So here i am. I was just a silent lurker for quite a while, but finally i decided to something creative (in a sense). Here comes my question.
What do you think about translating your novels to other languages? English isn’t the easiest one for some people, but they still like this kind of games. So i was thinking, that if they could choose they own language, like German or Polish or whatever other language they speak, it would make it way easier and more enjoyable for them. This way the community could grow really fast. Say what you think about this idea?
Availability for other languages is always a good idea. However, I think that translator and author should work closely for this because, well, different languages have their own connotations to certain words and certain things may be lost in translation. Well, some things might be lost in translation unless you describe them but, It would be interesting for me to learn all this though some people might think it kills immersion.
No, you are right. I read mostly in Polish or English, so i see differences quite a lot. Best example is the Warded Man. Quite a fun and easy book, but English version have 544 pages, and Polish translation 824. So it is a real problem to translate something without changing it to much. But trying can’t hurt no one. But that’s just my opinion.
Basically a repeat of what Geisha said, plus it comes down to the individual author. I’m personally very intensive in what I write and can spend hours hammering out a single paragraph until it sounds right. I can’t imagine that always translating quite perfectly, particularly with some phrases that I might use. Still, I’d recommend checking with the individual author (if you already have one in mind) or CoG itself (if you’re looking to translate one of their works), although I think the latter is unlikely.
If I ever finish my game, you are welcome to translate it! But before that, don’t waste your time, as I intend to finish it one day but it will take a long time!
I think translations in general are a great idea. As these games are so text focused, everyone who can’t read English well enough is now excluded.
If it’s quick and easy and someone doesn’t mind doing it, I’ll always support it; while everyone above has an extremely valid point, even a slightly subpar translation is better than none, as far as I’m concerned.
@CJW
That’s what i was thinking. I’m sure that there are enough people who would like to give it a try, but i don’t gonna translate anything, if the author of it doesn’t allow me to do it. So now I’m just gathering some opinions. If there are people who agree to do it now, i would be more then happy to give it a try.
Hello all, I’m not exactly a regular here (and mostly lurk at that), but I wanted to weigh in here given my background and interest in languages and translation. I have to say that translation is always a good idea to reach a larger audience, but I also agree with @Reaperoa. Translation is never a direct word-to-word thing, and given the amount of effort that goes into a writer’s works, there would have to be an in depth relation between author and narrator working closely together. It would take many people volunteering, or one person a very long time to translate all of the stories on this site. Even then, I feel like the meaning behind the words is what’s more important, and so it would almost take re-writing the story in the new language in order to capture the author’s sentiments.
That said, I’d be thrilled to be involved in helping to spread these great stories to a wider audience, so if anyone is very interested in having one of their works translated into either French or Japanese, I’d be happy to lend a hand. =)
