[All languages] List of common mistakes in subtitles

[piranna]

Hello!

Making a list of common mistakes in subtitles in all languages

• It would make aspiring editors be aware of some types of mistakes they could meet during their future edition of subtitles (all languages)
• Same for new subbers!

Plus, I’m quite curious about how it feels being an editor in another language and what type of mistakes they’ve been confronted to.

And thinking too that this list could help the subtitling academy in all languages in many ways!

[tweet998]

Well, the things I always come across are two:

English expressions which subbers are not familiar with and therefore translate them incorrectly.
This list contains several of them.

English idioms in dramas

Are you done?/I’m done (I) can’t help (doing smth) I see… [= “I understand”] (to be) sick and tired of smth (to) stand (somebody) up (to) stick it out (to) toast Es.: Let’s toast! Actually Break a leg! Does it make sense? Don’t even go there [figurative use, not spatial] Eventually forget about it I’ll go first [THIS IS NOT ENGLISH, IT’S WRONG TRANSLATION FROM KOREAN] Have you been well? Help yourself Hurry and [verb} / Let’s hurry and [+ verb] I can’t help it I can’t swim [me…

The ones that stand out the most are: “It can’t be helped” and “to stand someone up”.
I have seen so many people translate them literally and it’s sad to see that because I can edit them when I moderate but what about the countless shows that have a moderator who doesn’t know? It will be the same wrong wording over and over again.
Also, the expression “can tell.” which -as far as I know- is supposed to mean that something is distinguishable. For example: “I can tell that he’s upset about…” or “Whether it’s this or that, no one can tell.”
I hope I did not make any mistakes of my own in this post.

The other mistake is a grammatical one so I don’t think many people will relate to it here since this is an all-language discussion.

[piranna]

Thank you for your input! I added the expressions you told in the quiz

Oh no, “all languages” just means that you can point out for your language with grammar, etc. Even if I wouldn’t understand, some fellow members could understand you!