Everything Wrong With The SHL English Subs (a thread)

(I'm referring to the official Youku channel subs on YouTube)
first of all WHAT THE FUCK
ok let's do this properly starting from ep 1
they missed half of this sentence
it should be: I hope you can consider the merit of my hard work, even if I have no merit of any achievements, and fulfill my wishes.
"if you allow it, zishu can then drag this crippled body along for two more years."
"it's what I deserve."

("it's all my fault" sounded a bit too light)
"that's true. all zishu can do is send you off with my own hands."
extremely high status is correct but his words directly translated are: 'i am above hundreds and thousands of men and only below one'

and 'and yet I live like this, boastful of this power.'
I question the title Chief, idk if that's really appropriate?? 鬼谷谷主 would actually be like Master of the Ghost Valley or something, so I would personally title him 'Master' and not 'Chief'
don't treat me like a kid????????
more like "master, don't look down on me for not having as much experience in life" (idk how to word it either but that's the best I can do)
"you're so picky for a beggar!"
"quite a sweet face but such fiery conduct."

his actual words were sweet and spicy 😂
there's actually a few more things that the side characters say that I'd tweak in ep 1 but I reckoned people wouldn't be interested so let's move on, the translations of ep 2 aren't as excellent as ep1 but still not bad!!
going back to this, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY TUBERCULOSIS FKDBKFJD
its true that 痨病 is ancient slang for calling someone infected with tuberculosis but 痨病鬼 is also used to slander a person who appears sickly thin, so really they're calling him Sick Dude
there are some hidden meanings here
武功 = martial arts
眼光 = taste? insight?

wkx saying "your martial arts is poor, now you have poor taste too?" is scolding her lack of insight, lack of clear-sightedness, almost like 'you have poor taste since you can't see his beauty'
folk song or nursery rhyme, rather than ballad LOL
direct translation: "see you again in the jianghu, if we are fated!"

I'd personally just leave it at: "if we're fated, we'll meet again!"

(because that's why wkx keeps saying 'wow look at how fated we are!!!!' and 'so we meet again by fate!!')
it's more like "stop being an embarassment" FBSKJFKDKJ his words are suggesting that she's not only embarrassing herself, she's also embarrassing him 😂
"you make yourself look like a dog (dress poorly) and come out just to swagger around and decieve people didn't you? why don't you take a piss and take a look at yourself, you don't have that overlord bully* look at all"

*霸王餐 = dine and dash
霸王 also means overlord/bully
得罪 = have I offended you?
莫怪 = please, don't blame me

so I would say something like "my apologies. please, take no offense"
"Brother's footwork are light and elegant as though god-like, and so difficult to forget."
I said previously that 眼光 = taste, clear-sightedness, insight

so I would say "no, my taste is perfectly fine" here, instead of "sense" (because I think taste also refers to his taste in men 👀)
"it seems to me that Brother is a man who loves wine."

"the spring day is perfect." (why I point this out is bc 春色 aka colour of spring also has sexual connotations)
a direct translation of his words would be: even if he farts it would be fragrant
😂😂😂😂😂
which means he's saying wkx talks so sweetly that even his bullshitting would sound nice 😂😂
"so are we still seeing each other later on the jianghu again or not?"

the reason why I point this out is bc it's a direct mirror of what zzs said earlier
I find this show has an odd use of the word Master

they use it for 侠士, 公子, 少爷, 主人…
侠士 (xia shi): more similar to Chevalier that they also use
公子 (gong zi): like Lord?
少爷 (shao ye): young master is fine
主人 (Zhu ren): is actually more similar to Owner 😂
direct translation: the nails of seven torments are hurrying my death again
😂😂😂 so this is a joke 😂😂😂
he's referencing the fact that they call him 痨病鬼, which as I explained earlier, was historical slang for people infected by tuberculosis, so here he's just playing with that
i actually think… this is not right… she's not actually calling it the Hanged Ghost. she's saying "I'll hang you, you arrogant ghost!"
磕头 (ke tou): to kneel and bend over to press ones forehead to the ground as an extreme show of respect and gratitude

so he's really asking ZCL to ke tou
"to me, it looks like brother Zhou has such prominent and sharp bone structure, and must be a man who places much value in loyalty."
柳絮: WILLOW catkins. which are the white fuzz on willow seeds idk what they are lol
wkx: which character is the Xu of your name?
zzs: the one for willow catkins.
wkx: a righteous (not courteous!) and just man, with a body like flying catkins (when they float in the wind)
"dislike" is fine, but GX specifically said he glares at her and looks resentfully at her

also note: I think she said this line wrong 😂😂
"little girl, talk a bit less/don't say so much"

