LCD Plundering the Heavens

Discussion in 'Latest Chapter Discussion' started by strixflash, Apr 13, 2017.

  1. archn3m29

    archn3m29 Well-Known Member

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  2. strixflash

    strixflash Dao Seeker!

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    Lol. Everyone is a fan.

    @Actias Luna
    Everyone has their own opinion. Can't enforce my views on others and vice-versa.

    I still can't agree with the use of "zi'zhi" which doesn't feels right. Don't know about others but it feels like a gibberish word. "natural endowment/aptitude"is still a better choice according to me.

    "Jing" can be translated into life energy, sperm, essence, vitality, etc in various ways depending on the context instead of leaving it as pinyin. At the very least I think we can agree on this. It's similar to how 魔 can be translated into magic or devil/demon depending on context.

    Most of times I read raws and I'm far ahead in raws for this novel. The only reason I complained is because I felt the use of pinyin wasn't doing justice. You may disagree and so may I. Let's agree to disagree.
     
  3. Actias Luna

    Actias Luna Well-Known Member

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    Correct. The same goes for me as well. I cannot and will not make attempts to force everyone to believe the same as I do; I can only allow others to know why it is I think as I do and allow them to come with their own determinations.

    And it is good to feel this way and to bring it to my attention. There are going to be instances in which I and the work I do is not perfect, and to have people who detail as such and offer their own insights is a very valuable thing. Know that even if we cannot agree on something that your words still have merit and value to me.

    It is as I believed, then. My appreciation goes out to you who has taken such an interest in this novel, for I also believe it to be an excellent one. Though we may reach an impasse in action, we can understand the other and what drives us to each.
     
  4. DeathStroke96

    DeathStroke96 『President of Sindria Trading Co.』『Uncle』『GOD』

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    I am with strixflash on this, I am an English speaker/reader, I have zero knowledge of Chinese and it mean nothing to me if terms are used in pinyin because I don't have a clue what they mean.

    I had that problem with stellar transformation when he-man used to tl it and nearly dropped the story multiple times, because it's not like we can go to google and check them out, I was so happy that when it was at translationnations they translated the old terms to English as I could have understood them.

    I believe that pinyin should only be used for names and nothing more.

    Here is a quote by Deathblade;
    To me I would like to see it in English, even if it the translator is finding it not a big deal.
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2017
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  5. StuffedDuck

    StuffedDuck Stuffed with Fluff

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    me three ... wordgasm, logicgasm or readgasm ... is the question ...

    As I said beforehand, sometimes the use of romanized words involves me as a reader more into a specific story (immersion and need to look-up or remember the specific meaning of words) and as long as I don't directly pay the translator for his work (not donations, pay to view etc) I wont have a say in the way he translates anyway.
     
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  6. maxx26

    maxx26 Well-Known Member

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    Although I may not agree with how he went about it I'm with strixflash in that everything except for names should be translated. If there is no English equivalent then use the best approximation and leave a note explaining it to readers, that's what most if not all of the translators considered by many to be the best do. Also even if we're not paying him he is being paid nonetheless and leaving words untranslated, especially those that already have standardized translations, just seems half assed to me no offense. What I would suggest doing is holding a poll and letting the readers decide what they want. It's still early in the translation to make changes but if you keep going as is I guarantee you that people will continue complaining and they do have a reason to. Just my two cents ultimately it's your choice.
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2017
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  7. Actias Luna

    Actias Luna Well-Known Member

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    No offense taken.

    I do think it is worth mentioning that we were translating this even before Qidian International came into being. We'd been doing this free of charge for quite a while (the translator longer than I), and the only thing the pay has done is make it possible to spend enough time on it for more frequent releases. The story has always been a labor of love, and I continue to recognize that not everyone will be in favor of the methodology used, particularly since it breaks away from some of the conventions of more well-known translators, but I would not put my effort into something I was not personally interested in.

    Depends on what you define as "early". The process to get the chapter from original Chinese into what it is on Qidian International doesn't happen day-to-day, and in order to retain a steady release schedule coupled with some QA and to account for differing schedules, there is naturally going to be quite a backlog between the translators and the live version so the readers can receive their chapters with fewer hiccups in presentation. Although the current chapter is only up to 13 or so for readers, we're effectively working into the 30s and 40s for the next batch. Considering the length of some Chinese novels, this may not amount to much, but the period of time in which a majority of the new readership would form—initial launch—has likely passed and first impressions have now been determined, as well.

    There will always be those with good reason to be dissatisfied regardless of the path chosen. If it's not those that would rather it always be in English, it'll be those that have grown to like the style that is being utilized now only to have it modified. I've heard voices from both sides.

