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Tyranthraxus
Senior Scribe
Netherlands
423 Posts |
 Posted - 28 May 2010 : 02:43:59
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I translate most of the names of people and places. But thinking about it now, it seems kinda silly and it often doesn't sound as "cool" in dutch as it does in english. While on the other hand it sounds a bit weird using english names while speaking dutch.
I was wondering how other scribes think about this.
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IngoDjan
Learned Scribe
Brazil
146 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 03:03:42
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I think the same way. I translate everything.
English to portuguese in my case.
Waterdeep - Águas Profundas
Shadowdale - Vale das Sombras
With to much use, doesn't sound weird anymore. |
Ingo Djan
DUNGEON MASTER AO OF THE DIAMONDS!"I see the future repeat the past. It all is a museum of great news. The Time do not stop." |
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Sill Alias
Senior Scribe
Kazakhstan
588 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 04:14:09
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| Don't you feel like with translation you lose the sense and meaning of word. Like it does not sound right. |
You can hear many tales from many mouths. The most difficult is to know which of them are not lies. - Sill Alias
"May your harp be unstrung, your dreams die and all your songs be unsung." - curse of the harper, The Code of the Harpers 2 ed.
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
729 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 07:49:26
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| Tyranthraxus, I feel your pain - I'm a native Dutch (well, Flemish) speaker myself, and in ways, we're kind of lucky - Waterdeep / Waterdiep - not all that different. Shadowdale - Schaduwdaal, and so on. One thing I do, though is not just "translate" certain names, but "reimagine" them because the literal translation sounds kind of corny. Only problem - I have not played in Flemish in five or six years, and no example springs to mind... |
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Tyranthraxus
Senior Scribe
Netherlands
423 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 15:13:56
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quote:
Originally posted by IngoDjan
I think the same way. I translate everything.
English to portuguese in my case.
Waterdeep - Águas Profundas
Shadowdale - Vale das Sombras
With to much use, doesn't sound weird anymore.
True, you get used to it after a while.
quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias
Don't you feel like with translation you lose the sense and meaning of word. Like it does not sound right.
Well, that's the problem that's bugging me. But as Thaumarath points out, you have to "reimagine", or "reinvent" the name to give it the same meaning it has in english and not make it sound stupid.
quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth
Tyranthraxus, I feel your pain - I'm a native Dutch (well, Flemish) speaker myself, and in ways, we're kind of lucky - Waterdeep / Waterdiep - not all that different. Shadowdale - Schaduwdaal, and so on. One thing I do, though is not just "translate" certain names, but "reimagine" them because the literal translation sounds kind of corny. Only problem - I have not played in Flemish in five or six years, and no example springs to mind...
You're right, thankfully it's easy most of the time translating names to dutch (due to similarities), but can be quite a challenge sometimes.
I also found a dutch estymology of the Realms on the internet a few years ago (I don't remember where), and it's quite helpful. |
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 15:13:57
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| It would help if authors and designers alike would stick to fantasy names and don't throw in real world stuff or utterly silly telling names (some tough wild elven barbarian warrior going by the name "Twig", or gnomes or dwarves with steretypically dumb names)). If they need "telling names", do it Native American style and call them Tatanka-yotanka (i.e. not Sitting Bull ... i.e. use their native tongue). On the other hand, some English names need not to be translated, since a translation or a meaning was not exactly intended, even if the order of the letter of the words would suggest one to a non-native speaker. |
Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!
Gæð a wyrd swa hio scel!
In memory of Alura Durshavin.
Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerûn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more. |
Edited by - Zanan on 28 May 2010 15:15:17 |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 15:43:59
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I dunno about the name losing meaning when translated. If for instance you're speaking French, won't "Les Marches Argent" have more meaning than "the Silver Marches"?
