Line #98 Main/TranslationConvention


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6	->'''Zartog:''' I am Zartog, the rightful ruler of planet Malgor, and soon-to-be ruler of planet Earth, and I know a good weapon when I see one. Now tell me where your leader Ham is, or I will blast you all into oblivion!\
7	''(perspective switches to the humans, who hear nothing but gibberish)''\
8	'''Dr. Bob:''' ...Anybody understand him?
9	-->-- ''WesternAnimation/SpaceChimps2ZartogStrikesBack''
10
11	When a group of people whose native language is not the language of the audience are speaking in their native language, but the audience hears them speaking the audience's language perfectly. We are meant to assume that the characters are ''really'' speaking their own native tongue, and it is being rendered in the audience's language purely for ''their'' benefit.
12
13	In text-based mediums, comics especially, different languages are often set apart by UsefulNotes/{{Fonts}} or symbols, [[TranslationPunctuation usually by enclosing them in ‹angle quotes›.]] In books, using ''italics'' is more common.
14
15	Sometimes the trope doesn't take effect until partway into the story. In some cases, the actors will be shown speaking their native language to give the audience a taste of what it sounds like before the perspective changes and the actors will shift to speaking English from there on out. Sometimes this shift is softened by the characters giving an excuse to SwitchToEnglish within the in-story dialogue itself and then never switching back. In these cases, the audience can assume that the characters went back to speaking their native language at some point, but we now hear it all as English.
16
17	This trope is the idea behind most [[{{dubbing}} dubbed media]] with an established real-world setting (including [[{{DuelingDubs}} a redub in the same language]]), although if the original version already employs Translation Convention, sometimes the dub is actually the accurate version, such as the Italian dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Luca}}'' or the Spanish dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}''. However, languages left untranslated in the original may still be left untranslated in the translation. (Of course, this can cause problems if the language left untranslated in the original is the language being translated into, though [[KeepItForeign translating that into the original language]] often works. On TV, you can [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign just use gibberish]].) Because of this, English-speaking viewers are actually the least likely to be the most shocked by this trope. For example, in the French version of ''Film/PearlHarbor'', the Americans speak French while the Japanese speak Japanese.
18
19	When the work uses this trope on multiple groups of people speaking different languages, things can get complicated. The work may only translate the language of one group and keep the other group speaking its native language. In these cases, the translated group is always the one the audience is supposed to sympathize with, while the untranslated one is portrayed as more "foreign." Other times, the work will use Translation Convention when each group is speaking within itself, but drop the convention when different groups are speaking to each other. For example, groups of Russians speak English to each other, but speak Russian when German-speaking Germans are around.
20
21	If the characters speak with the accent of the language they're supposed to be speaking, such as Russians speaking English with a Russian accent to stand in for the Russian language, it's JustAStupidAccent. If they instead speak with a British accent to convey being foreign, it's TheQueensLatin. Because English has become the actual CommonTongue of the present day world, fantasy {{Common Tongue}}s are often rendered as English under Translation Convention while the rest of the languages are kept intact.
22
23	Most works of fantasy operate under the Translation Convention because the language they're supposed to be speaking doesn't even exist. In some cases the language being spoken will just remain unnamed and the translation will go unacknowledged, while in others the language being spoken will occasionally be namedropped for the reader's benefit, particularly if more than one language is being used. Some languages may go untranslated if the character whose point of view we share doesn't understand it, however.
24
25	Sometimes, despite the characters supposedly not speaking English, puns, jokes and wordplay are present that only work in English. There may be a [[HandWave handwaving explanation]] that [[{{Woolseyism}} equivalents have been replaced by the translator]]. Of course in real life a good translator will try to do this as well, preserving the original intention of the scene by coming up with a similar joke or pun for the language being translated to rather than just a literal translation that won't work.
26
27	This trope has unfortunately led many literal-minded audience members to believe they can overcome a language barrier simply by ''writing''. It doesn't help that some works that employ conventional translation, such as ''Literature/CharlottesWeb'', ''do'' have the characters overcome the LanguageBarrier by writing.
28
29	If the characters start in one language then switch to English for one reason or another, it is SwitchToEnglish.
30
31	Not to be confused with TranslatorMicrobes, in which an in-universe device is performing actual translation. Can be used to subvert AliensSpeakingEnglish. See also BilingualDialogue, AnimalTalk, CommonTongue and ThinkInText. May overlap with InvisibleToNormals if it's implied that the translated group is hearing themselves speak the language that the audience is hearing them speak.
32
33	When the work itself is supposed to have been translated, see FictionalDocument, DirectLineToTheAuthor.
34
35	----
36	!!Example subpages:
37
38	[[index]]
39	* TranslationConvention/AnimeAndManga
40	* TranslationConvention/ComicBooks
41	* TranslationConvention/FanWorks
42	* [[TranslationConvention/AnimatedFilms Film — Animated]]
43	* [[TranslationConvention/LiveActionFilms Film — Live-Action]]
44	* TranslationConvention/{{Literature}}
45	* TranslationConvention/LiveActionTV
46	* TranslationConvention/{{Theatre}}
47	* TranslationConvention/VideoGames
48	* TranslationConvention/{{Webcomics}}
49	* TranslationConvention/WesternAnimation
50	[[/index]]
51
52	!!Other examples:
53	[[foldercontrol]]
54
55	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
56	* ''ComicStrip/AngusOg'': It is strongly implied in several strips that the cast are mainly speaking Scots Gaelic amongst themselves and only speaking English whenever it is to outsiders like tourists, or the Laird and his guests.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Jokes]]
60	* [[https://web.archive.org/web/20100930224711/https://charges.uol.com.br/piadadodia.php?idpiada=1004 This joke features two Argentines in Brazil]]. Their dialogue is in Brazilian Portuguese instead of Latin American Spanish and there's a note stating the translation was made for two reasons: to make the joke easier to understand and because whoever wrote the joke didn't know Spanish.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Multiple Media]]
64	* ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}''; While the dialogue is all presented in English, and the series' distinctive CypherLanguage maps to English, the characters are understood to be speaking in the Matoran language in-universe, and a number of words in that language have been defined.
