Why is it that when translating the title of a film or book
from one language to another, the title is often radically
changed? For instance, “The Hobbit” becomes “Der kleine Hobbit” (“The Little Hobbit”) in German. Why can’t it
just be “Der Hobbit”? And my local museum had a German film festival a few years ago and translated the German title “Vormittagsspuke” (“Late morning ghosts”) into “Ghosts Before Breakfast”!–a completely wrongheaded translation. And probably better known than either of those
is “La Cage Aux Folles” (Birds of a Feather). I’m not
sure of what the original title means, but it certainly isn’t Birds of a Feather!
I read something interesting about this once (in “Gödel, Escher, Bach” by Douglas Hofstadter, IIRC). He used the example of “All the President’s Men”.
The first problem is the word “president”. What if you’re translating the title to a country where the head of government is the Prime Minister? Even if they have a president, his office may not be viewed quite the same way we Americans view ours.
But slightly trickier is the nursery rhyme reference. That title is a pretty direct riff on “all the King’s men” in “Humpty Dumpty”, with connotations of powerlessness in the face of catastrophe. Maybe the best way to translate it is to find the appropriate passage in that country’s version of “Humpty Dumpty”.
I was thinking about this same thing when I was in Germany a few months ago. A few theaters were showing “Any Given Sunday”. I don’t remember what they called it, but from what little German I know it looked like a pretty direct translation. But that title comes from a cliché that’s specific to American football. I don’t know if anyone there got the reference.
Also, I know La Cage aux Folles was called The Birdcage for the American version, but that’s not what it means. The French title is more equal to “The Loony Bin.” I guess that wasn’t a sellable title for the U.S.
I believe the translations are skewed because there is actually no literal translation into the other language. Der Kleine Hobbit may mean “The little hobbit”, but maybe “hobbit” in german means something slightly different from our understanding of the word hobbit, necessitating the addition of “little”. Reminds me of the Pepsi campaign ad “Pepsi makes your past come alive” or something to that effect…in Japanese, it translated to “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”. It all has to do with languages. If you said “I will eat” in spanish, it would be “Yo comeré”. The english is three words, the Spanish is two. Why? It’s because the “will” from the English version is included in the conjugation of the verb in Spanish. Maybe I’m talking out of my ass, but I think I’m on the right track…
Just recently, while perusing my DVD of Phantasm, I came across the ads and lobby cards from the movie’s Australian release, advertising the movie as The Never Dead. I’m mighty cornfoozed as to why such a sweeping name change was necessary in a country with which we share a common language.
Besides the problem of translating, there is also copyright law in various nations to consider. If there is already a movie titled “Der Hobbit”, you may want to change your title to stay clear, or at least avoid confusion.
Also, even in countries with a “common language”, meanings and nuance vary. [extreme example]Translating “200 Cigarettes” into British English may very well give us “200 Fags”, which isn’t probably what is intended.[/extreme example]
You’ve heard of a reality check? Well take a fantasy check, Lord Davidson. There is no such word as “hobbit”, it was made up by J.R.R. Tolkien. English-speaking readers had to learn what a hobbit was without any help from adjectives in the title, so why couldn’t German?
The most interesting ones are those that involve a culturatl reference, or a believed connotation that whoever releases it feels like trying to change. Somebody somewhere felt that Germans wouldn’t see “Hobbit” as dimunutive, or that Australians felt differently about the word “Phantasm” than Americans. Maybe Phantasm was some other movie already, or has some association that would be laughable for Australians (a brand of something or other, maybe?).
That doesn’t mean I think whoever’s deciding the culture of the languages and countries is doing a wonderful job.
One of my favorite films is a Japanese film by Shunji Iwai. It was shown in Montreal (I think) as either “Love Letter” or “Letters of Love”. A few months later it was going by the title “When I Close My Eyes”. I saw it under this title, but noticed that the print said on it, apparently right next to the Japanese title, “Love Letter”. Upon seeing the film, I found the title “When I Close My Eyes” references a much less important theme of the film than does “Love Letter”.
And a rather amusing one, told me by a professor who’d lived in Germany. He once passed by a movie place where “The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing” was playing (in German). Unfortunately the title had been translated something like, “Der Mann, die Katzen tanzen laessen” or something meaning “the man who liked to see cats dancing”[sup]*[/sup]. He noted a lot of puzzled looks on the moviegoers’ faces as they exited the theater.
panama jack
[sup]*[/sup]Yes, I know this is NOT an accurate translation of what I just said in German.
Rick Moranis said that when Honey, I shrunk the Kids was released in Japan, the title had to be translated as “Micro Kids” because in Japanese there is no comparable endearment for one’s wife.
Leslie Halliwell’s The Filmgoer’s Companion has a great article on this subject (under “Title Changes”).
Some relevant quotes (from 1970):
“There are many facets of the American way of life that British renters [i.e., theater owners] think their customers won’t stomach. Obviously, the names of American politicians, sportsmen, and less familiar entertainers will be the first to go.”
Halliwell also mentions American phrases and allusions that are incomprehensible to the British, American place names, and anything that smacks of Yankee propaganda. Names are toned down and made less lurid. Certain titles (like The Petty Girl, and Hallelujah, I’m a Bum use words that are slightly risque in British slang.
Going the other way, the names are often pumped up, promising more action and sex.
Anything that “smacks of Yankee propaganda” is changed for British release, eh? Does this mean they changed “Independence Day” in the UK? If so, what did they change it to? If there’s any movie that smacks of Yankee propaganda, it’s that one, especially to the British!
And then there’s the case of the play The Madness of George III. In England, where people are familiar with numbered kings, the title made perfect sense. But the producers of the film version were afraid that American audiences would think it was a sequel (the third of the “Madness of George” movies) and so the movie became The Madness of King George.
Speaking of “independence day,” I was in Japan when
“Born on the 4th of July” came out. The Japanese title was, as I recall, a literal translation. I asked a Japanese video store clerk what was meant by “4th of July” and he had no clue. I suppose they should have picked a different title.
The first Harry Potter book was titled “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone”. In England that makes perfect sense, as the philosopher’s stone is a well known legendary substance that turns stuff into gold (or some sort of alchemy thing like that).
Americans, haveing little history of alchemy, just wouldnt get it. They’d go “Philosopher’s stone? Like Plato’s rock or something?” and then not buy the book because they could care less about philosophy.
So, the American books are called “Harry Potter and the socerors stone.” While the socerors stone isnt the best translation, it does give the same feeling of mystery. SO know you can see how it would be neccesary, even in places that speak the same language.
And “Harry Potter” always sounded like an artisan porn flick to me.
[hijack] This is not because the Japanese are any less affectionate or “endearing” than us Westerners. Rather, in Japan, the most intimate thing you can call someone is their first (given) name, with a cutesy-suffix [-chan]. This is roughly equivalent in English to calling your wife Cathy “Cathumz” or “Cathy-poo.”
In any case, the Japanese likely think that we’re bizarre for referring to our loved ones as food items. (Sugar? Sugarplum? Honey?) [/hijack]
AkashJ
Who Loves His Honey Very Muchly
P.S. “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” or “Micro-Kids,” it’s still a stupid movie…
Made-up words can still be language- and culture-specific. “Hobbit” in English sounds like somethint that’s small and maybe clumsy and cute, even to people who’s never read Tolkien. The feel doesn’t always carry over to other languages.
The same story was circulating around Australia, but I still think it’s an “Americans are stupid” joke. When the British hear “King George”, it could mean any of them; when the Americans hear it, it always means the one in power during their revolutionary war.