Which translation is more correct, the dubbing or subtitle? [duplicate]

This is a sort of follow up to Why do translated subtitles differ from the dubbed voice?

While the above question discusses why the subtitles and dub are different, they don't answer the question of which is more accurate.

I prefer to watch the movie in the original language with subtitles but I've found (when both are on) that sometimes even the meaning of what's said is completely different.

e.g.

In this line from Spirited Away, the subtitle says "No, but I know it's very precious" but the line spoken is "Yes, it's the gold seal you were looking for".

In this one, the subtitle is "You felt fine while you held it?" but the line spoken is, "He sliced me in two, you know, and I'm still angry!" which is a complete departure in meaning.

But I'd like to think if watching in the original language that the subtitle is correct. Is this the case? Do subtitlers generally stick to the original dialogue and the dubbers play a little looser to match the faces and mouths?

dubbing subtitles

Best Answer

Watching movies in different languages that I can understand, more or less, my point of view (I watch movies that are not in my native language with subs, with my girlfriend who speaks something else, therefore we put subs even when watching a movie in my language :)

First the differences

subtitles often are shorter than the actual dialogue, because the viewers must read them, and sometimes a lot is said - it's kind of summarized
dubbing must stick as much as possible to the actors lips, therefore they have to change the real translation to match that

But there are other differences not directly linked to the dialogue and language: most of the time, in any language, dubbing - while pretty accurate semantically - loses a ton in the "acting" department ; "dubbers" do say what they have to say, but comparing the original and the dubbed version, usually the latter lacks a lot of the original expressions, tone, intensity... basically the "emotional" message said is pretty different. (exception note: some older movies have great dubbing)

So that's a (big) +1 for subs.

Another difference I noticed is that while the dubbing is (usually) closer to the actual dialogue in terms of phrase length, they tend to "smooth" the language. For instance, in English, the "f*" word appears in the subs, but is not correctly translated in the dubbing, which is softer. Same for other slang words.

Another +1 for subs.

The +1 for dubbing is that you can keep your eyes on the movie... (I remember someone (American) talking about the movie "Amelie". He said "that's a nice movie, but I didn't know what is better, watch the movie (and miss dialogue) or read subtitles").

So to answer your question more directly, I'd say that in terms of contents dubbing is probably closer to the actual translation (phrase length) but you miss many other things that make this positive aspect not so ideal (this is the reason I mentioned the differences).

And subs care less about making the dialogue "softer", and stick more to the original script. They're "compressed" but probably closer to the slang-level of the original dialogue.

Nothing is perfect when you don't understand the original language.

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Are subtitles more accurate than dubbing?

The final positive for subtitles is that they're usually more accurate to the original script. That's because dubs tend to alter the script to try to have the audio match the mouth movements. With subtitles, you're enjoying a mostly unfiltered experience.

What is the difference between subtitling and dubbing?

Subtitling means putting a written translation of spoken dialogue on screen, simultaneously with the audio. Take a look at our blog post on subtitling for some examples. Often confused with voiceover, dubbing translation means replacing the spoken dialogue with \u2014 in most cases \u2014 a simultaneous spoken translation.

Why do subtitles and dubbing not match?

There are companies that specialize in dubbing and there are companies that specialize in subbing. There is no reason to think that they collaborate. Note that often even the subtitles in the original language differ from what is actually spoken on screen!

What are the advantages and disadvantages of subtitling in comparison with dubbing?

The difference in costs, however, is huge: subtitling is 10\u201315 times cheaper than dubbing (Luyken et al., 1991). In most of the cases, subtitling is also faster than dubbing. This 'time-and-money' advantage of subtitling is mainly important for producers of programmes.

Voice Over vs. Dubbing vs. Subtitling

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