> > > In Germany, the ruling principle is that every movie should be in german. Can you imagine John
> > > Wayne bursting into a saloon, ripping his gun from the holster, shouting: "Hände hoch!!". Well it
> > > really happened!
> >
> > Is it true that in parts of Germany they subtitle Austrian films and TV shows?
> >
> > Paul
>
> Actually, not only in German, but also in France, they DUB every movie.
>
> I NEVER saw subtitles on australian films or TV shows on german television. But that may be not such a good reference, since i dont watch ALL THE TIME german tv.
>
> Anyway, here we never dub movies, only subtitles, which is in fact good for learning a second (or 3rd, 4th, ...) language, but like i said, its sometimes hilarious! Last weekend i saw an other striking example of "killing-the-meaning-of-the-original-english-context-by-using-bad-translators", but ... i forgot it again...


You haven't seen anything unless you've seen subtitles on Asian films, especially from HK.
When it comes to making Hong Kong films, voices are usually dubbed-in in Cantonese after the film is shot on location. This is simply a different style of filming. Subtitles are added at the same time so that Mandarin/other Chinese speakers and English speakers can follow the plot. Some of the subtitles produce unexpected results.

The following are actual subtitles that were used in HK films. I'm sure people have heard about these before, but they're still a hoot:

¤ / I am damn unsatisfied to be killed in this way.

¤ / Fatty, you with your thick face have hurt my instep.

¤ / Gun wounds again?

¤ / Same old rules: no eyes, no groin.

¤ / A normal person wouldn't steal pituitaries.

¤ / Damn, I'll burn you into a BBQ chicken!

¤ / Who gave you the nerve to get killed here?

¤ / Quiet or I'll blow your throat up.

¤ / You always use violence. I should've ordered glutinous rice chicken.

¤ / I'll fire aimlessly if you don't come out!

¤ / You daring lousy guy.

¤ / Beat him out of recognizable shape!

¤ / I got knife scars more than the number of your leg's hair!

¤ / Beware! Your bones are going to be disconnected.

¤ / How can you use my intestines as a gift?

¤ / The bullets inside are very hot. Why do I feel so cold?


Mangled English subtitles taken from the official S&Z&aB2tH Guide to HK films, by Stefan Hammond, Mike Wilkins, and Jackie Chan.