Thai Standup

[aanon]

Hey all,

For something new, I've tried putting subtitles on a short video of Thai standup comedy. The video is too long (4 mins) to attach, but you can see it at www.youtube.com/aanon2550

This could be good listening practise as, in this case, a lot of the translation is quite literal. And, of course, people might agree or disagree with my translation choices.

I'm thinking of doing something from ชิงร้อยชิงล้าน next, but if anyone has a particular skit they'd like to see subtitled, I'm open to suggestions.

all the best.

[meadish_sweetball]

Excellent initiative aanon, I'll check it out and come back with comments.

EDIT:

As far as I can make out your translation is close to perfect in terms of getting the message across. There does not seem to be any misunderstandings.

As for style, I think you conveyed the general sense of the skit quite well. I think it's almost inevitable for a translation to lose some of the nuances of the original and become more 'flat' for lack of a better word. Obviously one cannot start to invent pronouns in English to reflect the use of เจ๊ มึง etc. - it has to be left out, or conveyed by modifying the overall style.

Subtitling is tricky and an art to itself.

There were three-four places where I was unable to digest the text on the screen before it changed, and had to go back and pause.

I know Swedish subtitlers are taught to keep the text on screen for a minimum amount of time based on how many words there are. If the dialogue is too quick as it almost always is in standup comedy, it becomes a matter of condensing it into as few words as possible, even leave some things out - because on TV or in the cinema, there is no rewind or pause button.

The long sentence with the heart-shaped light shining through between the two heads leaning towards each other, could perhaps be broken up into two shorter sequences for easier digestion?

Great effort all in all, I've tried subtitling myself before, and know it must have taken you a fair bit of time to do that sequence... Do you use Subtitle workshop or some other type of software?

[aanon]

Excellent initiative aanon, I'll check it out and come back with comments.

EDIT:

As far as I can make out your translation is close to perfect in terms of getting the message across. There does not seem to be any misunderstandings.

As for style, I think you conveyed the general sense of the skit quite well. I think it's almost inevitable for a translation to lose some of the nuances of the original and become more 'flat' for lack of a better word. Obviously one cannot start to invent pronouns in English to reflect the use of เจ๊ มึง etc. - it has to be left out, or conveyed by modifying the overall style.

Subtitling is tricky and an art to itself.

There were three-four places where I was unable to digest the text on the screen before it changed, and had to go back and pause.

I know Swedish subtitlers are taught to keep the text on screen for a minimum amount of time based on how many words there are. If the dialogue is too quick as it almost always is in standup comedy, it becomes a matter of condensing it into as few words as possible, even leave some things out - because on TV or in the cinema, there is no rewind or pause button.

The long sentence with the heart-shaped light shining through between the two heads leaning towards each other, could perhaps be broken up into two shorter sequences for easier digestion?

Great effort all in all, I've tried subtitling myself before, and know it must have taken you a fair bit of time to do that sequence... Do you use Subtitle workshop or some other type of software?

thanks meadish,

you're certainly quick off the mark. i appreciate the comments about where i can improve the reader-friendliness of the subtitles. in doing this video, i already found myself cutting down on information but, as you said, i may need to go further still. what do you think about punctuating subtitles? i guess i need to sit down and carefully watch a few subtitled movies to observe the conventions.

it took a while to understand the program controls (yes, Subtitle Workshop), then an hour or so for the actual subtitles, and then something like six hours (!) to work out how to actually imprint the subtitles on a video for youtube. lots of software dead ends. if anyone else is going to try this, i'd be happy to share the technique which eventually worked for me.

thanks again meadish

[katana]

aanon

Your Thai seems very proficient on the music vids as well (เดือนเพ็ญ).

Nicely done!

[aanon]

aanon

Your Thai seems very proficient on the music vids as well (เดือนเพ็ญ).

Nicely done!

Many thanks katana

[aanon]

Finally worked out how to add the video!

[siamesekitty]

ROTFLMAO!

i remember this video! from waaaayyyy back! (looks a lot older now :-P)

great translation!

[aanon]

ROTFLMAO!

i remember this video! from waaaayyyy back! (looks a lot older now :-P)

great translation!

hehehe...the film does look a bit dated now (or is it the white pants?), and note himself looks a little different these days too. strangely, i've barely changed myself at all in the intervening years . when do you think this show was done? 95? 96?

all the best.