I’ve definitely seen movies where common Spanish words or phrases that an anglophone audience would be expected to understand are transcribed as simply “[speaking Spanish]”
e.g. “that hombre is loco” becomes “that [speaking Spanish] is [speaking Spanish]”
Second this! I very often encounter phrases in foreign languages I understand when I turn up the volume, but the subtitles person has been too lazy to write out or translate.
I really wish the subtitles said [ intentionally not translated]. I never know if the subtitles are just broken, if I’m actually using half-assed closed captioning, or if it’s the director’s intent.
I don’t see how representing foreign dialogue with foreign text subverts the author’s intent. sure, they may not intend for their general audience to understand, but they still won’t. and they must have known, and maybe even intended, that a certain part of the audience would understand, and if the foreign text were shown, they could
The audience is not supposed to know what’s being said.
Well, translating from languages that are more relaxed regarding swear words might have an impact on the PG rating in the US, so you might be right, but for the wrong reasons :-)
The audience is not supposed to know what’s being said.
I’ve definitely seen movies where common Spanish words or phrases that an anglophone audience would be expected to understand are transcribed as simply “[speaking Spanish]”
e.g. “that hombre is loco” becomes “that [speaking Spanish] is [speaking Spanish]”
Second this! I very often encounter phrases in foreign languages I understand when I turn up the volume, but the subtitles person has been too lazy to write out or translate.
I really wish the subtitles said [ intentionally not translated]. I never know if the subtitles are just broken, if I’m actually using half-assed closed captioning, or if it’s the director’s intent.
Then it shouldn’t be said.
Least they could do is to add the Japanese words to the subtitles for those who can understand Japanese but are hard of hearing.
That is done for other types of subtitle track, but for the main or forced subtitles, the intent of the programme maker is paramount.
I don’t see how representing foreign dialogue with foreign text subverts the author’s intent. sure, they may not intend for their general audience to understand, but they still won’t. and they must have known, and maybe even intended, that a certain part of the audience would understand, and if the foreign text were shown, they could
The audience better not speak Japanese.
Well, translating from languages that are more relaxed regarding swear words might have an impact on the PG rating in the US, so you might be right, but for the wrong reasons :-)