| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Types of bad translations Thread poster: Oana Sopterean
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Mark Hamlen 
France
Local time: 05:32
French to English
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| Funny mistakes, too | Aug 28, 2011 |
My favourite mistranslation was a subtitle in a documentary on Maya Plisetskaya (the Russian ballet dancer). She was giving a master class and demonstrated the entrance of a Prince on stage. She says "I prints idiot" (Meaning, the prince arrives.) And the subtitle said "The prince is an idiot."
| | | | Oana Sopterean
Italy
Local time: 05:32
English to Romanian
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TOPIC STARTER | movies and subtitles | Aug 28, 2011 |
In my humble opinion I think that we will more frequently find errors (sometimes foolish ones) in movie subtitles. But maybe I am too inexperienced to be so sure about that. But what happens when there are no subtitles, but like in Italy, "over voice" ( I don't think that is the correct word) How can one know if what they are translating is correct? I've always had that question.
| | | | Kirsten Bodart
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:32
Dutch to English
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| Bad literary translation | Aug 28, 2011 |
 That is great mistake. Maybe it was translated from a transcription, though, and the transcriber made a lieutenant Kige kind of mistake? Still, it's a great one. Although the translator should maybe have realised that was a weird thing to say.
I could go on and on about bad translations of great books.
I think the main problem in that sector is not inadequate knowledge of the source language, nor even mi... See more That is great mistake. Maybe it was translated from a transcription, though, and the transcriber made a lieutenant Kige kind of mistake? Still, it's a great one. Although the translator should maybe have realised that was a weird thing to say.
I could go on and on about bad translations of great books.
I think the main problem in that sector is not inadequate knowledge of the source language, nor even missing nuances. I think no-one ever asks a tranlator to provide a translation for a novel without being sure that he/she has mastered the source language properly. So, irony, sarcasm etc. will, in all likelihood, not be missed.
The main problem for me is that most literary translators, I am very confident, just miss the message in a novel. Needless to say that is the main purpose of any novel. It is very rare that a writer does not want to convey a message or has not provided one, even unintentional.
As a great reader, I find literary translators should be well-read themselves, have read about the author and his life/occupation, observed his work and seen what he read as well in order to be able to judge properly of what he/she means by a certain word, phrase. It is sometimes a very obscure, but nonetheless there.
To my horror, I have recently discovered there are no adequate translations of Cyrano de Bergerac in English. Sure, there are translations, but they all miss the point so blatantly that it really reaches the level of dramatic irony. The play was about nice words, but no contents/meaning as in the pastoral plays, Voiture poems etc. Cyrano who deems himself ugly and Christian who has no contents, so they join forces in a kind of Faustian relationship. And what do the translations do? They are but nice words! Such a shame, because it is a play... I was lost for words when I read it. There is so much poetry and so much contents. All gone in one blow. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:32
Hebrew to English
sopterean_oana wrote:
In my humble opinion I think that we will more frequently find errors (sometimes foolish ones) in movie subtitles. But maybe I am too inexperienced to be so sure about that. But what happens when there are no subtitles, but like in Italy, "over voice" ( I don't think that is the correct word) How can one know if what they are translating is correct? I've always had that question.
You can say "dubbing" or "voice-over", ...you were close
I think that is why a translator should have near-native mastery of their source language as well as talent in their own, so that they have an instinct for both and will either know beyond doubt or instinctively "feel" what is correct and incorrect in what they are translating.
If a translator's knowledge and expertise is sub-standard, then it opens the doors for poor translation.
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| Synonyms are not the same... | Sep 14, 2011 |
Well, I came across this (on the Net, someone's translation of a poem/song):
What will become of me
My small angel?
There is a HUUUGE difference between little and small!
You cannot say to a girl: My beautiful small sweetheart!...
'cause that's almost an insult - and not a compliment!
(compared to: My little sweetheart.)
In general... See more Well, I came across this (on the Net, someone's translation of a poem/song):
What will become of me
My small angel?
There is a HUUUGE difference between little and small!
You cannot say to a girl: My beautiful small sweetheart!...
'cause that's almost an insult - and not a compliment!
(compared to: My little sweetheart.)
In general, these two words are synonyms, however, here you have a
good example of bad translating when someone doesn't distinguish meaning
of two words and thinks they mean the same in every given context.
[Edited at 2011-09-14 11:08 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | laaya
Persian (Farsi) to English
| skopos theory | Sep 29, 2011 |
sopterean_oana wrote:
Hello,I am a student of Romanian-English in Romania and I am now entering my final year at University.I have a paper project to do for my final exam,but the first chapter is due to next Thursday.I was wondering if you,considering the fact that you are experienced translators,can give me some examples of what can influence a bad translation.Types of bad translations and their main problem.I would very much like to learn more from you and I am glad I've joined this forum.Thank you!
I have read that You finaly decidede to change the title of your research and it is somehow related to this fact that exept of gramatical erors in translation I belive no translation can be accused to be a BAD one. In other case for example not considering the target and source culture in can be called an improprr translation.I want here tell you some thing about skopos theory,may be you it but in this theory it has been said that there are some criteria which determine the quality of translation, or somehow consider a specific purpose for translation.in this case you can have a very different translation of a particular source text wich is not inappropriate or even BAD. so I suggest you too take a look to this interesting and efficient theory by Hans Vermeer.
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