A game of survival, trade and exploration in the universe of Fallen London
Tribulations of a Translator (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)
Ixc
Posts: 378
25 days ago
|
I think in the specific case of LB's I would advise against it, as Failbetter doesn't inform us what it means as a sort of in-joke. In my personal experience, it took me half the game to puzzle out what L_ B_ meant, and made it a lot funnier.
--
Pleased to meet you. Ixc, spy and detective. Inventor of the Correspondence Cannon.
Are you a Paramount Presence? Record your name here. For posterity, of course.
Being poked incessantly by nightmares? Poke them back!
Vote the Viscountess for Mayor!
|
|
|
0
link
|
Cpt. Eructus
Posts: 76
25 days ago
|
But the chance of figuring it out in Spanish, however I spin it, is virtually non-existent, especially because most players playing a translated Sunless Sea won't be familiar with Fallen London, where the term is used more frequently. In Sunless Sea, this is literally the only mention, and even if someone figured it out, the joke would be mostly lost in translation.
The other instance where I thought notes could be worthwhile, as I mentioned, is in the case of quotes from literary sources that have some cultural relevance in the English world, but are all but unknown outside of it. Yes, still only people with an above average level of culture and some knowledge of English literature will get some of those reference even in English, but virtually noone, whatever their level of education, would get them in Spanish if they're not explained (many of those works have never been translated into Spanish (or never outside of some obscure 19th century edition), so I have to traslate those extracts myself, making them even less recognizable, even if someone were to know of them).
Yes, it is dumbing down some of the subtlety Failbetter has put into their work, and it's a shame, but the subtlety would be wasted if nobody can grasp it, so making it available to everyone looks to me like the next best (or less bad) thing.
(And I'm sure there's a tiny bit of pedantry on my part and wanting to show off my research too. Definitely guilty of that :p)
edited by Cpt. Eructus on 6/15/2020
--
Captain Eructus, Royal Bethlehem Hotel, Fallen London (when not at zee)
|
|
|
0
link
|
J. L.
Posts: 40
25 days ago
|
I didn't figure it out until it was outright told to me, so 'not figuring it out' isn't that big of a deal imo.
--
The Extravagant Wordsmith (Jel) accepts all social actions. Alert me before snubbing me.
The Melancholic Shadow accepts all social actions.
|
|
|
0
link
|