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{{trope}}
{{quote|''"I was soon relieved of my position. I had an unfortunate tendency to tell the truth in a country where no one ever says what they mean. So now I [[Exact Words|very accurately]] translate other people's lies."''
|'''Simon Graham''' describes being a translator in ''[[The Last Samurai]]''}}
It often happens that in international business, politics, or two sides meeting before a battle, that a translator is needed for the two (or more) sides to understand each other. It just as often happens that one side will either intentionally or unintentionally say something insulting, offensive, personally distasteful to someone on the other side, engage in a bit of [[Cultural Posturing]], or make an [[Cut His Heart Out
No, if you're smart, you choose to do a [[Tactful Translation]], translating the spirit of what was said or is important, while leaving out all the insulting, offensive, or just plain stupid stuff that would only get in the way or complicate things. Odds are that afterward all the sides will go home feeling pleased with themselves or like they really showed those other guys, while only the translator(s) will know just why that whole deal worked out without turning into a bloodbath.
Often winds up looking like a case of [[Translation: "Yes"]]. May be the job of a [[Completely Unnecessary Translator]]. Contrast [[Translation with an Agenda]], which can turn out to be the polar opposite of this trope.
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* This happens in [[Axis Powers Hetalia]] when America visits Japan in order to [[Baka|make friends with whales]].
{{quote|
'''Interpreter:''' It's nice that you have such interesting pursuits, but please pursue them at your own residence. }}
** A meta example: in [http://www.geocities.jp/himaruya/omochi.html one of his mochi strips] (titled "Beautiful Rice Cake"), the [[Makes Just
{{quote|
'''translation:''' I'm glad you like it. }}
* An episode of ''[[Full Metal Panic!]]? Fumoffu'' features a 'negotiation' session between Sousuke, an ex-mujaheddin [[Child Soldier]] who tends to speak in [[Spock Speak]], and a [[Delinquent]] representing a gang who's kidnapped one of his friends. Sousuke is unable to understand the thug's street jargon and extremely heavy accent, prompting the [[Student Council President]] to step in and calmly translate it into [[Spock Speak]]. The show then goes on to invert the trope when Sousuke's equally formal reply flies right over the thug's
{{quote|
'''[[Student Council President]]:''' Hm. ''**To thug**'' Now listen you punk, there is no way you'd beat me. So step off, 'cuz you ain't even got one chance in a billion, you loser bi-atch.
'''Sousuke:''' Your language skills are outstanding, your excellency!
'''[[Student Council President]]:''' Oh, it's nothing, only what I've gleamed in books. I'm... Not certain he'll understand my translation, though... }}
* ''[[Black Lagoon]]'''s Rock tries to do this to the Japanese with whom Balalaika is trying to speak, until she catches on and insists he take fewer creative liberties.
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== Fan Fiction ==
* In the [[Katawa Shoujo]] fanfic, [[Weekend
{{quote|
'''Hisao''':[Be nice.]
'''Shizune''': [I am being nice. Still, you, Misha, and I did ten times more work than that, with only the three of us.]
'''Ryoko''': "What's she saying, Hisao?"
'''Hisao''': "Oh. Um. Shizune's saying that our student council was much smaller. It was a lot of hard work." }}
== Film ==
* Referenced in ''[[Gladiator (
{{quote|
* In the 2003 film version of ''[[Peter Pan]]'', Hook captures Tigerlily and asks her, (with Smee translating) if she's seen Peter Pan. Tigerlily responds with visible anger and disgust, complete with spitting at Hook. Smee translates this as "She says 'sorry, but no.'"
* Used by Charlie Chaplin in ''[[The Great Dictator]]'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4UhJpviVYg here].
* In the Guy Ritchie film ''[[Revolver]]'', there's a scene where Lord John endlessly abuses Macha's men in Cantonese, while the translator expresses this in very to the point and non-offensive words.
