# Movies translated from English to other languages
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 30, 2015, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755 "2015-12-30T19:43:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)
#### Post date: [December 31, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755/22 "2015-12-31T12:41:46Z")
Here’s [a NYT video](http://www.nytimes.com/video/movies/100000003078356/dubbing-007.html) and [article](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/movies/dietmar-wunder-the-german-speaking-voice-of-james-bond.html?_r=0) that gives an idea of how much effort goes into good dubbing.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [December 31, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755/23 "2015-12-31T16:29:29Z")
The vast majority of movies shown here in Panama are in English. Because of the difficulties and expense of dubbing, nearly all of them are subtitled in Spanish. The main exceptions are blockbusters (and even then usually both dubbed and subtitled versions are shown, since many people here speak English as a first or second language) and movies for kids, who may not read rapidly enough.
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [December 31, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755/24 "2015-12-31T18:11:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> On the other hand, you _could_ teach Morgan Freeman Spanish, and then have him dub his own lines. You might even be able to get away with teaching him just enough Spanish to phonetically read a script translated by professional translators, without actually knowing enough to be able to go off-script.
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#):
>
> ^ It worked for Bela Lugosi in “Dracula.”
> [@aldiboronti](#):
>
> Not really. In the 1931 Spanish-language Dracula filmed by Universal at the same time as the English-language version Dracula was played by Carlos Villarias, not Lugosi.
Yes, really. Lugosi’s dialog was written out phonetically from Hungarian (or whatever he was speaking) into equivalent English, which gave his speech a slightly bizarre cadence that audiences ate up.
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755/25 "2016-01-01T00:48:54Z")
> [@Heracles](#):
>
> From what I understand of the (English-to-French) process, the lip movements are not changed to match the spoken text. Rather, the translated text is chosen so that the syllables kind of match the (English) lip movements. The voice actors in the studio have visual cues telling them exactly when to utter the words so it looks/sounds good.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that how \*\*\*all \*\*\*movie foreign language dubbing has always been done? Granted some are a lot better than others. Japanese kaiju films (Godzilla etc.) were aimed at kids in America so they didn’t really care how bad it looked (plus Asian languages aren’t remotely similar to English so it’s extra difficult to begin with). But haven’t they always modified the words to better fit the lip movement where necessary while trying to keep the gist of the script?
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### Author:  [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755/26 "2016-01-01T01:46:42Z")
My understanding is that the translated words and movement of the lips of the person reading the script are transposed onto the original. Its high tech, 21st century stuff.
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755/27 "2016-01-01T02:04:11Z")
> [@Mops](#):
>
> Here’s [a NYT video](http://www.nytimes.com/video/movies/100000003078356/dubbing-007.html) and [article](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/movies/dietmar-wunder-the-german-speaking-voice-of-james-bond.html?_r=0) that gives an idea of how much effort goes into good dubbing.
I re-iterate, nothing in these videos mentions anything about any kind of ‘high-tech’ visual or audio computer manipulations. It’s done the way it’s always been done, a voice actor in a sound booth watching (and previously listening to) the original film and matching it as best they can.
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### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-translated-from-english-to-other-languages/741755/28 "2016-01-01T13:44:00Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#):
>
> My understanding is that the translated words and movement of the lips of the person reading the script are transposed onto the original. Its high tech, 21st century stuff.
Are you taking about animated or regular films? Do you have a cite for that?
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