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English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO] Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama /
English term or phrase: Wally World
(Man 1) I'm supposed to take Diana out Saturday and I need a killer second date. (Man 2) Well, evolutionary biology says that women are highly attracted to men who are steady in the face of danger. (Man 2) Therefore I recommend an unsafe environment. (Man 2) Maybe a dive bar on the wrong side of town, (Man 2) a picnic near an insane asylum or an olive oil tasting on Skid Row. (Man 1) Diana has some social anxiety issues. Maybe we could start with something simpler. (Man 3) Why don't you take her to Wally World? (Man 3) You go on the roller coaster, you're in the dark, she's holding onto you…
Is Wally World a real place? Should it be left as it is, transliterated into the other language I'm translating to?
We can't be sure what they're referring to, except that it's a theme park. I believe Disney World is the best option for subtitling purposes, since everyone will recognise it.
I don't think there are any intellectual property issues in simply mentioning Disney. After all, you're not denigrating it, or passing off your products as theirs. But if you are concerned about this, you could simply say "a theme park".
@ Asker OK, if they know what Disney means, they will probably also get the meaning of Wally, but I can understand your reasons for being cautious. Besides, I already suspected you'd made up your mind.
@Charles van der Heiden, Thanks for your input. For the time being, I've opted for 'theme park'. And, yes, the Arab audience knows what Disney means, but the question is, would it be acceptable? Many people read the subtitles and listen simultaneously, so, would it be OK? How about this new trend where you put the names as they are and then add a little description below it? Like write 'Wally World', then add (theme park) between parenthesis. I have seen it in some unofficial subtitle translations, but it works. It just seemed like showing off from those translators. Anyway, would big companies, such as Netflix, accept that?
@ Asker Wally World (WW) definitely refers to the place in the 2 movies. It is also an existing park in Canada but 99,99% of the people have never heard of it (moreover: https://easytravel4u.com/walley-world - "There is little similarity in this Wally World to the Walley World featured in the films"), so consider it to be non-existent or discard it as a possibility. But it definitely refers to Walt (Disney). So, if the audience you translate for understands this reference, leave it unchanged (let them make the connection). If not - step 1) try Disney World (Phil's suggestion, but 2nd choice). If Disney is unknown to them or if it is considered ideologically/religiously/politically unacceptable - step 2) find a theme park in the Middle East that has a roller coaster and use that one. If not - step 3) use your imagination - i.e. "Why don't you take her for a cruise on the Nile" or "Why don't you take her to Luxor" or whatever, drop the roller coaster in the next line but keep the romantic atmosphere. Done.
so Wally World is the ONLY place named?. Oh you had Skid Row as well, which might be in LA but could be in other American cities. Would not be Canadian.
@Yvonne Gallagher I think the location of the TV show is irrelevant here. "Why don't you take her to Wally World" is just a suggestion made by man 3 in a dialogue within the show. And Mohamed's question is if it is a real or fictional. We may very well assume that Wally World refers to one or both movies (1983 and 2015), in which Wally World is fictional. Replacing Wally World by "theme park" in the dialogue of this sitcom would not be funny. So why not leave it as it is. I suppose that Wally (Walt) (Disney) is also known in the Arabic world. In that case: why not leave the solution to the hint to the intelligence of the audience? But in the end, this is for Mohamed to decide. The answer to his question however is that it is fictional.
National Lampoon's Vacation - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org › wiki › National_Lampoon's_Vacation National Lampoon's Vacation, sometimes referred to as Vacation, is a 1983 American road comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, ... Despite the family's misfortunes, they finally arrive at Walley World the next day, only to discover the park closed for the next two weeks for repairs.
Apparently Diana needs a thrill. I would not take her to a "theme park". Sounds a bit dull, doesn't it? Wally is a bit like McDonalds - any kid in Cairo will take you there.
WHERE is this TV show set (i.e. location)? Is it a real place or a fictional place? That should determine what you put in Arabic. You may just have to use the generic term "theme park". Also note that Skid Row is the nickname for other poverty-stricken areas besides the one in LA Becca mentioned earlier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skid_row
The idea to have it localized is based on the assumption that the Arabic-speaking audiencies won't understand the reference. That is for Mohamed to decide. "Wally" may very well ring a bell with them as it does with us - Wally (Walt) Disney.
I tend to agree with philgoddard that it should be localized or otherwise adjusted in some way. (1) It's a TV show that appears to be for entertainment purposes. (2) The audience is culturally and geographically separated far from the place in question, and if you don't get the reference, they probably also won't. (3) There would [presumably] be more familiar references for the target culture that would fit the context equally well.
Of course, there is much more to consider, and I'm making some assumptions above. Just my two cents based on you having asked about that and the context we have here.
I don't think this question is as straightforward as it seems. There are three possibilities, and even if they are referring to the Canadian one, which I hadn't heard of, Arabic-speaking audiences won't understand the reference. I'd be inclined to translate it as Disney World.
Actually, the first thing I associate with Wally World is Wal-Mart, but they didn't have rollercoasters the last time I looked.
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Answers
11 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +2
wally world
Wally World
Explanation: There is a real place called Wally World. That’s right, that is how it’s spelt! Perhaps for legal reasons the spelling has been changed but the crux of it is true. Wally World is real!
This Wally World is a small part of a large amusement park complex in Ontario, Canada known as East Park of London. There is little similarity in this Wally World to the Walley World featured in the films but for a film fanatic’s bucket list it is certainly worth a hike up to Canada to explore!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 12 min (2020-05-21 13:38:50 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Leave it as it is.
Example sentence(s):
There are certainly parallels between Wally World and Walt Disney World.