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I have a beef with German movie/show/episode titles anyway. They have a knack for stupid translations, titles making no sense at all, using a different title when absolute unnecessary or use English titles but not the originals. In German “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” became “The Return of the First Avenger” – that English title, no German translation, no kidding. The Heat they retitled as “Taffe Mädels” (Tough Girlies), very funny.
I guess Captain America was renamed because Germans aren’t such big fans of patriotism and Disney thought they should concentrate on the word Avenger so the movie would sell better. So this was more some kind of a business decision.
The problem I have is, that titles are often not some random something, but the writers choose titles with a reason, an that too often gets lost in the German titles.
I guess this is the big problem. You think to be as close to the original art is the best way to translate or localize a pice of art while I think translating from one language to another is an art itself.
These are just two different kind of philosophies. The difference is that you think someone who doesn’t follow yours is just wrong.
I think it’s just different but it can still be good.
I think a good example is the most succesfull movie in Germany. Disney’s The Junglebook.
It was successful because the translation didn’t try to stick to the original version. It was translated so it would feel more natural. And I still prefer “Probier’s mal mit Gemütlichkeit” (“consider trying Gemütlichkeit”) over “Look for the bare necessities”.
Because it fits better.And that what I think. I don’t say the translator is the best translator of the world and I agree that they sometimes add words to a title which really doesn’t need to be there and should keep it shorter. I guess they do it to keep continuity to the style of the translated titles. It would also explain why they didn’t keep with “7:15 A.M.” even though “Viertel nach sieben” would fit into that the style and would be closer to the original.
But “Auf frischer Tat” for “red-handed” wouldn’t be a better title than “Wolfswinter”. It’s more literal to the original one but the second title has a better connection to the plot itselfs and even is a short one word title.[adrotate group="5"]“There were thousands and thousands of forms of joy in the world, but that all were essentially one and the same, namely, the joy of being able to love.”
— from the Neverending Story by Michael EndeI must say it’s interesting to hear about international dubs of our own TV shows, and how the international fans feel about them compared to our original versions. It reminds me of the whole anime (Japanese animation) culture. Anime is of course originally produced in Japanese, but of course it’s dubbed over into English over here. There is of course a divide between American fans who actually prefer to watch anime dubbed, and then the American fans who prefer to watch anime in its original language with English subtitles. I admit, though, that it’s a lot easier to dub animation and make it still feel believable. The animated characters aren’t real, nor do they have realistic mouth movements, so there’s flexibility for dubbing there. Dubbing live action tends to be a much more awkward experience, because it’s easier to tell that those are not the original performances.
I guess this is the big problem. You think to be as close to the original art is the best way to translate or localize a pice of art while I think translating from one language to another is an art itself.
These are just two different kind of philosophies. The difference is that you think someone who doesn’t follow yours is just wrong.Right, on can say, I want them stay close to the original art, out of respect for that art. I don’t want a word by word, literal translation, but the show is not the art work of whoever is doing the titles in German but the work of A&E and their team of writers – and I expect the translation to stay true to their work, and that includes the episode titles. We’re not talking creating fan fiction here or some German reproduction of the show, which would offer some more creative freedom.
Translation into another language is an art in itself, I agree, but one these German title makers don’t master IMO, or don’t care about. What they do is marketing strategy, they assume that these titles are more appealing to a German audience. Maybe they’re right, and it sells better with those titles, but they take away from the original art created, they don’t care to keep the tone the creators of the show have set (the most difficult task in translating), they care about what they think a German audience might find interesting enough to tune in.
Captain America is as such known as well in Germany, they didn’t use a different name in the comics here. But what is truly hilarious about the German film title is that it is not German at all, the change of title was plain marketing strategy (as was the English title).
One is about business and selling it to a specific market, the other about good translation. They might sell it better, but I still dislike it from the point of view of art.
@MatthewPaul I haven’t watched Sailor Moon myself, but I read a bit about the criticism of the U.S. american dubbed version of it. It’s an example of how dubbing was used to even change the text of a show and adapt it to a different culture, ignorant to the context and text of its original culture (though one can do the same with subtitles). Besides changing names they erased the gay/lesbian/bisexual/queer sides of the characters. Not how I like art to be handled.¯\_(?????? ?)_/¯
What I don’t like is that the German Episode titles reveal so much about the upcomming Episode. Like f.e ” Wolfswinter”, you know, that the Episode is about wolfes, or ” Hört ihr die Melodie des Rattenfängers” (Nasty Habits). You know what the story is going about and there is no suprise anymore.
