Natsuko Toda
Natsuko Toda (戸田 奈津子 Toda Natsuko, born July 3, 1936) is subtitles translator in Japan.[1] She also serves as an interpreter when foreign stars come to Japan for publicity. Toda is on friendly terms with some famous actors and directors.
Career
Natsuko Toda was born in Tokyo. She graduated from Tsuda College and started working as a secretary in a life insurance company, but quit in one and a half year.
She studied under Shunji Shimizu for subtitle translation. She found a part-time job at Japanese arm of United Artists by a referral of Shimizu and performed miscellaneous tasks including translation. And then, Haruo Mizuno, the advertising manager at the time, called on her to work as an interpreter for movie people from abroad.[2] She has been active as both of a subtitles translator and an interpreter for many actors, actresses, or directors.
However, she has been poked fun for her characteristic translated phrases such as 「～を?」「～かもだ」「ファック野郎」「プッシー知らず」, which sound strange, and known for her a number of mistranslations. Some movie directors checked subtitles re-translated from hers into the original language and changed the subtitles translator from her (e.g. Full Metal Jacket by Stanley Kubrick). Japanese movie fans criticize for her too free and loose translation, which could break a part of the universe of the story such as Sci-Fi movies.
References
- ↑ Kamiya, Setsuko (9 May 2004). "Lost in translation on Japanese screens". The Japan Times. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
- ↑ "戸田奈津子、通訳を始めたきっかけは映画評論家の故・水野晴郎さん". シネマトゥデイ. 2014-10-05. Retrieved 2014-10-05.