I feel like "girl, stop it" is uhhhh. not very specific 😂
ok I haven't gotten very far into rewatching ep 3 but let's start anyway
"indeed it is what I worked hard to grow myself, despite being untalented."
"this figure of yours looks so pure and handsome, must be no short of extraordinary"

(I think he's saying your figure is extraordinary, not just you 🙊)
//mention of animal parts and meat

"she was winking and moving her eyebrows in such a way that she looked even greasier than pig's head meat."

yeah I don't think homely is the right word 😂😂😂
"she was supposed to be born as a beauty. but due to the environment later on in her life, it caused her to have a vulgar and crude air about her."
he's supposed to specifically talking about any flaws in his disguise, i.e. "at the moment I can't see any obvious flaws yet"
oop it's still there in episode 3 😂😂
"you describe him like he's a flower! he's a man, isn't he?"

the way gu xiang says it makes it sound like WKX uses such beautiful imagery to describe zzs that he doesn't even seem like a man anymore-- to me it feels like she's saying 'why are you talking about a man like that?'
these lines kind of mean more like "we met today, so we are fated."
"since we're fated, naturally we will reunite."
the meaning is correct, but the tone is slightly off in my opinion? he sounds like. calculating. and not just purely expectant. like:
'I'd love to see just who you are.'
in this line is interesting, bc he says more and probably means more than what the translation says.

"and how many people with a full set of eyes and noses have you seen?"

there are so many implications!
I think that should be physiognomy not phrenology (physiognomy: assessing a person's character or personality from their outer appearance)
"that persons voice is like the whistling of wind, with an appearance of righteous and dignified beauty."

pls we have to do wkx waxing poetry about zzs justice
"where are you going Master?"
"going to reunite. since we're fated."

https://twitter.com/fandoestrans/status/1367427028337631233?s=19
what is erynnyes? it should be ghosts ("if you haven't done any evil, you needn't fear that ghosts would knock on your door.")
"i didn't expect we'd be so fated to reunite again!"

the only reason why i point this out is bc he KEEPS ON referring back to how zzs previously said "if we're fated we'll meet again"
and again-- it almost seems like he's making fun of zzs for mentioning fate bc now he just won't let it go

"brother zhou, this fate of ours truly goes deep!"
wkx: "I am certain that a really really big surprise lies underneath your outermost skin if I were to rip it off."

which is why zzs says: "you might as well rip it off and take a look."
I feel like I hardly said anything for ep 3! 😂 I was able to sit back and munch on my snacks for most of the episode, the subs were generally really good! and I'm glad I cleared up some confusion!

I'll briefly start this but I must sleep soon it's quite late for me
"at least we have gone through near death together, eaten at the same table together, and spent the night together in a run down temple. why do you still call me master wen? aren't you treating me too much like a stranger?"
historically people who were unfamiliar with each other wouldn't eat at the same table, they might have a little table to themselves and sit further apart.

also he sounds a little accusatory, which isn't the vibe that "am I too much of an outsider" gives
if you're wondering 'worried about what?', he means "worried about running into trouble."

so he's basically saying "get to Tai Lake as early as possible so as to avoid any trouble"
"your uncle Zhou and I, really feel as though we've met before/ old friends meeting again/ we've known each other for a lifetime."
the idiom that he used here is: 倾盖如故 白首如新

this means: some people that you meet for the first time already feels like you've known them for lifetimes; yet for some other people, even if u know them til their hair turns white, still feels as if you've only just known them
I just want to say I'm really impressed that they even translate the signs bc half the time I can't even see the sign let alone read it like this one, but they really pit so much work into the details which I'm really amazed by!! good on you shl subbing team!
what does tonifying the brain mean 😂😂

he's basically saying "here have a walnut, it helps you get smarter and supports brain function"
哎 在呢!aye, present!!

this is just a note for fun but he says it like how school kids answer to their names being called I LOVE IT IT'S SO CUTE FJSLFJDKNDK
"you shouldn't be so kind hearted and easy going with them either."
what he's saying is more similar to "I'm really going to be a cripple/useless person" instead of loser (I feel like that may not be the best word to use)
"either die, or fuck off."

