Example Translation: Chinese documentary script

This is a translation for a fun documentary series on pets. The great thing about this company is they let you basically write what you think sounds natural in English and to focus on what will connect with the English audience (rather than mechanical and stilted translations as is typically the case with Chinese translation companies).

北京有七百万个家庭,每天清晨,这座城市都要经历数百万次别离,父母送别孩子,亲人朋友各奔东西。窗外的滚滚红尘属于人类,独自在家的还有不会说话的室友,关上房门,世界就是一颗孤独星球。

Seven million families live in Beijing. Every morning, millions of people in the city must bid farewell as parents send off their children and friends and relatives go about their own affairs. The hurried activities of the commercial world belongs to the human, but in their enclosed houses they still have housemates who speak an entirely different language. Once that door is closed, the world becomes its own separate universe.

小宠当家

Pets Home Alone

第三集 孤独星球

Episode 3 The Lonely Planet

家里有一只哈士奇的人是勇士,有两只的是战士,孙影家里就有两只哈士奇。

Only a very special owner can handle one husky. Having two huskies in one’s house signifies a true warrior. Sun Ying has two huskies.

孙影
哈士奇是上帝派来
磨炼你心智的嘛
网上那些图片
觉得它特别二嘛 特别可爱
光想它二了
没想它拆迁啊 毁家具啊
这些都没考虑到

Sun Ying
The husky has been sent down
from heaven to test the ingenuity of mortals.
Pictures on the ‘net make
huskies look very goofy, very lovable.
That’s all that you can see.
You can’t see them tear down your house and furniture.
That is not featured.

拆迁队被主人领出门遛弯,摄制组乘机潜入孙影家中进行布控。

The bulldozing team is taken out for a stroll round the block, while the camera team takes advantage of the quiet to install CCTV.

挺好奇它们在家
就我不在家的时候
它们两个人在家
自己是怎么折腾怎么造反的

I’m very curious about what
they do when I’m not around,
What these two do in the house
to cause trouble.

主人的好奇由我们来帮她满足,各种设备需要安装调试才能捕捉拆迁实况。时间刚刚好,准备工作已经就绪。

We’re going to help this owner satisfy her curiosity. The equipment needs to be installed and tested properly first, however. There is just enough time. Everything is ready.

我走了啊 尼卡
听话啊 不许尿沙发

I’m going! Nikki.
Be a good girl, no peeing on the sofa.

每只小狗都有不同的个性,黑色的凯迪八个月大,比三岁的尼卡更早来到这个家庭。一般说来,幼犬的好奇心比成年的狗要强,凯迪发现家里与平时有些不同。高清球头摄像机要遭殃了。年幼的凯迪还在磨牙期,与尼卡相比更具破坏力。

Every dog is different. Darkly colored Katie is 8 months old, and arrived at this home earlier than two year old Nikki. Normally, younger dogs are more curious than older, and Katie has discovered there is something different about the house. The bulbous CCTV camera is in trouble. Young Katie is still teething, and her jaws are more powerful at this stage than Nikki’s.

凯迪
主人担心小狗会感到孤独,但凯迪显然自得其乐,各种家具上遍布凯迪的牙印。

Katie
The owner was worried that dogs easily feel lonely. It doesn’t seem to be a problem for Katie, though, has she has demonstrated through her teeth marks on many items of furniture.