Caution!

This article contains spoilers for The Dark Knight.

In the previous article, I discussed the characteristic attitudes of translators through the lens of English and Spanish translations of Japanese anime. In this article, I'm going to examine the Japanese translations of an American movie by looking at one of my favorite scenes and report on the results.

"The Dark Knight" is one of the films in the Batman series of American superheroes. With a special focus on the character of the Joker, the clown-faced villain, it is often compared to Tim Burton's earlier "Batman" and the more recent "JOKER" directed by Todd Phillips, and especially because of the very different interpretations of the Joker in "The Dark Knight" and "JOKER", many people like one of the movies and not the other. Of course, I love them both, but discussing them in detail would make this article too complex, so I won't go into it here.

What I especially like is the interrogation room scene:

Original Version

Japanese Dub

For those who haven't seen the movie, here's a bit of a spoiler: the story features Batman as the hero and the Joker as the villain. Prior to this scene, the Joker's plans have been thwarted by Batman's efforts, resulting in his capture by Lieutenant Gordon. As a result of this capture, Gordon is promoted to Commissioner that same day, and in response, the Joker, still in his cell, gives a round of applause (rumor has it that the applause was not originally in the script and was an ad-lib by Heath Ledger, who played the Joker). The scene then cuts to the interrogation room.

In this article, I'd like to focus on the language used in this scene, reflect on the nature of translation through the work of professional translators, and talk about how amazing the Japanese dubbed version of Joker by Fujiwara Keiji is!

The Joker : Evening, commissioner.

ジョーカー：こんばんは、本部長

Lt. James Gordon : Harvey Dent never made it home.

ジェームズ・ゴードン総監：デント地方検事が帰ってない。

• In English, the name "Harvey Dent" is called by the full name, but in Japanese, it is translated as "District Attorney, Dent." In Japan, it's uncommon to call someone by their name without an honorific (such as "san" or "sama") or a title (such as "sensei" or "hakase"). I believe this is why the translation is done this way.

The Joker : Of course not.

ジョーカー：そうだろうな。

Lt. James Gordon : What have you done with him?

ジェームズ・ゴードン総監：彼をどうしたんだ？

The Joker : Me? I was right here. [holds up his arms in handcuffs]

ジョーカー：俺が？俺はここにいたろ。

The Joker : Who did you leave him with? Your people?

ジョーカー：デントを誰に任せた？部下たちにか？

• The phrase "your people" is a very English expression, and it seems that the Japanese translator had some difficulty with it. In the Japanese translation, it is translated as "your subordinates? I think this is a translation that could only be made by understanding the whole context of the story.

The Joker : Assuming, of course, they are still “your” people, and not Maroni's.

ジョーカー：まぁ、一応今でも「あんたの」部下ってことにしよう、マローニのじゃなくて。

The Joker : Does it depress you, commissioner? To know just how alone you really are?

ジョーカー：だが気づいたら寂しいだろうな。本当は、信頼できるものなんかいないって。

• In the Japanese translation, the object is omitted, and a literal translation of the Japanese version would be something like, "But looks lonely realizing that in reality there is nothing to trust." To be honest, this translation is quite far from the original both in meaning and nuance. Moreover, the Japanese translation lacks the element that this phrase is directed not at his subordinates but at the commissioner, making it feel like a rather inaccurate translation.
• A solution to this issue in the Japanese translation is already suggested in the original English. I personally believe that adding a question mark at the end, to make it sound like a question to the commissioner, would result in a much better translation.

The Joker : Does it make you feel responsible for Harvey Dent's current predicament?

ジョーカー：責任を感じるかもしれないな。ハービー・デントの苦しみを知ったら。

• In this part as well, the element of "you" is missing in the Japanese translation, which results in the omission of the fact that this phrase is directed at the commissioner.

Lt. James Gordon : Where is he?

ジェームズ・ゴードン総監：どこにいる？

The Joker : What's the time?

ジョーカー：何時だ？

Lt. James Gordon : What difference does that make?

ジェームズ・ゴードン総監：何の関係がある？

The Joker : Well, depending on the time, he may be in one spot, or several.

ジョーカー：時間によっちゃ居場所が一か所かもしれないし、バラバラに散ってるかも。

• I personally like the translation here. It accurately conveys the Joker's lines, and combined with the performance of the Japanese voice actor (who is Keiji Fujiwara, a well-known voice actor in Japan), it highlights the Joker's madness with a slightly "playful and mischievous" tone.

Lt. James Gordon : If we're gonna play games... [takes off Joker's handcuffs] ...I'm gonna need a cup of coffee.

ジェームズ・ゴードン総監：ゲームをして遊ぶ気なら…コーヒーでも淹れてくる。

The Joker : Ah, the “good cop, bad cop” routine?

