Subj : Re: Serenity and Chinese To : alt.tv.farscape From : Jim Larson Date : Tue Oct 04 2005 22:39:49 From Newsgroup: alt.tv.farscape John I wrote: > Jim Larson wrote: > >> Subject: Re: Serenity and Chinese >> From: Jim Larson >> Newsgroups: alt.tv.farscape >> >> weirdwolf wrote: >> >>> Jim Larson wrote in >>> news:Xns96E4C20DFE5783v234oiwofui3284af93@130.133.1.18: >>> >>>> Anyone know how well the actors were able to pull of the Chinese bits >>>> in Firefly? Usually they had to say no more than a couple of words, >>>> so maybe it's not that bad. In Serenity, there is a small bit where >>>> River curses(?) at length and probably pretty creatively in Chinese. >>>> I wonder if Summer Glau came even close to pulling it off. Must query >>>> Ted when he's seen it. >>>> >>> >>> They had a specialist translator/teacher. I've seen some outakes >>> where >>> they had more than a little trouble. I'm not really good enough to >>> tell. I do know that there are certain sounds that are very unusual >>> for English speakers as they don't appear in English and different >>> ways of pronouncing certain letters. The best examples are a 6th >>> vowel n which is a sort of ew noise and h which is from the front of >>> the mouth rather than the back of the throat. Please bare in mind >>> however that I have only had two lessons. >> >> I'll have no backtalk. Translate, damn you! >> >> *smacks Ted around as he alternates between saying "My sister" and "My >> daughter."*[1] >> >> -- >> Jim >> >> [1] Chinatown was on the other day. >> >> > > That movie really captures the tone and look of the seventies. > (Kind of misses its intended period by a few decades then.) -- Jim .