Scientific Development Research

With the increasing frequency of global film and television exchanges, subtitle translation has become a vital bridge for cross-cultural communication. Relevance Theory views translation as an ostensive-inferential communicative process, in which translators need to balance the original intent and the audience's cognitive environment to achieve optimal relevance. This study takes the subtitle translation of the British TV series Slow Horses as its research object, aiming to explore in depth the strategies and effects of translating British black humor in its subtitles. Based on Relevance Theory, the study analyzes linguistic humor, cultural humor, and universal humor in Slow Horses, examining translation strategies such as direct translation, indirect translation, and creative reconstruction to strike a balance between preserving humorous effects and cultural characteristics. The findings indicate that, guided by Relevance Theory, translators can effectively convey the unique British black humor style and character-building language in Slow Horses by flexibly employing various translation strategies, thereby enhancing audience’s understanding and resonance. This research provides practical insights for the subtitle translation of British black humor in film and television works.

Relevance Theory; British black humor; Subtitle translation; Slow Horses; Translation strategies