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Teamedup
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I watched a french film last night with english sub titles. I found them very distracting and as I couldn't help but look at them found them quite inaccurate, especially the swearing. I would be wary about using sub titles as decent translations, especially the swearing.
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Hi TU, and yes, if they're there, you can't help but look at them.

I've been wondering recently whether i'm doing myself any favours having french sub-titles on, partly because as you say, they are not direct translations of the original, but whatever will fit in the time the actors take with their lines. I am getting better at spotting the inacurracies, but it does detract from viewing pleasure.

The other problem is that I cannot read them (and translate them) quickly enough to follow, (it's the same with typing, when you're learning you will never get really fast if you look at the keys).

We also tend to write down words/expressions (and their contexts) that are new to us too, so again, more distractions. I suppose what i'm saying is that it's been a long time now that i've seen a film on TV, and just enjoyed it, but I wouldn't be able to manage without the subbies for the time being.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Usually simplified to give enough of the dialogue to follow the plot but very rarely in either direction an accurate translation of what is being said.

35 years ago I watched 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'  with two sets of sub titles in Belgium. The only dialogue which was translated completely into both French and German ( NB not Flemish or Dutch) was 'I don't like snakes'

 

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I think DickS is right, French subtitles to French films are not the spoken word written down, and it is presumably these which are translated rather than the spoken words. It's normal, whatever the reason.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Last night I watched Le Diner de Cons (again) but this time on DVD. Among the options are a dubbed version - a most unpleasant experience - american accents seem really out of place and strange translations whereby "diner de cons" becomes a "jackass roast" - makes watching the whole film this way almost unwatchable.

As others have already written, the English subtitles are really a precis of what's actually being spoken but one thing struck me as very odd. In the film a football match between OM and Auxerre is taking place on the TV but when it is being discussed the subtitle translation for Auxerre is Paris!

Brian

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote]I watched a french film last night with english sub titles. I found them very distracting and as I couldn't help but look at them found them quite inaccurate, especially the swearing. I would be wary ...[/quote]

I have found watching English language films with French sub titles to be pretty useful, especially if you know the film already. You can avoid some distraction by turning off the sound allowing one to concentrate on reading the sous-titres.

Surely no translation is exact hence the phrase 'lost in translation'.

My husband has been known to sit there with a notepad jotting down interesting colloquialisms. 'When Harry met Sally' and 'Love Actually' are two of the films which came under his scrutiny.
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I always have subtitles turned on, if they are available.  I can just about manage without, but I do find it difficult having to concentrate so hard on what is being said all the time. I can grasp the context, but often feel as if whole chunks just go straight over my head.

Whenever I watch telly with my french copain/fella/boyfriend (yuck wish there was a suitable word... I mean, really... it's not like we're sixteen, and companion just sounds so lame)...  anyway, whenever we watch TV we have the subtiles on.  If we're watching UK TV it helps with his english, and french TV helps me with my french.  There's invariably something in the translation that has us reaching for our "bible", the trusty, dog eared, french-english dictionary. 

I quite enjoy spotting the differences between the spoken words and the subtiles, makes me feel quite proud of myself if I can recognise, and understand, both. 

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[quote]I always have subtitles turned on, if they are available. I can just about manage without, but I do find it difficult having to concentrate so hard on what is being said all the time. I can grasp the...[/quote]

At Christmas I watched Pinocchio(Italian version) with French sous-titres and realised afterwards that I'd been able to follow and read every word. OK, not difficult for some, but for me it meant I had reached another level of understanding and that felt good.

So long live sous-titres!
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[quote]Do you not find that the reason the subtitles don't exactly match what is said is that the script is in Français familier, and the subtitles are in Français soutenu? Hence the mistranslated swearing.[/quote]

Ok being thick and new to this and my french is poor only just learning what's  the difference  ? 
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[quote]Ok being thick and new to this and my french is poor only just learning what's the difference ?[/quote]

Hi Andy

'français familier', the unguarded, casual language used by speakers in informal, everyday talk

'français soutenu', formal french

(Ok, I admit it, I looked it up).

An example I often notice is that the dialog will say something like "Chuis <quelque chose> and the subtiltes will use the formal version... "Je suis <quelque chose>"

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[quote]Also in vocabulary - voiture/bagnole, travail/bulot etc.Does anyone know of an online dictionary of such?[/quote]

Hi Dick

There's not a lot out here, but searching on argot found this, which seems to list a lot of the words in most common use http://french.about.com/library/vocab/argot/bl-argot.htm (don't worry, it's not too rude, and it has usage examples).  The search feature didn't seem to work too well, but the alphabetical listings were useful.

Or you could try http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/french_cool/  as this lists words in different categories of usage.

J'ai la banane

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Thanks Cat46, I have not laughed outloud at translations in ages. They are not wrong, just that current usuage, is often rather stronger.

In fact that I would hope that people would look at the rude versions just to see what people will think that they are saying about some things.

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[quote]Thanks Cat46, I have not laughed outloud at translations in ages. They are not wrong, just that current usuage, is often rather stronger. In fact that I would hope that people would look at the rude ...[/quote]

If you thought that was funny, you'll just love this  http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa020901a.htm 

Now I know what all those bizarre french gestures mean, very informative!

 

Ho hum, pass the pinard somebody

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