An exercise in back-translation
You will undoubtedly have heard me complain about translation mistakes in TV shows again and again. This is another instance, except this time, I'm going to give the script of what is said in English, and then backtranslate the French version into English again. You guys can decide for yourself exactly how much that translator sucks.
This is the very end of episode 5x16 of Stargate: Atlantis. Here is the transcript of what is said (found on TwizTV).
(She smiles, then looks at him flirtatiously.)
KELLER: You know, it *is* kinda nice, just me and you back here.
McKAY (smiling): Right.
(She raises her eyebrows suggestively at him. His eyes widen as he gets the message.)
McKAY: Right! (He looks at her.) But you were legally dead a few hours ago; you were practically frozen. You really wanna ...?
KELLER (rolling her eyes): Well, it's either that or you keep telling me how you and only you saved the day.
(Smiling, Rodney stands up and moves to the seat beside her.)
McKAY: We-e-e-el, I've tried this whole "humble" thing out; seems to be quite a hit with the ladies!
And now, here is the French version, faithfully translated back into English by yours truly.
(She smiles, then looks at him flirtatiously.)
KELLER: Anyway, it's nice that the two of us are here again.
McKAY (smiling): Yeah.
(She raises her eyebrows suggestively at him. His eyes widen as he gets the message.)
McKAY: That's right! (He looks at her.) You were dead! You litteraly froze to death a few hours ago. Do you really want us to talk about it?
KELLER (rolling her eyes): It's either that or I listen to you going on about how you and only you saved the planet.
(Smiling, Rodney stands up and moves to the seat beside her.)
McKAY: Ah. I'm going to try the humble thing. It's a hit with the ladies!
Most of it is fine, yeah. Apart from that line in the middle which changes the whole meaning of the scene and makes it sound like she's offering to talk about it, whatever "it" is, rather than to do it, when we know exactly what "it" is. Seriously.
This is the very end of episode 5x16 of Stargate: Atlantis. Here is the transcript of what is said (found on TwizTV).
(She smiles, then looks at him flirtatiously.)
KELLER: You know, it *is* kinda nice, just me and you back here.
McKAY (smiling): Right.
(She raises her eyebrows suggestively at him. His eyes widen as he gets the message.)
McKAY: Right! (He looks at her.) But you were legally dead a few hours ago; you were practically frozen. You really wanna ...?
KELLER (rolling her eyes): Well, it's either that or you keep telling me how you and only you saved the day.
(Smiling, Rodney stands up and moves to the seat beside her.)
McKAY: We-e-e-el, I've tried this whole "humble" thing out; seems to be quite a hit with the ladies!
And now, here is the French version, faithfully translated back into English by yours truly.
(She smiles, then looks at him flirtatiously.)
KELLER: Anyway, it's nice that the two of us are here again.
McKAY (smiling): Yeah.
(She raises her eyebrows suggestively at him. His eyes widen as he gets the message.)
McKAY: That's right! (He looks at her.) You were dead! You litteraly froze to death a few hours ago. Do you really want us to talk about it?
KELLER (rolling her eyes): It's either that or I listen to you going on about how you and only you saved the planet.
(Smiling, Rodney stands up and moves to the seat beside her.)
McKAY: Ah. I'm going to try the humble thing. It's a hit with the ladies!
Most of it is fine, yeah. Apart from that line in the middle which changes the whole meaning of the scene and makes it sound like she's offering to talk about it, whatever "it" is, rather than to do it, when we know exactly what "it" is. Seriously.