* In ''[[
* In ''[[Ip Man]]'', after the titular character's [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]] against ten Japanese black belts, the general, suitably impressed by his skill, gives him his prize of rice and asks him to come again. Ip Man responds by telling the translator that he didn't come for the rice, implying he just came to kick their asses. The translator simply tells the general that Ip Man said he will come again. This is immediately followed up by another example: The general asks for Ip Man's name, and the latter replies that he is 'just a Chinese person', to which the translator tells the general that 'his name is Ip Man'.
* Brazilian movie "Meu nome Não é Johnny" ("My name isn't Johnny") featured a middle-class guy that ended up in prison due to drug sale and abuse. He knew English, and, as his fellow prisoners had to deal with American prisoners (in none-too-friendly talks), he had to interpret between them and tried to do this. It went downhill when one of the Brazilian inmates remarked he knew what "fuck you" means.
* ''[[Battlefield Earth]]'', [[The Film of the Book]]: Terl makes a long threat (which [[Translation Convention|we hear in English]]), and Jonnie translates as "Try to run, he'll kill us". Terl [[Lampshade Hanging|hangs]] a [[Translation: "Yes"|lampshade]] immediately after.
* Slightly inverted in ''[[Fort Apache]]'', in that Cochise calls the Indian agent Meachum "un hombre malvado, que no dice la verdad," which Sergeant Beaufort renders as "a yellow-bellied polecat of dubious antecedents and conjectural progeny."
* ''[[Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels]]'' amusingly plays with this trope while combining it with [[Fun
* Early in the 1992 ''[[The Last of the Mohicans
{{quote|
'''Magua:''' No, two leagues, better water. We stop there.
'''Duncan:''' No, we'll stop in the glade just ahead. When the ladies are rested, we will proceed. Do you understand?
'''Magua:''' ''[speaking Huron]'' Magua understands that the white man is a dog to his women. When they are tired, he puts down his tomahawk to feed their laziness.
'''Duncan:''' ''[a distinct edge to his voice]'' Excuse me, what did you say?
'''Magua:''' Magua said... I understand English, very well. }}
* In ''[[
* ''[[The Last Samurai]]''. Simon Graham is a westerner who has lived as a translator in Japan for quite some time. He briefly describes being let go from the British trade mission because he told the truth instead of lying politely. As he describes it, what he now does instead is "Very accurately translate other people's lies."
* A more serious use of this trope occurs in ''[[The Beast of War]]'' (1988), set during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The Soviet tank commander orders a villager to be placed in front of his tank-track to encourage him to talk. His wife comes running up and is grabbed by the Afghan translator. I can't remember the exact words but it goes something like this:
{{quote|
'''Wife''' (struggling): "You dirty traitor, tell this Russian pig to let my husband go!"
'''Translator''' (in [[Translation Convention|English (Russian)]]): "Sir, this woman respectfully requests you release her husband."
'''Tank Commander''': "Ask him where the rebels are."
'''Villager''': "Mujahadeen are all around you! They will kill every one of you!"
'''Translator''': "He says he doesn't know."
The tank commander isn't fooled, and drives over the villager. }}
* ''[[Black Rain]]''. Nick's partner Charlies does this as a [[Running Gag]] (e.g. '''Nick:''' "I like to be kissed before I'm fucked!" '''Charlie:''' "Foreplay") starting with this scene.
{{quote|
'''[[Da Chief|High Ranking Police Boss]]''': "WHAT did you say?"
'''Charlie''': "He means 'a tough motherfucker'."
'''High Ranking Police Boss''': "Ah, of course." }}
* Happens at the climax of [[The Russians Are Coming]]. One of the sub's officers understands both English and Russian, and so is the de facto translator. When the police chief tells the submarine captain that he is under arrest, and the officer translates, the captain laughs, then starts swearing in Russian. The officer translates this as, "He is very angry...he thinks you're an idiot."
* Disney's ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]''. While Aladdin and Princess Jasmine are together in his hideout, Abu is annoyed when Aladdin gives Jasmine his apple.
{{quote|
'''Aladdin:''' That's...that's awful! [Abu tries to take back the apple] Abu!
'''Abu:''' [Chitters and gestures angrily]
'''Princess:''' What?
