Discussion Sorcerer's Journey NEEDS better translation!

Discussion in 'Novel Discussion' started by Stark3, Jul 1, 2017.

  1. Stark3

    Stark3 Well-Known Member

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    I started reading Sorcerer's Journey a couple of months ago. As there were only several chapters translated at the time, I went ahead and continued to read it via Systransoft machine translation. While at first I had issues with it, it soon really grabbed my attention and I binge read it all the way up to ch1800+.

    I rank it one of my top favorite novels now, higher than WMW, Desolate Era, CD, or even the first Douluo Dalu, and I consider myself a fan.

    Imagine my dismay then when I see that it has a less than lukewarm reception here in NU. In an attempt to build up more support for it, I've given it as recommendations in some threads, and answered spoiler questions. At one point, I had to go back to the official translation to answer a question since the names are different in MTL and translation, and it was there I found out : there are SERIOUS problems with the current translations.

    * There are 2 chapters completely missing in the official translation (which I'll shorten to OT from now on). RAWs have the interrogation scene in chapter 49, OT has it at chapter 47. No wonder there have been comments that the scene transition didn't make sense, that the last part of the trial seems to be missing.

    * Some paragraphs are entirely left out during translation. I went to a random chapter in the OT trying to find the answer to a question, and the impression it gave me was entirely different from the way I remembered it. I checked back on the MTL, and lo and behold the OT skipped out paragraphs that, while not directly affecting the plot, gave a lot of "flavor".

    Here's the offending part in the OT (chapter 27)
    And here it is again from MTL : (slightly cleaned up, and with the omitted part in bold)
    Again, while the part in bold do not affect the plot in any way, they do give us another perspective into the sorcerer community. They are not moral perverts trying to get a score with aphrodisiacs ( ANOTHER mistake in translation btw. Glenn's perfumes do not stimulate libido, but gives the user the feeling of like when they were first in love), but people who have lived for hundreds of years who, even for a time, want to regain the feeling that they had when young.

    It changes the scene from your run of the mill scenario where MC gets treasure equipment, to a somewhat human moment where we can actually relate to the characters.

    Here's another sample of paragraph omission (same chapter)
    From OT:
    From MTL:
    Here, the part that's left out gives us a feeling of how the MC's mentality has grown since he started out as an apprentice. What he once was grossed out with is something he'll do willingly, because it gives him more chances at survival.
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2017
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  2. Stark3

    Stark3 Well-Known Member

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    * OT is more of a paraphrasing than a translation. From the previous example, you could already see that aside from missing out a paragraph or two, the flavor of the scene is somewhat different. That's because, from what I've seen, translator takes a lot of liberties with the translation. The flow of words are different. We miss out on the original intention of the author and get treated to the translator's version.

    From OT:
    From RAW:
    Where the heck does the RAW say that the MC was smiling while asleep because he was getting a lot of money? While the end meaning is the same, we have an entirely different view of the MC because of the translation.

    Once I got the ball rolling, I noticed that there are TONS of stuff like these. Cases where descriptions become more generic and pedestrian, therefore ruining the enjoyment of the novel.

    Anyway, my purpose in opening this thread is not (simply) to bash the current translation. Partly, it's a call for the people in charge to wake up and do the translations properly. Partly, it's an appeal to readers here in NU to give this novel more of a chance, because it's a lot more interesting than it is now because of the translation, and it will get a lot better further on.

    EDIT: As of ch 56, the translation has been improved to address most of the concerns I initially posted. Looking forward to have these improvements retroactively applied to previous chapters, and for the quality to be maintained (and hopefully continuously improved) moving forward. :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2017
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  3. xViper

    xViper Well-Known Member

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    Who allowed you to hold this place?
     
  4. Stark3

    Stark3 Well-Known Member

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    Sorry about that, the initial part is already very long, and there's another section I wanted to add
     
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  5. Guy2Chilled

    Guy2Chilled Active Member

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    i also feel the story gets censored a bit because they can go into details pertaining parasites in dead bodies but for some reasons the love scenes are just non existence even though he has been with his lady love 2 times it just get skimmed the story is r18 but for some reason its becoming r15
     
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  6. IgotKIF

    IgotKIF Manny the Manatee

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    Wow, Qidian gotta check these translations. This is not professional.
     
