Ccaps Blog

The translator always has to keep his/her eyes wide open and maintain a sharp sixth sense. In the case of subtitles, where translation errors are right there for the entire audience to see, the situation is even more delicate.

One of these errors, which has become quite famous, appeared on the successful movie “What Women Really Want.” Mel Gibson’s character watches a basketball game on TV and, when the player is about to shoot the ball, he says: “Miss, miss, miss!” The translation? “Senhorita, senhorita, senhorita”! (or “Lady, lady, lady!”).

We, the devout spectators, start to look for the invisible lady! Obviously, the translation should have been something like: “Erra, erra, erra!” or “Perde, perde, perde!”

For the more understanding of us, perhaps this was not even a good example of a faulty “doubter meter”. It could enter into the category of “lack of context”, another dilemma we face in the translation business. It is very hard to define a translation with no context, without knowing to what it refers or where it will be used. In this case, it is not fair to the translator! Unfortunately, this is never the attitude adopted by the public or the critics.

For them, it’s always the translator’s fault! Or the reviewer’s… But this is discussion for yet another post.

Nevertheless, the lack of context or a “doubter meter” also has its positive side: The mistakes are funny! For a good laugh then, click here (sorry, only in English).

What about you? Do any of you have any other example?

Natália Botelho

To learn more about Natália, please visit her previous post.

Posted in 08/27/2008 at 3.43 pm.
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