'''Aladdin:''' Abu says that...[thinks better of it]...that's not fair.
'''Abu:''' [puzzled look]
'''Princess:''' [disbelievingly] Oh did he?
'''Aladdin:''' Yeah, of course. }}
* Averted in ''[[Patton]]''; when at the joint celebration with the Russians, Patton is offered a drink. His response? "I won't drink with that Russian son of a bitch." The translator, obviously, states that he cannot say such a thing, but Patton tells him to say it, "word for word." After doing so, the Russian general responds back, "I also think YOU are a son of a bitch." ''That'' is something Patton will drink to, [[Actually Pretty Funny|one son of a bitch to another]].
* [[Discussed Trope|Discussed]] in ''[[The Interpreter]]''. Nicole Kidman's character, an interpreter for the United Nations, states that she must always keep this in mind or risk poisoning international relations. For example, she will always refer to someone as [[Never Say "Die"|having "gone"]].
* In ''[[
* Much like the Patton example, C3P0 tries to smooth things while working for Jabba the Hutt in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', yet Jabba is impressed and becomes more agreeable when the bounty hunter theatens him with a thermal detonator.
* In ''[[Apollo 13]]'':
{{quote|
'''Jim Lovell:''' Freddo, inform Houston I'm well aware of the God-damned gimbals!
'''Fred Haise:''' [calmly] Roger that, Houston. }}
* ''[[Strictly Ballroom]]:''
{{quote|
'''Fran:''' Grandma wants to teach us. }}
== Jokes ==
* A Soviet joke, that goes like this: an Italian movie has been translated into Russian. The very first scene gives us an angry naked woman lying on the bed and an embarassed naked man who is quickly getting dressed.
{{quote|
'''The translator:''' Go away, I don't love you anymore! }}
== Literature ==
* ''[[The Warlord Chronicles]]'' gives us a page quote when the [[Boisterous Bruiser]] Saxon warrior king Aelle faces off with a coalition of Briton princes, generals, and warlords. When called upon to surrender and offered mercy, Aelle responds with [[Cut His Heart Out
* In ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', when Daenerys negotiates for an army of Unsullied in Astapor one of the merchants insults her repeatedly and uses [[Politically-Incorrect Villain|lewd and sexist comments towards her]], but his slave translates this much more politely. Of course, neither the slave nor the merchant realize at that point that [[Obfuscating Stupidity|Dany actually does]] [[Bilingual Backfire|speak their language]]...
** In an earlier book by the same author, ''Windhaven'', someone is ''executed'' for doing this. She was carrying very rude verbal messages between two places at risk of war, and made them a bit more polite. When her employer found out he had her killed, and though he was removed from his position for insanity shortly thereafter, he was considered within his rights to do so. They take the job of delivering the exact message seriously.
* A large part of Bren Cameron's job in [[
* Comes up in the [[X Wing Series]]. Wedge Antilles flies the fake ''Falcon'', ''Millenium Falsehood'' with Chewbacca as copilot, but since he doesn't understand the Wookiee, he brings along a translator droid. Chewbacca knows Basic and takes offense to Squeaky not translating the more colorful elements of his speech.
* ''[[The
* The non-fiction book ''Smokescreen'' by Robert Sabbag (about the dope smuggling trade) relates an incident where a Cuban hitman was sent with the protagonist Alan Long to discuss the matter of 2000 pounds of pot that drug boss Jimmy Alvarez believed had been ripped off by Long's friend Lee Carlyle. Carlyle turns up for the meeting drunk and immediately starts jabbing his finger in the hitman's face and screaming insults. Fortunately the hitman does not speak English.
{{quote|
'''Hitman''' ''(placing a hand on his .38)'': "What did he say?"
'''Long''' ''(placing his hand firmly on top of the hitman's)'': "He is telling you of the respect he has for the Cuban people."
'''Hitman''': "I don't think that is what he is saying."
''(Continuing stream of abuse from Carlyle)''
'''Long''': He understands Jimmy's position, and he fully intends to pay."
'''Carlyle''': "Did you tell him what I just said?"