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  7. TianKrea

    TianKrea 『Novice』

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    Lol just as I was about to start reading Sorcerer's Journey, I saw this thread.
    I don't know whether I am lucky or unlucky
     
  8. TheIndeed

    TheIndeed [Cthulhu's old buddy]

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    What ? That's insane, should be upto the reader to decide such things. At most they should put a warning or something similar. If it's true, that is.
     
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  9. SirKulinski

    SirKulinski Well-Known Member

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    China gives 0 fucks about readers opinions though. Which means Qidian has to do the same or cease to exist.
     
  10. kkchaitu

    kkchaitu Well-Known Member

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    @Qidian

    @Stark3: you need bring this to Qidian's notice too. Btw, I recommend you comment on the novel chapter as well. I don't know the translator but I would have added him too, if I knew his handle.
     
  11. Goatse

    Goatse Well-Known Member

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    It's Qidian, what did you expect? From God of Slaughter we can already tell they have 0 standards and they don't care about the novel as long as it earns them money or clicks.

    When translation is turned into a mindless part time job for cash the quality drops, it's as simple as that. Translators stop giving a shit about what they churn out as long as it pads their wallet, the chances of getting caught are extremely low.
     
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  12. sufod01

    sufod01 Ghost

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    Qidian don't really check if their translators do really their jobs. I remember another novel where the translator (in QI) skip a lot of paragraphs.
     
  13. Ciclonz

    Ciclonz Well-Known Member

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    @Qidian is trolling me? I don't want censored chapters
     
  14. fanobody

    fanobody Well-Known Member

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    Bad translation? Welcome to qidian international.
     
  15. bonifide

    bonifide Well-Known Member

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    Sighs and I really like this novel. I guess I might have to MTL. Please don't tell me Plundering the Heavens and Commanding Wind and Cloud the same way. I fucking wish LNMTL wouldn't back out like that with qidian novels.
     
  16. Stark3

    Stark3 Well-Known Member

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    I hate to break this to you, but I suggest that you don't get into Commanding Wind and Cloud. It's not a matter of the translation, but more of the novel itself. It turns into crap after the first arc or two. (Got up to ch 500 AFAIR before I quit in disgust. Was hoping my effort in keeping with it would be rewarded, but nooooo.... )
     
  17. Jaded

    Jaded Majoring in Erology

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    I remember someone making a thread talking about how Qidian is professional and how WuxiaWorld isn't. Ouch...

    If this is the case with one novel, it won't ve strange for it to be happening to other novels as well.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2017
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  18. Johnnycabra

    Johnnycabra Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, Qidian doe not give two sh$%s about the translation quality. They know that some of their "translators" do not know Chinese (or sometimes English for that matter) and are using google translate or other translation software. Their response is that the chapters have already been EDITED. That is why it is a big issue that they trying to get monopolize their novels instead of allowing others translating copyrights. It's the same thing people complained about with yen press translations. It's not going to change, the only thing you can do is stop reading their translations and maybe they might consider upping their quality if enough traffic is lost. That's the problem with trying to be a monopoly, you give up on trying to improve as you have no competition.

    Edit: people should have realized that they did not care about quality when they hired novesaga. It's up to them to further ruin their reputation but their is always the leechers who don't care until the novels get put behind a paywall and they complain it's not free anymore.
     
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  19. Stark3

    Stark3 Well-Known Member

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    That makes me really, REALLY sad. :( I was hoping this novel would get better treatment than that, but if this is symptomatic of what QI puts out .... T_T
     
  20. SinsI

    SinsI Well-Known Member

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    @Startk3
    1) Were you reading the raws on the Quidian's, or on some other site?
    2) Could the information from the missing paragraphs have been integrated into the text of the chapter elsewhere?