Vocabulary
- 雞腸 gai1 coeng2 chicken intestine; the English language (or any foreign language with a 'chicken scratch' script)
- 名單 ming4 daan1 list of names; roster
- 瞄準 miu4 zeon2 aimed at; targeting
- 海外華人 hoi2 ngoi6 waa4 jan4 overseas Chinese
- 電檢 din6 gim2 film censorship
- 上映 soeng5 jing2 screen a movie
- 直譯 zik6 jik6 literal translation
- 貂 diu1 sable; marten
- 蟬 sim4 cicada
- 單詞 daan1 ci4 word; single word
- 音譯 jam1 jik6 transliteration
- 拼音 ping3 jam1 Romanization; Pinyin
- 放映 fong3 jing2 project a film
- 意譯 ji3 jik6 translation (of meaning, not literally); paraphrase
- 情節 cing4 zit3 plot; storyline
- 劇情 kek6 cing4 plot; storyline
- 擺烏龍 baai2 wu1 lung2 a mistake; mix-up; score an own goal
- 宣傳資料 syun1 cyun4 zi1 liu2 promotional materials
- 烏垂垂 wu1 soe2 soe4 puzzled; perplexed; muddle-headed
- 執導 zap1 dou6 direct a movie
- 導演 dou6 jin2 film director
- 荷里活 ho4 lei5 wut6 Hollywood
- 千絲萬縷 cin1 si1 maan6 leoi5 (or lau5) intricate relationship (idiom); many links
- 講故事 gong2 gu3 si6 tell a story; storytelling
- 傳奇 cyun4 kei4 (or zyun6 kei4) legend; legendary
- 英雄事跡 jing1 hung4 si6 zik1 heroic deeds
- 關連 gwaan1 lin4 related; connected
- 充滿趣味 cung1 mun5 ceoi3 mei6 full of interest; intriguing
- 意頭 ji3 tau4 good omen; auspicious sign
- 賀歲片 ho6 seoi3 pin2 Chinese New Year themed film
- 劇作 kek6 zok3 dramatic work
- 稍有不同 saau2 jau5 bat1 tung4 slightly different; not quite the same
- 大團圓結局 daai6 tyun4 jyun4 git3 guk6 happy ending
- 故事發展 gu3 si6 faat3 zin2 plot development
- 吻合 man5 hap6 to be a good fit; fit in nicely with
- 無厘頭 mou4 lei4 tau4 nonsensical; absurd; lit. "without a head"
- 文豪 man4 hou4 literary giant; great writer
- 巧妙 haau2 miu6 clever; ingenious
- 總括 zung2 kut3 summarize; sum up
- 調皮 tiu3 pei4 mischievous; naughty
- 一匹布咁長 jat1 pat1 bou3 gam3 coeng4 very long (of stories, etc.); lit. "as long as a piece of cloth")
- 貂蟬 diu1 sim4 "Diao Chan" (character in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms") a.k.a. "Sable Cicada"
- 珍珠淚 zan1 zyu1 leoi6 "Tears of Pearl" a.k.a. "Jan Gee Louie"
- 疑雲疑雨 ji4 wan4 ji4 jyu5 "Jealousy and Suspicion" a.k.a. "Yee Wan Yee Yue"
- 夕陽 zik6 joeng4 "The Setting Sun" a.k.a. "Beauty Contest"
- 今古西廂 gam1 gu2 sai1 soeng1 "The West Chamber Then and Now" a.k.a. "History Repeats Itself"
- 情人四萬萬 cing4 jan4 sei3 maan6 maan6 "Lover of the World" a.k.a. "400,000,000 Lovers"
- 黃飛鴻 wong4 fei1 hung4 "Once Upon a Time in China" a.k.a. "Wong Fei-hung"
- 家有囍事 gaa1 jau5 hei2 si6 "All's Well End's Well"
People:
- 何思穎 ho4 si1 wing6 Sam Ho (Hong Kong film expert)
- 徐克 ceoi4 hak1 Tsui Hark (film director)
- 沙治奧里昂尼 saa1 zi6 ou3 lei5 ngong4 nei4 Sergio Leone (film director)
- 莎士比亞 saa1 si6 bei2 aa3 William Shakespeare (playwright)
Dialogue
喺三十年代，香港人接觸教育嘅機會唔多。
hai2 saam1 sap6 nin4 doi6, hoeng1 gong2 jan4 zip3 zuk1 gaau3 juk6 ge3 gei1 wui6 m4 do1
In the 1930s, Hong Kong people had limited access to education.
