Fuzzy little foreign language

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  • Fuzzy little foreign language

    Hi,

    Please help a newbie with a question on form. I'm writing a scene where an interpreter acts as a translator for a conversation. Since the dialog takes sharp turns between English and Spanish, I'm using the parenthetical "(In Spanish)" for each line in Spanish. This seems to take up way too much space. In fact, it has the look of padding for length to my amateur eye.

    Anybody have any ideas on how to break this up?

    Thanks in advance,

    Frank

  • #2
    I'm pretty sure (in Spanish) works all right, but if you don't like the way it looks, you can write the lines in Spanish. They are translated by your other character. Also, and I don't know about this, but you might be able to just note outside the dialog that a certain character speaks all his/her lines in Spanish.

    I've always just made certain that my characters speak languages that I can read and write, and write their dialog in that language, making certain that it's understandable in context (usually as an expletive, which I'm sure you're not doing). So maybe someone with more experience doing what you have in mind will chime in ... I hope.

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    • #3
      I read a section of a script that did well in a couple of contests where a number of lines were in Chinese.

      Before the FADE IN: there was this line -- (Note: < > = dialogue in Chinese).

      Then the actual use was like this:

      LI
      <You are crazy.>

      One possible neat and tidy way to do it.

      Ichiro

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      • #4
        <foreign-language dialogue is indicated inside angle brackets>

        Yeah, great idea! That seems like a really good way to handle <!--EZCODE UNDERLINE START-->extensive<!--EZCODE UNDERLINE END--> use of a foreign language.

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        • #5
          Thanks for the advise, guys. It just looks cumbersome the way it is now.

          Comment


          • #6
            one problem i see if you do go ahead with inserting the foreign language in the <>, is having to write the same lines for the translator:

            SPANIARD
            <You are a dirty mongrel.>

            TRANSLATOR
            You are a dirty mongrel.

            DETECTIVE
            Well you're a cantaloupe!

            so if it were i, i'd simply go with:

            SPANIARD
            (speaks rudely)

            TRANSLATOR
            You are a dirty mongrel.

            DETECTIVE
            Well you're an eggplant!

            Comment


            • #7
              Dialogue in translation

              I agree with StrangeMind (not that he needs my support, but...)

              Assume that the audience only understands the primary language of the film -- in this case, English. You want the screenplay to tell/show exactly what the audience is going to understand. So if you're going to have the Spanish dialogue subtitled, make sure the Spanish dialogue is rendered in English in the screenplay. But if the Spanish is going to be translated into English right there on the screen, then just use vague terms to describe the Spanish dialogue and give the interpreter the direct translation.

              The exception to this would be if you want to show a discrepancy between the original and the translation.

              GARCIA
              (in Spanish)
              You're a mongrel.

              INTERPRETER
              You have a diverse background.

              GARCIA
              (in Spanish)
              Go screw a donkey.

              INTERPRETER
              You are renowned for your expertise in animal husbandry.


              Nathan

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              • #8
                Re: Dialogue in translation

                heh heh heh

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