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I'm going to talk some about vernacular English and its place in J-E media translations, particularly those set in modern or near-modern settings.
Vernacular language is a translator's most powerful tool and a critical building block for every other form of literary writing.
Vernacular language is a translator's most powerful tool and a critical building block for every other form of literary writing.
Let's start with an example: An introductory scene for a pair of characters in A3!, Juza and Banri. I'm going to post the source text, a straight/dry translation, and the translation that got put into the game.
This is the first impression the reader will get of both characters.
This is the first impression the reader will get of both characters.
There are 3 key elements that set the in-game TL apart: Vernacular English, character voice, and banter flow.
Anyone can just dryly relay words, but phrasing is what defines a character. Individual lines don't exist in a vacuum, either; they're woven in with other lines.
Anyone can just dryly relay words, but phrasing is what defines a character. Individual lines don't exist in a vacuum, either; they're woven in with other lines.
Here's an example from Super Robot Wars X. Yazan Gable has a gruff and salty speaking voice, and it's vital to convey that because it's his most defining trait.
On the other hand, Shogun Mifune (an American turbo-weeb) talks like a stuffy samurai and uses loan words like ronin.
On the other hand, Shogun Mifune (an American turbo-weeb) talks like a stuffy samurai and uses loan words like ronin.
In story and dialogue-heavy games, the text has a ton of heavy lifting to do. Ideally a reader should be able to recognize a character from the way they speak without having to look at a name.
And NOT injecting character into lines that merit it is a disservice to the reader.
And NOT injecting character into lines that merit it is a disservice to the reader.
The important takeaway here is that none of this detracts from how effectively the source message is conveyed in English.
It IS possible to have it both ways - a translation that is both accurate to the source and in-character for the speaker. That's the goal we strive for.
It IS possible to have it both ways - a translation that is both accurate to the source and in-character for the speaker. That's the goal we strive for.
It's because of this that the most important asset a translator can have other than source language comprehension is a familiarity with forms of English that people actually use. For believable, enjoyable dialogue, you NEED to be comfortable with common, vernacular English.