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
68	* ''Literature/TheBible'':
69	** ''Literature/TheFourGospels'': Much of the New Testament was originally written in Greek, although it's likely UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} and his disciples actually spoke Aramaic. A few words ("Eli Eli lema sabachthani" is the most famous example) are left in the original Aramaic and then translated in the text, and it's implied that different people speak with different accents, but these subtleties are lost in translation, which (obviously) are all in one language and dialect. Occasionally, some wordplay is lost in the translation to Greek: for example, in Matthew 23:24, Jesus accuses the Pharisees of straining out a gnat (Aramaic: galma) and swallowing a camel (gamla).
70	*** The Gospel of John reveals that Simon Peter was actually christened as Cephas (from ''kepha'', Aramaic for rock), which translated is equivalent to Peter in Greek, but keeps up the translation convention and refers to him as Peter for the rest of the book.
71	** Averted with Dorcas' resurrection in {{Literature/Acts\|OfTheApostles}} 9:36-42. At the start, Luke mentions her name is "Tabitha, which translated means Dorcas"[[note]]in most Bibles, a footnote informs you that "Dorcas" is Greek for "gazelle"[[/note]], and refers to her as Dorcas for most of the passage. However, Peter speaks Aramaic, and thus he refers to her by her Aramaic name Tabitha when bringing her back to life.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Podcasts]]
75	* ''Podcast/CoolKidsTable'': Yoshi from the game ''Here We Gooooo!'' only speaks Yoshi, but because Dario and Crania have royal educations they understand what he's saying.
76	* ''Podcast/TheWhiteVault'' often includes documents or recorded conversations in languages other than English. Typically, characters begin by speaking the language which is actually being used, then fading into English for ease of listening.
77	* ''Podcast/TheKingmakerHistories'' is set in a fictional European country and English typically represents German, that country's national language. The episode ''Cutting the Mustard'' features a universal translator device that Colette uses to get by while in France. When the device fails, her actress switches from speaking English to speaking German.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Radio]]
81	* Lampshaded twice in ''Radio/JohnFinnemoresSouvenirProgramme'': Once when one of Jesus's disciples questions his use of the word "off-licence" as anachronistic, and he points out he's not even really speaking English, and again when an argument between Creator/VictorHugo and Quasimodo about whether the title ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' is offensive ends with Hugo pointing out that it's not even ''called'' that in France.
82	* Lampshaded to death in the BBC NordicNoir spoof ''Angstrom'', in which characters will often draw attention to the fact that they're supposed to be speaking Swedish, but obviously aren't, such as repeated references to the Regional Public Records Office and Research Library for Public Research and Library Records, But It's All One Word in Swedish.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
86	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' uses this in various instances, particularly when characters have names consisting of nouns and adjectives such as Strength of Many or the Unconquered Sun, even when their actual names are probably in in-character languages such as Old Realm or Firetongue, while also having names that sound reminiscent of real life ones (such as Venus and Mars). It's most apparent with the Alchemical Exalted, who not only have names reminiscent of propaganda and weapon designations such as ''Excessively Righteous Blossom'' and ''Stern Whip of Industry'', but the ones who turn into cities are renamed to contractions of their original names (so ''Luminous Exarch'' becomes Lux).
87	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Subverted in the case of the dwarves, who use Reikspiel just about every time they're featured, both when dealing with humans and when speaking to other dwarves in the presence of non-dwarves: in both cases it's because they don't like outsiders to hear their tongue.
88	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''
89	** The background information indicates that humanity has moved on to speak "Gothic", but all records and dialogues are rendered in English. "High Gothic", on the other hand, is rendered as Latin with occasional bits of other languages, usually German. The effect being to convey what High Gothic would sound like to someone only speaking Low Gothic.
90	** While the alien races also have their own languages, the Translation usually does not kick in and second-hand interpretation needs to come in. In some of the spinoff media though, like the ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' series, the Convention is in full force regardless of what race the player uses. JustAStupidAccent is in full effect: Eldar get VoiceOfTheLegion, Tau get a stilted Japanese accent, and Orks get a heavy cockney brouge.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Web Animation]]
94	* Parodied in [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0PRPNfcm2w this]] ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fan video: two Japanese businessmen are shown talking to each other in English and it seems like an obvious example of this trope... until one of them suddenly stops mid-sentence and says "[[LampshadeHanging why the fuck am I speaking to you in English?]]".
95	* The giant bugs of ''WebAnimation/HumansBGone'' communicate via pheromones, not unlike their real-life counterparts. Fortunately, narrator and giant cockroach Professor Gregorsa translates these into English for us.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Web Videos]]
99	* ''WebVideo/RatsSMP'': While the humans write and speak in English (or equivalent), they are unable to understand the rat protagonists, only hearing their voices as squeaks. It's also discussed implicitly that rats have their own language, yet are able to understand what the humans are saying, and have to actively learn to read and write in English (or equivalent) to communicate with humans beyond body language. On the other hand, to the audience, the creator-characters are still speaking English (excluding the occasional bit) and are perfectly comprehensible either way.
100	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TranslationConvention