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Tactful Translation: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|'''Translator''' (in Pashtu): "Get out of here, woman. This one prefers bullets to words!"
'''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|'''Nick''': "I want a Japanese cop who knows the street, speaks English, and can find his ass with both hands!"
'''[[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."
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'''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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** 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|'''Lilly''': I have no idea how to fish.
'''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 ==
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{{quote|'''Lady Ascha''': BRACCH SKRAAH!
'''Cole''': She encourages you to devour steel. }}
== Real Life ==
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'''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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