Off topic: Movie Titles Lost in Translation
Thread poster: sokolniki
sokolniki
sokolniki  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 05:14
English to Russian
+ ...
Jul 31, 2010

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/collections/gallery/2789/film-titles-lost-in-translation#photo0

 
Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)
Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 11:14
English to Polish
+ ...
well Aug 1, 2010

It often makes more sense for the local distributor to come up with a different title than to try in vain to translate the original one in a way that makes sense and sounds like a title would sound.

 
well, well... Aug 1, 2010

I agree with you Krzysztof Kajetanowicz, however, the problem is when they (local distributors) exagerate in terms of using common expressions for movie titles. Here is a list of a number of examples (Brazilian Portuguese) where you see a tiresome repetition of expressions;

For comedy movies, you are likely to see titles with "pra cachorro", "do barulho", "da pesada", and for action, "Fatal", "Mortal".

"DO BARULHO""DO BARULHO"
3 PEQUENAS DO BARULHO
A FAMÍLIA DO BARULHO
ACAMPAMENTO DO BARULHO
CAÇULA DO BARULHO
DOIS LUTADORES DO BARULHO
DOIS MISSIONÁRIOS DO BARULHO
FÉRIAS DO BARULHO
GÊNIO DO BARULHO
GOTCHA - UMA ARMA DO BARULHO
INQUILINOS DO BARULHO
LOUCADEMIA DO BARULHO
MENINAS DO BARULHO
MUDANÇA DO BARULHO
OS SALVA-VIDAS DO BARULHO
QUATRO GAROTAS DO BARULHO
SR. E SRA. SMITH, UM CASAL DO BARULHO (1941)
TRÊS NINJAS DO BARULHO
TRIO DO BARULHO
UM ELENCO DO BARULHO
UM FUGITIVO DO BARULHO
UM HÓSPEDE DO BARULHO
UM HOTEL DO BARULHO
UM RITUAL DO BARULHO
UM SALÃO DO BARULHO
UMA DUPLA DO BARULHO
UMA FAZENDA DO BARULHO
UMA TURMA DO BARULHO
VIZINHANÇA DO BARULHO

"MUITO LOUCO"
AZYLLO MUITO LOUCO
ED, UM MACACO MUITO LOUCO
ESTE RIO MUITO LOUCO
O ESPERMA MUITO LOUCO (Não é pornô!)
TRÂNSITO MUITO LOUCO
UM ACAMPAMENTO MUITO LOUCO
UM ASSALTO MUITO LOUCO
UM DIA MUITO LOUCO
UM FUNERAL MUITO LOUCO
UM GOLPE MUITO LOUCO
UM HOTEL MUITO LOUCO
UM JUIZ MUITO LOUCO
UM JURADO MUITO LOUCO
UM KICKBOXER MUITO LOUCO
UM MORTO MUITO LOUCO
UM MORTO MUITO LOUCO 2
UM NATAL MUITO LOUCO
UM PATO MUITO LOUCO
UM RALLY MUITO LOUCO
UM SURFISTA MUITO LOUCO
UM TIME MUITO LOUCO
UM VÔO MUITO LOUCO
VERÃO MUITO LOUCO

"DA PESADA"
UM TIRA DA PESADA (I, II e III)
UM NNJA DA PESADA
UM TERRORISTA DA PESADA
SPOT, UM CÃO DA PESADA
UMA FAMÍLIA DA PESADA
UMA TACADA DA PESADA
UMA HERANÇA DA PESADA
KATIE, UMA GAROTA DA PESADA
DOIS ANJOS DA PESADA
DOIS RECRUTAS DA PESADA
DOIS TIRAS DA PESADA
TRÊS TRAPALHÕES DA PESADA
CHURRASCO DA PESADA
TURMA DA DA PESADA
GALERA DA PESADA
GANG DA PESADA
RECRUTAS DA PESADA
MANOBRISTAS DA PESADA
GÊMEOS DA PESADA
FÉRIAS Pato Duck E Seu Amigo Da Pesada
PATO DUCK E SEU AMIGO DA PESADA

"PRA CACHORRO"
AMOR PRA CACHORRO
BINGO - ESPERTO PRA CACHORRO
BOLT, O AGENTE BOM PRA CACHORRO
CORRENDO PRA CACHORRO
DIDIER - HOMEM PRA CACHORRO
DOGÃO - AMIGO PRA CACHORRO
ERRADO PRA CACHORRO
FALANDO PRA CACHORRO
FAMOSO PRA CACHORRO
K-9 UM POLICIAL PRA CACHORRO
LOUCOS PRA CACHORRO
MEG - UMA AMIGA PRA CACHORRO
NEVE PRA CACHORRO
PERDIDO PRA CACHORRO
PROBLEMAS PRA CACHORRO
TREINANDO PRA CACHORRO
UM HOTEL BOM PRA CACHORRO
UM NATAL BOM PRA CACHORRO

"FATAL"
ATRAÇÃO FATAL
DISTRAÇÃO FATAL
PREMONIÇÃO FATAL
MERGULHO FATAL
DESEJO FATAL
ENCONTRO FATAL
ENGANO FATAL
CARÍCIA FATAL
LÂMINA FATAL
FÓRMULA FATAL
BELEZA FATAL
TESTEMUNHA FATAL
TENTAÇÃO FATAL
SEDUÇÃO FATAL
CONTATO FATAL
DISTÚRBIO FATAL
IMPULSO FATAL
OBSESSÃO FATAL
MELODIA FATAL
AEROPORTO - vÔO FATAL
REENCONTRO FATAL
DUPLA FATAL
SEDUTORA E FATAL

