On certain occasions, the translator had failed to notice and consider the differences between the source and target languages. As a result, certain words and expressions in the translation can be difficult to understand or may sound strange. For example, retained elements may have very little informative value for Finnish audience.
6.2.1 Retention (full, partial, adapted)
Sometimes source language words, names etc. were retained in the Finnish subtitles. This does not assist in clarifying their meaning to the target audience. There were approximately nine fully retained instances as well as partial and adapted retained solutions, approximately three of each.
In example 6, Leela and Amy are escaping a monster. While hiding, Leela says to Amy:
Example 6. Fully retained English
Speaker Original Translation
Leela Crud, we may be the last two normal people on Earth
Crud, me saatamme olla viimeiset normaalit ihmiset
maanpäällä.
The fully retained word crudis obviously an informal statement of trouble and frustration. As part of the Finnish translation it could give the impression that this is the nickname for Amy.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the wordcrud is defined as follows:
a: a deposit or incrustation of filth, grease, or refuse b: something disgusting: rubbish
c:slang: a contemptible person
In the context of the film, calling Amy with this word would be very impolite and would not correlate with their personal chemistry. In any case, the retained expression could cause confusion.
Retention can also be partial. In example 7, a sign outside a volcano has been partially translated and partially retained and reads:
Example 7. Partially retained English
Original Translation
Mount St. Hell Pyhä Hell-vuori
An alternative translation could have been, for example, an explanatory St. Hell-vuori containing the Finnish word for mountain, vuori while treating the original name as an untouched proper noun in accordance with the original language visible on screen. This is not to say that the translation could be seen as erroneous without contest: it could be perceived as annoying or it could equally be seen as amusing or innovative, for example. However, as the group discussions with my informants suggest, such solutions can be problematic (see section 7.4.1). Therefore the instance is included here as a potential error. Not providing any
translation at all could also have been a feasible option as the scene was rapidly passing by and the presence of a volcano was evident in any case.
Sometimes retained English words and expression can be adapted, as in the following example.
A panicky crowd is escaping the tentacles of an alien monster. A woman watches a man being caught by one of the tentacles. As the man says that he loves the tentacle, the woman is also attacked and she agrees with the man by saying:
Example 8. Adapted retained English
Speaker Original Translation
Unidentified female I also love the neckamajigger. Rakastan myös neckamajiggeriä.
This word is an adapted retention: the vowelihas been added, because a Finnish word would not end with the consonant r. On the other hand, there is no such word as neckamajiggeri in the Finnish language. Such an adapted retention may cause confusion. Arguably the original phrase could have been replaced by a corresponding colloquial Finnish expression, such as niskahommeli (the neck thing).
The translator may fail to provide an accurate target language translation and translations may be affected by the source language leading to unnatural, unidiomatic translations.
6.2.2 Unidiomatic Finnish
Sometimes the translations displayed signs of source language interference and the translations are unnatural, unidiomatic Finnish. In fact, even the Finnish title of the film, Moniniskainen Monsteri, contains the unidiomatic wordmonsteri, which obviously refers to a monster. The more appropriate Finnish word for monster would behirviö.
Any use of unidiomatic expressions may, of course, divide opinions: they may be a great source of annoyance or confusion or pleasant and refreshing innovations based on subjective
views. To take the abovementioned word monsteri as an example, the word can occasionally be heard in colloquial Finnish and may well be seen as appropriate and unproblematic.
However, unidiomatic use of language may be problematic and thus constitute an error. The following three examples illustrate such potential instances.
In example 9, two professors have been sentenced to death. A guard appears in order to tell them that they have a visitor. He urges the men to straighten up:
Example 9. Unidiomatic Finnish
Speaker Original Translation
A prison guard Look alive, death row! Näytä elävältä, kuolemaantuomittu.
According to the translation, the guard literally orders the men to appear more “lifelike.” The translator has obviously failed to recognize the idiomatic use of the English expressionto look alive. A better translation would have been, for example, liikettä, kuolemaantuomitut!
(Loosely:move it, death row!)
In example 10, Professor Farnsworth is living in the grips of an alien monster that has taken over his body and apparently his bodily functions as well by inserting a tentacle to the back of his neck. He mentions:
Example 10. Unidiomatic Finnish
Speaker Original Translation
Professor Farnsworth What I love most about the tentacle is that I don’t need to move my bowels anymore.
Mitä rakastan eniten lonkerossa on ettei minun tarvitse liikuttaa
suoliani enää.
The idiomatic English expression to move one’s bowels obviously refers to the act of defecation. Furthermore, after having finished his comment, a lump of what would appear to be fecal matter exits the back of his head to be carried away by the tentacle, which further reinforces the reference to defecation. However, the Finnish translation suggests that the
professor is in the habit of physically moving his bowels as if independent from his body.
Therefore, the evidently too literal a translation suggests something else than what is evident from the original context.
Also in example 11, the translation is unidiomatic because the English expression has been faithfully translated word-for-word. Fry is asking to spend the eternity alone with a being from another universe by saying:
Example 11. Unidiomatic Finnish
Speaker Original Translation
Fry It would be just the two of us.
Se olisi vain me kaksi.
The structure of the resulting translation is very strange. A more appropriate translation would be, for exampleOlisimme vain kahden.
6.2.3 Incorrect Finnish equivalent
Sometimes the translator has, for example, failed to consider that a source language word or an expression may have several potential equivalents in the target language depending on the contexts. Consequently, an unsuitable equivalent for the given source language item has been chosen. These occurrences can perhaps be considered as a form of source language interference.
Example 12.Incorrect Finnish equivalent
Bender is standing in front of an electromagnetic opening leading to another universe. He makes the following statement:
Speaker Original Translation Bender I have reached the gateway
to another universe.
Olen päässyt toisen universumin porttikäytävälle.
The translation of gateway as porttikäytävä is technically correct, but it is more traditionally referred to as a solid, constructed tunnel-like passage in a building.
Example 13.Incorrect Finnish equivalent
Captain Brannigan is waiting impatiently for Lieutenant Kif Kroker to prepare a missile ready for launch. He asks:
Speaker Original Translation
Captain Brannigan Ready yet, Kif? Oletko vielä valmis, Kif?
In this context, the English word yet could be translated into Finnish as still ‘jo’ as well as already ‘vielä’. In this case it has been translated as ‘yet’ giving the implication that the Lieutenant is currently in a state of readiness and that this would be something to move away from. The truth is naturally the opposite.
The examples described above serve to clarify the quality of the content to be observed as part of a focus group study. It will be particularly interesting to observe whether certain error types are particularly noticeable in general and in relation to other error types. Being able to determine the nature of such “eyesores” could potentially assist future translators in assuring optimal quality in subtitles.