Any other Firefly fans in Canton?

POSTED BY: Prezpoonly
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 7, 2007 14:43
VIEWED: 4240
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LAWMAN

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 3:46 AM

i think i am spending way too much time on this website. i just wish there was another thread on episodes here which is more updated.

STOWEAWAY

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 4:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Prezpoonly:
I tried showing the pilot episode 'Serenity' to one of my friends today and he thought it was 'okay', which seriously disappointed me.

You should make sure that anytime you show it to someone, they watch Train Job afterward.
"Serenity" pilot is helpful to establish characters but it is a tad slow. Once they see "Train Job", most are hooked.
Sorry, I don't know anyone in China. I've got friends in Kuwait and Germany, even Korea. But not China.
We're always here for you, though.

KAYNA

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 4:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Prezpoonly:
Possibly the only thing that still makes me frown in Firefly is the horrific mutilation of Chinese by the actors, but then I heard somewhere that was intentional.

I haden't heard that. I heard (while watching the special features on my box set) that they all just sucked at the Chinese. They all seemed to know it too. I seem to reacall some of them saying they always wanted to do a better job at it. Nathan maybe? I'm not sure.

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Op: You're fighting a war you've already lost.
Mal: Yeah, well I'm known for that.

PREZPOONLY

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 5:10 AM

I'm rather surprised by the large number of Cantons back in the US, lol, don't know why anybody would ever name their town that.

I saw on one of the extras from one of the dvds that the Firefly crew did have a Chinese trainer, but obviously it wasn't something that Joss Whedon was too concerned about. My new goal is to somehow convince him to take me on as the new trainer if they ever make a sequel or a new series or anything (if that ever happens). Did you guys know that the recorded voice on "Out of Gas" telling Mal that the life support is failing is not actually Chinese, but Cantonese? Bet someone has brought that up before, just checking.

THEKNIGHT

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 5:21 AM

While I may not be in Guangzhou, I am just on the other side of the border in Hong Kong. Glad to know there is another browncoat over this side of the world. Mind, I am only going to be over here till May, I am, in fact here. Even gone up to Guangzhou once or twice. Nice place. Have a good one.

1:40 AM after a fraternity party is not a good time to make a signature.

DONCOAT

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 1:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Prezpoonly:
I'm rather surprised by the large number of Cantons back in the US, lol, don't know why anybody would ever name their town that.

Many towns in North America were named for places in the Old World where the early settlers originally came from. So another possibility for the source of "Canton" is that the term refers to the districts of Switzerland (and maybe some other countries). I believe our word "county" is from the same root.

Quote:
Originally posted by Prezpoonly:
Did you guys know that the recorded voice on "Out of Gas" telling Mal that the life support is failing is not actually Chinese, but Cantonese? Bet someone has brought that up before, just checking.

Yes, that was mentioned in the book of Firefly essays edited by Jane Espenson. Possibly also in the commentary for that episode. The reason was that they hired a different translator for that announcement, not realizing they spoke Cantonese rather than (Mandarin) Chinese.

As far as the mangled pronunciation goes, I'm sure everyone would have preferred to get it perfect. However, none of the actors spoke any Chinese at all and had to be coached to get it even close. With the time pressure of a weekly television series, they simply didn't have the luxury of doing retakes if the only problem with a scene was the Chinese pronunciation.

If you need a "justification", just think of it as being Chinese of 500 years from now after it's been amalgamated and blended with English. I very much doubt that a Roman of classical times would recognize modern Latin either.

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I'm pointin' right at it!

PREZPOONLY

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 2:43 PM

Yeah, that's kinda what I read somewhere, but I just can't remember where, that the Chinese was a modified future version. Well, it kinda makes sense, getting two nations to assimilate each other is bound to produce a lot of people with weird accents.

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