ジョーカー：あぁ、「優しい刑事、怖い刑事」ってアレか。

• I'm not sure if what I'm imagining is exactly what the Joker said, but interestingly, I've heard that similar interrogation techniques are used by the Japanese police. First, a police officer with a high-pressure attitude interrogates the suspect, and then another, younger and kinder-looking officer asks the suspect to confess what they've done. By alternating between the two, they mentally shake the suspect. Is this method also used in the U.S., or is it that the Japanese police are imitating techniques used by American police?

Lt. James Gordon : Not exactly.

ジェームズ・ゴードン総監：ちょっと違う。

[Batman slams The Joker's head on the table]

The Joker : Never start with the head. The victim gets all fuzzy. He can't feel the next...

ジョーカー：頭からやっちゃだめだ。それじゃ相手がボーっとして、次の痛みを感じ...

• This is where the skill of Japanese translators becomes evident. Since the structure of English and Japanese sentences is quite different, it's necessary to supplement the part that he failed to mention (most likely 'pain'). However, while making up for that content in Japanese, the Japanese version of the Joker also has a similar expression, as if he left something unsaid.
• Additionally, the uniquely Japanese expression 'ボーっ (Bō~)' is used, giving the Japanese version a fairly colloquial tone.

[Batman punches the Joker's hand. The Joker pauses for a moment waiting for it to hurt]

The Joker : See?

ジョーカー：な

Batman : You wanted me. Here I am.

バットマン：会いたがってたろ。来てやった。

The Joker [OVER SPEAKER] : I wanted to see what you’d do.

ジョーカー：お前の反応を見てた。

• At this point, the Japanese translator deliberately reduces the number of words used, aiming for a more concise and rapid exchange. I'm not sure I would come up with this kind of Japanese just by looking at the original English text, but the meaning is roughly the same.

The Joker : And you didn’t dissapoint. You let five people die.

ジョーカー：期待通りだったぞ。お前のせいで５人が死んだ。

• For English learners, it might be tempting to phrase it as “you didn’t dissapoint (me?)”, but is his statement natural English for native speakers?

The Joker : Then you let Dent take your place. Even to a guy like me, that’s cold.

ジョーカー：それから、デントを自分の身代わりにしたが、俺から見たって冷酷だ。

• This is a spoiler, but in the previous scene, Dent, who was Batman's friend, falsely announces that he is Batman. As a result, the Joker mistakenly believes he is Batman and captures him, and in this scene, he is in danger of losing his life in a different location.
• Though it's not as important in comparison, the Japanese translation of the line line 'Even to a guy like me, that’s cold' was quite hard to catch for me as a Japanese speaker.

Batman : Where’s Dent?

ジョーカー：デントはどこだ？

The Joker : Those mob fools want you gone so they can get back to the way things were.

ジョーカー：マフィアの馬鹿はお前が消えりゃ街は元通りになると思ってる。

• This part is also puzzling to me, but in the Japanese translation, "mob fools" is consistently translated as "mafia fools." Personally, though, I don't think the word 'mob' refers exclusively to the mafia.
• I thought so until recently, when I found out that "mob" can mean "mafia" by itself. So this translation is not so inaccurate.

The Joker : But I know the truth: there's no going back.

ジョーカー：だが実際は違う。決して戻りゃしない。

The Joker : You've changed things... forever.

ジョーカー：お前が変えちまった…永遠に。

Batman : Then why do you wanna kill me?

バットマン：ならなぜ俺を殺したい？

The Joker : I don’t wanna kill you.

ジョーカー：俺は、お前を殺したくなんかない。

• The Joker believes he has Batman restrained, so it's only natural for Batman to ask that. However, the Joker provokes him by saying that while capturing Batman is his goal, killing him is not.

The Joker : What would I do without you?

ジョーカー：お前がいなくてどうする？

The Joker : Go back to ripping off Mob dealers? No, no.

ジョーカー：またマフィアのカネでもくすねるのか？嫌だ、嫌だね。

The Joker : You complete me.

ジョーカー：お前が、俺を、完璧なものにするんだ。

• The scene where the Joker presses on is well captured in the Japanese version as well. In particular, the final line, 'You complete me,' though short, is quite a difficult translation. It’s so skillful and dramatic that you likely couldn't come up with this translation without being deeply familiar with Marvel comics or games for a long time.

Batman : You’re garbage who kill for money.

バットマン：カネのために人を殺すクズめ。

The Joker : Don't talk like one of them. You're not!

