American Programs, Turkish Words

Though I don't claim to be fluent in Turkish, I know enough to laugh at some of the subtitle translations. For example, many of the curse words that are (unfortunately) used on some of my favorite shows are all translated as the same word. Names of made-up cities, streets, or people sometimes have no relation to the words spoken on-screen. "God" is sometimes "Allah" and sometimes "Tanrı" with no rhyme or reason to it. (Tanrı is often used in Christian circles, Allah rarely so. In some Muslim countries, it's illegal to use Allah to represent the "Christian" God...but that's another story.)

Scripted TV shows are usually shown with their real names unless the broadcast is dubbed in Turkish, or there's not a better option. "Desperate Housewives" are "Umutsuz" (hopeless), and "Kings" becomes "Krallar" (Kings) but "Merlin" is "Merlin."

Movie titles are translated, both at the box office and on TV. Often the translation is pretty direct. You'd recognize these movies once the Turkish was translated word for word:
Alvin and Chipmunks
Alice Lands of Wonders
Your Dragon, How to Train

However, would you know these? Answers at the end.
Fatal Trap (hint: war movie that won some awards)
God's Books (hint: 2009 release)
What Women Say to Men (hint: the original title has none of those words)
A Daily President (hint: one-word title)
Dangerous Circle: Crimes (hint: Ausiello's recent #Chuck spoiler)

Last but not least...
Fire can't take from it (hint: starring Kirk Cameron)
Truth Hill (hint: starring Adam Baldwin)




Answers, followed by a closing thought.
Hurt Locker (seems like an unusual word choices)
The Book of Eli (hmmm....)
He's Just Not That Into You (ok)
Dave (the translator obviously knew the movie's premise)
Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart ("Crimes" is the common theme)

Fireproof (I like it!)
Gospel Hill (This one too; see my thoughts below.)



The last two movie titles amuse me. Cameron's movie is most definitely a Christian film, and somehow it ended up on the broadcast list for a cable channel this week. The translated title isn't the same word used for objects that don't burn (yanmaz, impossible to burn). Seems that you would need to know the movie's theme to choose that wording.

Gospel Hill is the neighborhood where the movie "Gospel Hill" takes place. However, translating "Gospel" as "Truth" seems like an unusual choice. Maybe "truth" was used because Adam Baldwin's character Carl helps the town and the council realize the truth about the company trying to take over. Perhaps the son finally learning the identity of his father's murderer was the "truth" being identified. Or, perhaps someone picked a word at random. Whenever this movie is viewed here, though (it's played several times in recent weeks) "Gospel" is named "Truth", which just makes me smile.