HONG KONG -- When it comes to translating movie titles, not every
name  will do.  So Hong Kong's movie distributors have created a
cottage industry to rename Hollywood titles for Chinese audiences.

"Major studios think up titles that are flat, boring and don't tell
audiences what movies are about," says Doinel Wu, who has spent
more than a decade renaming Western movies.  "We create titles
that are more straightforward."

Hence, the Cantonese title for the film biography "Nixon" is "The Big
Liar."  The title for "Boogie Nights" can be interpreted as "His Powerful 
Device Makes Him Famous."

Since many of Hong Kong residents don't know Fargo is a city in
snow-blown North Dakota, the movie "Fargo" became "Mysterious
Murder in Snowy Cream."  The words "snowy cream" are pronounced 
"fah go" in Cantonese.

The stakes are huge since English-language blockbusters dominate
Hong Kong's movie market and Chinese translations help sell the
films to a wider audience.

Mr. Wu's titles are touted as among the best in the business.  For the
arty thriller "The Professional," about a killer befriending an orphaned
girl, he concocted "This Hit Man Is Not as Cold as He Thought."

"The English Patient" was problematic.  Few Hong Kong residents
knew of the novel and marketers say a faithful translation, like "The
Sick Englishman," wouldn't have drawn audiences.  Mr. Wu's title,
"Don't Ask Me Who I Am," captured the story's mystery and passion.

"Good Will Hunting" was equally challenging.  Mr. Wu's Chinese title,
"Bright Sun, Just Like Me," uses characters to imply more than can
be said with words.  The first half alludes to the Chinese title for
"Dead Poet's Society," ("Bright Sun in Heavy Rain") which also
starred Robin Williams and was set at a school.  The second half
denotes a movie for young people who boldly do what they like.


"Titanic" and "Air Force One" needed no translation, distributors
decided.  But some of the local idioms don't travel well.  "The Full
Monty," a comedy about six unemployed steelworkers who become
strippers, uses a Cantonese colloquialism meaning "Six Stripped
Warriors."  The Mandarin interpretation is "Six Naked Pigs."

And some translations simply defy rationale.  The Hong Kong title for
"As Good As It Gets," a comedy about a mean-spirited novelist, is
"Mr. Cat Poop."  Its distributor declined comment.

The Wall Street Journal, Monday, April 13, 1998
THE TOP 15 CHINESE TRANSLATIONS OF ENGLISH MOVIE TITLES

15. "Pretty Woman" -- "I Will Marry a Prostitute to Save Money"

14. "Face/Off" -- "Who Is Face Belonging To?  I Kill You Again, Harder!"

13. "Leaving Las Vegas" -- "I'm Drunk And You're a Prostitute"

12. "Interview With The Vampire" -- "So, You Are a Lawyer?"

11. "The Piano" -- "Ungrateful Adulteress!  I Chop Off Your Finger!"

10. "My Best Friend's Wedding" -- "Help!  My Pretend Boyfriend Is Gay!"

9. "George of the Jungle" -- "Big Dumb Monkey-Man Keeps Whacking 
Tree With Genitals"

8. "Scent of a Woman" -- "Great Buddha!  I Can Smell You From Afar! 
Take a Bath, Will You?!"

7. "Love, Valour, Compassion!" -- "I Am That Guy From Seinfeld So It's
Acceptable for Straight People to Enjoy This Gay Movie"

6. "Babe" -- "The Happy Dumpling-to-be Who Talks And Solves 
Agricultural Problems"

5. "Twister" -- "Run!  Ruuunnnn!  Cloudzillaaaaa!"

4. "Field of Dreams" -- "Imaginary Dead Baseball Players Live in 
My Cornfield"

3. "Barb Wire" -- "Delicate Orbs of Womanhood Bigger Than Your 
Head Can Hurt You"

2. "Batman & Robin" -- "Come to My Cave and Wear This Rubber 
Codpiece, Cute Boy"

1. "The Crying Game" -- "Oh No!  My Girlfriend Has a Penis!"