The International Thread

[Ducky]

Ohoh! Here Desperate Housewives is Täydelliset naiset (Perfect women)
but.. like Law & Order and ER have bit strange ones, those are good ones.
Without a Trace is a perfect translation
Scrubs has also bit funny translation, like it's created as a parody for ER - but it works.
Of course we have many that keep the original title, Lost, CSIs, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Boston Legal, House (doh), 30 Rock, Studio 60
Cold Case has one of those... strange but good translations. I think one of the worst was for Stark Raving Mad (something like 'Crazy writer')

 

[Brinchen]

Oh, wow, and I thought we were the only ones who change the names! I'm not sure about it, but newer shows have the original titles. ER kept the original title, they just also mentioned the translation. I think, that's a good way (for the ones who don't understand what the titles mean).

This translation thingy is really weird sometimes, but actually it's also funny- they're really creative.

 

[Gaelen]

It's easy to find more stuff like that in Polish TV. They're still translating and they'll never stop.

Haha, ever bored? Well TRANSLATE! :lol:

I think it's weird that people translate show names- I mean, why? Wouldn't it just be easier to just put the translation next to the original title or something? At least then people know what the original title is. *shrugs* I've never really lived in a non-english speaking country so I haven't really experienced it.

 

[Jacquie]

Going back to why the US changes titles of books that are released in the UK under a different name, you may have to look back to the year 1776 when all things British were not good in the US. I'm not saying this is fact but you may need to look that far back. Look at the way colour, favour, and humour are spelled it the US. All missing the 'U'. In my opinion they can't even spell centre correct Hey my tongue and check opinion only here

Do Americans understand what gaol is. Do they know that boot is something that is not always warn on the feet. How about tyre. Maybe it's the publishers that don't think Americans are smart enough to understand these words and many more. I don't know this for a fact. Remember this is my opinion only

 

[Deirdre]

Ohoh! Here Desperate Housewives is Täydelliset naiset (Perfect women)
but.. like Law & Order and ER have bit strange ones, those are good ones.
Without a Trace is a perfect translation
Scrubs has also bit funny translation, like it's created as a parody for ER - but it works.
Of course we have many that keep the original title, Lost, CSIs, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Boston Legal, House (doh), 30 Rock, Studio 60
Cold Case has one of those... strange but good translations. I think one of the worst was for Stark Raving Mad (something like 'Crazy writer')

Scrubs in Polish is "Hozy doktorzy", that means more or less - "Crazy Doctors". Word "hozy" is very old-fashioned.

Name of the show depends also on where it is displaying. If it's in public TV - Lost is always "Zagubieni", but in private channel only Lost or (like Gaelen said) with Polish translation. CSI is always "Kryminalne...", no matter where.

Oh, wow, and I thought we were the only ones who change the names! I'm not sure about it, but newer shows have the original titles. ER kept the original title, they just also mentioned the translation. I think, that's a good way (for the ones who don't understand what the titles mean).

This translation thingy is really weird sometimes, but actually it's also funny- they're really creative.

Brinchen, you see, not only in Germany (and we're living so close, how could never notice that). And about ER - here the translation is "Ostry dyzur". The funniest is that I didn't know for a long time the original name of this show. No one use it.

 

[Brinchen]

Brinchen, you see, not only in Germany (and we're living so close, how could never notice that). And about ER - here the translation is "Ostry dyzur". The funniest is that I didn't know for a long time the original name of this show. No one use it.

:lol: I know this feeling, I had it with some other shows here. I'm just glad CSI is still CSI here. Anything else just wouldn't fit. And I also have no idea how to translate it. The best is you know both titles- the orginial one and the translated one.

But what I hate is when they change an actor's 'dubbing voice' (do you call it like this? I'm not sure). This always totally confuses me.

 

[Deirdre]

But what I hate is when they change an actor's 'dubbing voice' (do you call it like this? I'm not sure). This always totally confuses me.

The dub voice (I just checked yesterday) is lector. It's only one person (that's why is possible to listen original voice), male. I never thought about differences between all lectors, for me they're all the same. But the worst is when you hear woman's voice - that's really annoying!

