Cinescape.com has a short article online in which Andy Serkis (Gollum) comments on a scene from The Two Towers that got cut and will probably appear in Return of the King. Paul sent in the link.. [More]
Month: January 2003
This story still isn’t over, apparently: I’ve received a lot of emails telling me that the explanation the Japanese distributors offered about their subtitling process is not as good or new as they implied. The Japanese LOTR fan base may not be large [yet!] but they are discerning. What they’ve seen so far in the TTT trailer has alarmed them, as already it appears no better than the weirdly-subtitled FOTR. [More]
OK, this is an endless can of worms, and feelings are running high. MANY Japanese fans have written to say that the explanation offered by Nipon Herald. Inc regarding their process in translating/subtitling the LOTR films is not as positive as it implies. They say nothing has changed; the cross-checking that Nippon Herald claim will improve TTT apparently existed before, and the results were still bad. I’m posting this letter as a representative sample of what we’ve received on this topic.
“I am Bunnyfoot in Japan and am writing to you for the first time. I subscribe TheOneRingNet maling list, which I always enjoy reading.
“Perhaps you are a bit weary of hearing each updated situation about the subtitles of LOTR films in Japan. Please let me have your patience for a while.
“Having read the two letters in defense of the Japanese subtitler Natsuko Toda in Dec. 28 edition of TheOneRingNet, I thought it is high time I tipped off some extra info regarding the case.
“The first letter is a fairly accurate translation of what we LOTR fans in Japan saw on Christmas Day on the Web page of Nippon Herald Inc.
“The Japanese fans were at first relieved to hear that Akiko Tanaka, the co-translator of the epic novel, was to be deeply involved in preparing the subtitles for TTT. Then the Nippon Herald announcement went on to say that the TTT trailer that we have already seen and were appalled by also had gone under Tanaka’s check. The trailer subtitle is actually full of inexplicable expressions that a fan described as “a Zen dialogue,” and we are very worried if TTT may suffer from a similar setback. I already saw TTT in Hawaii last week and found that there were a lot of changes from the original novel. So I doubt whether having Tanaka translate the script and check Toda’s subtitles would be enough to make good subtitles.
“Yes, they may come up with a lot better subtitles for TTT than for FOTR, but now the argument has come down to the point that, unless we have someone else other than Toda to do the job, it’s going to be like that we pay money to check subtitles, not to appreciate the film.
“The second letter on the same page, the one from Shiots, is a bit more controversial because he is right to a certain extent. As he says, Natsuko Toda is definitely the best-known subtitler in Japan, who boasts she can prepare the subtitle of a film in just one week (which she said she did with FOTR as well). [eeeek! -Tehanu] Yet she is also known for having made many unprofessional mistakes in the past (* See below) although it did not cause furor among the audiences until FOTR was released here. This is perhaps because LOTR fans are, er, a bit more sensitive about the story and the film they are in love with than ordinary moviegoers.
“But I think all this is a good step for the improvement of the antiquated movie industry in Japan. Toda was perhaps the best for a long time, but her days are now probably limited or over. After all she has been never good translating fantasy or sci-fi films.
“Shiots writes, “unless a huge Japanese Tolkien fan steps up and offers to translate the movie for her, she is the most capable person for the job.” He probably does not know that a number of fans, including some professional translaters, already made timed subtitles for FOTR on their Web sites, and some even offered their hands to Nippon Herald, Inc.
“I hate to act like a telltaler, but really the fans would have been a lot happier if Nippon Herald acted more quickly to explain the situation even if they would stick to using Toda.
“Best wishes for New Year, and sorry for my bad English writing.”
– Bunnyfoot
“*Toda’s mistakes are many but here I write a few of the most recent ones. In “Gosford Park,” she translated Welsh rarebit as “rabbit”, which a vegitarian person orders instead of poultry in a restaurant. In “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret,” she mixed up Muggle and Mugblood at a crucial scene, which has reportedly onfused many in the audience. When the FOTR cast came to Japan for promoting the movie earlier this year, Toda acted as their translator. Orlando Bloom was asked what other character he would like to play in LOTR, and he replied, “Saruman,” which Toda tranalated as “Solomon.” No wonder the fans who understood English were left aghast. It was after she prepared the FOTR subtitles.”
Jeremy sent us links to some sites that tell us more about the beautiful instrument that plays the main Rohan theme. Various people have corrected my correction of the spelling: according to Norwegians and folk music specialists, it IS called ‘Hardanger fiddle,’ but is mis-spelled on the TTT soundtrack CD. [More]
I’ve been away for a week, but I’m not one to let an interesting subject drop. So here’s more on the fiddle that plays that haunting ‘Rohan’ theme that we hear as the camera pans over the roofs of Edoras. Meanwhile, this came in from Jeremy:
“Howdy there Ringers–
“I’m not sure where “Kereah” and other’s who wrote in and told you about the “Hardinger” fiddle were getting their information from, [they were getting it from the TTT Soundtrack sleeve notes, but I’ve been informed by others that the name of the fiddle is mis-spelled there – Tehanu] but as a long time fan of Scandinavian folk, I can assure you that its a “Hardanger” fiddle, at least in English. In Norwegian, it is referred to as the “hardingfele,” but is universally translated (as far as I’ve ever heard) as “Hardanger”. [It’s the name of a place in Norway, I was further told – T]
“Check out this awesome Hardanger compellation from Northside Records, the primary publishers of traditional Scandinavian music in the U.S.: Noside.com Also, I suggest anything by Annbjørg Lien, an amazing Norwegian fiddler that mostly plays the Hardanger, and plays in both very traditional and fusion styles. She is a true Goddess.
“The Hardanger fiddle, considered the national instrument of Norway (although occasionally played in Sweden and elsewhere), is different from the modern violin in several ways, most notably in its flatter, “Renaissance” style fingerboard (and right-angle neck), and in the row of strings that run underneath the fingerboard, that vibrate sympathetically when the melody strings are played, giving the Hardanger its distinctively stirring, drone-y sound. For more information on the Hardanger, check out this page on the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America’s website I’d love to see the remarkable Rohan theme make Hardanger fans of many LOTR fans.”
Tom Shippey, one of the foremost Tolkien scholars in the world today, wrote a thoughtful article which appears in the National Post. [More] He makes some observations on how the films compare to the books.