滚 = to roll, or fuck off/get lost in this context. it's quite a strong word and I feel like the wording of the subs didn't get the harshness of his words across
i feel like it should be the other way around-- like "i have such incomparible anti-gravity skill, only to be used to run arrands for you?

btw the name of this ghost wasn't translated, it's something like desperate-for-sex ghost 😂
"here, give it here. don't eat it anymore. maybe the fist was bitter to begin with."

i find the translation of these two sentences are technically correct but just a bit rough-sounding?
"how can this unrefined food be good enough for a meal?"

i feel like the connotations of junk food probably isn't quite appropriate :')
when he came out today 😂😂😂😂😂 when has wkx ever been in the closet he's been out since the very beginning

i think perhaps "wasn't your master's entrance today awe-inspiring" would sound a little nicer?
so in case it's not clear what he's talking about he's saying: the clouds in the sky look like white robes, but in another moment they can turn into the appearance of a grey dog. it has been so from past to present, anything could happen in this living world.
"i originally thought those stinky beggars of the beggar gang have such flimsy martial arts that they wouldnt be able to take a single blow. i only wanted to wait for you to draw your sword to confirm it. But I didn't expect that you'd rather risk your life than draw your sword."
"i can see you've lent a helping hand many times, and thus give you an ounce of gratitude. but if you go too far and want to see the Bai Yi (white cloth) sword, you don't have to waste your words (meaning 'you could just fight me')."
"i shouldn't have deliberately tested you and caused to you suffer internal injury. I am in pain seeing you hurt, too."

(the subs make it sound like wkx DIRECTLY hurt him, which isn't the case)
"I won't do it again!"

(just because that makes him sound more ass-kissing)
"the man was able to bring this evil on board, what an impressive feat."
"who cares who he is? having it backfire and reflect back onto himself is enough for him to deal with."

i'm glad they changed it from phagocytosis! 😂😂😂
"the customers who are picky with the goods are the ones that buy the goods."

i feel like the way they explained it sounds a bit odd
"Brother Wen does not need to bother with this matter. I won't walk you to the door then (metaphorical)."
why not just say "cling to him" instead of "haunt him"??????? why HAUNT HE'S NOT A GHOST

"just cling to him. haven't you heard the saying that tough women are afraid of clingy men? uhh I mean, where there is a will, there is a way!"
well technically, her wording was "I'll eat you up"

so:
"are you afraid I'll eat you up?"
"you should be afraid, this sister really could eat people."
"do you want me to eat you instead? too bad I find your meat too tough to chew on."
look at your nose LOL directly translated it's "eyes on your nose and nose to your heart", which means head down, eyes closed, be focused don't let your heart wander
五心朝天: five hearts toward the sky-- the heart (center) of 2 palms 2 feet and crown of the head, all facing up to the sky as a meditation position

合气: all Qi, as in energy

丹田: anatomically the pubic region but supposed to be centre of the body where energy originates from
I think these two sentences should actually be linked together.

"ever since I was young, just to beg you to play the flute who knows how many times I'd have to act cute and be obedient?"
"you said you followed young master Zhang because you thought something about him was odd."

"since when do you get to mind my business?"
"I even felt like using my inner energy (to blow the flute) went about somewhat slowly."

"who asked you to blow it all night?"
(he said blow it, not 'play the flute' and I think that's very important 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀)
hold on I'm very confused I dont think the subs make sense

"just take it as doing a service to amend my crimes. after last night, your injuries should have mostly healed. so don't be mad at me anymore~"
WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS FKSHKF

丹田: anatomically the pubic region but supposed to be centre of the body where energy originates from

I guess I'd translate it as "right now I feel a subtle pain in my core… could it possibly be I really damaged my energy?"
wkx: a-xu, everything about you is good, but food and drink is one of the greatest pleasures of life, why do you keep treating it so casually and carelessly?
zzs: whatever don't eat it then.
wkx: no it's just my heart hurts for you~
first of all I think that should be "master"
second of all "fair" is correct, but his wording is like calling zcl "fair and delicate", just to paint a better picture of what he means
let me suggest once again to just use "clingy"/"clinginess" (like "if I had your level of clinginess") instead of "haunt"/"ability to haunt people"

WHY HAUNT I DONT UNDERSTAND
"I have been observing the heavens, and according to my calculations, the fate between us will still last a long, long time."

