In the second brush of "Green Book", forty subtitle problems were recorded, most of which were translation errors that did not take into account the context. The number of low-level errors makes me feel that the subtitle translation of this movie is not only limited, but also irresponsible. After returning home, I sorted out:
1) All mistranslations and omissions that affect the audience's understanding of the plot;
2) Some translation errors that do not affect the understanding of the plot, but lower the perception.
The English original text and Chinese subtitles below are based on memories. If there are any errors, please correct me.
The first is the mistranslation that affects the understanding of the plot:
1. Most hotdogs in an hour wins. With toppings. The second half sentence is translated as "to eat to the limit".
Revised translation: "Eat with the ingredients".
Comment: The scene is a hot dog competition, a dialogue that announces the rules of the game. Toppings refers to the ingredients for hot dogs, including the lettuce and sauces above, without the meaning of "limit".
2. He's killing you. Translated as "he will hate you" ("he" refers to Tony's son).
Retranslation: He is crushing you ("he" means Fat Poly).
Comment: It's still a hot dog game, and friends clenched their fists to cheer for Tony with vicious grievances. The above is: You are embarrassing. You're embarrassing your son. These two sentences are indeed saying to Tony, if you look at your son while watching, how can you not behave well and lose your son's face. But the kill in the last sentence obviously means defeat. There is no reason to think that Tony's son will be ashamed to kill his father, and there is no such usage in English. The He here refers not to your son in the previous sentence, but to fat Paulie who is playing against Tony.
3. I'm not a medical doctor. Translated as "I'm not a medical doctor".
Revised translation: I am not a doctor of medicine.
Comment: The scene is the first time Tony and Shirley meet. Shirley explains his identity to him. There is no problem in translating it as "doctor", but all the previous doctors have been translated as "doctor". The "doctor" appears inexplicably here, which makes people confused. If the medical doctor here is not translated as "Doctor of Medicine", it is better to translate the previous doctor as "Doctor". However, the latter mentioned he's like a doctor of piano-playing or something, which shows that everyone understands doctor as "doctor", so the translation here should correspond to "medical doctor" and be consistent.
4. You can be that? Translated as "Can you be that".
Revised translation: Is this still possible/ Is there such a degree?
Comment: Continue from above. Tony came home and explained to his wife that Shirley was a doctor of piano-playing or something. The wife asked: You can be that? The You here is of course not Tony, but generally refers to anyone who "can have a degree such as a doctor of piano." If it is translated as "can you", it becomes "can you (Tony) drive (drive for him)" according to the context".
5. Nah, I'm good. Translated as "can".
Revised translation: No need.
Comment: The scene is that Augie invites Tony to do his work (it is always a gangster's errand), and Tony politely refuses. I'm good is actually No, thank you, especially after Tony also added the sentence "I'm flushed right now" (I'm rich now), which is too ridiculous to translate it as "Yes," and the meaning is completely opposite.
6. He plays like Liberace, but better. The first half sentence is translated as "He plays like Liberace".
Retranslation: He plays like Libraz.
Comment: Liberace, Liberas (1919-1987) was a very well-known entertainer and pianist in the United States from the 1950s to the 1970s. It's a man. "Freedom" in Italian is Libertà, which has nothing to do with Liberace. This is a low-level mistake that the translator apparently made without even checking it.
7. You got a whole bottle. Translated as "你喝了整整一瓶".
Retranslation: There is obviously a whole bottle of wine in your room.
Comment: The scene is Tony rescued Sherry from the bar. Tony said angrily, "You could have drunk here. You got a whole bottle." Why don't you drink in the hotel, there is a whole bottle in the room. According to the context, Tony is accusing Shirley of disregarding personal safety, and it has nothing to do with him drinking more and less.
8. You know if I miss a show, it comes out of your pocket book.
Retranslation: If I miss the show, you will be deducted from your salary.
Comment: This is a conversation after Tony bribed the police to fish out Shelly. Pocket book is purse, wallet or purse. comes out of your pocket book, which means that Tony is going to lose money. "Small book"... Is it Tony's diary? May I ask?
9. It's all I ever wanted to play. It's all I ever wanted to play.
Retranslation: This is what I have always wanted to play.
Comment: The scene is Shirley saying that he used to play Liszt and Chopin, and those are his favorites. "Once" in the translation is superfluous, because Shirley believes that what she has always loved is classical music, and does not want to "downgrade" to pop music.
10. And where are you? In here, with me, who did nothing.
Retranslation: Stay here, stay with me, and I haven't committed anything.
Comment: Sherry said to Tony in a loud voice in prison that dignity is a man's killer; because Tony was angry, Sherry was also put in prison, and he was simply blowing up his hair. Here who refers to Shirley, and it doesn't even need to be inferred from context. The subtitles here make a very low-level grammatical error.
11. I wouldn't touch that mattress Doc. Translated as "Doctor I won't do this in the future."
Retranslation: If you want me, I won't touch that mattress, doctor.
Comment: It's still a prison drama. Shirley finished speaking a lot of words, and put his hands on the mattress in the prison cubicle. Tony said this. Mattress is a mattress, I don’t know what the subtitles are turning over. As for why it's best not to touch the prison mattress... I won't explain it.
