a very impressive, carefully executed, research-based project that is both process- and result-oriented. The methodology and analysis are thorough, the justification of subtitling techniques and the selection of the video material are convincing, and the acknowledgements are professionally presented. It makes a meaningful contribution by demonstrating how theoretical frameworks can be effectively applied in practice to produce pragmatically appropriate subtitle translations within a specialized domain. The project is therefore strongly recommended for a showcase.
