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Spanish Episode Titles Offered By The Local Network (1999 Rerun)
by Terylene
Every time a book, album, motion picture or TV program, among others,
sells internationally and reaches countries speaking another language,
alas, a subtle semantic war is declared. As soon as certain "translators"
take over the hard task of turning original titles, text and/or dialogue
into something clear, coherent and understandable to local consumers,
it is evident that many authors and scriptwriters must cringe.
Translation is an art, a profession one earns at university such as architecture,
medicine or economics. Consequently, for the sake of the public and the
art itself, translation should be approached with seriousness, dedication
and effort. Sadly, this is not always the case when it comes to literature
or performing arts.
We're not saying that translators can't enrich their work adapting names
or giving alternative translations, for instance, whenever it's appropriate
or in such cases where the material makes sense in its original language,
but its literal translation does not. We may not agree entirely with the
name The Avengers is known by in France, Germany or Italy. However, nobody
could argue that Chapeau Melon et Bottes De Cuir ("Bowler Hat and
Leather Boots"), Mit Schirm, Charme Und Melone ("With Umbrella,
Charm and Bowler Hat") and Agente Speciale ("Special Agent")
respectively, are goodthough not brilliantadaptations. Likewise we
may accept that The Forget-Me-Knot is a challenging title to translate
literally into Spanish since as with many other plays on words Clemens
employed, it makes sense only in its original language.
But by any means, one could ignore some dreadful, completely improper
translations the local network made, such as The Silent Tiger instead
of The Hidden Tiger; Something Magic instead of Thingumajig; A Chorus
Of Toads instead of A Chorus Of Frogs; or The Men Of Medicine instead
of The Medicine Men, to name but a few. This is not a free adaptation
of the Avengers titles. This is a complete nonsense showing the alarming
ineptitude of those who carried out the translation (could we call them
"translators" anyway?).
In the table below you'll find many more examples of the aforementioned.
Translations marked • have been especially discussed
in "Traduttore, Traditore!" ("Translator, you're a traitor!"),
where we have added our acerbic views.
Note: All titles are arranged according to their production order. The
first column contains the original English title, the second the Spanish
title offered by Uniseries, the local channel that has been rerunning
The Avengers since 1999, and the third our own re-translation into Englishif
applicableof the titles shown on the second column. The initials VS
and MK stand for Venus Smith and Dr. Martin King, respectively.
|
Keel
Season |
|
Original
Title |
Spanish
Title |
Translation
of Spanish Title |
The Frighteners
|
Los Extorsionadores |
The Extortioners • |
|
Cathy
Gale Seasons |
|
Original Title
|
Spanish
Title |
Translation
of Spanish Title |
Dead On Course
(MK) |
Muerte En Camino
|
As original |
Mission
To Montreal (MK) |
Misión
A Montreal |
As
original |
The Sell-Out (MK) |
La Traición
|
The Treason |
Death
Dispatch |
Despacho
De Muerte |
As
original |
Warlock |
El Brujo |
As original |
Propellant
23 |
Propulsor
23 |
As
original |
Mr Teddy Bear |
Not aired |
The
Decapod (VS) |
El
Decápodo |
As
original |
Bullseye |
Tiro Al Blanco |
Target Practice •
|
The
Removal Men (VS) |
Hombres
Asesinos |
Killer
Men |
The Mauritius Penny |
El Penique Mauritius |
As original |
Death
Of A Great Dane |
La
Muerte De Un Gran Danés |
As
original |
Death On The Rocks |
Not aired |
Traitor
In Zebra |
Un
