As an anime fan, a question that usually comes up is "sub or dub?" I understand Japanese so I usually just watch shows in their original voices, but I am also a translator so I do pay attention to subs (if they are there). For example, I previously wrote about the importance of context in subtitle translation.
I think we need to understand how the translation process for anime usually goes. This is the generic flow; there are works that may adopt a different approach (which I will also try to touch on).
Usually, the translation of subs and scripts for dubs are left to the overseas distributor. The production committee in Japan (usually the distributor, publisher, and anime studio) works on producing the anime in Japanese, for distribution in Japan. For distribution overseas, there is usually a separate partner. The Japanese script/subs are passed to the distributor, and it is left to the overseas distributor to find translators for English (or other language) subs and dubs. This can sometimes result in discrepancies between subs and dubs, since the overseas distributor, working on a different schedule (subbed episodes usually come out before dubs due to the need for voice recording), may end up getting different contractors to handle the subs and dubs.
One example is Netflix. Netflix has many 'Netflix original' shows, but these are usually shows produced for a domestic audience with global distribution rights bought by Netflix. It is then up to Netflix to find translators for the subs (and dubs) necessary for global distribution.
When translating these subs and dubs, the usual process is to engage freelancers through a translation agency. These freelancers may work on a per-episode basis, although in the case of Netflix, this can be a project basis (since Netflix usually releases the entire series at one go, instead of an episode each week). Of course, these freelancers do not have access to the actual visuals of the anime. Some (actually, most) of them would likely not have read the original work that the anime was based on (if any); we translators are paid on a per-word/per-character basis, and are not paid for time researching (which may take many days of reading, especially for works based on novels). It is really up to the imagination of the translators to convey in English (or whatever is the target language) the original meaning in Japanese.
This process usually works fine, since most anime works do not use very complex language structures, and a bit of searching on Google can usually provide enough information about the manga/light novel/etc. to give some context to the translators. For translators working on a per-project basis, it also helps that they work on several episodes (if not the entire series) so they can get a bigger picture of the story to better translate it.
However, for a story like Violet Evergarden, with the unique writing style and a lot of Japanese subtlety (even though the story has a European/colonial look), it can be very difficult to translate the subs and dubs without the actual visual content. The translators probably didn't have the opportunity to read the original light novels too (since they are not available, easily, outside Japan; plus they are not paid to read it anyway). The difficulty shows in the differences between subs and dubs; you may end up with characters saying one thing in English, while the subtitles show something else. This happens when the two different translators working on that same episode have a different understanding of the story they are translating (which is made difficult because they may not have the visual content), or simply because there are many ways to translate the same sentence, since language is not a one-to-one mapping.
There are, of course, exceptions. A good example is Evangelion. The producers of this series exercise tight control over translations, with rules on how certain terms are to be translated to ensure consistency across the entire series. Such cases, however, are the exception and not the norm. Most animation studios in Japan do not have the time nor the budget to exercise such quality control.
In the end, it may look like I am saying, "watch the works in their original Japanese form," but that is not actually what I want to say. I think the key point is the process. The industry needs to change the process to give translators more access to the source materials (visual content, original manga/novels/etc.) and pay them for the time and effort to ensure that the translated subs and dubs are as close in meaning to the original Japanese as possible. This does not mean translating word for word. It means using the appropriate language/cultural terms, idioms, and expressions to convey the same meaning. If we continue to pay translators for work on a per-word or per-character basis, we will never be able to ensure consistent quality because translators will be trying to churn out as much output as possible in order to make ends meet. Meanwhile, we can try to rely on fansubs, but these can vary greatly in terms of quality, and doesn't help if you want to watch a work in dub (such as people who have difficulty reading subs).
(Machine translation may help if we eventually get AI that understands cultural context besides language and visual context. Right now, though, we have not achieved such a state.)
No comments:
Post a Comment