12. I'll stop by the next place we see and I'll sneak you into my room.
Retranslation: I sneaked you into my room.
Comment: After the key scene broke out in the rain, the two continued to walk the night in the rain. Shirley said he was tired and needed to sleep. Tony replied, then stop at any hotel you see next. If it's not a hotel where blacks can live, I will sneak you in. Shirley replied, "No. I refuse to stay in an establishment where I'm not welcome" (No, if a place doesn't welcome me, I don't want to live in it). If this translation does not translate sneak you into my room (sneak you into my room), Shirley’s answer will be incomprehensible.
13. Let's keep the car right here on our guest of honor spot.
Retranslation: Just park your car here, our VIP parking area.
Comment: At the last stop, Shirley received a gracious reception at the beginning. Shirley's car stopped at the gate, and the butler said that there was no need to move it, and it would stop here. In the original sentence, "right here" refers to the doorway, and does not mean "stop over there" at all.
14. Bottom of the ninth. Translated as "the ninth to last show".
Revised translation: The last round/last juncture.
Comment: Please let me laugh nine times first, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha... ha (the last one is an echo).
The scene of this line is that on the last day of the tour, the restaurant refused Sherry to eat. Tony persuaded Sherry at first, "It's the last show. Bottom of the ninth. Let's just get it over with." Now, let's pull it down after we finish it). Bottom of the ninth was originally a sports term, referring to the second half of the ninth inning, that is, the last half of the regular time of a baseball game, and it is the last chance to save the situation. Therefore, this phrase can mean "last moment/last chance". Although the meaning of this phrase is very unpopular, the meaning that can be found by simply looking up a dictionary has just become a machine translation of Chinese. Translation: Let me force Shirley to add eight more shows! Shirley: ...Fuck you.
15. That's how you break a key. Translated as "This is your way to pass the time".
Retranslation: This is a performance that breaks all the keys.
Comment: The scene is Shirley and Tony happily coming out of the bar. key should refer to piano keys here, but it may also refer to music. I really want to hear your thoughts. How do you think this sentence is best translated? But in any case, it has nothing to do with "killing the time".
The second is the missing translation that affects the understanding of the plot:
1. Shirley told Tony for the first time that he only played Steinway pianos. Tony didn't know what brand it was. He wrote "Stain way" casually on the map, but the meaning was very profound. It was "stained road", which was in contrast to the theme of the whole movie. It is a pity that such details are not translated.
2. None of Tony's swear words have been translated. Of course I can understand the reason for not translating swear words, but even if you don’t literally translate ass, asshole, shit, balls, you still need to distinguish Tony’s speaking style from Shirley, so that the audience can understand that his speech is rough, and don’t face him. The dialogue between self-cultivation and wording is not at all foreshadowing.
3. In a chat, Shirley talked about his love for classical music. Tony said that anyone can play Beethoven and Chopin well, but Shirley's performance is straightforward. His original words are: Anyone can sound like Beethoven or Joe Pan or them other guys you said. Here is a cute little detail: Tony doesn’t know who Chopin is, and he said Chopin (Chopin) is Joe Pan (乔· Pan), but the subtitles are not translated.
There are too many omissions in other translations, some are unnecessary provincial translations, and some are wrong translations, but they do not affect the plot understanding, and they are not so horrible. Here are just some examples:
Fighting scene: Go home with your friends. Translated as "take friends home". The accurate translation is "go home with your friends".
Application scenario: Fill it out while you wait. Translated as "fill out this form". The accurate translation is "While you wait, fill out this form."
Driving scene: I am not worried about it and neither should you. Translated as "You don't need to worry about what". The accurate translation is "I am not worried, and you have nothing to worry about".
Explain the Green Book scene: If you're black and you gotta travel for some reason. The accurate translation is "If you are black, and you need to travel for some reason."
Suit shop scene: What, you gotta wear a tuxedo on stage every night? Translated as "Do you wear the same dress on stage every night". The accurate translation is "What, do you plan to wear an evening dress every day on stage?"
Writing scene: Dear Dolores... This morning I had steak and eggs. For breakfast. Translated as "I had steak and eggs this morning." An accurate translation should also translate "For breakfast" separately, "It's my breakfast".
Bar fight scene: I didn't want to leave him, but I didn't know what to do! Translated as "I can only come to you". The accurate translation is "I don't want to leave him alone, but I don't know what to do."
The members of the trio explained the scene of Shirley's original intention to Tony: They pulled him off stage, beat him badly. The second half sentence is translated as "beat him". The accurate translation is "beat him up severely".
On the way home, Shirley asked Tony for the lucky stone scene: I feel safer already. Translated as "I feel better". The accurate translation is "I feel much safer".
One thing I like about the "Green Book" is that everything about the film is very particular. The rhythm, music, and mood are all just right, and all the details must exist. I feel sorry that the translation of such a film is so rough and irresponsible.
In the end, the wish is actually very simple-I hope that the translation industry will have a higher salary, so that better people can do the translation and can also support the family.
View more about Green Book reviews