ジョーカー：サツみたいな言い方するな。

• I feel that this translator has a tendency to omit or confuse the object of sentences. "サツ (satsu)" is a Japanese slang word meaning "police" or "cop", and it seems to be quite different from what "they" originally refers to. To me, it looks like "they" refers to the "mob (fools)", guessing by the context, but I think the "mob" has a milder meaning, used in "flash mob" or something.
• I've heard that 'You’re not' is a fairly famous phrase in the Batman series, but unfortunately, it has completely disappeared in the Japanese translation.

The Joker : Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak, like me!

ジョーカー：自分じゃどう思ってても、連中にとっちゃお前はイカれてる。俺と同じ。

• In this part as well, the nuance of the Joker's claim, 'You want to be one of them, but you’re not,' has been significantly watered down in the translation.
• However, to defend the Japanese translator, the word 'freak' often appears in horror or suspense films, but it's a very difficult word to translate while distinguishing it from words like 'monster' or 'crazy' and other similar terms.

The Joker : They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper!

ジョーカー：今はお前が必要だが、要らなくなりゃ、嫌われて、除け者さ。

The Joker : You see, their morals, their code, it's a bad joke.

ジョーカー：連中はモラルだの、倫理だの言ってるが、悪い冗談さ。

The Joker : Dropped at the first sign of trouble.

ジョーカー：ちょっと困りゃすぐ捨てちまったろ？

The Joker : They're only as good as the world allows them to be.

ジョーカー：善良なのは世の中がまともな時だけさ。

The Joker : I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other.

ジョーカー：見てろよ。いざ追い込まれてみろ。いわゆるその…文明人ってやつだって、殺し合いを始める。

• However, this translator shows an overwhelming 'strength' in the flow of 'cool conversation,' and the Japanese used in this scene effectively conveys the intensity between the two characters. It’s unclear whether this part is an improv by the original Joker, but in this section, the Joker hesitates slightly. The Japanese translator accurately captures this hesitation as well. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call this translator not just an inaccurate translator, but rather a 'violent translator.'

The Joker : See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve.

ジョーカー：俺は化け物じゃない。一歩先を行ってるのさ。

Batman : [grabs Joker] Where's Dent?

バットマン：デントはどこだ？

The Joker : You have all these rules and you think they'll save you!

ジョーカー：お前にはルールがあるがただの気休めだ。

• The Japanese translator added the phrase "...but that's only a consolation" instead of translating "...you think they'll save you". Perhaps the translator wanted to make it easier to understand.

Lt. James Gordon : [as Batman slams Joker into the wall] He's in control.

ジェームズ・ゴードン総監：彼は平気だ。

Batman : I have one rule.

バットマン：ルールはあるとも。

The Joker : Oh, then that's the rule you'll have to break to know the truth.

ジョーカー：ああ、なら真実を知るにはそれを破らなきゃ。

Batman : [getting impatient] Which is?

バットマン：なんだと？

The Joker : The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules.

ジョーカー：この世界はルール抜きで生きるのが賢い。

• This is the first time I've heard the phrase "the only sensible way," so I'd like to use it in everyday conversation!

[mimicking Batman's voice]

The Joker : And tonight you're gonna break your one rule.

ジョーカー：今夜お前は自分のルールを破るかな。

Batman : I'm considering it.

バットマン：考えておこう。

The Joker : Oh, there's only minutes left, so you're gonna have to play my little game if you wanna save one of them.

ジョーカー：だがあと数分だ。二人を助けたきゃここで遊んでる暇はない。

Batman : [softly, fearful] Them?

バットマン：二人？

• In the original English, the joker means that only one of some people can be saved, but unfortunately the Japanese translation says, "If you want to help the two," referring to the possibility that both can be saved. However, it's understandable that such a translation was made, since I couldn't think of a way to translate "one of them" into a short sentence.
• No, I just thought of something: wouldn’t 'どっちかを助けたきゃ…', '『どっちか』だと？' work?

The Joker : You know for awhile there, I thought you really were Dent.

ジョーカー：何、ついさっきまで、お前をデントと思ってた。

The Joker : The way you threw yourself after her.

ジョーカー：あの女にのぼせ上ってるから。

• This contains a spoiler for the story, but 'her' refers to Rachel, the woman whom both Batman and Dent have feelings for, and who is also undecided about which of the two to choose. The Joker does not mention her name, but Batman instantly becomes convinced that the Joker is referring to her.
• Incidentally, when reading slightly difficult English novels, I often come across sentences that are complete with just a subject like this. What impression do such sentences leave on native speakers? Do they feel like incomplete sentences, or are they also natural and without any awkwardness?

[Joker laughs, Batman throws Joker on table, barricades door]

The Joker : Look at you go!

ジョーカー：ほらその調子だ。

The Joker : Does Harvey know about you and his little bunny?

ジョーカー：ハービーはお前とあの女のこと知ってんのか？

• The Joker provocatively refers to Rachel as 'his little bunny,' but unfortunately, in the Japanese translation, it is simply rendered as 'that woman.' However, it’s clear that this phrase is untranslatable.

