Writers, and translators they are the arseholes on the arm of creativity

[RegalSin]

OKay I hate them.

In many translated works for Japanese animators, their was never no writer. However the translator was listed as the writers.

Then the same people who write plays ( or likes that stuff ) seems to think the things they translate for ( videogames ) is something worthless.

The whole purpose of a translator is to translate the god damn script, so the next auidience can have the same reaction or emotion towards that piece of text. Not rewrite the script, and try to guess how the audience reacts to it. What I am guessing is, the translators do not know how much easternize the west is.

Then they insist that we westerners do not understand the emotion that comes with the text. So what the hell did I just brought a translated game for? To be crapped on by a person who does not even considered videogames to a be a real medium. Because some people have the ability to feel the emotions, not just the mindless
implusive consumers, who needs a lesson in grammer.

The people who make videogames, comic books, and animations, never needed them, and should avoid using them at all costs. With writers all they are doing is filling in the gaps that people ignore, unless it is actually good.

So from now on, anything that is translated. Phuck it, just phuck it.
Seriously just phuck it because some dickless writer probably shited on it, before doing their J O B.

[nodtveidt]

Sounds like someone doesn't understand the difference between "translation" and "localization"...

[SignOfZeta]

Heh, myself 20 years ago.

Things are sooooo much better with this kind of thing now. I don't even see it being worth complaining about. I usually play old games or imports so I really don't care any more.

[Ji-L87]

Sounds like someone doesn't understand the difference between "translation" and "localization"...

Thought the same thing. Take, for example, the manga Azumanga Daioh which is a victim of localization. Like, how they messed about and switched things around so that it would make *sense* if the story was played out in the west. Which it wasn't.
I can get anal about improper translations but localization makes me flip tables.

As you say, a proper translation should aim to be invisible, professional and natural. It's a balance act to retain the feel of the original language.

[Samurai Ghost]

Yeah, this really has more to do with localization than anything.

I'm a professional translator, and I have to do what my clients request. At this very moment I am translating a research paper on digital signage. Since its an academic paper I have to translate it as literally as possible even if it's a little awkward sounding. Because the point of the paper is to present the research accurately.

But when it comes to something like a game, the whole point is that it is entertainment. So the localization company/publisher has to consider the target audience when editing the translation, and usually this means pandering to the lowest common denominator. Sure, a lot of people know about obscure references to Japanese culture, but does everyone? It is needed to enjoy the game?

I'm with you in the camp that things are better in their native language and I don't want anything dumbed down for me (hence I hate dubs of any kind and will play the game in Japanese 9 times out of 10), but in the end the company is trying to sell an entertainment product and has to make decisions as to how it will be accepted by the public.

[Ji-L87]

^ Precisely, though I sure like when they pander more to me. The Disgaea-series feels like a good example : )
While we're on the subject of translations & mis-translation, here's a little something this discussion reminded me of: - which discusses how poor fansubs can be nowadays.

[blueraven]

42

[Tatsujin]

What is the answer?

[RegalSin]

Over the years it is a combination of

Comics and animations being added profanity and extra dialog to keep the audience amused. Videogames being censored, in all kinds of ways. Even if they have slight changes in dialoag. Okay I understand how certain cultural things get cut.

College teather types ( who are in the same feild "Entertainment" ) completly shunning anything non-teather. The Edgar Alan poe people mixing in with the creative writer types ( like me ).

The people who actually try and divide comic books into four ot ten catergories, while being disadain against comics itself. Then they try to lower the standard, calling comics cartoons. It is like I am living in upside down land.

Then to make me more insane, is to actually hear, or read a translator bsing an entire feild, or people who are making a living, while giving triumpth to people who are
also against ta feild.

Writers, who are anti videogame, comics, animation and so forth needs to keep to the teather . How the phuck could a person bitch about something and paid for it. Call it whatever you want to call it. localization, or translation and be against it, is horrific. It is like the college proffessors who are ducking out, for a paycheck ( which most humbly admits, being a college proffessor and young is a failure.
You got so good at remembering the lesson plan, instead of mastering what was being teached. However you obviously had to show that you are a master in the subject matter, in some way or some how ).

