So when did they abandon the "Doc Zimmerman" name for the EMH?

[Lynx]

I remember that because it was odd watching reruns and the closed captioning in the early episodes saying "Zimmerman: Sickbay to Bridge" or something like that

I remember that as well. Just recently within the last year or so too. However, I just watched the first 5 episodes on P+ and it didn't happen so they may have fixed it now.

I have Swedish subtitles on my DVDs but I prefer to listen to the spoken English because the translations in the subtitkles are too short and many times incorrect or badly translated. In recent years, I've totally skipped the subtitles.

I've never seen the name Zimmernan shoa up for The Doctor. The only time I've seen the name Zimmerman show up are when the tecnichian Lewis Zimmerman is mentioned, like in the episodes Projections and The Swarm.

For example, they have problems with translating US military ranks because the ranks in European countries can be somewhat different. Therefore there are a lot of differences between how such things are translated in TNG, DS9 and VOY. Janeway for example is mostly referred to as "Chief".

Some names and places are mis-spelled in some episodes, such as "Haced Konia" instead of Haakonia and "Wix Aban" instead of Wixiban. Obviously the translators have no knowledge at all when it comes to Star Trek and haven't bother to read the names of characters and places.

The most funny thing I saw which still makes me laugh is in the episode Lifesigns when kes has noticed that The Doctor is somewtag distracted and The Doctor tells her that the holo-copy of Denara Pel has that effect on him, especially when her program istn't active.

Then Kes says: "So why don't you activate her?"

The funny thing is that the translator has translated "activated" with a term which actually is the same as "switch on" but in Swedish slang can be used as a word for..............well, a four-letter word for sexual intercourse.

I still laugh when I watch that episode, especially if I have the subtexts turned on!

 

[at Quark's]

I have Swedish subtitles on my DVDs but I prefer to listen to the spoken English because the translations in the subtitkles are too short and many times incorrect or badly translated. In recent years, I've totally skipped the subtitles.

I think that's more generally the case with subtitles. You have to show them long enough so that they don't go too fast for the slower readers, and you can't make the font too small either. In many cases this means that no full, proper translation can be given, but they'll have to focus on the core of what's being said, omitting the nuances or details. (Add to that those bad translations you mention <- possibly the result of translators doing the job under time pressure, not really into the show themselves, or perhaps even (uncorrected) AI -assisted translations these days).

 

[Parallaxis]

Then Kes says: "So why don't you activate her?"

The funny thing is that the translator has translated "activated" with a term which actually is the same as "switch on" but in Swedish slang can be used as a word for..............well, a four-letter word for sexual intercourse.

Well... maybe not technically wrong. I guess Kes could have meant that...

 

[at Quark's]

Then Kes says: "So why don't you activate her?"

The funny thing is that the translator has translated "activated" with a term which actually is the same as "switch on" but in Swedish slang can be used as a word for..............well, a four-letter word for sexual intercourse.

I still laugh when I watch that episode, especially if I have the subtexts turned on!

A famous dubbing error from Germany: (TNG- remember me)

Beverly: Computer, what's that mist that I am seeing?
German dub: Computer, was ist das für ein Mist, den ich da sehe?
(Translation of dub into English): Computer, what kind of crap do I see over there?
(basic meaning of German 'Mist' is dung or manure)

Youtube of fragment.

(I've also seen many errors in subtitling in my own native language (Dutch), for example translating 'warp speed' into something equivalent to angular velocity - I guess the translator wasn't a Star Trek fan), but nothing quite like the example above.

 

[NCC-73515]

That line always cracks up my brother
I think it was intentional though, to fit the mouth movements.
INS was worse: Instead of translating Ru'afos "very well!" as the appropriate "Also schön" or something similar, they had him actually say that it's very good. And the broadband covariant signal kept covariant with English pronunciation
Not to mention Dagger of the Mind and The Galileo Seven turning into The Central Nervous System Manipulator and Emergency Landing on Galileo Seven, like it's the planet, not the shuttle

 

[Lynx]

I think that's more generally the case with subtitles. You have to show them long enough so that they don't go too fast for the slower readers, and you can't make the font too small either. In many cases this means that no full, proper translation can be given, but they'll have to focus on the core of what's being said, omitting the nuances or details. (Add to that those bad translations you mention <- possibly the result of translators doing the job under time pressure, not really into the show themselves, or perhaps even (uncorrected) AI -assisted translations these days).

