Issue #11: WORLD OF TRANSLATORS

[AbsyntheDelacroix]

I don't know if this is the right place to say this. No, I'm actually sure that this is the wrong place but, whatever. My dream is to become a translator so, huh, what are the requisites for becoming one?

[Rednusander]

Originally Posted by AbsyntheDelacroix

I don't know if this is the right place to say this. No, I'm actually sure that this is the wrong place but, whatever. My dream is to become a translator so, huh, what are the requisites for becoming one?

To get a good idea, you might check under our "careers" tab from the main page under "Bilingual localization specialist."

[AbsyntheDelacroix]

Originally Posted by Rednusander

To get a good idea, you might check under our "careers" tab from the main page under "Bilingual localization specialist."

Thank you! But, huh, I live in Italy so I guess Atlus is out of the question. I've got another question, but I don't want to keep OTing this thread anymore, so can i PM you? It's okay if you say no; noone likes to be pestered needlessly, and I'm sure you have work to do.

[Rednusander]

Originally Posted by AbsyntheDelacroix

Thank you! But, huh, I live in Italy so I guess Atlus is out of the question. I've got another question, but I don't want to keep OTing this thread anymore, so can i PM you? It's okay if you say no; noone likes to be pestered needlessly, and I'm sure you have work to do.

Being that this thread is essentially about translating, I don't think it would be so off topic to post your questions here, or you could even start your own thread in General Discussion or Off Topic. That way you may get responses from other translators who may or may not lurk around these parts.

[Fuyukaze]

If Atlus ever gives tours of the offices, I think I'll be alergic to chocolate that day. This article definitly made me realize how little I feel motivated to become a translator. Good read, definitly worth the five minutes.

[Xaevier]

Great article, and definitely <3 to the translators I have managed to learn a good deal of spoken Japanese but I am dead in the water when it comes to Kanji so you guys really are life savers.

[Manly Biceps]

I'm surprised that nobody commented on the picture of the guy stuck in the quarantine...

[four_black_hearts]

So... When do we get the next issue?

[Tedmond]

I only signed up to this forum to say one thing.

It wouldn't let me make a thread so I suppose here is as good as anywhere.

The translation of Persona 4 is the best commercial JRPG to English translation I have ever had the pleasure to both read and listen to.

I genuinely laughed on many occasions and actually felt like it was being written by people who identify with internet culture and the colloquial ways we talk in the west.

My absolute favourite moment was the Pageant scene where Teddie comes on stage.

In most Stale translations that male audience member probably would of said "He's a really convincing woman!"

Instead, you guys wrote "I'd hit it!"

So like, whoever's doing the translation, you guys rule, and should be paid well and should translate every JRPG ever.

kthxbai.

[Lanford]

I feel your pain and wealth...

I often do fan-supported translations from english to portuguese, that's because no softhouse ever gets interested in bringing games into our languages, so we have to hack and translate the games by ourselves if we want to get as much people to know and love these games, [insert number of odd circunstances here]...

Anyways, I'm also a translator. By fan-supported people should understand it as a non-profit job we do out of our free time as a hobby - nothing too serious.
The deal is that there's people who think they can translate and do crappy machine-based translations. Then there's people like me, who always research things they are translating, and on certain cases I just research both the english and the japanese game counterparts so I can be sure that I'm getting it right. Very painful work.

Even so, nothing beats getting a translation done, people getting to play it and read all the bull#### you've just translated and say "wow, that's a hell of a good story, can't believe I was missing on this" and things like that - all thanks to the translation you made.
It's really an awesome feeling I get, and I believe you translators at official game companies should also have.

And that's why I'm even much more grateful for the translators' jobs than regular people - because I do understand the whole process.

Much love.

[LadyRayna]

^There are two things bothering me about your post, the first one is this softhouse thing. WTH is a softhouse anyway? I think you mean publisher, but I’d like to be sure of it. The second one is, you talk about the video gaming industry in Brazil as though it’s nonexistent. Reading your post I have the impression that no game was ever released in Portuguese. And you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Off the top of my head I can think of at least four games that were released in Portuguese: Caesar III, Age of Mythology, The Sims and Halo 3.

[SickleCellAnemia]

LadyRayna is ON FIRE!!!

[Olethros]

uh-oh. The last time she used this tone an entire fleet of pirates got wiped out!

[LadyRayna]

Shhh, you guys are making me look bad

[Olethros]

NEVAR! LadyRayna is queen of teh boardz.

