Subj : Re: Serenity and Chinese To : alt.tv.farscape From : John I Date : Wed Oct 05 2005 13:06:39 From Newsgroup: alt.tv.farscape Jim Larson wrote: > 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.) > Wait. I mistook it for "The French Connection". .