(OT) Buffy Germany, Finale

[Madfox]

For those of you viewing Buffy in non-English-speaking countries, are the episodes dubbed or are you expected to know English?

No, we are expacted to be able to read The series are in English, but the translations are given in texts at the bottem of the screen. Personally though I hardly ever read those. It is quite difficult to translate some things, though sometimes it can be real fun to see how different the translation is from what they really said.

Currently they are doing the one-show-a-day thing for Buffy on the Netherlands. Currently they are just after the university starts, no idea what season that is. Perhaps you have got an easier time with Dutch then French? It was really great to once again see them, but it made me realize that the show is turning darker and darker and that I prefered the light heartedness of the earlier seasons. Since they are also showing the 5th season at the moment once a week it gives a very good impression on changing personalities.

 

[Staffan]

For those of you viewing Buffy in non-English-speaking countries, are the episodes dubbed or are you expected to know English?

Here in Sweden, almost all foreign-language shows are subtitled. Dubbing is pretty much reserved for children's shows, especially cartoons. The same goes for movies, though often they show subtitled versions as well (at least for bigger movies at bigger cinema complexes, like the annual Disney movie or Harry Potter).

 

[Horacio]

You, in Sweden & Netherland, are lucky.
Thanks to your non-dubbed TV you speak English much better than us, Spanish or French people. You're very very lucky...

 

[Berandor]

Unfortunately, everything in German TV is dubbed - even most original german shows are re-dubbed (excempting talkshows, of course).

The same with movies, and the programs lose a lot by it.

For example, when in the original version the character has an accent, most of the time that accent is not recreated for German audiences (in "Rush hour", Jackie Chan spoke fluent German).

Also, in mediocre dubbings, you tend to lose some puns or other jokes. (I find myself translating the sentences to English in a seemingly funny scene that wasn't funny).

That's what caused me to buy DVDs.

Of course, there is the rare occasion where the dubbed version actually enhances the experience (like the TV series "die Zwei" with Roger Moore and ... that other guy , which was chronically serious and bad in the original version, but got a delicious sarcastic and satirical tone in the dubbing, or like the German version of "Big Trouble in Little China").

berandor

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I think, with Buffy and Angel they made some good work in regard to translation/dubbing, but I don`t know the original.

But since I own a DVD player, I started to buy some movies, and I love hearing the original.
(Something I noticed with Matrix: The scence where they capture the helicopter. The agent says: "Just a human", she says: "Dodge This". In German, she says (translated): "Just a machine". Both makes sense, and I can`t decide what I like more. )

Especially with Startrek I saw the difference between the Englisch and the German - the voices in Englisch carry more emotions. (I love the "Picard = Ahab" Scene in Startrek VIII)
And there are other things (In German, we don`t have only "you", whe have "Sie" and "Du". The last one is more for close friends. But especially in Startrek they always use "Sie", even in situations - Janeway meeting her older self - where it does not seem to fit.)

Well, finally I would love to watch all movies, films and series in both language - one time to be sure to understand the whole story(the dubbed versions do always have clear sounds, and that it`s your primary-tongue helps a lot), and one to be sure to get all the jokes, puns and similar "language-specific" things.
But I believe it is a bit to expensive to buy DVDs of all the things that I like

Mustrum Ridcully

PS: Titanic, I watched in a cinema in Groningen (Netherlands), Englisch voice, netherland subtitles.

 

[Berandor]

Matrix: I like "dodge this" better. There are a few more instances in Matrix where the translations differ, but my biggest regret is that "NEO" is an acronym (or something ) of the "ONE", whereas the German "der Auserwählte" (the Chosen) doesn't fit like that.

I laos belive they did a good work with Buffy, but in the end, I'd always prefer the original. If you see "Mickey Blue Eyes" with the difference between hockney English and American slang, the film has some great moments you'd miss otherwise.
Same for "Pretty Woman", when Julia Roberts speaks with total street jargon through the better part of the movie.

Or in "Conspiracy Theory" (Fletcher's Visionen), when mel Gibson tells Julia Roberts that "every little thing she does is magic", it is a real song-title you remember, not something you puzzle about for a moment.


And, of course, you don't get silly movie title translations, when "the man who knew too little" becomes "Agent Zero-Zero-Naught" (Agent 00-Nix). And so on...
OTOH, "Attack of the Clones" might sound better in german

Berandor

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

"Angriff der Klone?" That doesn`t sound good. Perhaps "Angriff der Klonkrieger" is a bit better, but...
On the other hand - What title would fit better?

 

[Berandor]

Star Wars Episode II - (there can be miracles) When You Believe



Berandor