Discussion This is Baffling

Discussion in 'Novel General' started by Wujigege, Aug 5, 2019.

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  1. readerz

    readerz Madam Jin

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    I didn't say that the translators are lazy or incompetent. I said the authors were if it's not clear who is talking.

    All translators have to do is put "X said" as is normal in English writing.
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2019
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  2. Invisalats

    Invisalats The Bearded One

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    Not gonna lie I didn't make it through reading that review. Personally I don't think it'd bother me considering my immersion level with most of these web novels is non existent (too many aspects that make me cringe). Now if it was in a particularly immersive read then I might be upset if it broke my immersion but I don't know if any translator or writer would go that route if the novel was incredibly immersive.
     
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  3. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    In Korean webtoon. Sorcerer the artist used head of character placed on top the speech bubble and it worked just fine
     
  4. Invisalats

    Invisalats The Bearded One

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    That actually sounds useful as it'd make it easier to place the bubbles in the correct order without needing to block more of the panel than necessary to make sure the reader knew who was talking.
     
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  5. comradeprozac

    comradeprozac Well-Known Member

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    Sure, some artist may include images of objects or head shots of characters when characters are talking about something in a comic, just read Jojo and you may see some good examples on how it can be done right, but in a novel, and for every single time when a character speaks?
    There's a difference in the mediums and things that work in one will not work in others.
     
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  6. Kadmos1

    Kadmos1 Well-Known Member

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    I could be wrong but I think the Japanese to English translation might have less issues of having things lost in translation if the web/light novel has a non-Asian setting and more of a Western civilization-type setting that uses more Western-sounding names and place names.
     
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  7. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    Yeah but sadly even in that case you still have transtators using Luke-sama.
    It is just fetishist at this point.
    It has nothing to do with accuracy
     
  8. comradeprozac

    comradeprozac Well-Known Member

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    Normal translation is hard, I'm quite sur of that, but translating dialog where you have to take in account things like a character's speaking pattern, their choice of words, mannerisms, verbal tics, accents, etc is harder, so I don't really see how someone making the stylistic choice of keeping japanese honorifics would be seen as bad. Sure it may not be great when the story takes place somewhere that isn't japan and has no japanese influences, but it's not going to take you out of the story too much.

    I mean, it's not as bad as just switching the gender of established characters and not fixing the problem as soon as someone points that out.
     
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