    If a poll was conducted and delivered some firm numbers, that would make it easier for me to personally gauge things, though I would never make promises based upon poll results; such a thing would be more to sate my own curiosity than to determine direction. There are a few core issues at play here such as how I wouldn't know who has read and speaks of the story itself or who is speaking out of principle; would the people be answering on the basis of "the convention should be English and no pinyin" or "Plundering the Heavens would be better without pinyin"?

    Even with data, it would be difficult to sift through, particularly since it seems that those who are in favor of no-pinyin are very vocal and capable of drumming up a lot of interest and following. Those who want things to change have a greater incentive to act than those who are content with how things are.

    Regardless, such a poll would potentially drum up some more thorough discussion on the matter. If such a thing was created, I would rather enjoy both taking part in and observing it, though I'd end up stressing a "neutral" option as well for those who do not feel particularly one way or the other.
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2017
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  8. SinsI

    SinsI Well-Known Member

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    If there's such a great amount of editing, how come there are blatant errors like this still present in the final release:
    ?
     
  9. Actias Luna

    Actias Luna Well-Known Member

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    Because translators and editors are only human and mistakes will get through from time to time; it's why I've been rather encouraging of people pointing out those errors if they see them.

    That being said, that specific error was caught a while ago and was edited out in the final copy. I'm not sure as to why it has managed to make it onto the site.
     
  10. SinsI

    SinsI Well-Known Member

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    That's par for the course - misprints and "they're/their" "has/had" kind of errors are very hard to evade, even with numerous proofreaders.
    It's just that the error this time was far too noticeable, as if there was no editing done at all. Which seems to actually have been the case:
    - the problem is with the process (someone sent unedited version, instead of the proofread copy), and not with the quality of editing itself.
     
  11. Actias Luna

    Actias Luna Well-Known Member

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    Do you truly believe there was no editing or PR done on that chapter at all?

    In the course of supplying modifications, that particular change was copy-pasted from the suggestion one too many times and it happened to stick because it's at the very bottom of chapter 17 and there were several small and large changes between the beginning and the end. Afterwards, it was later seen and modified, but it appears as though Qidian didn't receive the updated copy or whatnot. I'm not without fault, but considering I changed it over a week in advance of its release, I hadn't considered that it wouldn't take.

    If you read that chapter and feel there is no editing or PR at all, though, I don't quite know what to say. The total changes—large and small—in the previous three iterations: 159, via 46, 100, and then 13. The total changes that didn't make it through: one, the one you noticed.

    The onus is definitely on me for not realizing that it would function like that and I appreciate being told of this. It was a really annoying error when I noticed it, which is why I knew exactly what you were talking about when you quoted it.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2017
  12. SinsI

    SinsI Well-Known Member

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    "No editing or PR" just means only one person was doing it all - some translators like to submit for editing chapters that are already perfectly OK from their POV - and it is very hard to spot your own mistakes.
     
  13. Actias Luna

    Actias Luna Well-Known Member

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    There are three people working on Plundering the Heavens in a dedicated fashion as of me saying this right now. The translator, myself as the primary editor, and another editor/proofreader. It is the main reason why there are so many iterations and adjustments.

    It wasn't one person doing everything, it was the person at the very end (me) making a mistake without the correction being applied after the fact.
     
  14. Anon Ymous

    Anon Ymous Well-Known Member

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    chapter 19
    i am quite amazed by this mc's luck
    if not for having an elder "supporting" him, he would die early
     
  15. SinsI

    SinsI Well-Known Member

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    I wonder what's the reason for such a resource distribution in that sect, where D-ranked receive not enough money to even keep their own cultivation level?
    Do they just use them as cheap labor?
     
  16. Anon Ymous

    Anon Ymous Well-Known Member

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    every sect needs cheap labor
    they probably have a contribution system so the low rank could "earn resource"
     
  17. Anon Ymous

    Anon Ymous Well-Known Member

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    chapter 21
    poor guys
    they will get robbed again, now who are the victims?
     
  18. expertsource10

    expertsource10 Well-Known Member

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    Hi, I also read this novel, but I only half-like it. I don't know if I'm going to drop it later on.

    Why?

    Because the novel lacks vision. Yep, vision.
    After I read all the geniuses that kill monsters to cultivate, ransack the sects, upside down the heavens, this story seems like slice of one of the minor sects of stepping stones for the geniuses.
    Where our geniuses only join the sects in name, then leaves and FAR surpass the sects they used to join, this mc's all story we read is all about of climbing in one of these minor sects until the near end of the novel.

    I feel like this, what do you think?
     
  19. Anon Ymous

    Anon Ymous Well-Known Member

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    you mean you have read the full novel then comment?
    because right now this is just the beginning
    nothing noteworthy happened
     
  20. expertsource10

    expertsource10 Well-Known Member

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    I didn't read the novel. This is the feeling I get from the speed, pace, and style of the novel. I can more or less grasp what's in the authors' mind.
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2017