Traidor En Zebra |
As
original |
The Big Thinker |
El Gran Pensador |
As original |
Intercrime |
Intercrimen |
As
original |
Immortal Clay |
Cerámica Inmortal |
As original |
Box
Of Tricks (VS) |
La
Caja De Sorpresas |
As
original |
The Golden Eggs |
Los Huevos De Oro |
As original |
School
For Traitors (VS) |
Escuela
Para Traidores |
As
original |
The White Dwarf |
El Enano Blanco |
The White (male)
Dwarf • |
Man
In The Mirror (VS) |
El
Hombre En El Espejo |
As
original |
Conspiracy Of Silence |
La Conspiración
Del Silencio |
The Conspiracy
Of The Silence • |
A
Chorus Of Frogs (VS) |
Un
Coro De Sapos |
A
Chorus Of Toads • |
Six Hands Across
A Table |
Not aired |
Killer
Whale |
Ballena
Asesina |
As
original • |
Concerto |
Concierto |
As original |
Brief
For Murder |
Alegato
Para Un Asesinato |
As
original |
The Nutshell |
Cáscara De Nuez |
As original |
The
Golden Fleece |
El
Vellocino De Oro |
As
original |
Death à la Carte |
Muerte A La Carta |
As original |
Man
With Two Shadows |
Hombre
Con Dos Sombras |
As
original |
Don't Look Behind
You |
No Mires Hacia
Atrás |
As original |
The
Grandeur That Was Rome |
La
Grandeza Que Era Roma |
As
original |
The Undertakers |
Not aired |
Death
Of A Batman |
La
Muerte De Un Ordenanza |
As
original |
Build A Better
Mousetrap |
Construir Una Trampa
Mejor |
To Build A Better
Trap • |
November
Five |
El
5 De Noviembre |
The
Fifth Of November |
Second Sight |
Segunda Vista |
As original |
The
Secrets Broker |
Not
aired |
The Gilded Cage |
La Jaula Dorada |
As original |
The
Medicine Men |
Los
Hombres De La Medicina |
The
Men Of Medicine • |
The White Elephant |
El Elefante Blanco |
The White (male)
Elephant • |
Dressed
To Kill |
Vestida
Para Matar |
She
Is Dressed To Kill • |
The Wringer |
El Extorsionador |
The Extortionist |
The
Little Wonders |
Las
Pequeñas Sorpresas |
The
Little Surprises • |
Mandrake |
Not aired |
Trojan
Horse |
Not
aired |
The Outside-In
Man |
Not aired |
The
Charmers |
Not
aired |
Esprit De Corps |
Not aired |
Lobster Quadrille |
Not Aired |
|
Emma Peel
Season
(monochrome)
|
|
Original
Title |
Spanish
Title |
Translation
of Spanish Title |
The Murder Market |
El Mercado De Los
Asesinatos |
As original |
The
Master Minds |
La
Inteligencia Superior |
The
Superior Intelligence • |
Dial a Deadly Number |
Discar Un Número
Mortal |
To Dial A Mortal
Number • |
Death
At Bargain Prices |
La
Muerte A Precios Regalados |
As
original |
Too Many Christmas
Trees |
Demasiados Árboles
De Navidad |
As original |
The
Cybernauts |
Los
Cibernautas |
As
original |
The Gravediggers |
Los Sepultureros
|
As original |
Room
Without A View |
La
Habitación Sin Ventana |
The
Room Without A Window |
A Surfeit Of H2O |
Un Exceso De Agua |
An Excess Of Water • |
Two's
A Crowd |
Dos
Son Multitud |
As
original |
Man-Eater Of Surrey
Green |
El Canibal De Surrey
Green |
As original |
Silent
Dust |
Polvo
Silencioso |
As
original |
The Hour That Never
Was |
La Hora Que Nunca
Existió |
As original |
The
Town Of No Return |
Pueblo
Sin Retorno |
Town
Of No Return • |
Castle De'Ath |
Castillo D'Muerte
|
As original |
The
Thirteenth Hole |
El
Hoyo Trece |
As
original |
Small Game For
Big Hunters |
Un Juego Simple
Para Grandes Cazadores |
A Simple Game For
Big Hunters • |
The
Girl From Auntie |
La
Chica De Auntie |
As
original |
Quick-Quick Slow
Death |
Una Muerte Rápida,
Rápida Pero Lenta |
A Fast, Fast, Yet
Slow Death • |
The
Danger Makers |
Los
Amantes Del Peligro |
The
Danger Lovers • |
A Touch Of Brimstone |
Un Toque Diabólico |
A Diabolic Touch • |
What
The Butler Saw |
¿QuéVio
El Mayordomo? |
What
Did The Butler See? • |
The House That
Jack Built |
La Casa Que Jack
Construyó |
As original |
A
Sense Of History |
Con
Sentido Histórico |
With
An Historical Sense |
How To Succeed...
