Chinese Films Lost in Translation

A recent report from the Global Times revealed that, based on research from Beijing Normal University (BNU), movies made in China are not well accepted outside of the country because of poor translation.

Some movie genres such as Kung Fu and comedy have been able to skirt around the issue of poorly written subtitles because of the exaggerated action sequences.  But when looking at the 75 films sold overseas that were filmed and produced in China last year, the misinterpretation of language has attributed for a total income of only 1 billion yuan ($174 million) which is a 50 percent drop from a year ago.

The research utilized a survey with a sample size of 1,117 interviewees from 107 countries and 29.9 percent of those people reported that "poor subtitling" was one of the three major areas that Chinese films need to improve.

The recommendation of the study said, "Foreign interpreters should try to localize the language in the film to align with the audiences' knowledge and habits. Also, there is no need to translate the original text word for word. Complicated references can simply be omitted to ensure the story goes on smoothly."

Future films should consider hiring translators from the specific country they are trying to sell their product to.  And if their target is the United States of America, they should consider World Services (shameless plug)!

For the full story: http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/789385.shtml#.UcCIe5yvGOc