Accented voice-overs/missing subtitles

[Winner]

When on English-based news channels people speak foreign language, they translate what the person is saying using a voice-over. I've noticed that often when the person is, say, Indian, they choose someone speaking Indian-accent English to do the voice over. Or when the person speaks Russia, someone speaking Russian-accent English does it. And so on.

Why are they doing it? To reinforce stereotypes? To convey the message that a foreigner can't possibly speak without a heavy accent? To make some of the ultra-dumb Americans believe that foreign languages are all English, just with different accents? I find it annoying.

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Also, the subtitles. Sometimes when they interview a person who's not speaking a very good English, they add subtitles to "clarify" what the person is saying. Well, fine, I understand the reason. The problem is they're inconsistent. One time they (I think it was BBC, but I am not sure) interviewed some Polish guy who spoke a bit funny, but understandable English. They of course enriched his performance with subtitles. Just half an hour or so later there was some report about something in Africa, and they interviewed some of the locals. They spoke the colonial-African English that was very difficult for me to understand. I mean, it was worse than some of the crimes against English certain strata of the British society speak, but there were no subtitles, even though I really needed them. In fact, I've never seen subtitles being used to help people understand what the heavy African-accent English speakers mean to say.

Why is that? Is it too politically incorrect to subtitle a supposedly native "English" speaker, if he's black?

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I am interested in your opinions on this

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The vast majority of translators' voice-overs here are English/French. There have been some times when I've just wished the French-English translator would shut up, since I can follow French speakers on CBC newscasts if they don't talk too fast or use slang. It's annoying to listen to one person make a speech in English and then the translator repeats it over again (in English) when the person switches to the same text in French.

 

[Winner]

I am talking more about major international news networks like the BBC World service, CNN, and so on. They often do the things I described in the OP. It's like if in Canada the French Canadians were always translated by someone speaking English with a French accent.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Sometimes the translator's voice is accented, and sometimes not. I never really noticed any pattern, since there are only so many translators available. You'd need to ask one of the Quebec members here if there's a pattern for them.

BTW, CBC is a major network here. In fact, the others are just young kids in comparison.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I can't stand voice overs. Subtitles are much better. Voiceovers are ridiculous and it is hardly difficult to follow subtitles.

 

[really]

A person translating from Russian to English is very likely to either be Russian themselves or to have spent a lot of time there. To be accentless is difficult.

 

[Winner]

A person translating from Russian to English is very likely to either be Russian themselves or to have spent a lot of time there. To be accentless is difficult.

In real-time translations, that would make sense. Otherwise it doesn't.

 

[Leoreth]

In real-time translations, that would make sense. Otherwise it doesn't.

Never underestimate the laziness of a TV network.

 

[Hygro]

Yeah they are going to get the translater to translate and call it a day. They aren't going to get the translater to say it, have someone else transcribe it, and then hire another voice actor to do the dubbing. The original translator probably learned English as their second language, as that's the general direction of things, and has an accent.

 

[Lillefix]

I've noticed that in foreign news media and documentaries, a woman is always give voiceover by a woman, and a man by a man. Why? What's the point? Seriously, it has bugged me for years.

edit: Answer to winner: I don't

 

[Winner]

Never underestimate the laziness of a TV network.

If there is a special report that's obviously been made before and edited, and the overall voice-over is done by the main reporter, I fail to see why they should look for someone with the "proper" accent to do the voice-overs for the interviewed locals.

Not to mention that it sometimes doesn't even fit - as when Czechs get a Russian-accent voice-over, as if the Czech accent and the Russian accent were anywhere close to each other (they're not). It really feels like that the authors of these reports simply get someone with an accent that seems appropriate to the area/region to do the voice-overs for the people they interview.

But maybe you're right, at least it is some explanation that makes sense.

I've noticed that in foreign news media and documentaries, a woman is always give voiceover by a woman, and a man by a man. Why? What's the point? Seriously, it has bugged me for years.

That I'd understand, but the accents are just baffling.

 

[jtb1127]

I also dislike it when it happens in movies. Like Harry Potter en español. If I didn't speak english I would prefer spanish subtitles over listening to the characters who are obviously not speaking spanish, speak spanish.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

If you absolutely need voiceovers you should have a similar voice to the person they are covering. An old man shouldn't be voiceovered by a young girl.

 

[Lillefix]

If you absolutely need voiceovers you should have a similar voice to the person they are covering. An old man shouldn't be voiceovered by a young girl.

We can hear the girl's real voice in the background, what's the problem.

 

[aelf]

Voice-overs are one reason why people in some countries don't get to learn English, I've been told. I've never liked them.

 

[NovaKart]

I always think it's funny how on the news when they're talking about obesity they show footage of fat people walking around. I guess they just send someone out with a camera and say, hey we need you to go out in the street and film some fat people. Or maybe they just have some stock footage of fat people labelled something like, fat people walking around. And then I wonder, do these people know that they're being shown on the news for reports about obesity?

 

[aelf]

I always think it's funny how on the news when they're talking about obesity they show footage of fat people walking around. I guess they just send someone out with a camera and say, hey we need you to go out in the street and film some fat people.

Yes.

Or maybe they just have some stock footage of fat people labelled something like, fat people walking around.

Possibly.

And then I wonder, do these people know that they're being shown on the news for reports about obesity?

Possibly.

 

[trader/warrior]

Link to video.


Somewhat related, on the radio when they have an english soundbite they start with only the english voice then halfway through they start a norwegian translation while the english continues in the background. It's bloody annoying. Either play the entire english clip then the translation or just the translation on its own damnit.

 

[warpus]

When on English-based news channels people speak foreign language, they translate what the person is saying using a voice-over. I've noticed that often when the person is, say, Indian, they choose someone speaking Indian-accent English to do the voice over. Or when the person speaks Russia, someone speaking Russian-accent English does it. And so on.

Why are they doing it? To reinforce stereotypes? To convey the message that a foreigner can't possibly speak without a heavy accent? To make some of the ultra-dumb Americans believe that foreign languages are all English, just with different accents? I find it annoying.

It's because the person doing the translating/voiceovering is a Russian.. or Indian.. or whatever native.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

I remember watching Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia. They had a female translator interpreting Farsi to English with her thick accent. Can't know for sure what her accent was, but it was clear that someone deployed her to do the voice over to make the Iranian President to appear as he is a whiny, weak, and effeminate nerd.


Link to video.