Games being translated

[Cursed_Soul]

I am dutch from origin, but I can still remember my first zelda game on the NES.
(NES - Nintendo Entertainment System for all you youngsters).
And I even remember not knowing what the word "Secret" meant.
So i was searching for the "Geheim van het secret"
which translated would mean the secret of the secret. (family members laughed about it on multiple occasions).

And ever since, I like english versions of games over the dutch.
Especially nowadays when the tarded game-companies also add dutch-narrated/translated cut-scenes (think of Kratos speaking dutch, french or even mandarin) and I just really REALLY hate it.

In my humble opinion games should not be translated.
I allready noticed in a lot of rpg's the soul is totally ripped out of the game by the poor english narrative. (Tales of symphonia for instance)
For bigger japanese productions, the translations to english are often decently done..
but For i.e. tales of symphonia and a lot of other games.. they dont even translate everything and the english/dutch gamer ends up with reading because they didnt translate everything from the game.

I am actually thinking of taking up Japanese so I wont be bothered by bad translations, narratives and raping the soul of games by people who do not care about gamers nor their games.

Good example is "Saints Row 2".
In that game you are allowed to smoke a big blunt.
And.. most of us know what a blunt is right?
Well the dutch tarded translators translated it into "bot voorwerp".
Or.. translated back to english.. "Blunt object"
.... thats just retarded.

Same for Heavenly Sword.
The dutch voice for the lead character was from a dutch soap actress called "Katja Schuurmans" now she cant help it.. but i think 99% of dutch gamers hate the soap she is in.
Though those same 99% of gamers would love to go on a date with Katja..
Im sure all of em felt like they where in a a "As the world turns" kind of soap with her voice being used.

so.. for the love of games,
Please.. I beg you.. PLEASE also add the english and japanese translations/narrations to the games so i can finafu**ingly choose the language myself like back in the SNES age.
Because Both XBOX and Sony have games in which you cannot set the language other than your consoles language setting.

 

[Big-Al]

translation is always hard, but not everyone is Dutch and can handle every language under the sun, including Klingon!

so i think the best option is for all games and movies to come in their original language as intended and for a vast choice of subtitles to be included (though not all can read). So the possibility of downloading additional voice over languages at least for games should be an option, at least to compliment the original language.

 

[theabyss]

I mostly agree.
Most of the games are better in their original language.
However, I know at least two games where I liked the German translation better than the original:

Outcast and System Shock 2 (Especially the logs).

 

[Bi()ha2arD]

I prefer the originals and install my games in english if possible.

Take UT for example. They translate every single word. Even double is translated to doppel.

 

[zynthetic]

It's most often done by the publisher so the talent, artistic direction, and even quality control can be quite different than that taken by the developer.

 

[dragonfliet]

This isn't a problem of translation so much as bad translation. Translating blunt into blunt object is the case of the translator being an idiot who was obviously hired for cheapness instead of ability. Hence why a number of literary translators (such as Edith Grossman) are so famous and sought for their apt translations. Some videogames do a good job, some are all your base are belong to us, or smoke a blunt object.

Speaking of translation issues: Assassin's Creed 2 is pissing me the hell off. By default it is dubbed in English (the english version), but they keep throwing in random italian, which is actually annoying, so I decided I would rather hear it in italian with english subtitles--THEY DID THE SAME THING WITH THE SUBTITLES. So for example, in English they would say: buon giorno, let's go to the market. In the subtitled version they would write: Buon Giorno (good morning), let's go to the market. In the end, its better in english (feels way less unnatural), so I go with that, and the translation is fine, but the hey, let's slip in an untranslated word every once in a while for the hell of it bit is annoying.

~Jason

 

[das_ben]

let's slip in an untranslated word every once in a while for the hell of it

That's very common in movies, both dubbed/subbed or plain original. Whenever the writer and/or director decides that a word or phrase is well known enough, they leave it untranslated. I found in American movies it happens most in French or languages a large amount of immigrants originally spoke (e.g. Italian, Spanish or German). It's meant to increase atmosphere, and I believe that for the most part, it works as intended. Woody Allen does the same with Jiddish in his movies and no one minds.

 

[NeoNite]

U krijgt het telefoongesprek om 4 a.m. Door 5:30 bent u in de geheime installatie. De commandant legt bondig
uit, "IT Is over het Slipgate apparaat. Zodra wij deze perfectioneren, zullen wij hen kunnen gebruiken om
mensen en vracht van een plaats naar een andere onmiddellijk te vervoeren.

"Een vijand genoemde Schok, gebruikt zijn eigen slipgates om doodsbrigades in onze basissen in te voegen te
doden, te stelen en te kidnappen..

"De hel daarvan is wij hebben geen idee waar hij van is. Onze hoogste wetenschappers denken dat Schok niet van
Aarde is, maar nog een afmeting. Zij zeggen dat de klaarmaken van Schok zijn echt leger te ontketenen, wat dan
ook dat is.

"U bent onze beste man. Dit is Operatie Counterstrike en u bent in kosten. Vondst Schok en stop hem... of
het... U hebt volledige autoriteit om iets te rekwireren die u hebt nodig. Indien de intellectuelen gelijk
hebben, zijn alle onze levens ontbeerlijk.".

