Proposed strategies for song lyric translation in Korean-Chinese musical supertitling : A case study of After Life.

With the global spread of K-culture, original Korean musicals (K-musicals) are increasingly exported and supertitled for foreign audiences in Korea. As Chinese nationals form the largest group of foreign residents, and exports to China grow, the translation of Chinese supertitles is gaining importance. Yet research on this topic remains limited. This study examines the characteristics of Chinese lyrics and the challenges of translating Korean lyrics directly into Chinese. Focusing on the musical After Life, it proposes strategies that accommodate the unique demands of Chinese lyrics, which prioritize implicit and concise expression (xiěyìxìng), parallel structure (duìjù), rhyme, and repetition—elements often lost in direct translation. As specific strategeis, the translator proposes using sentence-final nouns, idioms, four-character expressions (chéngyǔ), and substitution and omission to achieve syllable alignment and structural cohesion. These techniques enhance rhythm and rhyme through restructured imagery and nominalization, while reinforcing poetic effects through repetition. Collectively, these strategies clarify and condense meaning while enriching lyrical subtlety. Though limited to one production and not easily generalizable to oral translation, this study offers concrete, experience-based subtitling strategies.