Wondering why considering culture is important during subtitle translation? How to localize your video according to the target audience? Here we have discussed every aspect of cultural nuances and subtitle translation that will help you get your answers.
Overview to Subtitle Translation
Subtitle translation is a process by which text-based lines present in a video are translated from one language into another to help viewers who speak a different language understand dialogues. They can be added to various media types, such as TV shows, movies, educational matters, documentaries, and marketing content. Some people also use subtitles to translate live events such as webinars and conferences.
While subtitles are critical to helping the target audience understand the video’s message, considering cultural nuances while translating is important. You need to keep localization and transcription in mind to write subtitles.
Not every word translates directly from one language to another. This is important because your target audience may not fully understand the message if it’s not translated based on their norms, traditions, and culture. Failing to understand this approach will prevent you from achieving your goal of targeting the audience successfully.
A skilled and experienced translator will choose phrases and words that suit the audience’s culture. For instance, in the US, people eat cookies. But if a video shows cookies with tea, it will be translated as biscuits with a cup of tea for a UK audience.
Sometimes, word-to-word translations can lead to inappropriate language or words that don’t make sense. It might also lead to phrases that are not used in the language in which you are translating. So, keeping cultural differences in mind is ideal for creating subtitles.
Considering Cultural Nuances in Subtitle Translation
Here are a few things to remember to navigate cultural nuances in subtitle translation.
Etiquette
Cultural nuances exist in etiquette and gender roles. Unlike English, many cultures don’t use factual language. For instance, Japanese people never address children and elders in the same way. Similarly, you don’t talk to a woman as you do to men. Therefore, you can easily tell the gender or guess a person’s age by the terms used.
So, you must use the right terms when referring to people. You must know the right phrase and terms for every gender and age group to avoid making the translation bizarre.
Figurative Speech
Some languages don’t use sarcasm. For example, this linguistic character is hard to find in Japanese. So, if a subtitle translator is familiar with the Japanese culture and language, they should understand the subtle and hidden English meanings and carefully explain them to the audience.
English lays a lot of emphasis on analogies, similes, and metaphors. But it’s challenging to translate fugitive speech from one culture to another due to the subtle language variance. Therefore, translators must be mindful to ensure the meaning or relevance isn’t compromised. They also need to ensure the translations go well with the target culture and don’t offend anyone.
Bottom Line
In a nutshell, considering cultural nuances is crucial for subtitle translation. It’s a challenging task, and only an expert influent in different languages and familiar with different cultures can successfully do the task. If you are looking for promising translation services, Green Translations is here to help you. We have world-class linguists that make the translation process seamless for you. Contact us today!