Greetings and felicitations. a.k.a. Hiya!

[Teaflax]

I haven't properly introduced myself and have a full six posts to my name, so I guess it's about time, as I suspect you'll be seeing plenty more of me.

I'm a 40-year-old Swede, and I've been a Mistie since about 1997, when I lived in the US for a while (whence I met my wife, whom I have since abducted to the snowy wastes of Scandinavia). She's a semi-Mistie, having watched the show in early incarnations. Yes, she's the Joelite, and I am the Mikeist.

I'm a subtitler by trade, mostly rendering US shows into hopefully readable Swedish. I primarily do The Late Show with David Letterman, where I handle 3-4 nights a week, and have been for a while (I'm writing this while taking a break from my 399th episode, due tomorrow afternoon). I've also been bestowed the privilege of subtitling The Simpsons for the last 4,5 years. Since it's the most watched TV show in Sweden among youths and teenagers, I feel it's not only something that's fun to do (although often incrediby difficult), but actually pretty important.

In Sweden, which doesn't dub films and TV like many other European countries, subtitles are probably the texts that people read the most, so having it come out good is about more than just properly translating what's being said, but also about imparting some good Swedish to the viewer.

Occasionally, I subtitle some Swedish movies into English for festivals and DVD releases, which is a lot of fun too.

It took me a long time to finally find my vocation in subtitling. I've been doing all sorts of stuff before that, usually with language and media involved somehow, from an 8-year stint as a professional stand up comic to writing for TV and editing comic books.

Damn, that's one long description...

Ah, well, if you've read this far; kudos to you and I'll see you at the Roundtable.

[BBQ Platypus]

Official BBQ Platypus "Welcome to Insert Forum Name Here" Cookie-Cutter Form Letter:

Greetings, New Poster!  As of now, my feelings toward you are completely neutral! May they remain neutral or better for many a month, before you say something that annoys me slightly until about a week later when I forget about it! Then, may they remain neutral again!

[LadyKenobi]

You must have it MADE at cocktail parties. "I am Teaflax, subtitler of films.  I title subs." 

Welcome!

[SmilinJackRoss]

I've also been bestowed the privilege of subtitling The Simpsons for the last 4,5 years. Since it's the most watched TV show in Sweden among youths and teenagers, I feel it's not only something that's fun to do (although often incrediby difficult), but actually pretty important.

Damn right this is important! 

Your job must present you with some interesting opportunities to be creative.  I'm sure that "fo shizzle my nizzle" doesn't directly translate into Swedish very easily.

[Teaflax]

You must have it MADE at cocktail parties. "I am Teaflax, subtitler of films.  I title subs." 

Welcome!

Thankee. The line I - and most other Swedish subtitlers - get at cocktail parties is this; "Oh, so you're the one I should complain to about all the subtitling errors I've noticed?".

Although the "I christen thee Neptune!" angle isn't bad.

[Teaflax]

I'm sure that "fo shizzle my nizzle" doesn't directly translate into Swedish very easily.

You would indeed be right, Sir. And, yes, I have had to translate that - or something very much like it - several time in Letterman's Top Ten Lists. Although, that's comparatively easy; you just wing it.

The tough ones are simple concepts that just don't have a word in the language you're translating to, but require a six-word explanation that you don't have room for. Latest one on this list: frown. Maybe we Swedes are an especially pleasant people to not have a word for frown, but I doubt it. Although, we honestly don't have a word for "sane" either. Or "mind".

Go figure.

[WouTar]

I'll take your advise and will go ahead and figure.

[Teaflax]

I'll take your advise and will go ahead and figure.

Let me know when you're done.

[mrbasehart]

Welcome.  How'd the hell did you get a job subtitling? 

[Teaflax]

Welcome.  How'd the hell did you get a job subtitling? 

In Sweden, pretty much anyone who can string a sentence together can walk in and apply for the job, because of really high turnover in the business. Most Swedes under the age of fifty speak passable English, but tend to overestimate their ability quite severely, so there's never a shortage of applicants. The job is a lot harder than most people think, however, so about 75% of all who get accepted find that they cannot work fast enough to make any money and drop out within a year or two.

I'm lucky in that I have the perfect skill set to work really fast, and that's why I've stuck with it and can make a decent living.

[torgosPizza]

Latest one on this list: frown. Maybe we Swedes are an especially pleasant people...

How exactly would you explain the term "frown?" The English equivalent to your translation, of course. I'm about 50% swedish (my ancestors arrived in Minnesota in the early 1800s).. so I guess you could call it, a fond curiosity.

This has been another... USELESS FACT! (Anyone know that reference?)

[Teaflax]

How exactly would you explain the term "frown?" The English equivalent to your translation, of course. I'm about 50% swedish (my ancestors arrived in Minnesota in the early 1800s).. so I guess you could call it, a fond curiosity.

Well, explaining it and getting it to work in a subtitle are two different things, except under ideal circumstances. In this case it was something about Bush's smug grin having been replaced by a smug frown. So, the latter became "sj?lvgod bister min"; "smug grim facial expression".

Semi-interestingly, looking up "bister" just now in the Swe/Eng dictionary gives the example "se bister ut" (to look grim) which is translated as "frown".

[Pak-Man]

Useless facts = Animaniacs

[Cibernético II]

wow, that's awesome. Those are like my 2 favorite shows.


I wonder, did you tranlate those episodes of The Late Show where he showed the Newspaper that had named him "Best Non-Swedish TV Personallity" or something like that. It may have been 1 or 2 years ago. How did you Swedes feel about that one?

[Teaflax]

I wonder, did you tranlate those episodes of The Late Show where he showed the Newspaper that had named him "Best Non-Swedish TV Personallity" or something like that.

Nope, that was actually before my time, so it was a good five years ago by now. I've been doing it for about 4,5 years at this point.

How did you Swedes feel about that one?

It was a pretty big deal in the evening tabloids, one of which was the award giver - they nominated him the year after, but Dr Phil won, and he's been out of the running ever since. The show has since been shoved back from 11 PM to 1.30 AM, so viewership is way down. In fact, it probably gets more viewers on its daily 10 AM rerun now.

I'm lucky to be doing primarily shows I really enjoy watching and care about. There's nothing quite as painful as subtitling something you think is crap (like when I did a few episodes of Numb3rs, which may have an excellent cast but is one of the worst-written show on TV, something that becomes extra obvious when you have to opnder every line for translation).