Lost in translation

Movie-goers know this too well. Sometimes, they may be helpful, at other times, they are just a nuisance. What is it, you ask? Why, it is the words that appear at the bottom of the screen in a translated common language, other than the one being used by the actors - otherwise known as subtitles.



Subtitles. Realise how often words get lost in translation, thanks to ignorant translators?

Sometimes you go to the cinema, and at the start of each movie, the first subtitle you may notice is the movie title.

Some of them are just not meant to be translated.

A few examples are

Pride and Prejudice - Kebanggaan dan Prasangka
Spiderman - Lelaki Labah-labah
Star Wars - Perang Bintang
Pirates of The Caribbean:Curse of The Black Pearl - Lanun-lanun Carribean:Sumpahan Mutiara Hitam.
(it just doesn't sound right, makes them all sound like some old black and white Malay movie...)


And then I was thinking about the shows we normally watch on television. It is lucky that there is no sub-sector in the television sector that translates the titles of the shows we watch on the idiot box daily. If there was, this would be the disastrous results that we may expect to see.
(English to Malay)

Alias - Gelaran
Amazing Race - Perlumbaan Hebat
American Idol - Idola Amerika
America's Next Top Model - Model Amerika Terbaik Seterusnya
Charmed - Dipesona
Crime Scene Investigation - Penyiasatan Tempat Kejadian Jenayah
Fear Factor - Factor Ketakutan
Friends - Kawan-kawan
Lost - Hilang
Medical Investigations - Penyiasatan Perubatan
Naked Chef - Tukang Masak Bogel
North Shore - Tepi Laut Utara
Orange County - Kaunti Jingga
Powerpuff Girls - Budak-budak Perempuan Berkuasa Puputan
Ripley's Believe It Or Not - Percaya Atau Tidak Ripley
Room Raiders - Penyerbu-penyerbu Bilik
Scrubs - Menggosok
Worst-case Scenario - Senario Paling Teruk
X-Men - Orang-X


Say if the person behind the translations are totally ignorant, and probably has never watched the show before, this is what you may get.

Monk - Sami
House - Rumah
Ocean's Twelve - Dua Belas Lautan (this is a movie though)

For your information, Monk and House are actually names. So is Ocean. Adrian Monk, Dr. Gregory House and Daniel Ocean respectively. I came in late into the cinema for Ocean's Twelve so I do not know whether this mistake was ever made.


And if anyone were really making an effort to translate whatever they could, this may appear.

Jane Doe - Rusa Jane
John Doe - Rusa John
(doe is a female dear, get it?)


I guess shows that would not have their titles misinterpreted would consist of

untranslatable names: Ally McBeal, Becker, Ed, Joey, Lizzie McGuire, Seinfield

names of places: Miami, Las Vegas, Rome, Smallvile

names of places WITH numbers: Beverly Hills, 90210

numbers: 24

words with funny symbols in them: Numb3rs


Thank God these mistakes do not occur in Malaysia, or will they?

(translations done with the help of Cari.com.my)

###

Published in C.U.E. in January 2007.