Now, I don't expect word for word translations when I watch my anime dubbed. In fact, I know, having studied three different languages, that idioms don't translate, and so equivalents must be found.
However, I've noticed a rise in translators taking...shall we say..."liberties" with the translations.
Occassionally, if something strikes me as odd, I will watch with the subtitles on, even with English audio, or switch
audio tracks.
For example, on the first episode of Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, Kaname makes a reference to a Stallone film. I checked
out the Japanese audio, and confirmed that it was indeed a legit reference.
However, another ADV series, Ghost Stories, most definitely had serious liberties taken with the English dub.
Examples:
Subtitle:
Satsuki (trying to comfort her little brother) It’s not scary! It’s not scary! It’s not scary! It’s not scary!
It’s not scary! It’s not scary! It’s not scary!
Dub:
Satsuki: There’s nothing to be scared of. Monsters only eat evil people like Republicans, and we’re not old enough
to vote.
Subtitle:
Hajime(of Momoko): She’s beautiful.
Dub:
Hajime(of Momoko): Giggity, giggity.
And there’s there’s Momoko, a sixth grade girl who followed them into the haunted school.
Subtitle:
Momoko: What’s that up ahead?
Leo: Huh? Where?
Momoko: At the corner of the hall, it’s looking this way.
Leo: Is that a ghost?
Momoko: Well, even I wouldn’t know that. But I seem to have a strong sense for detecting spirits. See? Over to the
left.
Dub:
Momoko: Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?
Leo: What? No, I’m Jewish.
Momoko: I just want to make sure that you’re saved. I was. And ever since I was saved, I’ve had gifts. And I can
sense this place is haunted. I can sense an evil presence right now, just around the corner.
Subtitle:
Momoko: That was surprising, wasn’t it.
Dub:
Momoko: Sweet Jesus, that was scary.
Subtitle:
Momoko: Let’s help her search, anyhow.
Dub: Momoko: I can only hope she knew about Jesus.
Subitle: Momoko: Let’s check it out anyway.
Dub: Momoko; Fear not, the Lord God is with thee.
Subtitle:
Satuski: What is that?
Hajime: Is it a ghost?
Momoko: It’s much smaller than the one from before.
Dub:
Satsuki: What is that?
Hajime: Another ghost?
Momoko: Obviously a demon straight from the pit of hell.
Subtitle:
Satsuki: What’s this picture? Mama?
Dub:
Satsuki: Principals always look like lesbians. Mom!?
Subtitle:
Momoko: That photo. Last year, I was hospitalized for a year in Tokyo. She looks alot like a patient who was very nice
to me at that time.
Dub:
Momoko: That picture. When I volunteered at the womderful exodus homosexual conversion camp, I met this woman there who
looked alot like that Lesbian..I mean woman.
Subtitle:
Momoko: Why won’t the fire...?
Dub:
Momoko: Lord forgive me for this Satanic ritual!
Subtitle:
Hajime: We did it. We got rid of it.
Momoko: Yes, thanks to the ghost diary.
Dub:
Hajime: We did it. We got rid of it.
Momoko: Thanks to that somewhat Satanic book...
Now, maybe I'm just reading too much into it, but to me it looks like ADV is making fun of Christians and Republicans.
Anyone else got examples of "liberties" being taken with a translation (And NO, the first dub of DBZ doesn't count.)
