Request Translations

please if possible translate everything to english except for name of (person, places, myths, items(if it is better in english fine but much prefferable if it stays the same), etc. (important text that only makes sense in their original language))

be it korean, japanese or chinese
especially the brother (oniichan, anikii, aniue,hyung, oppa) sister (aneki,aneue, unni) mr (shi, san) ms(shi, san) mother (okaasan, omma) father (ottosan, abuji) uncle(ajushi) auntie(obasan) and so on (i don't know if all of these is correct but please translate them if possible since it can be translated because i feel like i'm reading a machine translated novel when things like this stays in the translated novel.

i was once fine with it when i transitioned from anime to novels, i was fine reading it but the more i read the less anime i watch and the more i hate untranslated things well more leanjng towards the brother mother father sister auntie uncle mr ms types of things.

or am i the only one who hates this?

P.S. thank you to the translators for expending effort into translating novels for us readers, fans who have no money to buy translated books and for translating books that have no official english version. and thank you to those who gives their support to the translators by giving them money for expenses so they can keep translating.

 

But only by looking at Hyung/Nuna that you know this is spoken by a guy, and Oppa/Eonnie is spoken by a girl.
It has its own meaning :0

 

There's also something charming about seeing a younger sister say "Oniichan".

 

true, but the story still describes the gender of the speaker even in an ambiguous way

 

siscon?

 

Here I'm saying that I'd prefer it when the author's intent is conveyed loudly and precisely. Ambiguity on small points like these generally mean that the reader will miss the subtle but flavorful nuances of the source (thanks to replier below for better term). Which is rather sad, no?

 

No, it is just fetish.
Many entered this community through eroge: adult or porn visual novel games.
So oniichan has more a meaningful connotation than you think

 

maybe because the translators English is not good enough that they can't make a translation that perfectly conveys the original meaning.
if everything is translated but without good enough English some tone and nuance might be lost in translation. translator sometimes opt to just skip the headache-inducing part and just put the original to convey the different nuance. for example, some translated Japanese novels might be confusing to read because they do not provide the speaker in a dialogue. while in the original language, you can differentiate between people based on how they speak.

 

imo, fully translating to english will make the translation inevitably lose its flavor. even if said words have its counterpart in english, the nuance behind it can and will be lost in translation.

just my two cents tho. take it as you will. we all have different preferences anyway

 

I agree.
Well, there’s a reason why there are so many different terms.
They could be use upon the same person, but the difference in meaning can let you know how the caller views the other.

Like casual acquaintance or deep respect for a person. Although not prominent, it still does reflects a nuance of the caller’s psyche.

 

How does that apply in a Japanese novel set in Medieval time?
You have to ask yourself this, are you translating for translators or for readers?
Because your average reader will end up confused.
Another question, are you translating for an English speaking audience or for Japanese people living in the West/Diaspora?
It doesnt matter what your intentions are, if your average reader doesnt understand then you are doing it wrong.
Having to use a Japanese dictionary to read a Japanese to English translation, means the translation failed.
It was easy to use the above excuses until J-novel club came into existence and they dont leave behind honorifics.
Content has to be localized for the audience if the intended audience is fetishists, fair enough
Let us not pretend that it is the industry standard when it is not.

PS You spelt translation wrong in your thread title

 

Hmm, perhaps the first few times you might not be familiar with the terms, but int the long run, well, by then you should be most likely familiar with them.

 

Chingu, it ruins immersion. For people like me who suck at languages, I will completely forget.
I doubt I am the only one.
Given that I run a translation website and I have spoken to lots of readers, the consensus is that they rather have it translated.
Same opinion when talking to professional translators whom I have worked with.
Readers simply lie because they dont want to offend amateur translators

 

Oh. Then I suppose you’ll just cater to the majority.
Well, anyway if we prefer otherwise it’s mostly for the nuances.
The devil’s in the details after all~ ^_^

 

I'd honestly take his opinions with a grain of salt, especially in terms of styling. He's stated repeatedly that he doesn't read what goes on his website. Here's one I found from another thread with a quick search:

[edit] Which, ironically, I now notice he did not follow his policy and translate little sister (in Chinese) and big sister (in Korean). WTH! [/edit]

So his vote isn't any more trustworthy than the rest of ours. And forget the website owner claim, it's just a talking point when you realize that far larger sites exist where the popular translators naturally fit the nuances in. Like Korean sound effects in Overgeared

 

It depends to be honest. If you see those words that can only be found in Japanese in what's obviously a non-Japanese setting, then instead of losing flavor you'll lose immersion instead. I don't know which is worse though.
English has enough words to bring said flavor, IF the translator and/or editor is skilled enough though.

... This is making me reconsider a few translation choices I made.

 

true. if you put it that way, I can agree to it.
and that is a very big IF

tho it does put a question to my mind, does a japanese go thru what we're talking about
its a bit off topic. pay it no mind

 

in korean, you can even have things like a tomboy calling hyung instead of oppa but then maybe that changes during the plot for various reasons and if you just translate into "bro" or whatever, you don't get to feel the changes in the characters (their psychology, etc etc), plot, etc etc

 

It's not a big IF.
Many isekai stories are set in a Medieval world with characters with English or European/ Latin names.
I can list 10 for you easily
All Noble Villainess novels qualify.

https://www.novelupdates.com/series...-villainess-but-why-did-it-turn-out-this-way/

This community is just living in denial
Hearing names like John-san makes me cringe.
It is not a surprise, the grass is greener in the other side even Chinese novels have Xuahuan.
Imagine if the male protagonist in Lord of Mysteries was called Klein gege.

It is ridiculous and honestly fetishist.
I want to be called Oppa by my brother because I like how it sounds. Not because it has any relevance.
The flavor argument is just a crutch that doesn't pass the smell test.
I bet if you translated a Sengoku era novel, no one here will read. Western setting novels are more popular for a reason.
It is easier for the majority English speaking Novel Updates community to understand.
But hey, at the end of the day , the translators are amateurs and can do whatever the hell they want. Doesn't mean make it less counterproductive.
As an average reader, I would drop a novel that requires me to use a Chinese or Japanese dictionary to understand

 

My opinion is for people to learn the source language, it's the best way to understand the story by your own views.

Because translators (Human, Machine, AI) are basically filters.

You will understand the story through that filter, so any and all facts, bias, misunderstandings, assumptions are solely dependent on that translator.

An editor is a secondary filter, because they will go through the translation and essentially re-write, re-phrase, apply grammar rules, of the target language, it doesn't have to be English, it could be Malay, it could be Samoan, it could be Filipino or what not.

A proofreader is a third filter in the cog and looks for flow and points out inconsistencies or what does not make sense. And either re-routes back to the Editor or translator.

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Well the above is just one method. All translation groups & individuals have their own processes and their own way of enforcing their quality control.