Is it just me, or is the translation quality of Chinese-language manga in Hong Kong getting worse?

I recently bought a few newly released Chinese-language manga, and the translations are ridiculously bad. Here are a few examples: - Japanese jokes are translated literally and aren't funny at all - Character dialogue is so stiff it sounds like Google Translate - Inconsistent terminology throughout - There are even obvious mistranslations Compared to the translation standards from over a decade ago, it's a huge step down. Are publishers cutting translation budgets because sales are dropping? Does anyone else feel the same way? Or am I just being too picky?

回覆 (12)

老

老番推薦達人5天前

Actually, poor translation quality isn't limited to manga. Anime subtitles and light novel translations suffer from similar issues. It's a trend across the entire industry.

追

追番日記5天前

The lack of consistency in terminology is the most frustrating part. When the same character's name changes throughout the text, it completely ruins the reading experience.

芙

芙莉蓮推し6天前

Totally agree! Especially when it comes to the translation of certain Japanese puns, there's absolutely no effort put into adapting them into Chinese humor.

字

字幕翻譯組組長6天前

From the perspective of subtitle translation: good translation requires time and effort. If a publisher cuts costs, quality will inevitably drop.

荃

荃灣宅男日記5天前

Sometimes I get so angry at poorly translated versions that I want to return them. $60-80 a book, yet the translation isn't up to standard.

動

動畫產業研究員5天前

From an industry perspective: translation costs are the easiest part of publishing to cut. However, in the long run, it will lead to a loss of readers.

漫

漫畫狂人6天前

As a manga fanatic, I've noticed this problem for a long time. The translation quality from Jonesky Limited in the past was really much better.

漫

漫畫速讀王5天前

Even as someone who speed-reads through manga, I still think the translation is poor. If it feels awkward even when speed-reading, it must be even more painful for those who read it slowly.

漫

漫畫cafe常客5天前

As a regular at manga cafes, I can say: sometimes when you compare the Chinese and Japanese versions side-by-side, the translation gap is truly significant.

深

深夜動畫部5天前

Standardizing terminology is the most basic requirement. This reflects issues with the publisher's quality control.

漫

漫畫倉庫管理員6天前

Back in those days, many translators were genuine anime fans. Nowadays, they probably just hire freelancers to do it.

考

考古學家阿賢6天前

Previous translations used to be adapted to the context of Hong Kong readers, but nowadays many are just literal translations. The sense of "localization" and intimacy has been lost.