'''Long''': "Word for word."
''(Carlyle storms off. Long smiles reassuringly at the hitman.)''
'''Long''': "''Bueno!''" }}
* ''[[Space Cadet (
* Funnily subverted in ''[[The Dresden Files]]''. In ''Changes'', Dresden meets the [[Our Vampires Are Different|Red King]], who does not speak English. An unfortunate vamp is called to translate, and ''tries'' to do a tactful translation. She gets smacked by the Red King, and while he can't speak the local language, Dresden can get the gist that he's telling the poor girl "Translate it the way he says it, damn it."
** {{spoiler|It later transpires [[Completely Unnecessary Translator|the Red King speaks English perfectly well]] (and that said slave knew this); he was probably smacking her to put Harry off guard.}}
* ''[[Ephraim Kishon]]'' once did this for a fight between one of his Hungarian relatives and a shopkeeper. He did it so well that they made peace. At the end, he thought he should try the same thing with the USA and the [[Soviet Union]].
* The title character in ''[[Mara Daughter of the Nile]]'' tries to do this when the first meeting between the king and the foreign princess he is betrothed to doesn't go so well. Unfortunately for Mara, she forgot that the king also speaks Babylonian.
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* Used in a [[Spike Milligan]] sketch where Milligan, as [[David Attenborough]], explores the primitive Cockney tribes of London. A Cockney taxi driver rattles off a series of complaints about his customers in perfectly understandable English, which Milligan/Attenborough's interpreter translates as "The gods are angry".
* In ''[[Lost]]'' there's a scene in which Sayid is translating questions and responses between an American sergeant and a countryman of his. When his countryman's responses do nothing but tell Sayid to kill every American soldier in the room holding them captive, Sayid translates this as "He doesn't know."
* In the ''[[Star Trek:
* Melinda from ''[[Ghost Whisperer]]'' tends to carefully reinterpret what the dead are really saying.
* In the ''[[Crusade]]'' episode ''The Needs Of Earth'', an alien leader's translator explains to Captain Gideon that their leaders deliberately avoid learning other languages in order to avoid compromises to their moral and intellectual purity. The following exchange ensues:
{{quote|
(translator whispers in leader's ear)
'''Translator:''' I told him you were honored and deeply humbled to have a being of such high moral character aboard your ship.
'''Gideon:''' Do you do this a lot? Lie to protect his ego?
'''Translator:''' All the time. It's politics....and [[Shoot the Messenger|self preservation]]. }}
* [[Crowning Moment of Funny|Magnificently]] [[Averted Trope|averted]] in [[Boardwalk Empire]], where a Jewish criminal with a bad gunshot wound is brought to interrogation in [[Open-Heart Dentistry|a dentist's office]]. He insults the federal agent interrogating him in Yiddish - both the mother of the dentist's patient and the agent's deputy speak it, and provide a comically tactless translation.
{{quote|
'''Agent Sebso:''' ''Little'' faggot penis. }}
* [[The West Wing]] averts this regarding the deaf pollster Joey Lucas, whose translators always say exactly what she signs. Her (well, her translator's) first line involved calling Josh an "unmitigated jackass". It also lead to a few funny moments.
{{quote|
'''Josh''': Kenny, that really better have been her talking. }}
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* This was the original purpose of Honey Huan in ''[[Doonesbury]]''. When Duke Harris was the American ambassador to China, she was assigned as his translator and "softened" most of his speeches into something more diplomatic. She sometimes did this while translating Chinese officials to him as well.
** Best example is during the first Duke's speech to a Chinese audience. Part of the translation is:
{{quote|
* In one ''[[Bloom County]]'' strip, Steve Dallas dictates a letter to a deadbeat (and evidently quite violent) client who has yet to pay his legal fees. Opus, who's taking the dictation, changes it from a profanity-laced tirade to a gentle reminder.
{{quote|
'''Opus (writing):''' PS: Give Mary Lou a hug for me! }}
* Inverted in ''Corporal Kev'', which ran only in the U.S. military's newspaper ''Stars and Stripes'' in the early 1980s, when Kev is picked to translate for a joint exercise between American and French tank troops.
