I’m mainly talking about watching a TV show or movie that’s originally in English enabling subtitles that’s either in Spanish, German, Russian, Finnish, etc. and can mistakes in translation still occur? I recall watching Lie to Me with Japanese subtitles during a scene involving an interrogation but a key word within the dialog was not translated correctly based on context.
For example, the protagonist said “You’re an accessory for murder” towards the suspect but subtitles used the wrong word choice 小物 (which means “accessories” as in small goods, i.e. stationery or trinkets) when the intended meaning for “accessory” from that context leans more on being a conspirator (共犯者 or 共謀) of a crime (like as in aiding the criminal).
some things are translated in a way that makes the meaning slightly different but good enough most of the time.
believe it or not fansubs are usually much better ime.
They’ve always been. Professional subtitles have been shit in comparison to unpaid fan subs for literally my entire lifetime
It’s the difference between doing something for work and doing something for love. I’m translating on my own time for fun. If I had to do it for a living, with the constraints that entails, I’d be churning out a lot more dreck.