Fans discuss non-English dialogue in Seinfeld episodes and propose creating a comprehensive translation project for untranslated foreign language lines from the show.
Often when they show a character in Seinfeld speaking a language other than English, it often isn't translated. If this has already been done, I have not seen it, but I thought this might be an interesting project for us Seinfeld fans in alt.tv.seinfeld. First, ID all the non-English speaking dialogue. Second, locate someone who knows that language well to translate it. Last, find a web site to post all this on. What do people think?
Some that come to mind are when the delivery guy is talking on the phone to China to help George get a cure for baldness. Another is when Jerry talks to the landlords of his building trying to get Elaine an apartment there. That's Chinese and Spanish, so far. There is the one where Kramer keeps company with a group of three Japanese tourists, but I think all of that dialogue is translated with subtitles. Of course, someone who knows Japanense could tell us for sure.
Same here. I just remembered another one. When Kramer goes to pick-up the Calzone, they have some exchange, where I think the guy behind the counter might be speaking Italian, but I think Kramer at that point is faking it. This is my guess, since I don't know Italian. Oh, one more, when Kramer is talking with Poppy while they are doing the make your own pizza.
So far, we need help in Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Korean. Just through of another one, does George actually speak Portuguese to someone? Perhaps a waitress?
I'm on the language trail! I am 99% sure of what they say now, but I'll rewatch the episodes and report back on it. They are super easy. I can speak Italian and Spanish and the Portuguese is very similar to both.
I'm going for the conversation when Elaine wants to move into Jerry's building and Manny and his boyfriend/companion are speaking, one in Spanish the other in English. Then where George stops having sex with Louise and learns Portuguese from his cleaning lady (He says "2 coffees and a big salad, please" as their order I'm 99.9% without looking now). Then, my favorite, the Calzone episode in Paisano's.
Kramer, when he's with Poppy and at Paisano's, is speaking jibberish Italian for the record. It is just made-up sounds.
OK, in "The Apartment (#205)", Harold and Manny (he speaks Spanish):
They are arguing over who should go up the apartment of the woman who just died (Mrs. Hudwalker) to clean it and Manny is telling Harold why he should go up there. Then Harold (he speaks English) offers Jerry, jokingly, things from her apartment. Manny (in Spanish) tells him he can't give away her things, they aren't his. Harold says he was joking. Manny says that he still offered them (implying he was serious). They have another exchange, which I can't make out. Harold asks Jerry if he knows anyone who wants the apartment. He says they were going to give it to Manny's brother, but he had problems and was deported. Manny says his brother was only deported due to a misunderstanding by the immigration department. Harold tell Jerry it's only 400/month for Elaine to rent it. Manny (still in Spanish) tells him it's worth much more than 400/month and that Harold is practically giving it away and he is going to kill him. Kramers shows them the new mousse in his hair. Manny tells him it's worse
In "The Calzone (#720)"
George first goes into Paisano's to get lunch for himself and big Stein. He goes to put money in the tip cup and when the guy behind the counter (Antonio) gets called to the back so he doesn't see George leave the tip. What is said in Italian is this: Antonio is called to the back. He is told to come to the back because something is miserable that he did. Antonio yells back to wait a second when he sees George take the money back out of the tip jar.
Then Kramer goes back to get lunch for George (Newman does it normally, but it's raining). All in English except when Kramer tries to pay in pennies. The only discernable Italian is from Antonio who tells Kramer "va via!" which means "get out of here!" Kramer then starts his Italian jibberish and all of Antonio's words are completely lost. Antonio tells him again to get out.
In "The Abstinence (#809)"
George detects an accent from the Portuguese waitress. He orders (in Portuguese) 2 coffees and a big salad. She thanks him in Portuguese. Then later on, George tells "no-sex Louise" he won't have sex with her. She gets up, breaking up with him. The Portuguese waitress then returns into the picture, asking George, in her native tongue, if he wants more coffee. He says yes, thank you.