(directly translated it would be: our fates still have a long way to go -- but that doesn't make as much sense in english)
"from now on, just think of this place as your own home. whatever you want to eat, whatever you want to use, just tell Uncle Zhao."
哪里 哪里 is kinda more like a very gracious "no, not at all, not at all"
#shlengsubs "I have heard of the sheer elegance and dignity of the great Lord of San Bai. indeed hearing the rumours cannot compare to seeing with my own eyes (hearing of it a hundred times cannot compare to seeing it just once)"

(I think the 2nd sentence is the wrong way round)
"no need to fill yourself with fear and worry"

not saying the subs are wrong, but just a bit simplistic
wait I just realized that consume might be a confusing word choice, it's more like "the internal force I use up is more than what you'll gain" (consume might make it sound like he's taking in energy too) #shlengsubs
WHAT DO THE SUBS HERE EVEN MEAN

"indeed, hearing all those rumours cannot compare to seeing with my own eyes. seeing you in real life, your elegance triumphs what the rumours say."
oh sorry I'm up to ep 5 now-- I don't have much to say for this ep, it was generally really really good, but I'll talk about it anyway
断肠 lit. means break guts, often used to describe extreme sadness or heartbreak that feels as painful as though the body is being ripped apart. so this is actually saying that "those who break others hearts will eventually have their organs broken (meet their own ends) one day"
离恨天: lit. sky of separation and hatred.
in Buddhist beliefs, the "highest" sky of the 33 skies is the 离恨天, which was later used to describe the situation of lovers breaking up and leaving only hatred for each other in their hearts
so this entire bit together is like: "in the context of hateful separations, your name has already been written down in the Book of The Unfaithful."
"before the throne of the master of the book of the unfaithful, what are you meddling in this for, you old man? you owe no debts of love"
also um what the FUCK is FUNERAL-AHOLIC GHOST??????????????

https://twitter.com/fandoestrans/status/1373286518370963464?s=19
久仰 kinda means "I've heard much about you" or "I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time"
亏心事: deeds that give you a guilty conscience
the saying is 不做亏心事,不怕鬼敲门: don't do evil deeds, don't fear ghosts would come knocking on your door (to get back at you for it)
水陆道场:a Buddhist practice of worship and praying rituals in order to expel the sins of the undead so they can end their suffering? from what I understand? so that's what he's referring to
#shlengsubs "our a-xu usually likes to bully me so much but I didn't expect that upon meeting strangers you'd be able to distinguish between those truly close to you from those to keep at bay."
#shlengsubs "such a master like yourself emanating an air of murder is afraid of blood??"

"every zealot who thinks they've calculated every step of the way all believe they are the winners of the chess game."
#shlengsubs "you'd better watch who you're trying to spook, pretending to be ghosts and spirits. brother, you've met your ancestor today." (used in a mocking context like 'bow to me')
#shlengsubs um I must've forgotten to mention this before but look at this:
"久仰久仰,果然是百闻不如一见 ——— 风采更胜传闻。"
wkx says the EXACT same line ctrl c + ctrl v to 1. zhao jing 2. shen shen 3. yu qiufeng

(translation:)
https://twitter.com/fandoestrans/status/1373581122735542274?s=19
#shlengsubs
tbh drunk like a dream is probably the best way to tl it??? but just so everyone knows the full meaning:
醉生梦死 = kind of like drunk in life, dreaming in death
醉生梦死 is an idiom that basically means being drunk kind of feels like you're dreaming, where every thing is a bit woozy, and youre living through everyday in that state of haziness and muddledness until death, without a clear purpose in life
just to clarify this, wkx is referring to his INTERNAL injuries, and he's actually asking "how did your internal injuries occur?"

