Let The Smart One In

[Drugula]

@metoo

One last question.

The scene when Eli yells at Håkan:

"Du har ju sagt att du ska hjälpa mig."

How do you translate that in good english. Which tenses? Regarding the fact they met 2 years before that scene... like John said.

[metoo]

A literal translation would be:
You have said that you will help me.
Du = You
Har sagt = have said
Att = that
Du = you
Ska hjälpa = will help
Mig = me

However, that little word “ju” changes the sentence in subtle ways, but it is quite hard to translate. (I have struggled with it when translating my own fan fiction from Swedish to English.)

In this case I would say that it emphasises that the statement is true, that Håkan cannot deny it.

[dongregg]

:metoo: and rugula: I've found that replcing "ju" with "of course" works sometime.

[metoo]

:metoo: and :Drugula: I've found that replcing "ju" with "of course" works sometime.

Perhaps.

What I have tried in cases similar to this is to use a question tag.

Thus, this sentence might become:
You have said, haven't you, that you will help me.

[Drugula]

Ok thanks metoo.

There is no other way to translate this into french than what I already wrote in my improved subtitles.

At least, it's more faithful to swedish that way.

More faithful than:
You’re supposed to help me!
Tu es censé m'aider !

Thus, this sentence might become:
You have said, haven't you, that you will help me.

What about like drakkar suggested:

When Håkan comes home without blood, Eli tells him he has promised to help him. Not something he would say to an old acquaintance.

Using the verb to promise would be rather equivalent in this case? Maybe I'm completely wrong.

[metoo]

Using the verb to promise would be rather equivalent in this case? Maybe I'm completely wrong.

A literal translation would be as I suggested. However, what you want is something that conveys what's going on. If you are making sub texts for a movie, you have the additional problem of brevity - you cannot always translate all that is said, because the audience wouldn't have time reading it. Thus, you may have to concentrate and distill the essence.

In this case, we know what's going on - Håkan is supposed to bring Eli fresh human blood, but has failed. Thus, while not being a literally true translation, using "promise" would convey the essence of what Eli says.

You have promised to help me!

But the French translation you quoted seems fine, too, actually.

[sauvin]

Tu étais censé m'aider! (You were supposed to help me!)
Tu m'as dit que tu m'aideras! (You said you will help me!)

Any number of small variations on this general kind of theme would probably work. The first thought to cross my mind when I saw the Swedish original containing "ju" would be:

"Du hast mir ja gesagt, dass du mir helfen wirst!" ... or...
"Du hast mir wohl gesagt, dass du mir helfen wirst!"

either of which (as I remember) would mean "You DID tell me you'd help me, didn't you?"

Given the nature of the story and the way it was told overall, so many little things hinging on subtle little shades of meaning, it's not surprising somebody would want to get this right. In my head, in English, what I "heard" (not knowing one word of Swedish) in Eli's tone of voice is "You said you'd help me!" with the subtext ("but you didn't!") In such a case, I'd have "translated" what I "heard" more like "You said you would help me!", with the "would" being intended more as subjunctive than as conditional: Haakan did not, in fact, help. Thus, in French, I think I'd have gone with something like the very first "translation" I suggested above, or maybe:

Tu m'as dit que tu m'aiderais!

[metoo]

"Du hast mir ja gesagt, dass du mir helfen wirst!"

The German adverb "ja" is, I believe, identical to the Swedish "ju".

In my head, in English, what I "heard" (not knowing one word of Swedish) in Eli's tone of voice is "You said you'd help me!" with the subtext ("but you didn't!")

Exactly!

Tu m'as dit que tu m'aiderais!

In Swedish this would be:
Du har sagt att du skulle hjälpa mig!
But this doesn't sound natural, better would be:
Du sa (att) du skulle hjälpa mig! (The att (=that/que) is often left out when spoken.)
And if I add the "ju":
Du sa ju att du skulle hjälpa mig!

In French that would become:
Tu me disais que tu m'aiderais! (I had to consult my old French grammar from high school - I hope I got this right...)