In "The Ticket (#404)"
Kramer is again using jibberish that sounds like Italian when he answers the phone while acting weird after Divola kicked him in the head.
Let me know if I missed any.
K-man
"The K Man" wrote in message news:Pdo88.18560$[email]...
Yep the Japanese tourists were subtitled AFAIR but what about the studio execs interested in Jerry and George's show - I think they weren't subtitled. Would have to check again. Never noticed any inaccuracies though although I remember one of the tourists definitley wasn't Japanese!!
You are right! Cause I remember him saying to them "No, no..." because he could see they were being offended by him not wanting to shake their hands because of the germs from his cold.
Did anyone need subtitles for "menage a'toi" (sp)?
^^^^^^ "Art is often hailed as the grandest expression of human spirit, but we know now ... that the grandest expression of human spirit is whatever it takes for a man or woman to rush back into a burning building to save more people."
(I think it translates as - three keeping house - but of course we all know
what it really means) - where's Sophie when we need her?
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The News Guy(Mike) - Seinfeld Lists
http://www.geocities.com/tnguym
All things Seinfeld; scripts, trivia, lists,
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Yeah, but don't you know what it means to become an orgy guy? It changes everything. You'd have to dress different. You'd have to act different. You'd have to grow a mustache and get all kinds of robes and lotions and you'd need a new bedspread and new curtains, you'd have to get thick carpeting and weirdo lighting. You'd have to get new friends. You'd have to get orgy friends.
On Thu, 07 Feb 2002 02:15:41 GMT, [email] (The News Guy(Mike)) wrote:
I am here; a little busy at school lately so I wasn't really paying attention.
"M�nage" is indeed household. "�tre en m�nage" (to be in household) with someone means to live with them maritally. "Trois" being "three", a "m�nage a trois" is basically three people living together "as a couple", so to speak.
Does a m�nage � trois constitute an orgy? I've always wondered about that. If you ask me, Jerry is a bit of a prude.
If 3 people were living together as a couple [2].. two would have to be constantly intertwined as one.. right? Whew.. takes my breath away. You two carry on without me for a while.. I'll just watch!
On Thu, 7 Feb 2002 15:06:45 -0800, "homerr..2k2" wrote:
"Three people living together as a trio" just doesn't have the same ring to it. I meant to say, the three people are, like, dating each other equally, and sharing living quarters.
Didn't we just discuss about this :-)
(article from Fri, 16 Mar 2001 06:46:45 -0500) follows:
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LOL - What we learn from "Seinfeld"
I am reading "The Guns of August" by B. W. Tuchman" - a book mentioned by Kennedy in the excellent recent film "Thirteen Days". It is about the insane events leading up to the first World War.
Page 103 .... " which would have been casus belli in England, . . . "
There's the Japanese network execs (with subtitles) in "The Checks"
And in "The Bubble Boy", Kramer says, "Maria, poquendo los scientos de estes con gleem!"
And Peterman spoke in the tongue of the Bantu Besh or something, lots of clicks and grunts as I recall.
Then there's the housekeeper from Senegal in "The Old Man" ("She steals from me!") She claimed to not speak English, but none of her lines were in any language but English.
Sorry if these have been mentioned, I missed the first part of the thread.
Don't forget when Kramer got kicked in the head by "Crazy" Joe Davola... he answered Jerry's phone (shortly after exclaiming "Yo yo ma!") and spoke in some sort of foreign tongue. I'm sure it's just him speaking gibberish, but it was still classic.
"byronbussey" <"balk"@home.com Fake> wrote in message news:JOTd8.112299$[email]...
What about the Korean nail stylists talking about Elaine, and she get's George's father to translate it! There's a lot of foreign language there, but already translated (at least here in the Netherlands it was translated)
just a short note. Vegetable lasagne explains to Elaine on the plane about the 50 kroner with the whole in the middle. The fifty norwegian kroner is in paper form only and hasnt got a coin edition as yet.