真係雞腸外文唔識多個嗰陣，香港電影就已經有中英文戲名同工作人員名單。
zan1 hai6 gai1 coeng2 ngoi6 man4 m4 sik1 do1 go3 go2 zan6, hoeng1 gong2 din6 jing2 zau6 ji5 ging1 jau5 zung1 jing1 man2 hei3 meng4 tung4 gung1 zok3 jan4 jyun4 ming4 daan1
They didn't really know much English at that time, but Hong Kong films already had Chinese and English titles and movie credits.
香港市場細，當時好多電影公司瞄準海外華人市場。
hoeng1 gong2 si5 coeng4 sai3, dong1 si4 hou2 do1 din6 jing2 gung1 si1 miu4 zeon2 hoi2 ngoi6 waa4 jan4 si5 coeng4
The Hong Kong market was small, and many film companies at that time targeted the overseas Chinese market.
為咗喺外國過電檢同上映，好多電影唔單只有英文戲名，仲有英文字幕添。
wai4 zo2 hai2 ngoi6 gwok3 gwo3 din6 gim2 tung4 soeng5 jing2, hou2 do1 din6 jing2 m4 daan1 zi2 jau5 jing1 man2 hei3 meng4, zung6 jau5 jing1 man2 zi6 mok6 tim1
In order to pass foreign film censors and be screened abroad, many films not only had English titles but also English subtitles.
初期嘅英文戲名一般都係直譯。
co1 kei4 ge3 jing1 man2 hei3 meng4 jat1 bun1 dou1 hai6 zik6 jik6
In the early days, English movie titles were generally direct translations.
比較有趣嘅係一九三八年上映嘅《貂蟬》，佢嘅英文戲名係《Sable Cicada》。
bei2 gaau3 jau5 ceoi3 ge3 hai6 jat1 gau2 saam1 baat3 nin4 soeng5 jing2 ge3 "diu1 sim4", keoi5 ge3 jing1 man2 hei3 meng4 hai6 "Sable Cicada”
One relatively interesting example is the 1938 film "Diao Chan" which had the English title "Sable Cicada".
Sable就係「貂」，Cicada就係「蟬」，呢兩個英文單詞組合而成。
Sable zau6 hai6 "diu1", Cicada zau6 hai6 "sim4", ni1 loeng5 go3 jing1 man2 daan1 ci4 zou2 hap6 ji4 sing4
"Sable" is '貂' (diāo) and "Cicada" is '蟬' (chán), and these two English words were combined together.
但有時都會出現一啲利用音譯即係拼音嘅英文戲名。
daan6 jau5 si4 dou1 wui5 ceot1 jin6 jat1 di1 lei6 jung6 jam1 jik6 zik1 hai6 ping3 jam1 ge3 jing1 man2 hei3 meng4
But sometimes there were English movie titles that used phonetic transcription, i.e., Pinyin.
就好似分別喺一九三九年上映嘅《珍珠淚》同一九四零年上映嘅《疑雲疑雨》。
zau6 hou2 ci5 fan1 bit6 hai2 jat1 gau2 saam1 gau2 nin4 soeng5 jing2 ge3 "zan1 zyu1 leoi6" tung4 jat1 gau2 sei3 ling4 nin4 soeng5 jing2 ge3 "ji4 wan4 ji4 jyu5"
For example, the 1939 film "Tears of Pearl" and the 1940 film "Jealousy and Suspicion".
根據喺New York State Archives搵到嘅資料，佢哋喺美國申請放映時用嘅英文片名分別係《Jan Gee Louie》、《Yee Wan Yee Yue》。
gan1 geoi3 hai2 New York State Archives wan2 dou2 ge3 zi1 liu2, keoi5 dei6 hai2 mei5 gwok3 san1 cing2 fong3 jing2 si4 jung6 ge3 jing1 man2 pin2 meng4 fan1 bit6 hai6 "Jan Gee Louie", "Yee Wan Yee Yue"
According to information found in the New York State Archives, their English titles used when applying for screening in the United States were "Jan Gee Louie" and "Yee Wan Yee Yue" respectively.
當時其實都有意譯嘅英文戲名，即係根據中文戲名嘅意思或者電影情節翻譯而成。
dong1 si4 kei4 sat6 dou1 jau5 ji3 jik6 ge3 jing1 man2 hei3 meng4, zik1 hai6 gan1 geoi3 zung1 man2 hei3 meng4 ge3 ji3 si1 waak6 ze2 din6 jing2 cing4 zit3 faan1 jik6 ji4 sing4
At that time, there were also English movie titles that were translated according to the meaning of the Chinese title or the film's plot.
