Smuggler Driver

11:31 Aug 31, 2019 

I know that you have already selected an answer, but I would also like to propose "contraband courier," which I think is neutral enough to include more than just drugs (see answer below). Looking at your original question more closely, I see that you already had courier in mind but thought it too generic. If you combine it with the word "contraband," however, the meaning would be clear.

21:02 Aug 23, 2019 

yes, getaway - of course ...

16:49 Aug 23, 2019 

A mule isn't a drug dealer because they aren't buying or selling anything, but I agree about smugglers.

15:34 Aug 23, 2019 

If you work for someone else selling drugs, you're still a drug dealer. If you work for someone else smuggling goods, you're still a smuggler.

10:58 Aug 22, 2019 

You brought up a good point. People are not experts on these matters. That is why we are not really looking for an equivalent that is technically accurate. It is the audience's perception that matters. So, although we might not be able to find an equivalent that is denotatively identical to the original, we can choose one that will have a similar connotation for the target audience. What truly matters here is that the equivalent we choose doesn't portray a negative image of the character in the mind of the audience. Compared to “smuggler”, I think “runner” serves our purpose better. It may be technically, by some definitions, similar to smuggling, but at least it’s less direct. “Smuggler” sounds a bit strong for our goal here. Plus, it sounds a bit odd to me if the character refers to himself as a smuggler. I mean, even if he indeed is one, he still probably would prefer another word for it.

07:47 Aug 22, 2019 

RE your comment on Phil's answer: There may be a legal difference between smuggler and trafficker. For example:
"That is why it is incredibly important for people to understand the nuances of law, such as the differences between drug trafficking and drug smuggling, which are typically used synonymously...Simply moving drugs is smuggling, but if there is an element of selling the drugs, then it goes into trafficking territory."
https://www.coreycohen.com/blog/2017/12/differences-between-...

Also, while I'm not going to say anything against (drug) runner, the definition in all major dictionaries does reference illegal import/export activities. As an example:
"someone who brings illegal drugs from one country to another"
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/drug-runner

By contrast, in real life:
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-41727965/i-was-a-teenage-drug...

The above is closer to what you want to say (though they sell the drugs) but has little to do with the dictionary definition.

In the end, I'm not sure people would care either way. How many of your viewers are going to be experts on the drug trade?

Best

07:33 Aug 22, 2019 

It was a misnomer on my part. Sorry about that. Indeed "souping up" is what happens here.

07:30 Aug 22, 2019 

You mentioned some interesting points. Of course there are differences between Shotis and smugglers in the way they transport the contraband, and indeed it is hard to find an equivalent which bares the same exact features. However, the equivalent doesn't have to be identical in every detail. It only needs to have a similar connotation. And you rightfully mentioned this connotation in your comment to philgoddard: "the whole point is that these are a specific kind of law-breakers, more "aiding and abating" than being proper smugglers. Is the getaway driver a "robber"?"
That is the important distinction that needs to be recreated in the translation. We're not really looking for an equivalent that resembles Shotis in every way. It only needs to have a similar connotation.

14:17 Aug 21, 2019 

What you call "upgrading" cars is known as "souping up" (derived from supercharging, not from vegetable soup). Upgrading a car means something totally different.

14:12 Aug 21, 2019 

I think you meant "getaway drivers", not "gateway drivers"!

14:06 Aug 21, 2019 

or to explain it in a different way: in Europe you do get people "upgrading" their cars by putting in them more powerful engines etc. but these would not be "smugglers" of any description - more petrolheads and racer boys.

Smugglers tend to use the most ordinary cars where the chassis / body is modified to hide contraband in all sort of hidden cavities - not what you would normally call an "upgrade".

09:11 Aug 21, 2019 

the idea that a car modified so that it can be used for smuggling is in some way "upgraded" sounds strange [to someone outside of Iran] - until you see your reference

https://observers.france24.com/en/20190130-iran-shoti-smuggl...

there are plenty of smugglers passing through Serbia - but they all rely on hiding well the contraband inside the body of a car [or lorry] that looks like and is as normal as possible - you simply don't get smugglers trying to escape police in "upgraded" fast cars - they would be just stopped at a roadblock few kilometres down the road. Nor anyway else in Europe, as far as I know - as there are no roads going through hundreds of kilometres of desert.

So whether your client likes it or not, there is a kind of "local flavour" that won't transpose easily elsewhere.

Compared to how it's done in Europe, these "shotis" resemble more gateway drivers in bank robberies, not smugglers. That's not how "mules" operate. Not to mention the huge variety of local slangs - you can't have just one English version - not very likely to work.

"Transporter" is the most accurate - but sounds like a "normal" business.