Now, if I compare these two:
Du har ju sagt att du ska hjälpa mig!
Du sa ju att du skulle hjälpa mig!
I find that the former sounds more demanding, while the latter is more complaining.
Thus, the former version would be more true to the nature of the interaction between Eli and Håkan in this scene.

[Drugula]

@sauvin

Given the nature of the story and the way it was told overall, so many little things hinging on subtle little shades of meaning, it's not surprising somebody would want to get this right.

You definitely get my point.

In my head, in English, what I "heard" (not knowing one word of Swedish) in Eli's tone of voice is "You said you'd help me!" with the subtext ("but you didn't!") In such a case, I'd have "translated" what I "heard" more like "You said you would help me!", with the "would" being intended more as subjunctive than as conditional: Haakan did not, in fact, help.

You're perfectly right! When tweaking the subs, I too heard the same based on Eli's tone!
"Tu es censé m'aider !" is a short line, but that's all. That verb "Censé" (past participle form here) is just a synonym of "Supposé".

This translation, like drakkar pointed out here: http://www.let-the-right-one-in.com/for ... 1&start=10
misleads the viewers. The first time I watched the movie, with this translation, I believed Håkan was Eli's servant for a very long time...

Thus, in French, I think I'd have gone with something like the very first "translation" I suggested above, or maybe:

Tu m'as dit que tu m'aiderais!

It's indeed close to that in good french, but not quite. Regarding sequence of tenses, the first part is not correct. The second part is correct though.
Tu as dit que tu allais m'aider ! is correct, but it's like the action is too close from the present... hard to explain.

@metoo

In French that would become:
Tu me disais que tu m'aiderais! (I had to consult my old French grammar from high school - I hope I got this right...)

Tu disais que tu m'aiderais ! is good french but it doesn't sound right in the scene. It's more like someone who would speak in the present and would say to someone else:
- Et toi qui disais que tu m'aiderais...
- Chérie...
- Tu disais que tu me croyais !

- And you said you would help me...
- Honey...
- You said you believed me!

Just to blame the person for something. On a rather sarcastic and reproachful tone.

What I actually wrote in my improved subs is: "Tu avais dit que tu m'aiderais !"
Tu avais dit (Plus-que-parfait) --> that conveys an action a little further in the past, but which still have consequences in the present, when Eli yells. It's like Eli wants to remind Håkan his duty, his promise!
que (conditional marker)
tu m'aiderais ! (conditional)

So, I have the choice between: "Tu avais dit que tu m'aiderais !" or "Tu avais promis de m'aider !"
As you can see, in french, in that case, using the verb "to promise" is not really necessary because the notion of promise is already implied.

Like in this example:

- Maman, j'ai besoin d'aide pour mon exposé.
- Pas maintenant, je dois surveiller tes sœurs.
- Quand alors ?
- Je ne sais pas.
- Tu avais dit que tu m'aiderais. Tu n'avais pas le temps ce week-end. Hier non plus.

In english:

- Mom, I need help with my presentation.
- Not now, I must watch your sisters.
- When then?
- I don't know.
- You have said you would help me. You didn't have time this weekend. Yesterday either.
In french that would be someting like that: You (had) said (that) you would help

I wasn't sure about this line, but I keep "Tu avais dit que tu m'aiderais !"

Thanks metoo, thanks sauvin!

I improved the translation a lot. I'm done now.
Modified lines: 27
Added lines: 13

Still waiting for my friend's review... I know he's busy, but damn... come on, hurry up!

[Drugula]

I double checked my translation, and actually there is one more line that puzzles me...
It's not very important for the understanding of the story, but still the translation is wrong.

Just after Lacke and Ginia had an argument. Just before she leaves, Morgan says to Lacke: Det där skötte du ju jävligt snyggt, Lacke.

In english: Smooth, Lacke.
In french: Calme-toi, Lacke.

Now, google gives me such of nonsense... You did that, nicely, nicely,
Lacke

What does it even mean?