And why did they change the Titel from OuaTiW “Home” in “Im Inferno von Jafar und der Roten Königin ” – in the inferno of Jafar and the Red Queen” ??
I guess this is the big problem. You think to be as close to the original art is the best way to translate or localize a pice of art while I think translating from one language to another is an art itself. These are just two different kind of philosophies. The difference is that you think someone who doesn’t follow yours is just wrong.
Right, on can say, I want them stay close to the original art, out of respect for that art. I don’t want a word by word, literal translation, but the show is not the art work of whoever is doing the titles in German but the work of A&E and their team of writers – and I expect the translation to stay true to their work, and that includes the episode titles. We’re not talking creating fan fiction here or some German reproduction of the show, which would offer some more creative freedom. Translation into another language is an art in itself, I agree, but one these German title makers don’t master IMO, or don’t care about. What they do is marketing strategy, they assume that these titles are more appealing to a German audience. Maybe they’re right, and it sells better with those titles, but they take away from the original art created, they don’t care to keep the tone the creators of the show have set (the most difficult task in translating), they care about what they think a German audience might find interesting enough to tune in. Captain America is as such known as well in Germany, they didn’t use a different name in the comics here. But what is truly hilarious about the German film title is that it is not German at all, the change of title was plain marketing strategy (as was the English title). One is about business and selling it to a specific market, the other about good translation. They might sell it better, but I still dislike it from the point of view of art.
I’m 100% with you. German translations and synchronizations are mostly terrible. Why on earth would they change the movie title “taken” into “96 hours” and then they didn’t even translate it but used an English phrase. I don’t watch any German TV shows or movies if I can get them in English. One of the weirdest translations of the ONCE episodes is Skin Deep. First of all, it was supposed to be something the viewer should only realize after Maurice called Belle by her name when she goes with Rumple that this story is about BatB but they totally spoiled it. And secondly, it’s supposed to imply the meaning of this episode that beauty comes from within and isn’t only visible on the outside.
4.01 in Germany is called “Elsa und Anna von Arendelle” – “Elsa and Anna from Arendelle”.
Oh, and the movie “Tomorrowland” is called in Germany “A World Beyond”. I don’t know, why they changed one english Title in an other. It doesn’t make sense to me.
4.01 in Germany is called “Elsa und Anna von Arendelle” – “Elsa and Anna from Arendelle”. Oh, and the movie “Tomorrowland” is called in Germany “A World Beyond”. I don’t know, why they changed one english Title in an other. It doesn’t make sense to me.
When did Season 4 start airing in Germany? Genuinely curious.
It’s gonna air on June 1st on German PayTV. It will also start airing on German Free TV later in fall.
4×01 A Tale of Two Sisters
German: Elsa und Anna von Arendelle
Translation:Elsa and Anna from Arendelle4×02 White Out
German: Mauern aus Eis
Translation: Walls of Ice4×03 Rocky Road
German: Im Winter der Schneekönigin
Translation: In the winter of the snowqueen4×04 The Apprentice
German: Der Zauberlehrling
Translation: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (“Der Zauberlehrling” ist the original German title of Goethe’s poem. Literally translatet it means “Magic Apprentice/Sorcery Apprentice”)4×05 Breaking Glass
German: Ein Splitter des Zauberspiegels
Translation: A Shard of the magical Mirror4×06 Family Business
German: Das Faksimile der Liebe
Translation: The facsimile of love4×07 The Snow Queen
German: Die Tragödie der drei Schwestern
Translation: The tragedy of the three sisters4×08 & 4×09 Smash the Mirror
German: Magie ist Sehnsucht, doch schnell wird sie zum Fluch
Translation: Magic is a longing, but soon it becomes a curse4×10 Fall
German: Wenn Feen verschwinden
Translation: When fairies vanish“There were thousands and thousands of forms of joy in the world, but that all were essentially one and the same, namely, the joy of being able to love.”
— from the Neverending Story by Michael Ende
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