The only problem would be what Zanan mentioned, names that are silly in English (like "Twig") won't be as silly if left like that. But no-one says you have to be consistent. Still, my default rule-of-thumb would be that if a book (novel, or sourcebook doesn't matter) is written with English (or another language) as a replacement for another language (whether it be Common, Galactic Esperanto, or Gaelic), translate everything that's in English to your own language. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 29 May 2010 : 09:39:09
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| I keep it English, some of the translations would sound so silly that it would shatter all the remaining seriousness we have in our games. |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 29 May 2010 : 10:07:37
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| I generally just use the English terms, Norwegian translations usually ends up sounding a bit strange. Especially as the "of" preposition in place names is not used. And you either end up with a "high style" that has not been used since mid-19th century poetry or names that comes out as funny. Fallen Stars Sea, Thunder Tops, it just doesn't sound right. Others end up sounding like terms from children's stories or faery tales, giving a far different feel to the whole world. I did try it once, but combined with me using a Basic Roleplaying system instead of Ad&d, it ended up with a world that had little to do with the Realms. |
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Asharak
Learned Scribe
France
268 Posts |
Posted - 29 May 2010 : 11:01:33
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I use translation for most of the names.
Waterdeep - Eauprofonde
Silver Marches - Marches d'Argent
Zhentil Keep - Château-Zhentil
That's more meaningful for everyone. |
"Soyez réalistes : demandez l'impossible"
Sorry for my English... it's not my native tongue. |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Elfinblade
Senior Scribe
Norway
377 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 22:05:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
I generally just use the English terms, Norwegian translations usually ends up sounding a bit strange. Especially as the "of" preposition in place names is not used. And you either end up with a "high style" that has not been used since mid-19th century poetry or names that comes out as funny. Fallen Stars Sea, Thunder Tops, it just doesn't sound right. Others end up sounding like terms from children's stories or faery tales, giving a far different feel to the whole world. I did try it once, but combined with me using a Basic Roleplaying system instead of Ad&d, it ended up with a world that had little to do with the Realms.
I concur. I had a DM once who insisted on translating almost everything to Norwegian. Did not work out for me. I prefer the original language, at least if i can understand said language. I suspect a system written in portugese or japanese might be a tough sell for me  |
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Cleric Generic
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
565 Posts |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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Kno
Senior Scribe
452 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2010 : 19:56:57
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I translate the names when it's easy, the Western Heartlands and Evermeet always being the most difficult, or the Vilhon Reach and the North.
Waterdeep - Dubokavoda
Silver Marches - Srebrene Marke (confuses with the old German currency)
Zhentil Keep - Zentilova Kula
Shadow Dale - Sjenoviti Dol
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z455t |
Edited by - Kno on 03 Jun 2010 19:59:48 |
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Calmar
Acolyte
49 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2010 : 09:42:48
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Most often translations sound at least wierd to me, but translating the names of Realms places into German works out quite well I think. The names sound natural and stay true to the original meaning.
Waterdeep - Tiefwasser
Zhentil Keep - (Die) Zentilfeste (no 'h'! :P)
Shadowdale - Schattental
Silver Marches - Silbermarschen (only problem here is, that 'marches' is a term I've never actually seen outside the context of the Forgotten Realms in either language...) |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2010 : 09:57:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Elfinblade
I concur. I had a DM once who insisted on translating almost everything to Norwegian. Did not work out for me. I prefer the original language, at least if i can understand said language. I suspect a system written in portugese or japanese might be a tough sell for me
I hope he left out the farmer Knulan Besmar of Shadowdale. What did he do with Bane (pronounced as Norwegian for bone or leg) by the way? The image of a skeletal Death-god is hard to shake. |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2010 : 10:02:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Calmar
Silver Marches - Silbermarschen (only problem here is, that 'marches' is a term I've never actually seen outside the context of the Forgotten Realms in either language...)
The term was used for buffer regions of established empires. Examples are the Carolingian empire with The Spanish March and the Breton March. The term Markgraf an Marquis are examples of titles that originated with this term.
The name of the Silver Marches fits badly. Luruar was a better name, but got dropped with 3ed. |
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Translating names and places
