thoughts on dejap translations

[Unforgiven]

hola, I thought I'd share with you some of my thoughts...

A translator's job can be defined as thus: "To translate as close to the original script as possible while making sense for the target audience. The end product should be as if it was done by the original author fluent in both the source and target language"

So how do you go from this...

「ミントが清楚で落ち着きがあっていいが・・・」
Mint's calm neatness is good, but...

「アーチェはアーチェで捨てがたい魅力がある」
Arche is Arche, she has some undeniable charm.

To this?

"... but I bet Arche fucks like a tiger."

A few lines from the Super Famicom RPF game "Tales of Phantasia"

Possible answer: DeJap translators are a quite possibly a bunch of immature college fratboys who took more liberties than needed. There is also a good possibility that they are fans of punk rock or music of the sort, and therefore, think cursing profanities is "cool" and "EXXXTTRRREEEEEMMEE!". The fact however, is they they should goddamm grow up physically and mentally.

Fucks like a tiger? HAW HAW YOU SO FUNNY!

Please.

It wasn't amusing then, and it never will be.

Yes, translations should retain the meaning of the original lines. However, hell no: "undeniable charm" does not equal "fucks like a tiger".

At least the translation was done for free, you say? Excellent. But it still doesn't make it immune from criticism, bitch.

The DeJap translation front seems to be dead at the moment. If improper translations and deviations from the original script are to be expected in the future, then I hope DeJap stays dead.

Otherwise, you will become failures like the overrated hacks Victor Ireland and Ted Woolsey. Gamers should not tolerate shit, inconsistent and illogical translations and localizations. Therefore, good riddance, the world is a better place without them. Victor is setting up his "GaijinWorks" company, but that won't matter since most people won't take him seriously with a name like that. Woolsey is employed by the AIDS-ridden RealNetworks (you know, the people that brought the amazing RealPlayer).

Do it the right way, or don't do it at all. A handy motto for all current professional game translators. Gamers do not want your silly funny little alterations to the script. We do not want you to unnecessarily "spice" up the script. We do not want you to add your stupid rapidly outdated pop culture jokes that did not exist in the first place. We do not want you to "Americanize" the character names.

We, with our hard-earned dollars, demand a quality translation.

Well, that was my 2 cents.

What are you thoughts on Dejap, Working Designs, Ted Woolsey or translations in general?

[Joe Camacho]

There are ways to be a respectable critic, tell names to the people you critic isn't one of them.

You are welcome to not use the patch if you feel offended by the script.

[Deathlike2]

This thread will probably be locked/removed due to the stupidity content (if it reaches that far).

Look, translators are free to do whatever they want with the script, such that they have complete control over it. Sure not all things are translated word-for-word, but you have to factor in how it sounds in the language you are translating to and what other outside factors that affect the translation. In the end, Dejap's TOP patch probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, but they like any translation group are free to use whatever creativity they choose. It is not your translation patch after all.

[Unforgiven]

Don't get me wrong, I am not offended at the profanity, if that's what you're saying.

If I'm offended by anything, it's the dismal translation in that section.

[PHoNyMiKe]

yes, if you don't like it, then you are free to translate the game yourself in any manner you want.

"We, with our hard-earned dollars, demand a quality translation."

I think someone had a little too much crack this morning. all this over one little punch line? so what if they called her a slut instead of a charming bitch. did that really ruin the game for you? get a life lol.

[Deathlike2]

We, with our hard-earned dollars, demand a quality translation.

For the sake of argument, noone has paid anyone for such a translation. You get what you pay for.

[Joe Camacho]

Hell, now that you took the liberties of calling names, I'll bite.

So you are one of those guys that cry bloody murder because "sake" was changed into "CIDER" in FFVI and in CT they drank "SODA" in a pub?

How, in the name that all that is holy, is changing that stuff a spit to the face to "gamers"? How is that a way of "raping" the story?

I'll tell you, because you aren't a "gamer" you are japanophile that adds "chan" "san" "sempai" and all that other crap when you talk, you have wet dreams of going to japan and fucking a japanese girl, you think that japanese are the perfect human beings, even thought they have the smallest dicks of all the different human races, and that's a FACT.

