Jump to content
Complete France Forum

Subtitles...hit and miss?


 YCCMB

Recommended Posts

ive been enjoying the new series of Engrenages/Spiral over the last week or so, and I don't really pay a lot of attention to subtitles. However, my attention WAS drawn to the interesting translation of the word "crapaud" as it was used to describe an organised bunch of jewellery thieves, mugging people for gold necklaces. Somehow, "muppets" seems to fall a bit wide of the mark.☺️
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]However, my attention WAS drawn to the interesting translation of the word "crapaud" as it was used to describe an organised bunch of jewellery thieves, mugging people for gold necklaces. Somehow, "muppets" seems to fall a bit wide of the mark.☺️[/quote]

I too thought that was a weird translation, Bets, but heard or read somewhere that as the gang were called crapauds because of their quoi? quoi? quoi? when challenged, Gilou and Tintin (I think) were making Muppet faces so that's what the English translation ended up with. Apparently. It flew above my head because I'm too busy watching the sub-titles as some of the French is still too fast and / or colloquial for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started to watch one of the previous series of Spiral, but I found the street language awkwardly translated and it put me off.

Trouble is that I have got so used to watching these nordic things where I have to watch the sub titles that I cannot help doing so when it is in french these days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But I guess that's the trouble with street language, Idun..it doesn't translate in any other way but awkwardly. I have no idea how you'd choose an appropriate word to translate "meuf" for example. At least, not one that could be true to the original.

I remember long ago and far away, going to see a (then) new Pink Panther film in VO in Paris with friends. Of course, we were laughing at Clouseau's "French" but the French audience had nothing to laugh at but the subtitles, so we found ourselves laughing out of synch with the rest of the audience.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Must be my aging ears, but I have to have the subtitles on for any "cops and robbers" type programme - even NCIS! A combination of street slang, currently-fashionable mumbling of dialogue, and characters speaking with their back to the camera means I often don't get the plot. So, I have no problem using them for Spiral, and think that in general they are good.

Yay! Saturday night! Two more episodes to watch! Yippee!

Angela
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Loiseau"]

Yay! Saturday night! Two more episodes to watch! Yippee!

Angela[/quote]

Ahh, so it's not just me then who waits with eager anticipation for Saturday evening. [:)][:)]

Though I do have to hide behind my hands if there is violence shown.

The girl gangs featured are so vicious ... my stomach flips over.

I cannot imagine having to deal with such violence on a daily basis, it must be terrifying.

Sue

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm enjoying Wolf Hall.  The book was difficult to read and I didn't get on to the sequel.

But the TV progs are mesmerising.  I haven't yet made up my mind about Cromwell's character.  The actor playing him, Mark Rylance, is very good and I love Jonathan Pryce as Wolsey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="NormanH"]Even if I could understand the language I wouldn't understand what they are talking about or see the point of it.

[/quote]

[:D]NH, from the little bits I have seen of Engrenages, it is about the dark side of France, police and villains...... from what you have said, it could even be set in Beziers[:-))]

but I don't think that it is![;-)]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TV and films and books, not bothered what they are, if I fancy I'll give them a try. I have no idea how or why I 'fancy' specific things, because I don't watch lots of things that just about everybody else seems to.  Never seen Downton Abbey or Breaking Bad for example.

And then there are those things I really fancy watching, like Fortitude, and I shall give the second episode a chance, but the first started with a rubbish theme song and then it felt poorly made, I felt truly let down. I have a huge list of films that also didn't come up to scratch as far as I was concerned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooh, you must have Sky then, idun! I haven't and am v frustrated that I cannot watch Fortitude - as my stepson is the producer! (My forum name is a clue.)

To go back to things French, and Spiral; I am fascinated by the procedure with the magistrates etc. and all those legal offices with candelabras and huge overmantel mirrors - bit like Downton I expect (though I don't watch that).

Angela
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Cendrillon"]" I think I'm allergic to period drama."

Me too Betty!
[/quote]Mrs Rabbie would agree with you[:)]. I have just read both books and thoroughly enjoyed them but I was not so impressed with the TV I have seen so far. But I often find that when I have enjoyed a book I am not so keen on a film/TV adaption.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Rabbie"]

 I have just read both books and thoroughly enjoyed them but I was not so impressed with the TV I have seen so far. But I often find that when I have enjoyed a book I am not so keen on a film/TV adaption.[/quote]

Same goes for me.  The books are nearly always better than the film.

One notable exception is "The English Patient".  I didn't think it was possible to make such a complex and subtle book with so many sub-plots into a film, nevermind a film as good as this one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Loiseau"]Ooh, you must have Sky then, idun! I haven't and am v frustrated that I cannot watch Fortitude - as my stepson is the producer! (My forum name is a clue.)

To go back to things French, and Spiral; I am fascinated by the procedure with the magistrates etc. and all those legal offices with candelabras and huge overmantel mirrors - bit like Downton I expect (though I don't watch that).

Angela[/quote]

As I said, Fortitude's first episode was a great disappointment to me. I don't think that it helped that I did not like the theme song, so a very bad start for me. Some of the nordic things I enjoy, have something 'haunting' about the theme tune, this didn't and the quality of the voice pleased me not at all. Even if it had been to a better tune, I daresay I wouldn't have liked it any better. And then, for all it was a first episode, it felt disjointed somehow, in spite of a cracking cast. 

I shall see how I get on with the second episode, because the 'north' draws me, so I will give it another try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...