ReverendBeastly, where does the information that the movie was transcribed into Chinese, then back to English? I have heard that many times before too, but have always thought it is just the assumption.
It is very common for foreign pirated DVDs to have very inaccurate subtitles, but they usually have something to do with the film. I had to watch The Fellowship of the Rings for the first time on a pirated VHS screener, because it did not come to the cinema where I lived. My favorite part was at the end where on the subtitles Gimli declares "Lets go hunt some ox!"
However Backstroke of the West is so off and so uniform, it really seems electronically generated. I have always supposed that they were transcribed into Chinese, and electronically back to English. I don't see what the logic of going through the great effort of translating a movie into it original language would be, and why anyone would take the time to do it. Especially if they would need the transcription of it in English to translate it to Mandarin in the first place. Foreign pirates just aren't that dedicated. Most foreign pirated releases are half assed attempts made solely for the sake of making a buck or two. Internet pirates are another story though, they are usually looking to be the first to make a release or to be the ones to put it out in the best quality. I am often impressed with their dedication. But these foreign pirated releases are usually more of the TR-47 variety, if they can rip it off from someone else they will. If they have to translate it themselves, they are going to put as little effort into it as possible.
If anyone has more information on Backstroke, let me know. I would like to look into it more.