Gamers are: Guys how play games. Yeah, those are gamers. Hell, even better if they can play them on there language. Yeah, shit on Ted Woolsey all that you want, but he was hired for a job, a job that had certain limitations, Square and Nintendo's. Ah, but you can't shit on that Final Fantasy making machine right? What would you do without all those magnificent blondy bishies with giant swords? You don't like the letter and shit on the mailman.

That is soooo mature of you.

I was glad I was able to play all those games with those "horrible" translations, why? Because I don't know japanese. And I don't plan to learn. You placed a lot of hiragana, kanji or whatever and I won't have the slightest idea of what the hell it's saying, I'm glad that someone took the time to translate it, and if they changed the main heroe's name to "Cock Dicks LOL" but I could still play the game...

Awesome.

Now, I don't see the problem with people that don't like "americanized" translations, it's ok, they can have different opinions. But yeah, they feel they are "holier than you" because they feel sooooo japanese, that they should receive products as they were meant for the japanese market.

Guess what dude, America/Eurpoe isn't the japanese market. And it will never be, translating isn't changing language X to language Y and done. No, I might not translate games, but I translate legal documents from english to spanish and viceversa, and it's not that easy.

You just don't need to translate, you need to adapt the text, so the person of target demographic, or whoever you want to read your text understands it as if it was made in his/her native language.

That means, that jokes, slang, spelling, grammar, formalisms, habits, culture and a lot of other things have to be taken into account when you translate.

But you don't care, because you think you are "Japanese enough" to be able to interpretate the jokes and the slang in those games. But you know? You aren't the only guy playing this games. Companies have to target the largest demographic possible in order to make a profit.

That's why things are "americanized" so the target demographic can feel identify and not be alienated from the product.

But you are sooo Japanese, you don't care about that. So leave those guys that were told to americanized by companies that wanted to sell their stuff in.. America! alone, and if you want to play "close to the real thing" import the damn japanese version.

Ah? But you don't know japanese. Too bad!

[Stifu]

Amusingly, you say those translators need to grow up, yet you bash them in a quite immature way.

I'd say I agree with your point, but not with the way you formulated it.

[PHoNyMiKe]

well they've always been open for donations, but anyone with enough respect to donate would never bad mouth this translation, and the years of hard work it took.

[Deathlike2]

I'll tell you, because you aren't a "gamer" you are japanophile that adds "chan" "san" "sempai" and all that other crap when you talk, you have wet dreams of going to japan and fucking a japanese girl, you think that japanese are the perfect human beings, even thought they have the smallest dicks of all the different human races, and that's a FACT.

LOL, wtf. Anyways, that's pretty much the issue with some people... obsessed these minor details that don't change the overall story.

[Firon]

Wasn't there some guy freaking about Frog's name in CT?

[Deathlike2]

Wasn't there some guy freaking about Frog's name in CT?

The op went something to the effect of "Kaeru, not Frog!".

[adventure_of_link]

I remember Metatron made a comment about KAERU NOT FROG FAP FAP FAP to Aerdan once, good times.

But as far as the KAERU NOT FROG thing, you know, you CAN rename the Frog to Kaeru and it would still fit.

[Clements]

These threads get more and more tedious every time they get reposted. Seriously. These guys should just stick to the Asperger's Syndrome-fuelled fan translations you can get elsewhere.

[kevman]

I think the term "translation" is wrong. Really, a direct translation is impossible; otherwise Japanese and English would be a dialect of the same language.

Games, if only at the commercial level, aren't translated. They are localized. The target CULTURE is different than the source CULTURE. People who look only at the language are idiots. There's more to people than the language they speak. You must adapt across cultures to localize.

Then you must look at who you want to appease: the japanese worshipping Americans, who number in the hundreds country-wide, or to the vast majority of the people who will play the game? Hmmm.

Of course, little of what I said applies to DeJap. But last I checked, you didn't help with, or pay for, the DeJap translation. So go "fix" it.

here you go. Get moving.