I'm super idiotic but I really wanted to write a world-hopping novel based on transmigration but from the system's POV? Nvm the details, I'm killing myself trying to find helpful resources with terms Chinese people would use. Hint hint, just because you're Asian doesn't mean you'll get insta-resources from your Asian parents. Not like I can ask them what the direct translation of an ajumma is or what the slang word for prostitute in Chinese would be :/ That would be a really awkward conversation over the phone. I figured this would be common problems translators have so this thread is kind of directed towards you guys as well? How do you guys go about translating Chinese terms and how do you write it in? I'm super excited about writing this novel because it's my first time tackling a long long one but the first two arcs really giving me a headache >_< \ One is set in modern-day China and the other in a wuxia sort of setting. I literally have fill in the blanks littered throughout the thing QAQ So is there some super handy list with all the Chinese terms a wannabe author could ask for or do I have to despair and just make everything European related? Even if there isn't a list, I've been looking at novels here on the website. Since I'm a pure BL fan, I'm going to be honest. I never realized there were that many MTL's >~< And not all of them have the terms explained?? Anyhow, begging for help from more experienced writers and translators orz (The random emboldened words are just to help you not murder your eyes. I tend to ramble heh)
I was just wondering why in the world you would do that to yourself. Uh, I don't know much about chinese, but for idioms, references, and, um, other things that only exist in a single culture it's best to lose the specifics of what it means and instead interpret it in the best way you think the other language can understand it. An important thing to remember is to write for your audience. Also, could you be more specific? Yes, you have stated your dilemma, but an example would help to focus on it more precisely. Also, do you really need to translate these chinese terms? I mean, why not just write it in chinese then? Something always gets lost in translation, unless the translator is both extremely good at both languages and ingrained in both cultures.
Hehe, that's no skin off my back. Feel free to wonder. I already am feeling the heavy burn of writing the novel. And also. *cries internally* I'm Vietnamese and no one reads Vietnamese novels˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚ All those teen romance novels from Viet Nam have gone to waste _(´ཀ`」 ∠)_ In all seriousness, though there are two characters that are Chinese, the majority of it will be lightly referring to the culture itself. It only really gets heavy in the cultivation arcs. I don't want to get too heavy in the details of what the arcs are because that might be construed as looking for plot feedback which is not what I want to imply >-< I get that a lot of things will be lost in translation but that's just what translators face day to day. If some character makes some hilarious joke referencing events or "memes" in China, no one will get it unless, you know, they're Chinese and have WeChat lmao. My dilemma is how to effectively write what is essentially several lengths of the story based in China. I'm pretty good at settings (Viet Nam is kind of similar to China I think, at least the rural places) but the terms such as what to call a middle-aged woman or prostitute absolutely escape me. Should I even bother? Can I get away with writing what vaguely resembles Suzhou, China but is actually Saigon, Viet Nam? Idk I don't want to get ripped apart by readers who are more familiar with the culture :/ This might be better answered by translators because I've read excellent translations in the past that seamlessly transform Chinese literature into something readable by English readers. You can call me lazy now because I'm willfully ignoring those resources because of one thing. The length >-< It's reallllly hard to find the translator notes because often they're dispersed around the 270ish chapters and often only get mentioned around 3 times before it stops getting included altogether. I wonder if certain translators have a glossary but all I've been finding are character directories. Not knocking on the translators, they're gods in their own right but I gotta know how they rewrite what is Chinese perfection into English perfection. (sorry for the weird wordage, running on 3 hours of sleep heh!) I guess I'm being somewhat of a bull-headed writer :/ I'm mainly taking inspiration from Wuxia novels but that also means I'm holding myself up to those standards that the god-like translators have _(´ཀ`」 ∠)_ I'm sticking to outlining everything now but at some point all those fill in the blanks will need to be filled QAQ I hope this clears it up a bit? Or did I again just write a whole bunch of nonsense orz.