Logic of Futility

A Note on Translation Practices 

The visitor will soon notice Croatia, and Europe, are buzzing markets for translation. We dub or subtitle movies and we have endless interpreting on meetings and in European institutions.
They now have a term for it: it's called localisation. I contrast it with a thinking process called "translation" - because localisation always invokes mechanisation and economists running dubious agencies with translators who drudge away and complicate.
I was actually once turned down by an agency that had such simplistic view of language, barring the use of the "more eastern" version of the word 'Evropa' for the "real and actual Croatian" 'Europa'. How does one argue with a person who thinks in these terms? Unfortunately, even though the previous line sounds like a joke, it is not. You actually don't - you are rejected and you move away. (Croatians or Europeans aparently also never mastered the 1984 in sufficient masses, with its insistance on newspeak.)

Anyways, the problem I want to mention is quickly explained by the fact that movies are translated several times in e.g. Croatian. First, to start with, for cinema. Next for DVD and cable. Finally for national television. And each company produces own translation!
Now, I have this crazy idea society should be intelligent, organised and fair. Nothing contrasts more with this notion than this attempt of stupid (limited, and producing mostly second-rate translations) localising. It does have a logic however - it's economic. Check an etymological dictionary, dear.