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Topic: Subtitles make me nervous Posted: 21-Jun-2007 at 07:08 |
Its not the dubbing or sub-title as such, translations are oftentimes such that the original context is difficult to convey. You are in deep trouble really either way, if you try to go the litral route, the translation would be problamatic since every langauge has a different style, if you go for explanation type translation, then you can be accused of putting words in peoples mouths.
I remember once trying to explain the verses of a highly poetic militray song to a foreigner. One verse which caused particular difficulty was,
"Hum garh apni bahino kay,
Hum Chadar apni Maunh kay|"
Literally, "we are the forts of our sisters and the shawls of our mothers".
though it actually means something like "we are the defenders of our sisters and the honour of our mothers," even then the meaning is still not fully conveyed.
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Serge L
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Posted: 22-Jun-2007 at 17:03 |
Originally posted by Aelfgifu
Yes, but in Italy, all the men have suddely very deep voices that do not fit character at all, and the female voices are... hilarious. They have this little upwards moan at the end of each sentence that makes any movie sound like soft-porn. |
It's just our is a sexy tongue
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Explorador
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Posted: 02-Jul-2007 at 12:02 |
Everything is dubbed in Spain. I'm used to it, and although some people claim this is one of the reasons why Spain has one of the lowest percentage of knowledge of foreign languages in the EU, I don't think it's that bad. I don't think people will become bilingual by listening the dialogues in English and reading their meaning in Spanish.
However, if I watch a movie on DVD, I usually watch the original version with English subtitles.
Edited by Explorador - 02-Jul-2007 at 12:03
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Temujin
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Posted: 27-Aug-2007 at 14:58 |
well, as for dubbign vs subtitles. at once i woulds ay subtitles any day, but on second thought, i prefer dubbign in some/most cases. subtitles i prefer for japanese movies, or east asian in general, mostly because the dubbign is usually way off. but dubbign comes in handy for movies were i don't just want to spent the whole afternoon reading subtitles but just watch for the entertainement. if i'm like reading, i read a book and not freakin movie subtitles! also, some movies have so much dialogue, you cna hardly follow the plot and you're busy reading subtitles and miss the subtle parts. so for pure entertainment reasons, or for difficult plots, dubbing is king, but if the dubbign is bad (japanese movies) or comedy gets lost in translation (monty python), subtitles are to be prefered.
oh, i wanted to post these to back up my claims of good subtitling:
Darth Vader german:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OoL4EOYQges
Full Metal Jacket german:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VoMlD2bzIJ8
Edited by Temujin - 31-Aug-2007 at 13:27
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Posted: 03-Sep-2007 at 15:53 |
I much prefer subtitles. Try watching Finding Nemo with Finnish Dubbing and English subtitles.... interesting to say the least.
The worst dubbing I have seen is in Russia. I flipped on the tv to south park which was dubbed. Then I realised if I got close enough to the tv I could hear it all in English as well because they hadn't removed the english tracking just overlaid the russian.
I have a friend in Germany who spent a year in Finland and had never seen an undubbed movie before. She either had to read the Finnish subtitles or listen to the english in the movies. She got back to Germany and told me she didn't like dubbed movies anymore because the lips and words didn't seem to match up for her when watching.
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Posted: 03-Sep-2007 at 16:43 |
Subtitles are fine when we want to learn a different language. Actually, the only valuable things I find in Gibson's movies like The Passion or Apocalypto, is that his actors speak in Latin, Aramaic and Mayan.
Now, dubbing is OK for me for daily TV. I don't care much although I preffer english speaking movies in English. Hovewer, I only accept dubbing in neutral Spanish and I consider Mexican and Argentinean to be very professionals in that art. In fact, the Simpsons in English sound almost identical in Spanish. On the other hand, I hate the dubbing made in Spain becuase I can't stand that Batman speaks like Zorro!
Pinguin
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Richard XIII
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Posted: 04-Sep-2007 at 07:34 |
Marlon Brando in The God Father dubbed in German. Half of the movie is gone.
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Styrbiorn
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Posted: 04-Sep-2007 at 10:33 |
Originally posted by zeno
ps. can anyone explain the danish/swedish language problems the characters have, as i cant distinguish the two
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A bit late but here goes. Written Swedish and Danish is basicly the
same, but the pronounciation differs quite a bit. In Swedish ears the
Danes slur so much it almost becomes indistinguishable. What Swedish
sounds like to a Dane I'll let the Danes answer. There's also a few
words which have different meanings in the two languages. For example,
the Danish (or was it Norwegian?) word for corporatation means
intercourse in Swedish.
