Fansubs, Translation, Editing, Common No-No
This is actually a rather random thing to discuss, but here goes: Subbing quality on Asian dramas, movies, etc.
Let me preface what I have to say with a bit of a... disclaimer of sorts. I, of course, respect that people who do fansubbing are doing hard work, without receiving compensation. Even having studied Japanese for nearly three years, without fansubbing, I still would not really know what is going on in my favorite shows. I do not have a right to ask for perfection; I am not doing subbing work myself, rely on them to provide me with subs, and am perfectly aware that everyone makes spelling errors or grammar errors. Part of why I am discussing this here, rather than commenting on a fansub groups site--if that's even possible?--is because I am aware of this.
However, I do believe there exists a difference between errors that occur here and there, and consistent errors that, regardless of the target quality of the fansub, must be corrected. Generally speaking, if I find that several forms are always mixed together and never used correctly, I consider this not only detrimental to the quality of one's work, but a potentially misleading use of the English language. Fansubbers may one day be employed in professional subbing or translation work. (In this way, I actually wish to address quality control in writted translation such as manga as well.) Therefore, it is disappointing but not surprising fact that I find these errors in professional translation as well--though, fortunately, less often. Here is a rundown of the most common--and frankly, most annoying--errors that I find:
-there/their/they're= 'there' is directional, or used in phrases such as "there is a car". 'their' is a plural possessive, used only in phrases such as "their potential is high" or "their relationship is good". 'they're' is a contraction of 'they are' to be used in phrases such as "they're annoying". Even if one is in a hurry and producing work without using commas, 'they're' could still never be "there"; it would be better shortened to "theyre".
-your/you're= 'your' is the second person possessive, as in "your cat hates me". 'you're' is the contraction of 'you are' as in "you're driving me bonkers". Even if one does not bother with commas, 'you're' is still "youre" not "your".
-its/it's= contrary to one's instincts about 's being the possessive, when it comes to 'it's'/'its', "it's" is a contraction of "it is", while "its" is the possessive, meaning "its tail is broken". Only if one had decided to leave commas out could one write "its" for "it's", and even then, this causes unnecessary error.
-were/we're= I suspect this is generally a case of people not bothering to use a comma, but since "we're" and "were" are pronounced quite differently in English, it would be better to just use the commas. In case there genuinely is some confusion, "we're" is a contraction of "we are" and "were" is the past tense of "are/to be/ is" or used in certain hypothetical phrases "I wish I were a movie star" not " I wish I was a movie star."
-till/'til= Perhaps this one has become acceptable in the eyes of professionals; people almost ALWAYS use "till" where " 'til" belongs. " 'til" is a contraction of "until"; "till" with two 'L's should not be seen as the same thing. It is the spelling used in "till the ground" or as a word for a cash register.
-to/too= I understand why this mistake is so common. It can happen as much from a mistype as anything else, and I mess it up in writing all the time. However, if your fansub group has an editor, it should also be really easy to catch. 'to' is directional, or the beginning of the English infinitive: "to drive to the store". "too" is used in phrases such as "I want to go to the store too".
-too/either/neither= In a dialogue such as "I want to go to the store", someone might reply "me too." or "I want to go too." However, in a phrase such as "I don't won't to go to the store", the reply would more naturally have something like "Neither do I", "Me, neither" or "I don't want to either". The first form is more formal, the other two more colloquial. This one's a bit tricky because many English speakers don't use it clearly either. However, 'too' is not to be used in negative phrases.
There are other ones that are not as eyecatching as these, but there above forms are the ones that could, with practice, become fairly easy to keep straight. If you're an editor, you should be checking for this much at the least. For those who are basically one- or two-man shows, of course, more errors in this area can be expected. I know that, even with proofreading, I mess things up all the time.
