VII Международный конкурс научно-исследовательских и творческих работ учащихся
Старт в науке
Difficulties of translation in cinema
Автор работы награжден дипломом победителя III степени
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Introduction
In recent years, the domestic cultural market has been prosperous and more and more popular English films have come from European countries and America. Most of those films have been nominated or even been received several honors at many international film awards. The characteristics of English film title are very extraordinary because they are refined and attractive and have capability to generalize the whole content of films to the audience. So this paper will try to analyze the characteristics of English film titles. Film is an art form, which has artistic quality and commercial quality. The English film title translation can influence audience's interest to the film and promote the films’ artistic and aesthetic value. Nowadays, English film title translation has some problems. So, translators should find an effective way to solve those problems and discuss this issue. Language is a unique signal system and the important thing of language system is semanteme which reflects the function of language. Also, English film title is a proper structure, whose feature is the high degree of summarize to the film’s theme or content and to arose audience’s desire to watch the film. As we know, the nomination of English film title has both expression and description function. Language has almost six functions, namely, emotive, informative, imperative, aesthetic, phatic and metalinguistic function. Good translations should reflect four functions as mentioned above.
The main purpose of this research is to show difficult and mistakes in translations.
Main difficult occurs in title translation foreign films and movies, synchronizations video and translated audio, domestic principals and right adaptation. Knowledge of foreign languages is very important for people. People without right translation may lose main ideas.
Part I. Theory
Every day millions of people from different countries spend evening in accompany of films. However, what can alienate person from watching this or that work in the film industry?
As we know main filmmakers are the United States now. There is the most famous directors, writers, screenwriters and actors work. The USA is leading in the box office. Most of people go to American movies. But what is the problem in translation? There are four functions in translation.
First function is the translation of the headlines. The title is very important. Headlines is the first thing which potential watcher looks at. It is very difficult to make the translation literal and memorable at the same time. Moreover, many translators have problems with this difficult task. For example, the drama 'Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind' (2004) starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Italy was translated as ‘If You Leave Me, I Delete You’. This immediately reveals the essence of the whole film. Although the name should be mysterious and incomprehensible like the film itself. Or the famous ‘Leon: The Professional’ was named like ‘This Hit Man Is Not as Cold as He Thought’ in China. Which movie everyone watch on Christmas Eve and New Year? ‘Home Alone’ was named like ‘Mom, I Missed the Plane’ in France. And ‘The Matrix’ has turned it into ‘The Young People Who Traverse Dimensions While Wearing Sunglasses’.
The second function is stackers. People who works with movie’s audio. They ‘put words into characters’ mouths’. The right translation often suffers because of that. Unfortunately, without stackers watching movie will be difficult to us. Because when you see a character who say one thing and you hear another is quite problematic both technically and aesthetically.
But still someone has to suffer, right? These are sitcoms and comedy series. Agree that is quite difficult to convey the essence of the joke while hitting the lips, is not it? For example, in ‘The BigBan Theory’ jokes are really complex. And you may do not understand it in native language.
The third function is domestic principals. Each nation has own jokes and mentality. Something can be funny for one, but not for other. However, translators cannot remove or rephrase the joke. But sometimes it happens.
A four function is adaptation. Translators need to adapt the words to the realities of the each country. So we could understand the phrase. For example, film ‘Brothers’.
Main character says that he opened a bank account in this movie. Then he wanted to joke.
Original: ‘I can’t wait to start bouncing checks’
Correct translation: «Не могу дождаться, когда буду выписывать чеки, которые люди не смогут обналичить».
Incorrect translation: «Не могу дождаться, когда я буду платить по счётам. »
We do not use checks in Russia. So translators changed it into "to pay taxes/bills."
Summary of part I.
We can understand why translation can be unreliable. There are many ways to translate the word correctly: dictionaries, translators on the Internet. You can ask a native speaker. Just do not be lazy and check.