Originally posted by Sparten
Its not the dubbing or sub-title as such, translations
are oftentimes such that the original context is difficult to convey.
You are in deep trouble really either way, if you try to go the litral
route, the translation would be problamatic since every langauge has a
different style, if you go for explanation type translation, then you
can be accused of putting words in peoples mouths.
I remember once trying to explain the verses of a highly poetic
militray song to a foreigner. One verse which caused particular
difficulty was,
"Hum garh apni bahino kay,
Hum Chadar apni Maunh kay|"
Literally, "we are the forts of our sisters and the shawls of our mothers".
though it actually means something like "we are the defenders of
our sisters and the honour of our mothers," even then the meaning is
still not fully conveyed.
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Indeed. You can never fully understand the meanings of another language
unless you learn it completely. It's ashame translators gets lousier
and lousier these days - at least in Sweden, where everyone and his
aunt think they speak really good English when they certainly don't
(including myself).
BTW, Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is our God" was used as a Swedish
battle hymn for centuries, I suspect the fort metaphor is somewhat
similar to that in your song there.
Edited by Styrbiorn - 04-Sep-2007 at 10:39
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Aelfgifu
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Posted: 04-Sep-2007 at 12:09 |
Originally posted by explorador
I don't think people will become bilingual by listening the dialogues in English and reading their meaning in Spanish. |
Bilingual, no. But it is a fact that most 9-10 year olds in the Netherlands can communicate in basic English, largely because of subtitles on television and English videogames. Exposure to foreign languages at an early age is very helpful when learing a language later.
Originally posted by Temujin
but dubbign comes in handy for movies were i don't just want to spent the whole afternoon reading subtitles but just watch for the entertainement. if i'm like reading, i read a book and not freakin movie subtitles! also, some movies have so much dialogue, you cna hardly follow the plot and you're busy reading subtitles and miss the subtle parts. |
It is a simple matter of practice. People who are used to subtitles can read and watch at the same time. Dont ask me how, but it is so. I never miss parts of the movies image due to subtitles, your eyes just learn to skip between the two really fast.
The great thing about DVDs of course is, that English movies often also come with English subtitles. Especially in movies where people talk fast or indistinct, this is very handy. (Benicio del Toro in The Usual Suspects, anyone?) Because the subtitles are not translations, meanings do not get lost in translation. You can watch the movie in English, but when you didn't quite catch something, it is handy to fall back on.
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Temujin
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Posted: 04-Sep-2007 at 15:43 |
Originally posted by Aelfgifu
Especially in movies where people talk fast or indistinct,
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well thats the point. i've no problem with watching movies in English language even without subtitles, but if i don't understand a word of what they are saying it gets really dull.
Edited by Temujin - 04-Sep-2007 at 15:44
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Curmudgeon
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Posted: 07-Sep-2007 at 15:23 |
I far prefer subtitles, although some dubbing turns out to be much more palatable than I expect it to be. I watched Jet Li in "Hero" a few weeks ago with dubbing because it was available to me only this way, and after 45 minutes I was so involved in the story that I'd forgotten I wasn't reading it!
But I would hate to have to watch "Tampopo" or "Pan's Labyrinth" with dubbing.
It's a bit off topic, but have you noticed how funny regional accents can sound when playing a character from another time and place entirely? I watched the historically ludicrous (but very stylised) "300" and listened to the Spartan leader's Scotts brough fade in and out of his speech. Yet for me, as an American, that accent worked! It's like, yeah, the leader of the Spartans *should* by a Scott!
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pekau
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Posted: 07-Sep-2007 at 18:20 |
Originally posted by Paul
I think dubing is as close to barbarism as you can get. |
Totally agreed. I want to kill those that dub the animes. When I accidently downloaded English dubbed version of Neon Genesis Evangelion... ah, it brings back the horrible horrible memories...
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pekau
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Posted: 07-Sep-2007 at 18:26 |
What's more annoying is that my MP3 player's moniter shows great video, but subtitles are somehow squashed together so that I can't read it. I just downloaded Fearless movie in Chinese in MP3, and didn't know a word what they were saying until I got hold on my computer again. Luckily, Fearless is an action movie, so words aren't really important...
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