"MORTAL"
A CAÇADA MORTAL
A PISCINA MORTAL
ABELHAS - ATAQUE MORTAL
ALVO MORTAL
ARANHA MORTAL
ARMADILHA MORTAL
ASSÉDIO MORTAL
ATRAÇÃO MORTAL
BOLEIA MORTAL (!)
CÁLCULO MORTAL
COMBATE MORTAL
COMPROMISSO MORTAL
CONFLITO MORTAL
CONTATO MORTAL
CÓPIA MORTAL
CORRIDA MORTAL
DESAFIO MORTAL
DESCIDA MORTAL
DESEJO MORTAL
DESPEDIDA MORTAL
DIÁRIO MORTAL
ECLIPSE MORTAL
ENIGMA MORTAL
ESCURIDÃO MORTAL
ESPÉCIE MORTAL
FÚRIA MORTAL
INTRIGA MORTAL
JOGO MORTAL
JOGOS DE GUERRA - O CÓDIGO MORTAL
LINHA MORTAL
MÁQUINA MORTAL
NEVE MORTAL
OS DOZE CONDENADOS - MISSÃO MORTAL
PERIGO MORTAL
PERSEGUIÇÃO MORTAL
PESADELO MORTAL
PICADA MORTAL
RÁPIDA E MORTAL
RETORNO MORTAL
ROTA MORTAL
SEDUÇÃO MORTAL
SEGREDO MORTAL
SILÊNCIO MORTAL
SÍNDROME MORTAL
SONO MORTAL
TEORIA MORTAL
TRAMA MORTAL
TRIÂNGULO MORTAL
UMA EXPERIÊNCIA MORTAL
ZONA MORTAL


[Edited at 2010-08-01 19:12 GMT]
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Paul Dixon
Paul Dixon  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 07:14
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Further to Raphael's comment Aug 2, 2010

Yes, this is a big problem in Brazil, the fact that the titles in Portuguese usually have nothing to do with the originals. I think there should be a law passed that the original title shall be shown alongside the adapted title, using the same size print.

Had never thought of the repetition of "Mortal", "do barulho" and the like, probably because I do not see too many films.

I think another solution would be for the title in Portuguese to be a direct translation of the
... See more
Yes, this is a big problem in Brazil, the fact that the titles in Portuguese usually have nothing to do with the originals. I think there should be a law passed that the original title shall be shown alongside the adapted title, using the same size print.

Had never thought of the repetition of "Mortal", "do barulho" and the like, probably because I do not see too many films.

I think another solution would be for the title in Portuguese to be a direct translation of the original - after all this is done for some films (example: "A Ponte do Rio Kwai" for "The Bridge over the River Kwai") so why not all the time?
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Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)
Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 11:14
English to Polish
+ ...
ha Aug 2, 2010

Paul Dixon wrote:

I think another solution would be for the title in Portuguese to be a direct translation of the original - after all this is done for some films (example: "A Ponte do Rio Kwai" for "The Bridge over the River Kwai") so why not all the time?


Will it work all the time? Try a few idiomatic titles. Such as Lost in Translation. Will it sound right in Portuguese, as a movie title? The Polish distributor used Między słowami, which literally means Between the Words and, despite not really being a translation, beautifully conveyed the meaning of the original title.

Try Dirty Dancing...

Btw, the Polish distributor of the recent film Inception tried so hard to be true to the original that they went with Incepcja, which is not even a word in Polish, and if it was a word, nobody would know it. Can you believe that?


 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 18:14
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
The Shawshank Redemption Feb 20, 2021

Japan - Under a Shawshank Sky
Mainland China - Shawshank's Redemption
Hong Kong - Flying Away on a Dark Night
Taiwan - Excitement 1995

[Edited at 2021-02-20 03:50 GMT]


 
Andy Watkinson
Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 11:14
Member
Catalan to English
+ ...
Do you need help? Feb 20, 2021

Lincoln Hui wrote:

Japan - Under a Shawshank Sky
Mainland China - Shawshank's Redemption
Hong Kong - Flying Away on a Dark Night
Taiwan - Excitement 1995

[Edited at 2021-02-20 03:50 GMT]


If you have a point. Please make it.

Anything that falls short of that makes you look like a complete......


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 11:14
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Lincoln Feb 20, 2021

Lincoln Hui wrote:
Japan - Under a Shawshank Sky
Mainland China - Shawshank's Redemption
Hong Kong - Flying Away on a Dark Night
Taiwan - Excitement 1995


Sometimes one can use the language versions of Wikipedia to get the local titles, and then use Google Translate to back-translate them, although one has to use the online version of Google Translate so that one can select alternative translations, because Google Translate is too clever: it recognises the name as a movie title and then translates it back into the original English movie title.

I got interesting hits with Hindi (The Sushaink Redemption, obviously the name got transliterated) and French (The Escapees) and German (The Condemned).

Of course, these are Google Translations, so not all of them may be accurate.

It's also nice if a film was based on a book. The Shawshank Redemption was based on the book "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption", and that book has a number of interwiki articles as well, e.g. Arabic (Rita Hayworth and the salvation of Chocank), Korean (Rita Hayward and Shawshank Escape), Russian (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Rescue), and Chinese (Rita Hayworth and the Salvation of Xiaoshanke Prison). Google Translate says the Japanese is "Prison Rita Hayworth" but I'm not too confident about that one.

Andy Watkinson wrote:
If you have a point. Please make it.


This particular post by Lincoln was on-topic and contributed useful information to the discussion. Don't lynch the wrong yell'er.

[Edited at 2021-02-20 10:22 GMT]


 


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Movie Titles Lost in Translation






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