Language issue?

[Kelliezgirl]

The movie The Hunt for Red October -- I think it's that one, it's been awhile -- uses kind of a hilarious approach, where the Russian characters speak subtitled Russian until it seems the filmmakers grow tired of translating. At which point the camera zooms in on a speaker's lips and he switches to English. And the rest of the movie is just in English.

And Sean Connery has the most atrocious Russian Accent in the history of movie accents.

 

[UsuallyPresent]

And Sean Connery has the most atrocious Russian Accent in the history of movie accents.

Truly the most Scottish Russian to ever sail beneath the seven seas

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Truly the most Scottish Russian to ever sail beneath the seven seas

Is Single Malt Vodka a thing?
Sean Ramius Single Malt Vodka, when you want to get so drunk you won't remember what language you speak!

 

[UsuallyPresent]

Is Single Malt Vodka a thing?
Sean Ramius Single Malt Vodka, when you want to get so drunk you won't remember what language you speak!

Amusingly, Google finds some for sale. I have NO idea WTF that would be - you don't malt a vodka, AFAIK! - but people are selling something labeled as such. Looks like a grain-based vodka, no taters involved - wouldn't that make a grain alcohol, not a vodka?

I'm so confoozed!

 

[SimonDoom]

And Sean Connery has the most atrocious Russian Accent in the history of movie accents.

I love Sean Connery but his history with accents is kind of hilarious. In Highlander he plays a Spanish immortal named Ramirez, and he doesn't even try a Spanish accent. But for that matter the lead actor Christopher Lambert plays the main character, a Scot, with a French accent.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I love Sean Connery but his history with accents is kind of hilarious. In Highlander he plays a Spanish immortal named Ramirez, and he doesn't even try a Spanish accent. But for that matter the lead actor Christopher Lambert plays the main character, a Scot, with a French accent.

I'm actually very excited to see what Henry Cavill and company can do with it.

 

[TheLobster]

If there is only language in the story, the translation convention makes it perfectly justifiable to simply render it in the audience's language (so, English). This has been done across countless media, as cited in the article, and most readers won't be at all surprised that the far-future French characters speak what appears to be English to the readers. Throwing in some omellete or merde for flair can be done judiciously; definitely don't replace every "yes" with oui.

Similarly, should there be another in-universe language, you can think about distinguishing it by introducing another flavor of English. Tolkien did that in his works, where the "regular" language of Middle-earth is delivered as modern English whereas the language of the Rohirrim resembles Anglo-Saxon or Old English more.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I love Sean Connery but his history with accents is kind of hilarious. In Highlander he plays a Spanish immortal named Ramirez, and he doesn't even try a Spanish accent. But for that matter the lead actor Christopher Lambert plays the main character, a Scot, with a French accent.

And yet people still love that movie.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Amusingly, Google finds some for sale. I have NO idea WTF that would be - you don't malt a vodka, AFAIK! - but people are selling something labeled as such. Looks like a grain-based vodka, no taters involved - wouldn't that make a grain alcohol, not a vodka?

I'm so confoozed!

Only one solution, we must sample it!

 

[UsuallyPresent]

Only one solution, we must sample it!

For Science!

 

[Kelliezgirl]

If there is only language in the story, the translation convention makes it perfectly justifiable to simply render it in the audience's language (so, English). This has been done across countless media, as cited in the article, and most readers won't be at all surprised that the far-future French characters speak what appears to be English to the readers. Throwing in some omellete or merde for flair can be done judiciously; definitely don't replace every "yes" with oui.

Similarly, should there be another in-universe language, you can think about distinguishing it by introducing another flavor of English. Tolkien did that in his works, where the "regular" language of Middle-earth is delivered as modern English whereas the language of the Rohirrim resembles Anglo-Saxon or Old English more.

Or you can just acknowledge a switch in language.
In Eric Flint's 1632 novels there are characters who speak a dozen languages. Everything is in English and they will occasionally mention switching to language x from language y when a new person arrives into a scene who doesn't speak the previous language.
No one seems to mind.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Amusingly, Google finds some for sale. I have NO idea WTF that would be - you don't malt a vodka, AFAIK! - but people are selling something labeled as such. Looks like a grain-based vodka, no taters involved - wouldn't that make a grain alcohol, not a vodka?

I'm so confoozed!

Vodka is any clear distilled spirit of 190 proof. It doesn't have to be potatoes.

 

[iwatchus]

Thanks everyone for lots of good discussion, plus some lessons on vodka.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'm actually very excited to see what Henry Cavill and company can do with it.

Cavill is a good actor. It's going to be hard to top clancy brown as the kurgan.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Cavill is a good actor. It's going to be hard to top clancy brown as the kurgan.

Not sure Dave Bautista is the best pick, but we'll see. I'd have looked at maybe Rory McCann

 

[SimonDoom]

Not sure Dave Bautista is the best pick, but we'll see. I'd have looked at maybe Rory McCann

That's a great idea. Bautista is fine at what he does but he's not much of an actor. McCann is a real actor.

 

[onehitwanda]

main character, a Scot, with a French accent.

Historically, this is not all that problematic. Scotland and France have a long history of mutual esteem and cooperation against those dastardly English dogs.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

That's a great idea. Bautista is fine at what he does but he's not much of an actor. McCann is a real actor.

The one thing Bautista does have is that nothing goes over his head, because he would catch it.

 

[AwkwardMD]

Historically, this is not all that problematic. Scotland and France have a long history of mutual esteem and cooperation against those dastardly English dogs.

My Irish ancestors compel me. Fock the Brits. (Nothing personal)

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

My Irish ancestors compel me. Fock the Brits.

Thanks to @StillStunned, I just learned that the Welsh have, after over a century, remembered how to make Whiskey. What's going to happen to the UK when they're getting as drunk as the Irish and the Scots?

 

[onehitwanda]

Thanks to @StillStunned, I just learned that the Welsh have, after over a century, remembered how to make Whiskey. What's going to happen to the UK when they're getting as drunk as the Irish and the Scots?

The Irish taught the Welsh the trick over a millennium ago: don't be sober.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Thanks to @StillStunned, I just learned that the Welsh have, after over a century, remembered how to make Whiskey. What's going to happen to the UK when they're getting as drunk as the Irish and the Scots?

The English and Welsh have never had any problem getting as wasted as Irish and Scots, and there's 24 English whisky distilleries as well as at least half a dozen Welsh ones.

Being trolleyed is just slightly less obvious in certain accents.

The Auld Alliance of Scotland and France (as feared by Elizabeth I) is pretty dead - one thing that unites the UK is ganging up on the French. And certain visiting heads of state.

 

[onehitwanda]

The Auld Alliance of Scotland and France (as feared by Elizabeth I) is pretty dead - one thing that unites the UK is ganging up on the French. And certain visiting heads of state.

I always joke that France is the UK's little brother. We bicker and fight and argue and bitch and call them names and wreck their room...

But God help any other bastard who fucks with them.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

The Irish taught the Welsh the trick over a millennium ago: don't be sober.

I got curious and found this:
Alcohol Binge Drinking: British women top the list of world’s biggest female binge drinkers

Should I be worried about you or just slightly dismayed I've never been invited to the party?

 

[onehitwanda]

I got curious and found this:
Alcohol Binge Drinking: British women top the list of world’s biggest female binge drinkers

Should I be worried about you or just slightly dismayed I've never been invited to the party?

I don't get shmangled, I stop when I'm rat-faced.