Do you bawl your eyes out in watching Korean dramas? Do you embrace the movie geek in you in watching French films? Do you completely immerse yourself in playing Japanese video games? Some of us have indulged ourselves with watching movies, documentaries and other videos that are beyond our linguistic capabilities. It's all thanks to subtitles that we are able to appreciate such works and understand the words conveyed on those videos. However, there are instances that we have observed inaccuracies or a lacking factor in some subtitles. They may be quite good, but difficulties in understanding the plotline sometimes arise due to how the phrases were cut and presented and other aspects of subtitling. This is why well-trained translator s' work is much more satisfactory to watch. We do not just get the gist of the conversation on those videos, we are also able to understand a culture through the proper conveyance of language. Here are some of the best services of a good translation team: Translate meaning not words Due to some unique words or phrases to a culture, it is hard to find its exact translation to another language. As noted in many fansubbing guides, the technique in overcoming such hindrance is not through direct translation but by just presenting the gist of the words, phrases or conversation. Maintain the speaker's style of speech A good subtitle takes into account how the original words were spoken, the nationality of the speaker, the era, etc. For example, the Japanese word for father is uttered in different ways which denote the degree of respect and the behavior in that word. Otou-sama can be translated as father, otou-san as dad, and oyaji as old man. Vocabulary depends on a speaker's style of speech. Direct quote If the translator is familiar with the language and culture, he probably knows about the quotes of a popular figure. Those direct quotes should be captioned verbatim as much as possible since they can be pivotal in the conversation. Division of lines By knowing when to cut a line and how the sentence should be divided, audience will have easier time to read through the subtitles. Moreover, there is ease in reading words and seeing what is happening in the screen simultaneously. Audience sensitivity A good subtitler knows what the audience needs. Should this word be translated or remained as is? Can the conversation be split in order for words to flow naturally or let the audience absorb everything? Subtitling is not just simple translating. Many factors given consideration in order to allow everyone the convenience of understanding another language.
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