History Main / TranslationConvention

If the characters speak with the accent of the language they're supposed to be speaking, such as Russians speaking English with a Russian accent to stand in for the Russian language, it's JustAStupidAccent. If they instead speak with a British accent to convey being foreign, it's TheQueensLatin.

* ''Podcast/TheKingmakerHistories'' is set in a fictional European country and English typically represents German, that country's national language. The episode ''Cutting the Mustard'' features a universal translator device that Colette to get by while in France. When the device fails, her actress switches from speaking English to speaking German.

This trope is the idea behind most [[{{dubbing}} dubbed media]] with an established real-world setting (including [[{{DuelingDubs}} a redub in the same language]]), although if the original version already employs Translation Convention, sometimes the dub is actually the accurate version, such as the Italian dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Luca}}'' or the Spanish dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}''. However, languages left untranslated in the original may still be left untranslated in the translation. (Of course, this can cause problems if the language left untranslated in the original is the language being translated into, though [[KeepItForeign translating that into the original language]] often works. On TV, you can [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign just use gibberish]].) Because of this, English-speaking viewers are actually the least likely to be the most shocked by this trope. For example, in the French version of Film/PearlHarbor, the Americans speak French while the Japanese speak Japanese.

[[quoteright:208:[[Webcomic/GastroPhobia https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2010_08_06.png]]]]

** Averted with Dorcas' resurrection in {{Acts|OfTheApostles}} 9:36-42. At the start, Luke mentions her name is "Tabitha, which translated means Dorcas"[[note]]in most Bibles, a footnote informs you that "Dorcas" is Greek for "gazelle"[[/note]], and refers to her as Dorcas for most of the passage. However, Peter speaks Aramaic, and thus he refers to her by her Aramaic name Tabitha when bringing her back to life.

** Averted sometimes. Here and there you see a line like "Her name was Tabitha, which translated means Dorcas" and then a footnote informs you that "Dorcas" is Greek for "gazelle".

In text based mediums, comics especially, different languages are often set apart by UsefulNotes/{{Fonts}} or symbols, [[TranslationPunctuation usually by enclosing them in ‹angle quotes›.]] In books, using ''italics'' is more common.

* Parodied in [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0PRPNfcm2w this]] ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fan video: two Japanese businessmen are shown talking to each other in English and it seems like an obvious example of this trope... until one of them suddenly stops mid-sentence and says “[[LampshadeHanging why the fuck am I speaking to you in English?]]”.
* The giant bugs of ''WebAnimation/HumansBGone'' communicate via pheromones, not unlike their real life counterparts. Fortunately, narrator & giant cockroach Professor Gregorsa translates these into English for us.

* Yoshi from the ''Podcast/CoolKidsTable'' game ''Here We Gooooo!'' only speaks Yoshi, but because Dario and Crania have royal educations they understand what he's saying.

* The giant bugs of ''WebAnimation/{{Humans-B-Gone}}'' communicate via pheromones, not unlike their real life counterparts. Fortunately, narrator & giant cockroach Professor Gregorsa translates these into English for us.

This trope is the idea behind most [[{{dubbing}} dubbed media]] with an established real-world setting (including [[{{DuelingDubs}} a redub in the same language]]), although if the original version already employs Translation Convention, sometimes the dub is actually the accurate version, such as the Italian dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Luca}}'' or the Spanish dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}''. However, languages left untranslated in the original may still be left untranslated in the translation. (Of course, this can cause problems if the language left untranslated in the original is the language being translated into, though [[KeepItForeign translating that into the original language]] often works. On TV, you can [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign just use gibberish]].) Because of this, English-speaking viewers are actually the least likely to be the most shocked by this trope. For example, in the French version of ''Pearl Harbor'', the Americans speak French while the Japanese speak Japanese.

When in written form, symbols may be placed around the dialogue to denote that this trope is in effect. However, visual works such as movies and animation don't usually have indicators, with the latter even syncing the character's mouths to the audible language for simplicity's sake.

In text based mediums, comics especially, different languages are often set apart by UsefulNotes/{{Fonts}} or symbols, [[TranslationPunctuation usually by enclosing them in ‹angle quotes›.]] In books, using ''italics'' is more common.

When a group of people whose native language is not the language of the audience are speaking in their native language, but the audience hears them speaking the audience's language perfectly. We are meant to assume that the characters are ''really'' speaking their own native tongue, and it is being translated purely for ''our'' benefit.

This trope is the idea behind most [[{{dubbing}} dubbed media]] (including [[{{DuelingDubs}} a redub in the same language]]), although if the original version already employs Translation Convention, sometimes the dub is actually the "correct" version, such as the Italian dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' or the Spanish dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}''. However, languages left untranslated in the original may still be left untranslated in the translation. (Of course, this can cause problems if the language left untranslated in the original is the language being translated into, though [[KeepItForeign translating that into the original language]] often works. On TV, you can [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign just use gibberish]].) Because of this, English-speaking viewers are actually the least likely to be the most shocked by this trope. For example, in the French version of ''Pearl Harbor'', the Americans speak French while the Japanese speak Japanese.

[[folder: Radio]]
* Lampshaded twice in ''Literature/JohnFinnemoresSouvenirProgramme'': Once when one of Jesus's disciples questions his use of the word "off-licence" as anachronistic, and he points out he's not even really speaking English, and again when an argument between Creator/VictorHugo and Quasimodo about whether the title ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' is offensive ends with Hugo pointing out that it's not even ''called'' that in France.

This trope is the idea behind most [[{{dubbing}} dubbed media]] (including [[{{DuelingDubs}} a redub in the same language]]), although if the original version already employs Translation Convention, sometimes the dub is actually the "correct" version, such as the Italian dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' or the Spanish dub of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}. However, languages left untranslated in the original may still be left untranslated in the translation. (Of course, this can cause problems if the language left untranslated in the original is the language being translated into, though [[KeepItForeign translating that into the original language]] often works. On TV, you can [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign just use gibberish]].) Because of this, English-speaking viewers are actually the least likely to be the most shocked by this trope. For example, in the French version of ''Pearl Harbor'', the Americans speak French while the Japanese speak Japanese.