Translation again

[bktheirregular]

So I'm watching towards the end of Apollo 13, with Greek subtitles. And I guess sometimes the translators miss the meaning of something.

As the astronauts finish restarting the command module (which has been shut down and freezing for several days), preparing for re-entry, Fred Haise, the lunar-module pilot, tells command module pilot Jack Swigert:

"Way to go, Jack." «Έχουμε δρόμο ακόμα, Τζακ». ("We've still got some road ahead, Jack.)

I was musing over the way they do contextual, not literal, translations. This time around, I guess they missed one.

Comments

[thanatos-kalos.livejournal.com]

True, though I can understand this one. It's a common problem in translation, where the context could suggest more than one option. Translators for ancient languages are often taught to translate literally when unsure; perhaps this is a similar instance? Our Heroes weren't out of the woods yet, so (esp. if working to a script rather than the film) I can see why s/he would opt for the literal here.

[bktheirregular]

Yeah, slang is probably the first thing to drive translators to drink.

(Time zones must be screwing with my head; I posted on September 12 and you answered on September 11, and for a minute, I was wondering whether there had been some sort of time loop...)