If there should happen to be anyone who finds my opinion troublesome, please keep in mind that these are simply recommendations. If I ever have the opportunity to work in such a group, I would likely wish to do proofreading, as my strengths in technological pursuits and in listening comp are not very high. As such, I respect the work done and really only make this comments because I truly enjoy the English language
Let me preface what I have to say with a bit of a... disclaimer of sorts. I, of course, respect that people who do fansubbing are doing hard work, without receiving compensation. Even having studied Japanese for nearly three years, without fansubbing, I still would not really know what is going on in my favorite shows. I do not have a right to ask for perfection; I am not doing subbing work myself, rely on them to provide me with subs, and am perfectly aware that everyone makes spelling errors or grammar errors. Part of why I am discussing this here, rather than commenting on a fansub groups site--if that's even possible?--is because I am aware of this.
However, I do believe there exists a difference between errors that occur here and there, and consistent errors that, regardless of the target quality of the fansub, must be corrected. Generally speaking, if I find that several forms are always mixed together and never used correctly, I consider this not only detrimental to the quality of one's work, but a potentially misleading use of the English language. Fansubbers may one day be employed in professional subbing or translation work. (In this way, I actually wish to address quality control in writted translation such as manga as well.) Therefore, it is disappointing but not surprising fact that I find these errors in professional translation as well--though, fortunately, less often. Here is a rundown of the most common--and frankly, most annoying--errors that I find:
-there/their/they're= 'there' is directional, or used in phrases such as "there is a car". 'their' is a plural possessive, used only in phrases such as "their potential is high" or "their relationship is good". 'they're' is a contraction of 'they are' to be used in phrases such as "they're annoying". Even if one is in a hurry and producing work without using commas, 'they're' could still never be "there"; it would be better shortened to "theyre".
-your/you're= 'your' is the second person possessive, as in "your cat hates me". 'you're' is the contraction of 'you are' as in "you're driving me bonkers". Even if one does not bother with commas, 'you're' is still "youre" not "your".
-its/it's= contrary to one's instincts about 's being the possessive, when it comes to 'it's'/'its', "it's" is a contraction of "it is", while "its" is the possessive, meaning "its tail is broken". Only if one had decided to leave commas out could one write "its" for "it's", and even then, this causes unnecessary error.
-were/we're= I suspect this is generally a case of people not bothering to use a comma, but since "we're" and "were" are pronounced quite differently in English, it would be better to just use the commas. In case there genuinely is some confusion, "we're" is a contraction of "we are" and "were" is the past tense of "are/to be/ is" or used in certain hypothetical phrases "I wish I were a movie star" not " I wish I was a movie star."
-till/'til= Perhaps this one has become acceptable in the eyes of professionals; people almost ALWAYS use "till" where " 'til" belongs. " 'til" is a contraction of "until"; "till" with two 'L's should not be seen as the same thing. It is the spelling used in "till the ground" or as a word for a cash register.
-to/too= I understand why this mistake is so common. It can happen as much from a mistype as anything else, and I mess it up in writing all the time. However, if your fansub group has an editor, it should also be really easy to catch. 'to' is directional, or the beginning of the English infinitive: "to drive to the store". "too" is used in phrases such as "I want to go to the store too".
-too/either/neither= In a dialogue such as "I want to go to the store", someone might reply "me too." or "I want to go too." However, in a phrase such as "I don't won't to go to the store", the reply would more naturally have something like "Neither do I", "Me, neither" or "I don't want to either". The first form is more formal, the other two more colloquial. This one's a bit tricky because many English speakers don't use it clearly either. However, 'too' is not to be used in negative phrases.
There are other ones that are not as eyecatching as these, but there above forms are the ones that could, with practice, become fairly easy to keep straight. If you're an editor, you should be checking for this much at the least. For those who are basically one- or two-man shows, of course, more errors in this area can be expected. I know that, even with proofreading, I mess things up all the time.
If there should happen to be anyone who finds my opinion troublesome, please keep in mind that these are simply recommendations. If I ever have the opportunity to work in such a group, I would likely wish to do proofreading, as my strengths in technological pursuits and in listening comp are not very high. As such, I respect the work done and really only make this comments because I truly enjoy the English language