Inleiding naar Vernietiging Terwijl padvinderij de buurt, u hoort geschoten terug aan de basis Vervloek, die
Schok bastaard snel werkt! Hij hoorde over Operatie Counterstrike en slag eerst. Rennend terug, ziet u is de
plaats ingenomen. U bent bijna zeker de enige overlevende. Operatie Counterstrike is over. Behalve u.

U weet dat het hart van de installatie een slipgate vasthoudt. Aangezien de moordenaars van Schok erdoor kwamen, is het nog steeds naar zijn afmeting gezet. U kunt het gebruiken om losse in zijn geboortestad te worden. Misschien kunt u naar de klootzak persoonlijk krijgen. U pompt een rond in uw geweer en krijgt
bewegen.

 

[dragonfliet]

That's very common in movies, both dubbed/subbed or plain original. Whenever the writer and/or director decides that a word or phrase is well known enough, they leave it untranslated. I found in American movies it happens most in French or languages a large amount of immigrants originally spoke (e.g. Italian, Spanish or German). It's meant to increase atmosphere, and I believe that for the most part, it works as intended. Woody Allen does the same with Jiddish in his movies and no one minds.

I dislike it in movies as well. It is a silly way to reach for authenticity. With Woody Allen, he is speaking in English and using a yiddish word, which is untranslated. If, for instance, in a german movie, a german character used an untranslated italian word (meaning it is meant to be foreign), that would be great, but the changing of spoken language is meant to convey--a changing of spoken language. It is a typical hollywood tactic, but it is a silly bit of thinking the audience is so dumb they can't figure out that the characters are italian or whatnot. If, on the other hand, you have something like The Godfather and they slip into untranslated Italian, that works perfectly--as they are American and speak English, but can't help but use their mother tongue, if you will.

~Jason

 

[Big-Al]

U krijgt het telefoongesprek om 4 a.m. Door 5:30 bent u in de geheime installatie. De commandant legt bondig
uit, "IT Is over het Slipgate apparaat. Zodra wij deze perfectioneren, zullen wij hen kunnen gebruiken om
mensen en vracht van een plaats naar een andere onmiddellijk te vervoeren.

"Een vijand genoemde Schok, gebruikt zijn eigen slipgates om doodsbrigades in onze basissen in te voegen te
doden, te stelen en te kidnappen..

"De hel daarvan is wij hebben geen idee waar hij van is. Onze hoogste wetenschappers denken dat Schok niet van
Aarde is, maar nog een afmeting. Zij zeggen dat de klaarmaken van Schok zijn echt leger te ontketenen, wat dan
ook dat is.

"U bent onze beste man. Dit is Operatie Counterstrike en u bent in kosten. Vondst Schok en stop hem... of
het... U hebt volledige autoriteit om iets te rekwireren die u hebt nodig. Indien de intellectuelen gelijk
hebben, zijn alle onze levens ontbeerlijk.".

Inleiding naar Vernietiging Terwijl padvinderij de buurt, u hoort geschoten terug aan de basis Vervloek, die
Schok bastaard snel werkt! Hij hoorde over Operatie Counterstrike en slag eerst. Rennend terug, ziet u is de
plaats ingenomen. U bent bijna zeker de enige overlevende. Operatie Counterstrike is over. Behalve u.

U weet dat het hart van de installatie een slipgate vasthoudt. Aangezien de moordenaars van Schok erdoor kwamen, is het nog steeds naar zijn afmeting gezet. U kunt het gebruiken om losse in zijn geboortestad te worden. Misschien kunt u naar de klootzak persoonlijk krijgen. U pompt een rond in uw geweer en krijgt
bewegen.

i say we ban this guy for not posting in English

 

[NeoNite]

You get phone call at 4 am. Through 5.30 your in geheim of the secret installation. The commander bonds explains, " IT is over the slipgate device". Soon as we this perfection, we will can use them for people and cargo from a place to another immediatly transport.

"An enemy named shock, uses his own slipgates to deathsquadrons in our bases implement to kill, to steal and to kidnap..

"The hell of this we have no idea where he from is. Our highest scientists think that shock not from earth is, but another measurement. They tell that the preparing of shock his real army to unleash, whatever then may be.

"You are our best man. This is operation counterstrike and you are in charge. Find shock and stop him...or it...you have full authority to requisite that what you need. In case the intellectuals are right, all our lives are expendable."

Intro to destruction: While scouting the neighbourhood, you hear firing back at the base. Curses, that shock bastard fast works! He heard over operation counterstrike and strike first. Running back, you see the place has been taken. You are almost certainly the only survivor. Operation counterstrike is over. Except you.

You know that the heart of the installation holds a slipgate. Since the killers from shock came through, it is still set to his measurement. You can use it to become loose in his hometown. Maybe you can get the bastard personally. You pump a round in your gun and get moving.

 

[Sjosz]

I will say that voiced text takes up a lot of space, and every language added to choose from is incredibly costly.

 

[Plumb_Drumb]

This place is so boring today.