就好似一九三四年上映嘅《夕陽》，呢部電影喺美國申請放映時用嘅英文名係《Beauty Contest》，同埋一九三七年上映嘅《今古西廂》，佢喺美國申請放映時用嘅英文名係《History Repeats Itself》。
zau6 hou2 ci5 jat1 gau2 saam1 sei3 nin4 soeng5 jing2 ge3 "zik6 joeng4", ni1 bou6 din6 jing2 hai2 mei5 gwok3 san1 cing2 fong3 jing2 si4 jung6 ge3 jing1 man2 meng4 hai6 "Beauty Contest", tung4 maai4 jat1 gau2 saam1 cat1 nin4 soeng5 jing2 ge3 "gam1 gu2 sai1 soeng1", keoi5 hai2 mei5 gwok3 san1 cing2 fong3 jing2 si4 jung6 ge3 jing1 man2 meng4 hai6 "History Repeats Itself"
For example, "The Setting Sun", which was released in 1934, had the English title "Beauty Contest" when it applied for screening in the United States, and "The West Chamber Then and Now", which was released in 1937, had the English title "History Repeats Itself" for its US screening application.
睇返部片嘅內容就了解到佢哋嘅英文戲名係以電影劇情而命名。
tai2 faan1 bou6 pin2 ge3 noi6 jung4 zau6 liu5 gaai2 dou2 keoi5 dei6 ge3 jing1 man2 hei3 meng4 hai6 ji5 din6 jing2 kek6 cing4 ji4 ming6 ming4
If you watch the films again, you will see that their English titles were named based on their plots.
想當年都有啲「擺烏龍」嘅例子㗎。
soeng2 dong1 nin4 dou1 jau5 di1 "baai2 wu1 lung4" ge3 lai6 zi2 gaa3
Back then, there were some examples of 'own goals' in translation.
就好似一九四一年上映嘅《情人四萬萬》。
zau6 hou2 ci5 jat1 gau2 sei3 jat1 nin4 soeng5 jing2 ge3 "cing4 jan4 sei3 maan6 maan6"
For example, the 1941 film "Lover of the World".
根據當年嘅宣傳資料，英文名係《400,000,000 Lovers》。
gan1 geoi3 dong1 nin4 ge3 syun1 cyun4 zi1 liu2, jing1 man2 meng4 hai6 "400,000,000 Lovers"
According to the promotional materials of the time, its English title was "400,000,000 Lovers".
當時「四萬萬」其實解作「全部中國人」，但係佢嘅英文戲名就以數字直譯為《四億愛人》。
dong1 si4 "sei3 maan6 maan6" kei4 sat6 gaai2 zok3 "cyun4 bou6 zung1 gwok3 jan4", daan6 hai6 keoi5 ge3 jing1 man2 hei3 meng4 zau6 ji5 sou3 zi6 zik6 jik6 wai4 sei3 jik1 ngoi3 jan4
At that time, the phrase "400,000,000" actually referred to "all Chinese people", but its English movie title directly translated it numerically as "400,000,000 Lovers".
外國人睇完肯定都烏垂垂呢！
ngoi6 gwok3 jan4 tai2 jyun4 hang2 ding6 dou1 wu1 soe2 soe4 ne1!
Foreign viewers who watched it must have been very confused!
講咗咁多舊時嘅電影，不如講下兩套九十年代經典港產片呀？
gong2 zo2 gam3 do1 gau6 si4 ge3 din6 jing2, bat1 jyu4 gong2 haa5 loeng5 tou3 gau2 sap6 nin4 doi6 ging1 din2 gong2 caan2 pin2 aa1?
Having talked about so many old films, how about we talk about two classic Hong Kong films from the 1990s?
以下呢兩齣電影，大家又知唔知佢嘅英文譯名係咩呀？
ji5 haa6 ni1 loeng5 ceot1 din6 jing2, daai6 gaa1 jau6 zi1 m4 zi1 keoi5 ge3 jing1 man2 jik6 meng4 hai6 me1 aa3?
For the following two films, do you know what their English translations are?
不如等我交俾何思穎先生同大家講解下喇⋯⋯
bat1 jyu4 dang2 ngo5 gaau1 bei2 ho4 si1 wing6 sin1 saang1 tung4 daai6 gaa1 gong2 gaai2 haa5 laa3...
Let me hand over to Mr. Sam Ho to explain to everyone...
一九九一年由徐克執導嘅《黃飛鴻》英文片名《Once Upon a Time in China》令人聯想到意大利導演沙治奧里昂尼 (Sergio Leone) 嘅《Once Upon a Time in the West》同埋《Once Upon a Time in America》。
jat1 gau2 gau2 jat1 nin4 jau4 ceoi4 hak1 zap1 dou6 ge3 "wong4 fei1 hung4" jing1 man2 pin2 meng4 "Once Upon a Time in China" ling6 jan4 lyun4 soeng2 dou2 ji3 daai6 lei6 dou6 jin2 saa1 zi6 ou3 lei5 ngong4 nei4 (Sergio Leone) ge3 "Once Upon a Time in the West" tung4 maai4 "Once Upon a Time in America"
The 1991 film "Wong Fei Hung", directed by Tsui Hark, had the English title "Once Upon a Time in China" which evokes associations with Italian director Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" and "Once Upon a Time in America".