At Murder |
Como Triunfar En
El Crimen |
How To Succeed
At Crime • |
Honey
For The Prince |
Miel
Para El Príncipe |
As
original |
|
Emma Peel
Season
(in color)
|
|
Original
Title |
Spanish
Title |
Translation
of Spanish Title |
The Fear Merchants |
Los Mercaderes
Del Terror |
The Terror Merchants • |
Escape
In Time |
Escape
En El Tiempo |
As
original |
The Bird Who Knew
Too Much |
El Pájaro
Que Sabía Demasiado |
As original |
From
Venus With Love |
De
Venus, Con Amor |
As
original |
The See-Through
Man |
El Hombre Invisible |
The Invisible Man |
The
Winged Avenger |
El
Vengador Alado |
As
original |
The Living Dead |
Los Muertos Vivos |
The Alive Dead |
The
Hidden Tiger |
El
Tigre Silencioso |
The
Silent Tiger • |
The Correct Way
To Kill |
Matar Con Corrección |
To Kill With Correctness • |
Never,
Never Say Die |
Nunca
Digas Morir |
Never
Say Die • |
Epic |
Épico |
As original |
The
Superlative Seven |
Los
Siete Magníficos |
The
Magnificent Seven • |
A Funny Thing Happened
On The Way To The Station |
Algo Gracioso Ocurrió
Camino A La Estación |
As original |
Something
Nasty In The Nursery |
Algo
Feo En La Nursery |
As
original |
The Joker |
El Bromista |
As original |
Who's
Who??? |
¿Quién
Es Quién? |
As
original |
Death's Door |
A Las Puertas De
La Muerte |
At The Gates Of
Death • |
Return
Of The Cybernauts |
El
Regreso De Los Cibernautas |
As
original |
Dead Man's Treasure |
El Tesoro Del Muerto |
As original |
The
£50,000 Breakfast |
El
Desayuno De 50.000 Libras |
As
original |
You Have Just Been
Murdered |
Usted Ha Sido Asesinado |
You Have Been Murdered • |
The
Positive Negative Man |
El
Hombre Eléctrico |
The
Electric Man • |
Murdersville |
El Pueblo De La
Muerte |
Death Town • |
Mission...
Highly Improbable |
Una
Misión Altamente Improbable |
As
original |
|
Tara
King Season |
|
Original
Title |
Spanish
Title |
Translation
of Spanish Title |
Invasion
Of The Earthmen |
La
Invasión De Los Hombres De La Tierra |
The
Invasion Of The Men From The Earth • |
The Forget-Me-Knot |
No Me Olvides |
Don't Forget Me |
The
Curious Case Of The Countless Clues |
Not
Aired |
Split! |
Transferencia |
Transference • |
Get-A-Way! |
La
Huida |
Escape |
Have Guns - Will
Haggle |
Si Tiene Armas,
Puedes Regatear |
If You've Got Arms,
You May Haggle • |
Look...
(Stop Me If You've Heard This One) But There Were These Two Fellers |
Miren...
Iban Esos Dos Tipos |
Look...
Those Two Fellers Were Going • |
My Wildest Dream |
Mi Sueño Más Alocado |
My Craziest Dream • |
Whoever
Shot Poor George /XR40 |
Quién
le disparó A XR40 |
Whoever
Shot XR40? • |
You'll Catch Your
Death |
Atrapará A Su Muerte |
As original
• |
All
Done With Mirrors |
Todo
Hecho Con Espejos |
As
original |
Super Secret Cypher
Snatch |
Robo De Cifras
Super Secretas |
Super Secret Cypher
Theft |
Game |
El
Juego |
The
Game |
False Witness |
Falso Testigo |
As original |
Noon
Doomsday |
Juicio
Final, Al Mediodía |
As
original |
Legacy Of Death |
El Legado De La
Muerte |
The Legacy Of The
Death • |
They
Keep Killing Steed |
Siguen
Matando A Steed |
As
original |
Wish You Were Here |
Deseando Que Estés
Aquí |
Wishing You Were
Here • |
Killer |
Asesino |
As
original |
The Rotters |
La Cárcoma |
The Wood Borer • |
The
Interrogators |
Los
Interrogadores |
As
original |
The Morning After |
El Día Después |
The Following Day • |
Love
All |
Amar
A Todos |
As
original |
Take Me To Your
Leader |
Llévame Con Tu
Líder |
As original |
Stay
Tuned |
Mantente
En Sintonía |
As
original |
Fog |
Niebla |
As original |
Who
Was That Man I Saw You With? |
¿Quién
Era Ese Hombre Con El Que Te Vi? |
As
original |
Pandora |
Pandora |
As original |
Thingumajig |
Algo
Mágico |
Something
Magical • |
Homicide And Old
Lace |
Homicidio Y Encaje
Antiguo |
As original |
Requiem |
Requiem |
As
original |
Take-Over |
Apoderarse |
To Take Possession |
Bizarre |
Extraño |
Strange |
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