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Tricky Translation: Film Titles and Subtitles

Automated translations are getting better all the time, but they are still far from perfect. To ensure good communication across languages, human translators are still essential. Translation is an art that requires a great deal of skill.

Subtitles

When we watch films with subtitles, we often notice when the translation is wrong. It seems unbelievable that the translator could have misunderstood the dialogue so badly. What we should be aware of is that translators usually do not have access to the TV programme or film while they translate – they are working from a written script. Words and phrases can have more than one meaning, and this is where a translator working under a lot of time pressure can get into hot waters. Often translators are paid by the word or the minute when they translate. Working fast means more income, but it also means more mistakes.

How would you translate the sentences?

Here, you find some examples of phrases that have caused trouble for translators. How would you translate the sentences?

  1. I have to call Major. (I-Zombie)

  2. Did you have make up sex? (Seinfeld)

  3. How's your organ grinding? (Gilmore Girls)

  4. Go ahead! Make my day! (Dirty Harry)

What mistakes were made in these translations?

  1. The sentence was translated as: 'Jeg må ringe ordføreren.' The translator confused the character name Major, with the title mayor. There is a clue in the absence of the article 'the', which tells us this is a name rather than a title. In addition, it is surprising that the translator chose to translate the word as mayor, rather than as the military rank major.

  2. The sentence was translated as: 'Har dere hatt sminkesex?' The translator interpreted make up to mean cosmetics (makeup), rather than having sex after an argument or fight.

  3. The sentence was translated as: 'Er du en god organdonor?' The translator believed organ grinding had to do with organ donation, rather than playing a musical instrument.

  4. This is a hard one to translate because there is a lot of menance behind the words that it is difficult to convey in writing. The translator went for 'Berre prøv dykk, gutar!', which many people felt did not quite have the same punch as the original.

Film titles

Today, English-language films are often released on the Norwegian market with their original title. In the past, it used to be a firm rule that films should have Norwegian titles. This taxed the translators' creativity, and sometimes people found the results comic. In the box, you will find some titles to translate. Can you do better than the professionals?

Translate the film titles:

  1. Shawshank Redemption

  2. Saturday Night Fever

  3. Silence of the Lambs

  4. Die Hard

  5. The Seven Year Itch

  6. No Man's Land

  7. The Italian Job

  8. You Only Live Twice

The Norwegian titles:

  1. Frihetens regn

  2. Lørdagskjøret

  3. Nattsvermeren

  4. Aksjon skyskraper

  5. Gresskar i nød

  6. Døden kjører Porsche

  7. Den Ville Biljakten

  8. James Bond i Japan

What do you think of each solution? Does it work as well as the original title? Are any of the Norwegian titles better than the original?

Film poster, man carries woman, the sky is orange.
'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!' is a memorable line from the film classic Gone With the Wind. Bilde: NTB , Mary Evans Picture / Begrenset bruksrett

Translate the classic quotes:

Some movie lines are very memorable. In the box, you will find a collection of these. Translate them into Norwegian and reflect on any difficulties you have in translating them. Are they as memorable in Norwegian as they were in English?

  1. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn! (Gone With the Wind)

  2. You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. (On the Waterfront).

  3. A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. (Silence of the Lambs)

  4. She was beautiful. God, I loved her. I just didn’t know how to show it; that’s all. I killed her, Red. I didn’t pull the trigger, but I drove her away. And that’s why she died, because of me. (Shawshank Redemption)

  5. One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know. (Animal Crackers)

  6. I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die. (Blade Runner)

  7. You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned. (Parasite)

  8. My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next. (Gladiator)

  9. With great power comes great responsibility. (Spider-Man)

  10. We are House Atreides. There is no call we do not answer. There is no faith that we betray. The Emperor asks us to bring peace to Arrakis. House Atreides accepts! (Dune)

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