Subtitling question

[solo]

I read a really interesting sub-thread in a convo I can't find again now, but as somebody who's very interested in language, it made me think.

So far in the subtitling, I've privileged English over Chinese because I want stuff to be accessible to people like me, who don't know any Chinese. But even as I get more used to it I become more aware of the nuances and with that, the difficulty of choosing the right words/things to do.

So. Until now, I've always translated 'lao' as 'old' and 'xiao' as 'little'.

But I'm really and truly easy on this - no solution is ever perfect, and I can do a search-replace easily.

Only one question really because the rest will follow.

Poll #21652

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 32

View Respondents

Lao Chu or Old Chu?

View Answers

Lao Chu
22 (68.8%)

Old Chu
7 (21.9%)

other and I will make your life even more complicated with my comment but it's totally worth it
3 (9.4%)

*note I'm not going to turn Zhao Yunlan's 'Hei Lao Ge' into 'Lao Bro Black', that is a step too far into madness for me, and I want people to get the flavour of this thing and also, I'm ultimately doing the subs for me and I like the 'Old Bro Black'.**

**and also, also, it's softsubs so anyone who hates it can change it easily if they care enough.

Comments

[mecurtin]

Yes, yes! It can be size, power, respect OR age, e.g. big brother.

[solo]

But doesn't Big Brother sound like... Big Brother? Like, isn't that term now reserved for the Orwell thing?

[teaotter]

I've referred to my older brother as Big Brother. Generally to his face and when I'm asking for something, but that's kind of what we're talking about here anyway. No one thinks I'm referencing Orwell.

[mecurtin]

Only when both are in caps, and only sometimes! When talking to or about your older male sibling, it's almost always "my big brother". And there's a well-known charitable organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters.