BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Sherlock dubbed versions

tobeornot221b · February 28, 2013 7:56 pm

Mary Me wrote:
Okay, that would be a better translation imo, but I assume it wouldn't match the lips. Difficult thing.

As for matching the lips: Anthea's "bye" became a German "Wiedersehn"...

Mary Me · February 28, 2013 8:00 pm

tobeornot221b wrote:
Mary Me wrote:
Okay, that would be a better translation imo, but I assume it wouldn't match the lips. Difficult thing.
As for matching the lips: Anthea's "bye" became a German "Wiedersehn"...

Makes sense

SusiGo · February 28, 2013 8:02 pm

Someone once called translators (of written texts) "lovers of the impossible". Quite a good comparison IMO. Of course there are bad translators who make me angry as hell but … it's a difficult job and every translation can only be an approach to the original. And to translate words that have to be matched with lip movements is even more difficult.
I prefer the original as well but there are a lot of people who would understand even less of the brilliance if they watched it in English.

QuiteExtraordinary · February 28, 2013 8:26 pm

Imagine the complaints if they suddenly started to show only original versions with subtitles on TV.

SusiGo · February 28, 2013 8:32 pm

Yes. I think it would be nice if more people in Germany watched the original versions like they do e.g. in the Netherlands or Scandinavia. But it's an established system and it would take time to change it. I think they should show more films with subtitles or give you at least the technical choice which version to watch.

Mary Me · February 28, 2013 8:37 pm

When I watch with subtitles I focuse too much on them instead of on the show. So I try to avoid them as far as possible, though my comprehension skills aren't that stunning. I'd like to do an exchange year but unfortunately things aren't that easy.

SusiGo · February 28, 2013 8:49 pm

I usually watch my DVDs in English with English subtitles so I don't have to switch between languages. it's quite helpful. I must admit there are some films which are simply too much for me. One of those is "Stuart - A Life Backwards" with Benedict and Tom Hardy. I understood most of it only after having read the book because Tom's so difficult to understand as he's playing a character who's ill as well as often drugged or drunk. The same of course goes for dialect.

SolarSystem · March 19, 2014 10:53 am

So, I thought I'd dig up this thread for all the members who get the (questionable) chance to see S3 in a dubbed version. On German television they will air S3 in June, and of course it'll be dubbed. I'm sure we have members from other countries as well where a dubbed version is shown - I'd really be interested how they do the dubbing in other countries, is it good, bad, okay, the biggest sin ever...?

Well, of course with Benedict's fantastic voice, every attempt at dubbing will have to fail.
Still, I'm looking foward to the dubbed version, because it's always fascinating to see what they'll come up with in certain scenes. Some dialogue is just... interesting.

For example, I can't wait to hear if they will keep Sherlock's "Hudders" in and how that short scene on the stairs with John will work - not to mention John asking Sherlock to be his best man.
As for the scene on the stairs: I love Sherlock's "Crime... somethingorother"... - "Verbrechen...irgendsowas"...?

This Is The Phantom Lady · March 19, 2014 11:33 am

I have to watch this in German sometime!

Here in Denmark the show is only shown with Danish subtitles on the telly. I have lately grown really annoyed with Danish subtitles though... There are way too many mistakes and sometimes they make the complete opposite meaning out of a sentence...

I got my DVD's from the UK and just put the subtitles on for the hard of hearing. (Mostly because of my ears and I hate when I miss words)

SolarSystem · March 19, 2014 11:55 am

Yes, Phantom, do watch it in German, just for the fun of it. I'm sure you'll find it to be totally weird.

I'd be much happier if we had subtitles in Germany, too - even if there were some mistakes in them. But everything gets dubbed here.

mrshouse · March 19, 2014 12:02 pm

I actually never found the German dubbing that bad. Tommy Morgenstern's voice sounds a bit younger and is also quite velvety. The only thing he can't do is the great boyish laughter of Bens. For example at the Buckingham palace. His laughing sounds a bit flat there. Sebastian is quite close to Martin Imo and does his high pitched giggles so adorable... Don't like Lestrades voice, though.

Pav · March 19, 2014 12:18 pm

The dubbed version in the Czech Republic is very good. I think S3 will air in May. I don't know how to say it in English but they use "du" and not "Sie"

SolarSystem wrote:
Still, I'm looking foward to the dubbed version, because it's always fascinating to see what they'll come up with in certain scenes. Some dialogue is just... interesting.
For example, I can't wait to hear if they will keep Sherlock's "Hudders" in and how that short scene on the stairs with John will work - not to mention John asking Sherlock to be his best man.

I totally agree. I will watch it because I study translation and I'm curious about many scenes. Especially puns are really hard to translate so I'm looking forward to f-cough very much

SolarSystem · March 19, 2014 1:42 pm

mrshouse wrote:
I actually never found the German dubbing that bad. Tommy Morgenstern's voice sounds a bit younger and is also quite velvety. The only thing he can't do is the great boyish laughter of Bens. For example at the Buckingham palace. His laughing sounds a bit flat there. Sebastian is quite close to Martin Imo and does his high pitched giggles so adorable... Don't like Lestrades voice, though.

Well, apart from the voices (which just will never fit completely) the main problem for me is that there are certain things that you just can't translate. Pav already mentioned puns, and in TSoT we will have the scene where John asks Sherlock to be his best man. It's not just puns there, it's that we just don't have a correspondent expression for 'best man' in German. They will have to come up with something different, and I'm not even saying that that's a bad thing. It's just that it won't be the same.

Pav wrote:
Especially puns are really hard to translate so I'm looking forward to f-cough very much

Oh yeeeeeees, that'll be something...! I really don't envy the translator, that scene will be a tough one. I guess that's one of those cases where they'll have to come up with something different - which can be funny, as well.
And I'm glad to hear that they say "Du" in your dubbed version... did they say that from the very beginning? If not, do you remember at which point they switched from "Sie" to "Du"?
We are quite curious whether or not they will stick to the "Sie" in S3...

Pav · March 19, 2014 2:38 pm

SolarSystem wrote:
If not, do you remember at which point they switched from "Sie" to "Du"?

I'm quite sure it's when Sherlock and John shake hands in front of 221B and Sherlock says "Sherlock, please". It is logical to do it at this point.

SusiGo · March 19, 2014 3:12 pm

Yes, it is! Sigh. Tell that the Germans responsible for the dubbing.

SolarSystem · March 19, 2014 3:42 pm

Oh god yes, that would have been perfect timing, it makes total sense!

gently69 · March 19, 2014 3:50 pm

Well, in Germany we missed this possibility shortly.

SusiGo · March 19, 2014 3:51 pm

There are several moments in which they could have gone for the "du". Another is IMO during the pool scene when John tells Sherlock to run away. The very, very last opportunity would have been at the graveside.

gently69 · March 19, 2014 3:55 pm

The next perfect moment is going to be in TEH at the restaurant.
JOHN: I thought ... you were dead.

Last edited by gently69 (March 19, 2014 3:56 pm)

SusiGo · March 19, 2014 4:46 pm

"Ich dachte, Sie wären tot."
And maybe John and Mary could say as well "Sie". "Sie sind das Beste, was mir hätte passieren können." "Ganz Ihrer Meinung."