A Study on the Subtitling of the Animated Film Mulan from the Perspective of Multimodal Discourse Analysis

Authors

  • Kexin Zhu Institute of Humanities, Huzhou College, Huzhou 313000, China
  • Yajun Qi Institute of Humanities, Huzhou College, Huzhou 313000, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/v62nfx84

Keywords:

Multimodal Discourse Analysis, Mulan, Subtitle Translation, Cross-cultural Communication, Modal Coordination

Abstract

Prevailing audiovisual subtitle research prioritizes verbal comparison while neglecting the multimodal interplay of images and sound, a gap particularly evident in cross-cultural animation studies lacking systematic frameworks. Adopting Zhang Delu’s four-tier multimodal discourse analysis framework-cultural, contextual, semantic, and expressive-this study examines the Chinese and English subtitles of Disney’s Mulan (1998) through close analysis of dialogues and lyrics, exploring how subtitles coordinate with visual and auditory channels in cross-cultural meaning construction. Findings demonstrate that Zhang’s framework offers robust explanatory power, and that multimodal strategies effectively reconcile linguistic, cultural, and audiovisual challenges, providing a replicable model and practical guidance for future research.

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Published

13-10-2026

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Education and Humanities

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