Lost or Found in Translation?

FOUND

Research shows people are pressing more on the ON for subs. That’s just dandy.

So, back in ’06, an Ofcom study found that 7.5 million UK-based TV viewers opted for subtitles, “of whom about six million did not have a hearing impairment”. In 2019, someone whispered to The Guardian subtitle use had increased further with the rise of smartphones, as “more and more people watch programmes or videos on commutes”. Thanks, subways.

Then, a study by Netflix from the same year showed more than 80% of its subscribers used subtitles or closed captions at least once a month, “with many of them reporting that they use dubs and subs to learn new languages”. Awesome sauce!

Also, the BBC reported last November, through a captioning research by Stagetext, that the majority of viewers between the ages of 18 and 25 admitted to using subs for “all or part of the time”.

So, four in five young viewers routinely watched stuff with subs, compared with less than a quarter of viewers aged between 56 and 75, despite the older age group being almost twice as likely to be deaf or hearing impaired.

These studies show that while “originally intended to help those with hearing issues, subtitles have become an essential aid for following a show for many — especially if other distractions or devices are competing for their attention”, said the BBC.

The global popularity of foreign-language films and shows (let’s call them Big Three: Squid Game from South Korea; Lupin, from France; Money Heist, from Spain) also made subtitle use more mainstream.

I can speak for myself: I am mad about languages, so of course I subbed the hell out of La Casa de Papel. Unfortunately, I’m still learning my steps on Korean so I can’t exactly subtitle Squid Game in its mother tongue. However, a simple button on your remote can stimulate you to broaden your language horizons: “I think there’s far more acceptance of subtitles of young people because it’s the norm, whereas, with an older age group, it isn’t necessarily the norm”, said Stagetext’s CEO Melanie Sharpe.

Older people tend to find subtitle activation something asking for “an extra concentration level”, she argued, whereas as younger people can “take in far more info quickly because they’re used to it”.

LOST

Despite the growing popularity of subtitles, some critics are warning about poorly executed captions, particularly in foreign language translations. Many Korean speakers claimed Squid Game subs missed much of the nuance and meaning of certain words or were simply mistranslated: “if you don’t understand Korean, you didn’t really watch the same show”, tweeted Youngmi Mayer, a New York-based co-host of the Feeling Asian podcast. She released a TikTok video outlining the flaws in Squid Game’s subs that had more than 13.5 million hits.

These “lost in translation” moments have tipped into accusations of “cultural and political bias”, said writer and TV presenter Viv Groskop in a piece for The Guardian. Writing for Vice, Korean-American journalist Eileen Choo described “feeling personally attacked” thanks to Squid Game’s subtitles that were “just plain wrong” and asked: “How will people learn about our culture if the streamer is mistranslating our language?!”

SUBTITLES OR CLOSED CAPTIONS?

The row about “Squid Game’s subtitles has performed a service by highlighting the differences between subtitles, closed captions and dubbing”, wrote Groskip in The Guardian, “Netflix’s algorithm sets your choice automatically to dubbing, which is why if you click on any foreign language content, the actors will mysteriously appear on the screen speaking fluent American English that almost-but-not-quite matches their mouth movements”, she explained.

A “direct transcript of the dubbing script” is generally used for closed captions, which “were initially devised for deaf viewers and include audio description”. But subtitles “use another script entirely”, Groskip continued. Like closed captions, subtitles “are subject to constraints” such as having to correspond to a preset reading speed, but “they are often seen as a more accurate translation than the dubbing script”.

FANCY SOME MORE ENGLISH, MADAM?

Using subs when watching English-language shows can present other problems, however. “Too often, subs are out of sync with the spoken dialogue”, wrote Chris Taylor for Mashable, “so lagging behind is bad, but captions are ahead of the game are often worse — mini-spoilers, in effect.”

LANGUAGE PERKS

Despite such criticisms, many argue “the mainstreaming of subs is doing more good than harm, making visual media more accessible, understandable and dynamic”, said Davies in The Guardian.

Watching subtitled movies, shows and videos can have “huge benefits for children” too, wrote Sharon Black… I mean, enough with the names and sources, this disrupts the whole article, so, from now on, I’ll just go with the first name and platform. So, Sharon, The Conversation, wrote “it can help them boost their reading skills and learn other languages, as well as providing more inclusive access for children with disabilities or those who speak a minority language. This small change — turning on subtitles — can make a big difference.”

source: The Week

MY TURN!

For me, turning subtitles is something I do almost instinctively.

I’ve learned English since what, second grade, but you can always find something new, learn a new expression, sip a new verb, whatever. Language is so dynamic that you’re simply adding value. I find that British TV shows are consistently subtitled. Shows like Would I Lie To You, QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Taskmaster, Jimmy Carr’s I’ve Literally Just Told You, I mean, you can’t simply ignore the good stuff emanating; not just the English language as a product, but as a service to all non-English speakers: you learn about their history, culture, heritage, regional rivalries, these are frequently a joy to behold because you feel you’re… learning. And that’s never a bad thing, whether you’re 5 or 75.

As for Portuguese shows, they were never subtitled. I mean, I don’t remember any particular show where this has happened. Sure, operators do some experiments (TVI and their soap operas with audio description, usually during the Summer), but others just trail behind the norm.

Not too long ago, if you wanted to ‘activate’ audio description in order to follow shows from RTP, you had to basically solve a Rubik’s cube with your hands tied and your eyes closed. You had to download this and that, turn on the radio at some weird AM station… like, where’s the inclusion in this?! Although, I must tip RTP’s hat when RTP Play came along. They did some residual subtitling there, for a couple of Portuguese shows.

I think I’m not hallucinating when I saw some Conta-me Como Foi with same-language subs (and that’s great, it’s a show depicting our country’s evolution through the 20th century), so there were some cool words and expressions to be found there. Also, one should mention (not in the subtitles department but also inhabiting and innovating in the translation realm) a company such as Unbabel, currently doing wonders for machine-learning and AI-powered translation.

For the deaf, though, it’s a whole different game. I remember seeing Portuguese Sign Language interpreters on that little PIP on the bottom right for… as long as I’ve been breathing.

I think Portugal covers some ground with the hearing impaired. I had some experience trying to fight for visually impaired. But… it’s not easy. I pitched something around the likes of: “you’re the fastest growing cable channel in Portugal; yet, only two-thirds of the people in this room can watch your network”, I said, knowing that I had a blind person alongside me. Sure, they’re only a couple a thousand, the visually impaired. But they Also watch TV.

And apparently subtitles aren’t accessible to them. So, audio description becomes crucial. I think Netflix is the only one providing this service. Other streaming platforms like Amazon prefer super friendly options like highlighting products in shows that you can purchase through them… great. “I really needed that teapot, Prime… isn’t that interesting and urgent in my life?”, you think, before ordering twelve.

As for the new generation, it’s hard to say subtitles are here to say. YouTubers, TikTokers, they don’t want to overload the screen with lore ipsum, playing more often in smaller screens, no less. Usually the message is pointless, it’s just noise, so who cares who’s saying what… subtitles are not needed for all content creators. Or are they? I don’t know. Sorry, idk.

YouTubers are so profficient in video editing, I mean, subtitling would be just another string to their bow. Whatever they’re saying could reach even more people. These guys target a global audience. Should this audience speak and understand fluent English? I don’t know. Excuse me, idk.

I’ll try to reach some translation experts to answer these and more related questions. Stay tuned!

yup. it’s getting better, though!