{{quote|
'''Kev (supposedly in French):''' He says you're a wimp and your tanks are junk...
'''French officer (supposedly in French):''' Tell him I am shocked at this outburst!
'''Kev:''' He says you have a face like a goat, and your men play with dolls!
As the two officers growl at each other, nose to nose, Kev thinks, "I'm gonna ''enjoy'' this!" }}
== Tabletop Games ==
* [[Forgotten Realms]] adventure ''Fires of Zatal'' starts with this gag. Amnians aren't the nicest people in better circumstances, so even relatively "well treated" natives of Maztica get to put up with a lot. If PCs are natives, the aide of a petty noble "recruits" them thusly:
{{quote|"You there!" says the huge man in common. "You're coming to Drakosa's house. He has work!"
The Payit translates. "Lord Drakosa strongly invites you immediately to assist him in a matter of extreme importance."
"Move along, or I'll feed you to the hounds!" bellows the huge man, gesturing at the panting dogs.
"Speed is essential, and you will be rewarded for compliance," says the interpreter. }}
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* The deaf/mute Shizune from ''[[Katawa Shoujo]]'' naturally needs everything translated for her, using either her best friend Misha or the protagonist Hisao. Both generally translate accurately except in the case of Shizune's [[Arch Enemy]] Lilly, where Hisao is frequently guilty of trying to avert a fight between the two women by giving hilariously inaccurate translations (which fool neither of them).
** Lilly, however, ''is'' fooled once in Shizune's route, when Hisao translates one of Shizune's sarcastic comments into something completely different. He questions how ethical it is to do that, but they get through the fishing trip without fighting, which pleases him.
{{quote|
'''Shizune''': ''(signing)'' [How [[Sarcasm Mode|magnanimous]] of you, Lilly.]
'''Hisao''': Shizune says you should at least try. It might turn out to be fun.
'''Lilly''': Very well. Akira, how do you use this? }}
== Webcomics ==
* ''[[Corner Alley 13]]'' has it [[Played for Laughs]] when calm and unconcerned Cole proceeds with translating every phrase in an obviously much more polite (and [http://corneralley.comicgenesis.com/d/20070822.html comically] [http://corneralley.comicgenesis.com/d/20070812.html eloquent]) form while, [http://corneralley.comicgenesis.com/d/20070829.html well]...
{{quote|'''Lady Ascha''': BRACCH SKRAAH!
'''Cole''': She encourages you to devour steel. }}
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** It works like that in text, as well. For tact or not, a good translator sometimes attains a better text than the original.
** Tactful translations are downright ''vital'' when translating between low context cultures (the U.S.) where language is more literal and high context cultures (for example, Japan) where language is much more nuanced based on situation, [[Shaped Like Itself|context]], and social standing. A simple question or request, without further elaboration, might be seen as unspeakably blunt or insultingly evasive. For example, here's how one of these might go:
{{quote|
'''Translator''': Smith-san, with respect, suggests that despite his most earnest efforts, the deadline may not be met on time and humbly requests additional manpower to meet the company's goals.
'''Japanese manager''': With regret, we must decline the request, but believe that with additional determination, it would be possible to meet our goals. The extra effort devoted to this task will certainly not go unrewarded.
'''Translator''': No can do, but there's pizza and ice cream (or, perhaps, a bonus) in it for you if you do the job. }}
* There's also a joke floating around that inverts this trope:
** A gangster takes a translator to visit the shop of a man, whose brother has just died. He had taken money from the gangster and hid it away somewhere - and the gangster assumed he had told his only living relative, his brother. But the brother only spoke Italian, you see, which is why a translator was needed.
* A bit of office humor involves a miserable idea which gets lousy feedback among the workers ("It is a crock of shit, and it stinketh!") slowly being transmuted by tactful translation up the corporate ladder, until the CEO hears nothing but praise and declares it to be good. Thus the plan becomes policy; or to put it another way, shit happens.
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[[Category:Translation Tropes]]
[[Category:Language Tropes]]
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