[Lanford]

Originally Posted by LadyRayna

^There are two things bothering me about your post, the first one is this softhouse thing. WTH is a softhouse anyway? I think you mean publisher, but I’d like to be sure of it. The second one is, you talk about the video gaming industry in Brazil as though it’s nonexistent. Reading your post I have the impression that no game was ever released in Portuguese. And you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Off the top of my head I can think of at least four games that were released in Portuguese: Caesar III, Age of Mythology, The Sims and Halo 3.

Rusted english made me forget about the diferences between gaming industry niche terms, I'm sorry if I mistook the words XD

I meant the rights owners that can translate and release the games legally - that happens with computer games, but it's not that often for console games to be released in Brazilian Portuguese, I think the last time they did it was a Harry Potter rpg for Game Boy Advance, and that wasn't even that good of a game to begin with

[syrup16g]

Originally Posted by LiquidPhire

I dont think a major in Japanese would 'qualify' you to translate either. It's all about your real ability, so you'd need, at the very least, 2-kyu under your belt, as well as a pretty good grasp on Japanese modern culture, slang, and regional dialects. And that'd only 'qualify' you for relatively simple translation projects.

Development is a grind, no matter where you go. And Japanese companies can be a grind as well. You got be willing to work hard. Can't be too picky. I was a CompSci major too with a Japanese minor, so here's rootin' for ya

I'm pretty sure it's easier to obtain a 2-kyuu than a BA in Japanese, but of course it depends on the individual. I hope any company wouldn't consider hiring someone as a translator unless they passed 1-kyuu.

I say this because I passed 2-kyu at 17 and haven't started college yet.

[xeno]

I want to download that song, its great lol

To be more exact, it gets the point across perfectly, and I love it for that.

Thank you translators, I donno where I would be without you

[PainKilleR-[CE]]

Originally Posted by thinkfreemind

Where are you people going to school to learn Japanese? I've checked schools around my area in central Virginia and nobody teaches it. I also can't just leave the state to find a school that does either since I've got obligations to take care of where I am.

Having moved to south-eastern Virginia from San Diego, I can tell you that it's far more common to see Japanese offered on the west coast than the east coast. On the other hand, it's far more common to see Mandarin offered in schools here in Virginia than in San Diego (not that Mandarin will help much with getting a game translation job).

[Futanari]

Heh. As a fansub translator for over half a decade, I can say that I can easily relate with the song. Although I do have a major benefit of not having any deadlines. XD And as one of the biggest Grammar Fuhrers in the world, I'd love to do some large-scale translating.

[Silverevilchao]

Originally Posted by Tedmond

I only signed up to this forum to say one thing.

It wouldn't let me make a thread so I suppose here is as good as anywhere.

The translation of Persona 4 is the best commercial JRPG to English translation I have ever had the pleasure to both read and listen to.

I genuinely laughed on many occasions and actually felt like it was being written by people who identify with internet culture and the colloquial ways we talk in the west.

My absolute favourite moment was the Pageant scene where Teddie comes on stage.

In most Stale translations that male audience member probably would of said "He's a really convincing woman!"

Instead, you guys wrote "I'd hit it!"

So like, whoever's doing the translation, you guys rule, and should be paid well and should translate every JRPG ever.

kthxbai.

YES. I laughed out loud when Yosuke said "We fail, don't we? An epic fail". Because I say stuff like that all the time! Geez, I'm giggling out loud right now thinking of the "Mystery Food X" (oh my god, and Kanji's "NOOOOOOOOOO!" when Nanako tried the Christmas cake was priceless)! Stuff like that made the characters, the stuff they said, and the setting really convincing for me. I loved the character interactions in both Persona 3 and Persona 4.

And just the general tone of the translation in general - it really felt like both the translators and the voice actors had a lot of fun doing it.

This issue was really cool, I originally thought it was more like the fansubbing process in which things are just translated in a grammatically correct way, but you guys sure proved me wrong. It makes sense to have to rearrange stuff and put it more into character in the English translation.

I also admire your translation team's collective kanji-reading skills. As much as I can understand spoken Japanese...I can't read kanji all that well.

[TheSheepman]

Cool stuff, Awesome song~.

Anyways, that was a really interesting PD, as I wish to be a translator one day,
Though, that'll probably be a challenge of its own, This PD is pretty inspiring.

[Generalidea]

grahahaha, <3 Valentine heart for all those translators out there

[gijoe250]

And also a little like Dune tran. totally was not expecting humor when i read this, but i got it anyways, and totally loved it .