It reminds me of my comic book club I once made,
The second time around, I got this disrespectable horror story from Russia who, was such a "annoying woman" about everything that we worked on, it felt like being shot in the face, while being at the operating table from this person. If the bitch was so smart and creative why couldn't she make one panel. Just do it real fast and finish it. But no, she just critic and BS our work. Travels half way around the world to take peoples jobs, and does not even likes the nation she works in.

The college know it alls want to chain and ball fiction to
graduating college students. They are attempting to make the college artist as proffessonials when they are arming the workforces with people who are against it, sapping the life juices out of something a feild that is meant to come from young people with encouragement, and turning into hells kitchen, of a bunch of greedy, talking, and walking dead people.

[SamIAm]

I'm not sure if this is in the same direction RegalSin is aiming, but here's my little stump-speech:

A fundamental rule of translation is that you have to write according to what your audience "needs". When you're translating an advertisement, a news article, or an instruction manual, the needs and expectations of your audience are all very clear. Whether actually doing it is easy or difficult, there will at least going be one main approach that you can take and feel confident about because that approach is aimed at those needs.

The reason why translating entertainment in general is such a no-win situation is that your audience is potentially enormous, and their "needs" can vary drastically. It doesn't matter how good you are at your particular approach, because some people are going to say that the approach itself was the wrong one. You can go with the lowest common denominator, or you can go with what you personally think is the most stylistically appropriate, but either way, some people are going to take issue with you.

Of course, Disney adding lines to Ghibli films is probably just a sad underestimation of their audience's attention span. There are plenty of other dubious decisions like this out there. On the other hand, I'll say this much: I'll be deep down in the cold ground before I translate お兄さん　as oni-san or big-brother. The only possible exceptions might be in works of Japanese non-fiction or realistic fiction, but even then it's very case-by-case. I believe that there is a time and place for a translator to say to himself "To hell with the original, what would WE say in that situation?". Some will love that, some will hate it. Fortunately, when I work for free, I can tell the latter to take a hike.

Also, I think Ted Woolsey did a great job with FF6 and Chrono Trigger.

[Senshi]

If it makes sense, gets me through the game, and seems to match up with whats going on, i'm good with it.

[majors]

Fansubs of Kenshin by Hecto: Shina(die)<sp> turns in to "f*ck you" on the subtitle.

Wrong? Yes. Entertaining? Most definitely.

[SamIAm]

I've never seen Kenshin, but even though "shine" / "die" and "f*ck you" appear to have different meanings, there are contexts in which the two are used in similar ways in their own languages. "f*ck you" is also short and can be read almost instantly, so it may have been extra appropriate for that particular moment in the subtitles.

What I'm really saying is that IMO, sometimes "f*ck you" is a better translation of "shine" than "die". Do you ever just say "die", and only "die", when you want to tell someone to go f*ck themselves? A compromise might be "f*ck off and die", but that's pretty long.

[Arkhan]

[RegalSin]

If it makes sense, gets me through the game, and seems to match up with whats going on, i'm good with it.

That is exactly how I felt in the past, but now after reading, talking with, and seeing these people in real life, I just I feel 100% opposite towards translations.

People who have 0% imagination getting paid, and
takes pride in it. Because only now videogames is at a level, that a person who would never pick up a videogame,  can't even tell the difference from a play.

Did we just went backwards or fowards in society?
People are making videogames for people who hates videogames. Since the primary audience is not even old enough to go outside and buy a videogame. We should target the parents, along with the "Hardcore" gamer consumer group???

I would love to have some understanding that is informational, like fan translations that tries to educate the person about little things they mention, while other
people will just have to figure them out on their own.

However that would be Imperialization so we create something called, localization. Keeping the brain moist with all of the cultural values, including laws that do not exsist, and manor of speaking.


Instead we just get the westerner, wewrite that disregaurds everything original, and turns into something attracting an audience that hates the product to begin with. It is like a family using a Wii to watch Netflix and UV, while that same netflix user, might order a videogame based on the "mature" appeal of the game.

Of course that person has never picked up a videogame in their life, and would never set foot in a speciality shop. However they have the strenght to pay money for something that they can't hold, as commodity.
Just because it appeals to them for half a second.