 

[starzsgirl]

Going back to why the US changes titles of books that are released in the UK under a different name, you may have to look back to the year 1776 when all things British were not good in the US. I'm not saying this is fact but you may need to look that far back. Look at the way colour, favour, and humour are spelled it the US. All missing the 'U'. In my opinion they can't even spell centre correct Hey my tongue and check opinion only here

Do Americans understand what gaol is. Do they know that boot is something that is not always warn on the feet. How about tyre. Maybe it's the publishers that don't think Americans are smart enough to understand these words and many more. I don't know this for a fact. Remember this is my opinion only

Actually there are different publishing houses and editors in each country, so books have to be approved and changed to accomidate the culture(s). Also since the Harry Potter series, for example, was aimed at children and many don't know British words or slang it had to be made understandable. I'm sure there were other tanslations for other countries that lost some of the subtext with the slang, but that's what happens when media crosses over. Not everything will stay in tact but the point will get across.

 

[teardrop]

Wow, I've never realized how many people are here from the UK, Germany and Canada until now. That's quite a lot *hehe*. As I'm from Germany and currently living in the Scotland, I have to say that I'm feeling home now .

 

[carolina]

in Slovakia they translate almost everything. the funniest is when they translate and English title of a movie to English

Step Up - Lets dance
Bring it On - Bravo Girls

they usualy go for an exact translation but sometimes you wouldnt even guess what the hell you are watching given the name of the movie

 

[Gaelen]

Actually there are different publishing houses and editors in each country, so books have to be approved and changed to accomidate the culture(s). Also since the Harry Potter series, for example, was aimed at children and many don't know British words or slang it had to be made understandable. I'm sure there were other tanslations for other countries that lost some of the subtext with the slang, but that's what happens when media crosses over. Not everything will stay in tact but the point will get across.

That's very true. Each country has its own little quirks and there's quite a big difference between US and UK english. I've never read the American version of Harry Potter, but is the word "snog" in there? When I first heard that (I've never lived in the UK, so you can understand), I thought it was some kind of...snail or something :lol: Thank goodness for descriptions :guffaw:

 

[Dawni]

Snog is classic UK word... its like when I talk about getting drunk me and my mates use the phrase "w***ered" (don't know if i can post it here) and my friends who live in different parts of the UK are like what the hell are you on about.

Although my american friend says when she emails me she gets the urge to type Mum non Mom lol.

 

[Deirdre]

in Slovakia they translate almost everything. the funniest is when they translate and English title of a movie to English

Step Up - Lets dance
Bring it On - Bravo Girls

they usualy go for an exact translation but sometimes you wouldnt even guess what the hell you are watching given the name of the movie

:guffaw::guffaw::guffaw::guffaw::guffaw:
Even in Poland it's impossible to do... But they're very creative...(I guess)

The worst Polish translation from English ever:
Dirty Dancing - Wirujący seks (The Rotating Sex):guffaw::guffaw::guffaw:
Even if you hate the movie you know that this translation is the worst.

 

[Brinchen]

The worst Polish translation from English ever:
Dirty Dancing - Wirujący seks (The Rotating Sex):guffaw::guffaw::guffaw:
Even if you hate the movie you know that this translation is the worst.

:guffaw: OMG! I hate the movie, but here in Germany they at least didn't change its title. Yeah, it's indeed called 'Dirty Dancing' here. But this translation is really funny! Oh, I could talk about this topic for hours! :lol: It's so entertaining.

 

[Jacquie]

The worst Polish translation from English ever:
Dirty Dancing - Wirujący seks (The Rotating Sex):guffaw::guffaw::guffaw:
Even if you hate the movie you know that this translation is the worst.

Oh that is a good laugh. I guess I should be thankful that Canada doesn't try to change the title of movies. I know that foreign movies are shown here but as I don''t read subtitles and watch the movie to well I don't go see them. I do think that most of the foreign title movies do stay with their original title though. As we all can see there can be a lot lost in translating titles of books, movies, TV show and such.