That's true. Even English subtitles (which I activate if I'm up late with low volume on the TV to not disturb the neighbors) sometimes miss important things in the spoken text.

But still, it's no excuse for such sloppy translations.

Well... maybe not technically wrong. I guess Kes could have meant that...

A famous dubbing error from Germany: (TNG- remember me)

Beverly: Computer, what's that mist that I am seeing?
German dub: Computer, was ist das für ein Mist, den ich da sehe?
(Translation of dub into English): Computer, what kind of crap do I see over there?
(basic meaning of German 'Mist' is dung or manure)

Youtube of fragment.

(I've also seen many errors in subtitling in my own native language (Dutch), for example translating 'warp speed' into something equivalent to angular velocity - I guess the translator wasn't a Star Trek fan), but nothing quite like the example above.

That line always cracks up my brother
I think it was intentional though, to fit the mouth movements.
INS was worse: Instead of translating Ru'afos "very well!" as the appropriate "Also schön" or something similar, they had him actually say that it's very good. And the broadband covariant signal kept covariant with English pronunciation
Not to mention Dagger of the Mind and The Galileo Seven turning into The Central Nervous System Manipulator and Emergency Landing on Galileo Seven, like it's the planet, not the shuttle

Not to mention that you Germans have to stand overdubbing too.

Anyway, it's obvious that errors are to find in more places than the Scandinavian countries.

Another problem with the Swedish subtexts is the use of the word "changelings" in DS9.

"Shape-shifter" is correctly translated but every time the word "changeling" shows up, the Swedish subtext has a word for a child who hads been given to the wrong parents by mistake after birth in a hospital.

 

[Tosk]

the Swedish subtext has a word for a child who hads been given to the wrong parents by mistake after birth in a hospital.

Is that not a changeling? (I know the word traditionally is used in a supernatural context, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it used for real-life cases too.)

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I imagine so, but I can see why it would be confusing. In context, Odo was not switched at birth.

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, I've always found it a bit odd when works of fiction use "changeling" to mean "shapeshifter" rather than "fairy substituted for a human baby." Not just Trek, but the Teen Titans when Beast Boy changed his superhero name to Changeling. Maybe one other thing I've seen did it too, but I forget what it was.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I suppose they associate it with "change" as in metamorphosis, rather than "(ex)change(d)ling".

 

[Christopher]

I suppose they associate it with "change" as in metamorphosis, rather than "(ex)change(d)ling".

Well, yes, the why is self-evident; it's just odd to see when you're familiar with the original meaning of the word.

 

[Lynx]

Is that not a changeling? (I know the word traditionally is used in a supernatural context, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it used for real-life cases too.)

You're right there.

But in Swedish, the word for "changeling" for a shapeshifter becomes more distinct. Like "traded goods" or "fairy substituted for a human baby." as Christopher write in his post above.

Personally I don't think it fits the description of one of those Founders and shapeshifters. I would have used the term "shapeshifter" all the way instead.

I've been dabbling with translatings of texts from time to time and discovered how difficult it can be. Some words in English comes out totally wrong when trying to translate it into a Scandinavian language.

 

[NCC-73515]

Is that not a changeling? (I know the word traditionally is used in a supernatural context, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it used for real-life cases too.)

In German as well, and it's pretty silly to hear the powerful founders of the Dominion called switch-kids all the time

 

[at Quark's]

You're right there.

But in Swedish, the word for "changeling" for a shapeshifter becomes more distinct. Like "traded goods" or "fairy substituted for a human baby." as Christopher write in his post above.

Personally I don't think it fits the description of one of those Founders and shapeshifters. I would have used the term "shapeshifter" all the way instead.

I've been dabbling with translatings of texts from time to time and discovered how difficult it can be. Some words in English comes out totally wrong when trying to translate it into a Scandinavian language.

I've always assumed the 'changeling' term came from the 'he may look like us, he may live among us, but he isn't truly one of us, he's something else entirely, and we don't know what' sentiment. People seemed very suspicious of Odo in early DS9, after all (e.g. A Man Alone, even though of course it didn't help someone tried to frame him for murder there).