可以睇到電影與西方荷里活，甚至日本電影有千絲萬縷嘅關係。
ho2 ji5 tai2 dou2 din6 jing2 jyu5 sai1 fong1 ho4 lei5 wut6, sam6 zi3 jat6 bun2 din6 jing2 jau5 cin1 si1 maan6 leoi5 ge3 gwaan1 hai6
One can see that this film has many connections with Hollywood, and even with Japanese cinema.
而用傳統講故事嘅開首句既強調黃飛鴻嘅傳奇色彩，亦將佢嘅英雄事跡同埋中國歷史嘅關連帶出嚟，充滿趣味。
ji4 jung6 cyun4 tung2 gong2 gu3 si6 ge3 hoi1 sau2 geoi3 gei3 koeng4 diu6 wong4 fei1 hung4 ge3 cyun4 kei4 sik1 coi2, jik6 zoeng1 keoi5 ge3 jing1 hung4 si6 zik1, tung4 maai4 zung1 gwok3 lik6 si2 ge3 gwaan1 lin4 daai3 ceot1 lai4, cung1 mun5 ceoi3 mei6
The opening sentence uses a traditional storytelling technique which emphasizes both the legendary nature of Wong Fei-hung and brings out the connection between his heroic deeds and Chinese history, which is full of interest.
一九九二年上映嘅《家有囍事》，英文片名係《All's Well, End's Well》，意頭好好，非常適合賀歲片。
jat1 gau2 gau2 ji6 nin4 soeng5 jing2 ge3 "gaa1 jau5 hei2 si6" jing1 man2 pin2 meng4 hai6 "All's Well, End's Well", ji3 tau4 hou2 hou2, fei1 soeng4 sik1 hap6 ho6 seoi3 pin2
The 1992 film "家有囍事" had the English title "All's Well, End's Well", which is very auspicious and perfect for a Chinese New Year film.
但其實呢個英文片名係出自莎士比亞嘅劇作，但稍有不同，《All's Well *That* Ends Well》。
daan6 kei4 sat6 ni1 go3 jing1 man2 pin2 meng4 hai6 ceot1 zi6 saa1 si6 bei2 aa3 ge3 kek6 zok3, daan6 saau2 jau5 bat1 tung4 "All's Well *That* Ends Well"
However, this English title actually originates from a play by Shakespeare, but with a slight difference: "All's Well *That* Ends Well".
意思係雖然過程有好多阻滯，但係總算有大團圓結局，同《家有囍事》嘅故事發展，與賀歲片「好意頭」嘅意義好吻合。
ji3 si1 hai6 seoi1 jin4 gwo3 cing4 jau5 hou2 do1 zo2 zai6, daan6 hai6 zung2 syun3 jau5 daai6 tyun4 jyun4 git3 guk6, tung4 "gaa1 jau5 hei2 si6" ge3 gu3 si6 faat3 zin2, jyu5 ho6 seoi3 pin2 "hou2 ji3 tau4" ge3 ji3 ji6 hou2 man5 hap6
Its meaning is that although there are many obstacles along the way, there is ultimately a happy ending, which is very consistent with the storyline of "All's Well End's Well" and the 'auspicious' meanings found in Chinese New Year films.
所以《家有囍事》雖然內容搞笑「無厘頭」，但英文名來自英國大文豪。
so2 ji5 "gaa1 jau5 hei2 si6" seoi1 jin4 noi6 jung4 gaau2 siu3 "mou4 lei4 tau4", daan6 jing1 man2 meng4 loi4 zi6 jing1 gwok3 daai6 man4 hou4
Therefore, despite the funny, absurd and nonsensical nature of the content, the English title of "All’s Well End’s Well" comes from a great British writer.
好巧妙以幾個字總括成個古仔，聰明之餘亦十分調皮。
hou2 haau2 miu6 ji5 gei2 go3 zi6 zung2 kut3 seng4 go3 gu2 zai2, cung1 ming4 zi1 jyu4 jik6 sap6 fan1 tiu3 pei4
It cleverly summarizes the whole story in a few words, which is not only smart but also very playful.
舊時嘅嘢真係一匹布咁長呀！
gau6 si4 ge3 je5 zan1 hai6 jat1 pat1 bou3 gam3 coeng4 aa3!
There are lots of long stories to tell about the old days!
今集時間又差唔多喇，拜拜。
gam1 zaap6 si4 gaan3 jau6 caa1 m4 do1 laa3, baai1 baai3
But the time for this episode is nearly up, goodbye.
No comments:
Post a Comment