What Is Actually Lost

We can often see or hear Japanese words in a lot of Hollywood movies in these years, like "The Last Samurai", "Kill Bill" or "Lost in Translation".
But we can laugh at their incorrect use of Japanese words no longer, because most of them are grammatically correct when comparing with the old movies of Sho Kosugi's era. (I have watched a ninja movie over 20 years ago that a ninja was repeatedly saying "Sit down and I give you my sword" in awkward Japanese but it didn't make any sense in that situation.) The filmmakers seem to have realized about the importance of good language coordinators.

I saw "Lost in Translation" on US version of DVD and found that there is no English subtitles for Japanese lines on the movie. So I guess many people are wondering whether something was actually lost in translation, and if so, what was lost. So I tried to translate them to English.

 

In this scene, an American actor Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is being directed to star in the commercial for Suntory whiskey. The director speaks to Bob  only in Japanese and a Japanese lady translate it, but she doesn't seem to be a professional translator. Bob starts to suspect the translation is not correct, and to feel uncomfortable with being in Japan.
The following italic words are spoken in Japanese in the movie.

Director: Mr.Bob-san, you're now comfortably sitting in your den. And there is a bottle of Suntory whisky on the table, you know? Please speak with full emotion, slowly, looking at the camera, tenderly, and just like meeting your old friend. Like Bogie in Casablanca. "Toast to your eyes, Suntory time!"

Translator: Um, he want you to turn, look in camera. Okay?

Bob: That's all he said?

Translator: Yes. Turn to camera.

Bob: All right, does he want me to... to turn from the right, or... turn from the left?

Translator: (to the director) Well, he is ready to act. But he's still wondering whether he should turn from the left or turn from the right when it starts...

Director: Who cares about such things! We don't have much time Bob-san, you know? Then quickly give me more high-tension. Look at the camera. Keep staring at it. Slowly, okay? Show more passion in your eyes. Alright?

Translator: Right side, and, uh, with intensity. Okay?

Bob: Is that everything? I mean, it seemed like he said quite a bit more than that.

Director: What you say (in this commercial) does not mean only about the whiskey, you know? Like meeting an old friend, tenderly and gently. And an emotion flowing out from your heart! Don't forget it!

Translator: Like an old friend, and into the camera.

Bob: ...Okay.

Director: Get it? You love whiskey. "It's Suntory time!" Okay?

Bob: ...Okay.

Director: Okay? Ready? Action!

Bob: (to camera) "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time."

Director: Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut! Do you really understand? Or you joking? This is Suntory "Hibiki" which is the most expensive whiskey in Suntory. Give me more high-grade feeling, okay? It's not an ordinary booze!

Translator: Uh, could you do it slower...

Director: (to the translator) Luxury feeling. Translate it!

Translator: and with more ...intensity?

Director: (with pointing his finger to Bob) "Suntory time." (to the crew) Okay? Ready? Action!

Bob: (to camera, a bit more slowly than the last time) "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time. "

Director: Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut! Give me a break!

Bob: (says nothing and scowls at the director)

The funny thing is that the director (I think it's stereotype of Japanese commercial directors) says only abstract things and there's no logical direction at all. So Bob would not understand him even if his words were translated correctly.
When the classic movie Casablanca was released in Japan, the lines, "Here is looking at you, kid" were translated quite lyrically like "Toast to your eyes" in Japanese by some oldtime translator. So many Japanese people believe that Humphrey Bogart actually said so in the movie.

And one more funny thing I found on another DVD. In "Kill Bill vol.1", we can see a Japanese actor Sonny Chiba obviously missing his lines in Japanese. In the scene that his role as Hattori Hanzo finishes his new sword and passes it to The Bride (Uma Thurman), his required lines were: "MOSHI KAMI GA TACHIHADAKAREBA KAMI WO MO KIRERU DAROU" (If the God interrupts you to go, this sword can even kill him). It's very serious scene, but the word "TACHIHADAKARU" (to stand to interrupt) is pretty hard to pronounce even for us. In the movie, Chiba once says like "KAMI GA TADA..." and quickly corrects it "KAMI GA TACHIHADAKAREBA". I guess that he must have spoken those lines without any mistakes in another take, but sadly, no one in the editing room might understand Japanese language to find which one was an OK take. Isn't it rare that such a clear mistake remained unnoticed until the movie was released?

In addition, in "The Girl Next Door", Elisha Cuthbert wore a t-shirt that said "A happy new year, January 1st".