# Danish: Forbrydelsen



## Albert Kravitz

Hello,

French TV is curently showing a Danish TV show called "Forbrydelsen" in Denmark. I can't find the translation of this word in any dictionaries. In France, they call the show "The Killing" (I don't know why they gave an English title for the French screening !). 

If you have a translation for this title, I would be delighted to hear it.

Thank you.


----------



## Cerb

It means "The Crime" (sing), as in that particular crime ("le crime"?). It could have been translated as "The Felony" as well I guess, but that distinction doesn't really exist in Scandinavian languages.


----------



## Albert Kravitz

Thank you very much for your reply.


----------



## Sepia

Cerb said:


> It means "The Crime" (sing), as in that particular crime ("le crime"?). It could have been translated as "The Felony" as well I guess, but that distinction doesn't really exist in Scandinavian languages.


 
Right - if you really had to distinguish, you'd have to talk about straffelovsovertraedelser og andre lovovertraedelser, or forbrydelser og andre lovovertraedelser. It would still not distinguish in the same way as felony and misdemeanor. And of course it would be useless in the title of a piece of fiction.


----------



## ladymarinii3

Albert Kravitz said:


> Hello,
> 
> French TV is curently showing a Danish TV show called "Forbrydelsen" in Denmark. I can't find the translation of this word in any dictionaries. In France, they call the show "The Killing" (I don't know why they gave an English title for the French screening !).
> 
> If you have a translation for this title, I would be delighted to hear it.
> 
> Thank you.


It just means "the crime" - (I am danish myself so i know  )

"The killing" is totally wrong word because that is a specific crime.


----------



## Sepia

ladymarinii3 said:


> It just means "the crime" - (I am danish myself so i know  )
> 
> "The killing" is totally wrong word because that is a specific crime.


 
...totally wrong? Could you explain that further. I have a feeling you might be right, but obviously everybody does not see it that way: There is a film from 1956 by Stanley Kubrick with the same title "The Killing". Here somebody kills a man during a hold-up.

I think the title "The Killing" is the "original" English lanugage version title of the Danish film. I am pretty sure they made the international version themselves and that the dubbed French and German versions are based on that one. I base this assumption on the pronounciation of some of the Danish names in the dubbed version.


----------



## overdue

Don't know about other countries, but French film and TV distributors take GREAT freedom in translating American (and other nationalities?) shows. Very rarely do they even try and get an accurate translation.  I spoke with a French distributor about this once, and he said they're more concerned in attracting the French market than in making "true" translations. 
Look at how they translated "The Hangover," for example. "A Very Bad Trip"? i wonder if they even realized the double entendre there...

So giving that perspective, they most likely simply liked the "sound" of the title "The Killing," and most French know the word "Kill."


----------



## Sepia

overdue said:


> Don't know about other countries, but French film and TV distributors take GREAT freedom in translating American (and other nationalities?) shows. Very rarely do they even try and get an accurate translation. I spoke with a French distributor about this once, and he said they're more concerned in attracting the French market than in making "true" translations.
> Look at how they translated "The Hangover," for example. "A Very Bad Trip"? i wonder if they even realized the double entendre there...
> 
> So giving that perspective, they most likely simply liked the "sound" of the title "The Killing," and most French know the word "Kill."


 

Yeah, right, but it is not an American movie. It is not unusual that Danish, Italian or other film industries make their own English language version and market that internationally in stead of the one in their national language.


----------



## overdue

Sepia, 
I believe the original poster mentioned that s/he had seen it on French TV, and wondered about the English title, so my comment was more about how ANY foreign movies are retitled IN France, regardless of their origin.

I have zero experience with Northern European film production / distribution tendencies; I trust you that movies up there are (often?) made in two language formats.


----------



## Momerath

overdue said:


> Don't know about other countries, but French film and TV distributors take GREAT freedom in translating American (and other nationalities?) shows. Very rarely do they even try and get an accurate translation.  I spoke with a French distributor about this once, and he said they're more concerned in attracting the French market than in making "true" translations.
> Look at how they translated "The Hangover," for example. "A Very Bad Trip"? i wonder if they even realized the double entendre there...



They also sometimes try to stick very close to the original, and come up with titles that can mean nothing to French speakers : "Orange Mécanique", "Vol Au-dessus d'un Nid de Coucous", "les Hommes du Président".

Having said that, it's true that they more often often than not choose a French title that is most likely to excite the public, like "Voyage au bout de l'enfer" for "the Deer Hunter".


----------



## Sepia

overdue said:


> Sepia,
> I believe the original poster mentioned that s/he had seen it on French TV, and wondered about the English title, so my comment was more about how ANY foreign movies are retitled IN France, regardless of their origin.
> 
> I have zero experience with Northern European film production / distribution tendencies; I trust you that movies up there are (often?) made in two language formats.


 
I know - I've seen it on French television too - runs under the same Title as in Germany.


----------

