So much in love with movies


Mar 19

“Into the Steroid Field”: Attack of the Bad Subtitles

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In much of the world, American films make up a solid majority of those shown on screen, but English is far from the most commonly spoken language. This means big business for translators and subtitle writers. Unfortunately, more and more, it appears that the service is being done on the cheap, according to the London Times:Vader Smaller

Films are being lost in translation because subtitling is increasingly being done in countries such as India and Malaysia to cut costs. British subtitlers say that the original dialogue in some films is being distorted so badly by bad translations that they do not make sense.

Some examples of mangled translations:

  • “We have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment.” was translated as “We hold the highest standards for sexual harassment.” (My Super Ex-Girlfriend)
  • Biologist and TV host Sir David Attenborough referred to as “Sherlock Holmes.” (The Princess Diaries 2)
  • “It was a ball to shoot.” became “It was like filming a dance scene.” (Seabiscuit)
  • “Jim is a Vietnam vet” translated as “Jim is veterinarian from Vietnam.”
  • “Flying into an asteroid field” translated as “flying into a steroid field.”
  • “She died in a freak rugby accident” translated as “She died in a rugby match for people with deformities.” (Television broadcast)

Of course, movie titles have long suffered from this problem. See if you can guess the original titles of the following:

  • Fateful Courtship (Fatal Attraction)
  • Captain Supermarket (Army of Darkness)
  • Deadly Assignment (The Terminator) – Sounds like a Cinemax movie…
  • Dangerous Sex (Species)
  • Handsome & Damned (My Own Private Idaho)
  • Mr. Cat Poop (As Good as It Gets)
  • If You Left Me, I Would Erase You (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Did I miss any?

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3 Responses to ““Into the Steroid Field”: Attack of the Bad Subtitles”

  1.  aaron Says:

    The other day I was watching the Japanese film, Audition, and I noticed some awkward English grammar in the subtitles that didn’t look like correct traslations. It was mostly improper verb usuage, but it may also be attributed to cheap labor.

  2.  Eoin Says:

    I should note that the reverse also happens. I remember watching a Chinese DVD of Hero, and finding the subtitles indicating a very layered script. When I went to see the proper cinema version I found those subtleties were completely removed, ensuring there were less subtitles so us illiterate Westerners could focus on the colours. That’s probably a decision made by the distributors as opposed to cheap labour, though.

  3.  Peter Nellhaus Says:

    For the Thai trailer for Mr. Bean’s Holiday, a gag where Bean is responds to a compiment on his ability to speak French is lost without translation. In the film he says, “Gracias” (Thank you), while the English subtitle reads, “I do what I can”.

    Thai films shown theatrically have a few mistakes, but it’s usually in the DVDs that you encounter subtitles written by people with seemingly little familiarity with the English language or syntax.

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