Part II. Practice
Also the meaning of the work and the characters can suffer by wrong translation too. Let is check it.
For example, the movie ‘Heat’. (1995)
There are main character discusses a breakup with his girlfriend.
Chris: Sharlin is gonna leave me.
Nil: Why?
Chris: Not enough steaks in the freezer.
Nil: You got something else on the side?*
Chris: Nothing regular.
Nil: She got something else on the side?
Chris: No.
Nil: You’re sure?
Chris: Yeah, I’m sure.
*You/She got something else on the side? – Иметь кого-то на стороне.
The translators of «1 Channel» translated it this way:
Nil: У тебя есть другие заработки есть?
Chris: Постоянных нет.
Nil: Значит какие-то всё же есть?
Chris: Нет.
Nil: Ты уверен?
Chris: Да, я уверен.
The translators thought the question concerns earnings. But it is not.
The translators of «REN-TV» translated almost correctly, but did not ask about Sharlin. But let is look further.
Nil: Remember Jimmy MacAwain on the yard used to say:
‘You wanna be making moves on the street have no attachments. Allow nothing to be in your life that cannot walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you spot the heat* around the corner.
*Heat – Жара. Но тут можно перевести по-разному.
The translators of «1 Channel»:
Nil: Помнишь, как говорил Джимми МакЭвейн: «Хочешь быть уличным гангстером, ни к кому не привязывайся. Ты должен уметь за 30 отказаться от всего, если запахло жареным.»
Thetranslationiscorrect.
And now «REN-TV»:
Nil: Джимми МакЭвейн говорил: «Хочешь сходить на сторону, не допускай ничего серьезного. Ничто в твоей жизни не должно помешать тебе отойти за 30 секунд, если ты почувствуешь, чем пахнет.»
The translation is wrong. Interpreters connect it with the relations. The characters discussed the criminal case.
Let check kind movie ‘Inside Out’.
Joy: Which way? Left?
Sadness: Right*
*Right – Здесь: Верно. Но так же переводится как «Право».
*Joy turns right*
Sadness: No, I mean go left. I said left was right like correct.
And for example movie ‘Ralph breaks the Internet’. Characters saw a new ‘game’ Wi-Fi.
Penolope: Oh, fine!
P: Oh, no. It is not. There is say Wi-Fi, but it should say it is Die-Wi.
Russian translators created this way.
Penolope: У, классно!
P: О, нет. Вовсе не классно. Лично я, вместо этого Wi-Fi написал бы тут «Ай-ай-яй».
Translators tried to keep the meaning and even rhyme. Great translation!
Summary of part II.
There are many examples of wrong translation. We saw the smallest part. Nevertheless, it is enough to understand the scale and relevance of the problem. Of course, there are only untranslatable things. We need to try to translate correctly or try to change the words, but do not lose meaning.
Conclusion
Knowledge of a foreign language is very important in our time. We can see English everywhere. It is studied at school, it is needed at work and in travel. Life could be simpler with this knowledge. Therefore, I urge everyone to learn foreign languages.
In addition, as a nice plus you can listen your favorite music, read books and watch movies not through the prism of translation. You can see the original.
Movies were revived
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Leon: The Professional (1994)
Home Alone (1990)
The Matrix (1990)
The Big Ban Theory (since 2007)
Brothers (2009)
Heat (1995)
Inside Out (2015)
Ralph breaks the Internet (2018)
List of references.
Alexander,L.G. (2002). New Concept English. Peking: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
Bassnett, Susan. (1998). Translation Studies (Revised Edition). Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
Chen, T.Y. (1989). Translation Techniques from English to Chinese. Peking: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
Deng, Y.C. (1992). Language and Culture. Peking: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
Fan, J.C. (1992). The Appreciation of English Rhetoric. Shanghai: Shanghai Jiaotong University Press.
Feng, C.H. (1998). Practical Translation Course. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.