and the again means more like "are we going again?" I.e. fighting another round
#shlengsubs
"all living beings under the sun have a place in my heart. Im skilled at talking him into diminishing his thirst for violence so as to drop his blade by copiously quoting the classics with fancy flowery language."
#shlengsubs
these are all good, just he also says "don't think your martial arts is advanced enough to suppress it, after a period of time it will eventually damage your physical body"
#shlengsubs
没脸见人 = lit. no face to see people, actually means "lose face" and be so embarrassed you don't want to meet anyone

I'm pointing it out bc I think it's a deliberate play on words since zzs' mask fell off
idk if nonsense is the exact word… 废话 is like "well duh" LMAO or "no shit" or "you don't say"
so in less colloquial terms I'd say something like "well obviously/you don't say", and idk if nonsense is close enough of a fit?
"I wouldn't have expected that you could be pretty bad/mean too with your sharp tongue" as in his tongue is so sharp/words so harsh that it makes him sound Bad/mean
#shlengsubs oops keep forgetting to use my tag sorry I'm trying to multitask
this sentence is missing a little bit

"earlier in the day/during the day I felt like something wasn't quite right between aolaizi and shen shen."
#shlengsubs
literal translation: "the ghost valley purposefully smeared the blood of mount tai sect onto the face of five lakes, in order to cause gossipers to make the association"
if I word it this way is it easier to see he's saying the 5lakes reputation was ruined&humiliated?
#shlengsubs his wording is a little like "a-xu, fine I'll clean them then!" or 还不成 is kinda like "I'll clean them then, happy now?" or literally "is it enough if I clean them" like his tone is very exasperated
#shlengsubs "you can't just make all of us play house with you all the time."
玩过家家 basically means "play house"
#shlengsubs it's not fight with him, she's not fighting with him… 一般见识 is more like "lowering yourself to his level" or like "why are you bothering yourself with him?"
I just want to say that 负心人 doesn't DIRECTLY mean "cheater", however that is the most likely meaning, but the literal translation is 'someone who betrays someone else's heart' or someone who fails their beloved-- it's interesting to me idk it's not important
#shlengsubs I must say that his exact wording is "you chevaliers/martial artists whose words cannot even compare with farts" 😂😂😂😂
#shlengsubs ok this one defs is unclear.
敬酒: wine raised as a toast of respect. 罚酒: wine given as a punishment. so han ying is saying "don't take wine of punishment over wine of respect!" which basically means 'do what I say when I'm asking you nicely bc alternative is Bad.'
CONT FROM ABOVE
so based on the above, gao chong's response would make more sense as he then says: "if Commander Han wants to stay to drink wine then it would be the five lakes alliance who should be treating you." aka 'WE have the right to choose what kind of wine YOU get'
nothing wrong with the subs here just some interesting trivia!!
1. literal trans is "you being like this is making fur grow in my heart" a metaphor for feeling queasy/uneasy = nervous!
2. 女大十八变: a girl growing up has 18 changes-- meaning girls become v different as they grow
again just some info, not saying the subs are incorrect here, but he's TECHNICALLY saying "beautiful"!! (yes calling a xu beautiful)
but in some contexts, 漂亮 aka beautiful can actually mean "nicely done!"
#shlengsubs just some quick additions:
1. a xus WAIST is flexible like willow and BODY like flying catkins
2. literal translation: "they say he face is (as beautiful/fair) like peaches and plums" yes xie'er prettiest of em all!!
#shlengsubs SHUT UP HE'S LIKE USING ALL THE IDIOMS LIKE HE'S WRITING A DAMN ESSAY

"I, philanthropist wen, an elegant and aristocratic gentleman, as gentle as jade, loved by all, considerate and easy going and a bringer of good fortune"
oh oops this was supposed to be in the above but anyways zzs really be calling himself an "psychopathic killing machine" or along those lines just sounds more dramatic than "merciless killer"
the meaning is completely correct but a literal translation would be like "no renowned name (a man of no mark), not significant enough to be spoken of."
full explanation of this poem line:
生年不满百: not a full 100 years of living
常怀千岁忧: often carrying worries of 1000 years
basically meaning people often don't even live to 100 years old, so why keep having 1000 years worth of worries?
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