Speech that is not in the main language
Most programs are not entirely in one language. A character may sing a lullaby, quote a proverb, greet someone in a different tongue, or read a sign aloud. A documentary may include an interview that was already translated, and a drama set among immigrants may switch between languages in the middle of a conversation. Each case poses the same question: does the viewer need to understand these words, and if so, how should the subtitle present them? The general term for these cases is untranslated speech, meaning anything spoken or sung that the subtitles leave in its original language, or that the main subtitle track does not render.
Does the viewer need to understand it?
The first test is purpose. Writers and directors often use another language for a reason, and the right subtitle depends on what that reason is.
- Meaning matters. If the words carry plot information, the viewer needs a translation.
- Atmosphere matters. If the point is to establish a place or culture, a few untranslated words may be enough, and translating everything could spoil the effect.
- Confusion is the point. In some scenes the audience is meant to feel as lost as a character who does not understand what is being said. Subtitling every word would remove that feeling.
- The word is already familiar. Borrowed words such as common greetings or food names may be known to the audience and need no explanation.
When it is not clear what the producers intended, the translator or project editor should ask. Guessing can change the effect of a scene.
Songs and lyrics
Songs raise extra points because the words are sung to a rhythm and a melody, and because a subtitle may compete with the music for attention.
Whether to translate. In a musical, the lyrics usually advance the story and should be subtitled. For background music in a restaurant scene, translating the lyrics may distract from the dialogue, and a simple mention of the music is often enough. The related idea of non-speech information covers how music is described for viewers who cannot hear it, for example with a short label indicating that a song is playing.
Marking song text. Many style guides mark lyrics so they are easy to tell from speech. Common methods are italics or a musical note symbol at the start and end of lines. Conventions vary between companies and countries, so a project should follow its own style guidelines. Subtitle punctuation and the use of italics are discussed elsewhere on this site.
Keeping a rhythm. Lyrics are often short lines that rhyme. A translation may sacrifice the rhyme in favor of meaning, or may try to keep some of the poetic feel. The right balance depends on whether the song is a showpiece in its own right or incidental.
Timing to the music. A subtitle should usually appear when the line is sung, not before, so that the viewer follows along with the singer. Subtitles for song lines often stay on screen a little differently from speech because the rhythm is set by the music, not by normal speaking pace.
Permissions. Lyrics and poems are often protected by copyright, and translated lyrics may also need permission. This is a legal question that varies by country, and anyone unsure should ask the rights holder or a qualified professional. The wider role of music in media is touched on in the discussion of song lyrics for the music industry.
Quotations, titles and set phrases
When a character quotes a poem, a prayer, a proverb or a line from another film, the translator has to decide whether the quote is recognizable to the target audience. If it is a known text with an established translation, using that wording can help, though translators should check that a text really is as well known as assumed. If the quote is obscure, a plain, accurate rendering of the meaning usually works better than a poetic attempt that may distort the original.
Titles of works are another case. A book or film title may have a different official name in the target country. A translator can look this up, but if the correct form is unknown it is better to translate descriptively than to invent an official-sounding title.
Words kept in the original language
Sometimes a subtitle keeps a foreign word on purpose. Examples include a food name, a term of respect, a place name or a word with no neat equivalent. Keeping the word gives flavor and avoids a clumsy gloss, as long as viewers can work out the meaning from context.
When such a word is kept, a few habits help:
- Treat it the same way every time within a project. A project term glossary is a convenient place to record which words stay foreign.
- Mark it consistently, for example in italics, if the style guide calls for that.
- Check spelling carefully, including accents and special characters, since errors in unfamiliar words are easy to miss. A badly saved file can also damage these characters, a problem described in character encoding.
- Verify names and terms with a reliable source before finalizing.
Foreign speech in the source language
A common situation is a program in which most speech is in the main language but a few lines are in another. There are three typical solutions.
- Subtitle the foreign lines as normal. The viewer sees a translation in the same style as the rest.
- Use a short label. A bracketed note such as [speaking in Spanish] tells hearing-impaired viewers what is happening when the content is not translated. Labels like these are a form of non-speech information.
- Leave it unmarked. Used when the production wants the audience to experience the scene without help.
For viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, leaving a spoken line entirely unmarked can mean they cannot tell that anything was said at all, so labels are generally considered good practice when a language change would otherwise go unexplained. Some projects use two different styles, one for subtitles meant for translation and one for captions meant for accessibility.
Learners and mixed audiences
Viewers watching with subtitles to practice a language may want to see foreign words written out, and a note or label can help them. This overlaps with language learning, though subtitles on mainstream programs are not designed as teaching tools. When the target audience includes people who speak both languages, a translator may avoid explaining things that are obvious to them.
Checking the result
A final check on these passages should be done by someone who reads the relevant languages. A reviewer should look at whether the lyrics and quotes are accurate, whether the marks are consistent, and whether anything left untranslated might confuse the intended viewers. Automated tools can mishear singing and foreign words especially often, so any automated draft needs a careful human pass.