Subtitles, anyone?

[Nikitta]

Originally Posted by iansales

Anthony Burgess in one of his books tells of a classic subtitling mistake. It's in a French-subtitled version of an American WWII movie. The GI is standing there when a panzer comes over the brow of a hill. He shouts, "Tanks!"

The subtitle reads, "Merci!"

Oh dear!

I once saw an episode of the Simpsons where Marge asks Homer "Why do you think I married you?" and Homer replies "Because I knocked you up?". In the Danish subtitles, that reply became "Because I hit you?"

[Connavar]

Yeah a big problem with subtitles is that they usually translate wrong. You know that cause you dont need an english movie with subtitles cause it only makes you see how bad the swedes translate english to swedish in my case.


Otherwise subtitles are so natural to me cause i watch alot Asian movies Korean cinema being my fav. Even Bollywood movies had subtitles these days and they are a tradition for my people. Me i usually smile at the cheesy stories and lines and enjoy the songs.

[HardScienceFan]

Thanks,I'd forgotten that.You see,subtitling is an art in itself.Especially hard are expressions,proverbs,culturally specific references,and puns.I've seen some right clankers made in those departments.
E.G.
Isaac Asimov,or Willy Ley, or John Gribbin,are well-known popularizers of
science in Anglophonic countries.However,the correct translation of 'popularization' in French is "vulgarisation",which suggest something entirely different to Anglophones!
I remember one instance of some subtitler struggling horrifically with 'close,but no cigar'.

[Sathai]

Originally Posted by Nikitta

However, I prefer badly translated subtitles to badly translated dubbing any day as the tone of voice..etc... remains intact as the original actor made it and that means something for experiencing the movie.

I agree. I feel I get more from the movie when I can here the actor's real voice and expression.

[Quokka]

Usually prefer subtitles, except of course Hercules Returns, best case of dubbing bar none

[Connavar]

Bad dubbing can be fun you know like the dubbing in HK movies where people in Jackie Chan movies sound like they are from texas

[chrispenycate]

And children's programs? Are children expected to remain ignorant that furriners make films until they've learnt to read, or speak foreign (admittedly, I've conversed with children who learnt to speak english from Cartoon network or equivalent (which makes for an interesting, if specialised, vocabulary) but would you deny parents in non-english speaking countries the succor of gluing infant noses to glass screens full of Scooby-doo, or manga, or whatever (how did my generation survive? We didn't have a television in the house until I was reading adult books, and then wa were allowed to watch an hour a week. How parents must have suffered)
Besides, actors love doing cartoons. Watching a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company putting on a silly voice for an unbelievable character is quite an experience.

[Nikitta]

Originally Posted by chrispenycate

And children's programs?

I only talked about what I prefer for myself. Other people can of course have other preferences and should choose according to those, regardless of my opinion. I wouldn't want it any other way. I always think that goes without saying.

For myself, I prefer subtitles to dubbing, though a dubbing done so well that I won't notice that it's a dubbing might be an exception. I just don't know of any.

[Joel007]

Monty Python's dubbing for the hard of hearing?

[iansales]

I used to get a French TV channel in the Middle East - TV5. It broadcast French films with French subtitles.

I also had to be careful when buying VCDs. The copy of Anna and the King I bought only had Arabic subtitles... and half the film's dialogue is in Thai. Never did figure out what the movie was about...