Batman : [slams Joker into mirror] Where are they?

バットマン：二人はどこだ？

The Joker : Killing is making a choice.

ジョーカー：殺すにはまず選ばなきゃな。

• As a translation enthusiast, I propose a method where I translate '殺しってのは『選択』なんだよ' in a literal and somewhat nonsensical way to deliver a punch to the Japanese audience, but this is ultimately a matter of the translator's preference.

Batman : [punches Joker] Where are they?

バットマン：二人はどこにいる？

• In this scene, Batman says 'Where are they?' twice in succession, but the Japanese translation uses slightly different vocabulary. While it's not unnatural to repeat the same phrase, it can come across as somewhat mechanical or may sound like 'a police officer warning a suspect who is not following instructions,' so I believe it was avoided. However, it cannot be definitively stated that this is incorrect in terms of the situation.

The Joker : Choose between one life or the other. Your friend, the district attorney, or his blushing bride-to-be...

ジョーカー：どっちを殺すか選ぶんだ。友達の地方検事か、奴の未来の嫁さんか…

• Does anyone know what the Joker was trying to say after "his blushing bride-to-be..."? This is the first time I've seen that expression, so I really don't understand what he was trying to convey, and it's not reflected in the Japanese translation.
• However, it's clear that the Joker is persistently provoking and attacking Batman's emotional turmoil. And this scene looks incredibly painful.

[punches Joker]

The Joker : [laughs] You have nothing, nothing to threaten me with!

ジョーカー：お前は無力だ。脅しは通じないぞ！

The Joker : Nothing to do with all your strength!

ジョーカー：たとえお前がどんなに強くてもな！

• I think the Japanese translator did a pretty good job with this part, but it feels like the vectors of the words are scattered, making it difficult to understand the meaning. Looking at the English text, I can understand what the Joker was really trying to say: "There are problems that cannot be solved by strength." That is why I study English without relying too much on translation machines. I have to find the subtle nuances in the original language.

[grabs Joker]

The Joker : Don't worry, I'm gonna tell you where they are.

ジョーカー：安心しろ、居場所は教える。

The Joker : Both of them. And that's the point.

ジョーカー：二人とも。あぁ、そこがポイントだ。

The Joker : You'll have to choose.

ジョーカー：お前は選ぶんだ。

The Joker : He's at 250 52ND Street and she's on Avenue X, at Cicero.

ジョーカー：男は52番ストリート250、そして女はXアベニュー、シセロ。

This concludes the content of this article. Thank you very much for reading all the way through.

This scene is one of the most iconic moments from The Dark Knight, so I highly recommend watching it at least once.

One fun fact I know about this scene is that Heath Ledger, who played the Joker, advised Christian Bale, who played Batman, to "hit him for real" in order to add more realism. In other words, the scene wasn't just acting that looked painful—it genuinely was. So, I wonder if the part where the glass shatters was real as well...

Also, speaking of translation, in my previous article, I discovered that when translating Japanese anime, the English translator tend to translate in a way that is both "violent" yet emotional, while the Spanish translator stay extremely faithful to the original Japanese text, and in this article, I found that the Japanese translator tend to translate English films in a "violent" manner as well.

From these two points, one hypothesis arises. If you take a look at the comment section of the YouTube video mentioned in the previous article, you'll see that many native Spanish speakers aren't satisfied with the Spanish Kobeni's voice actress. While I cannot determine which country’s voice acting is superior, if their critiques are accurate, my hypothesis is that this could be due to the Spanish translator staying too faithful to the original Japanese, resulting in a translation that doesn’t lend itself well to emotional expression in Spanish.

On the other hand, when I consider the powerful performance of the English version of Kobeni, or the legendary performance of the Joker in the Japanese dub (by our dearest voice actor Keiji Fujiwara), it makes me think that a "violent" translation—where you don't adhere too strictly to the original text—may actually produce language that is easier for voice actors to perform in.

Of course, it might be overly simplistic for me to discuss the theme of translation based on just these two examples. But speaking for myself, if my work were ever to be translated into another language, I would strongly prefer a "violent" translation. Even if the translator's interpretation differs from my original intent, to me that's a difference I would love to enjoy exploring.

However, I also feel that forcing this philosophy onto others could be problematic. In Japan, there was a case where a manga artist's interpretation clashed with production staff during the adaptation process, leading to a prolonged dispute that eventually took a toll on the artist’s mental health (Sexy Tanaka-san; セクシー田中さん). The same kind of issues could arise in translation as well.

In the future, I sincerely hope that the creators can form a unified set of values on this issue, rather than handling it on a case-by-case basis.