8BT translation projects

[gundevako]

I remember seeing a LONG time ago a Spanish translation of 8-Bit Theater and was wondering if there are any translations in other languages out there for it? I looked through the forum archives and didn't find any mention even of the Spanish one, which I know exists(if you have the link to it I would appreciate that as well). I am kind of a foreign language nerd, so to speak, and that is why I ask.

If there aren't any, has anyone thought of starting such a project?

[Clord]

It ruin comic. Some thingys you cannot translate without making eg. black box with text.

[gundevako]

But I am still curious if it has been attempted, especially because I have many friends who don't speak English.
Also I think that a comic can be translated with enough effort, it just seems bad because a lot of times with comics people tend to just put half-assed effort into it.

[Clord]

If Brian not have every comic without text version then it is very hard to make look good translation.

[Meister]

Originally Posted by Clord

If Brian not have every comic without text version then it is very hard to make look good translation.

It's certainly possible to make a good-looking translation from the finished comics alone. You just have to white-out the speech bubbles (or fill them with a gradient if necessary) and insert the translated text. Sound effects are a problem in that regard, but most of those would be left untranslated anyway. Where it's necessary to translate them one would certainly do well with textless files - although it is possible, depending on the background, to erase the sound word (using clone brush) and insert a translated one. It looks surprisingly good since you primarily see the sound word anyway, but the professional way would of course be textless files.

With 8-Bit Theater, the main problems are a relatively high content of puns (things like the "wooden stake" joke are a translator's nightmare fuel, especially since it's accompanied by pictures) and Brian's relatively complex writing style and syntax. It's not easy to translate it properly, but it's far from impossible.

There are also minor considerations, of course... such as the decision whether to leave the character names in English or translate them.

And also it would take really damn long at this point. Nothing dedication can't solve.

[gundevako]

Just a few thoughts before I go to bed,

I think you could keep the onomatopoeic in English. I always thought it adds character to a comic when they are left like in the original language, kind of like a little subliminal reminder that it came from a different country.

I agree with the joke problem as well, although I am reminded what my literature teacher told me, 'A good translation is in itself a new work' which really means you don't need to translate the meaning exactly but the essence. I would still have a problem with this because I wouldn't want to lose Brian's jokes, and that would be a major consideration. I of course would never be able to make that decision, I do speak more that one language fluently but I would never trust myself to translate.

The names should be up to the translators. I would personally translate it to the name that is most common under FF fans in the respective country, if that name is in English than it should be in English if not than in their respective languages(which might be difficult because many countries with common languages don't share common names for things, especially if it is from another country).

[Meister]

Originally Posted by gundevako

I think you could keep the onomatopoeic in English. I always thought it adds character to a comic when they are left like in the original language, kind of like a little subliminal reminder that it came from a different country.

Most people are used to English ones anyway. "CRASH" is universal. Sound effects like "SHIPWRECK" aren't, but those should retain their humour when simply translated.

I agree with the joke problem as well, although I am reminded what my literature teacher told me, 'A good translation is in itself a new work' which really means you don't need to translate the meaning exactly but the essence.

Your literature teacher is a wise man, woman or other. In the case I mentioned it's not coming up with a new pun that's difficult - and when it comes to translating puns, you often have no choice but to invent a new one altogether - no, it's integrating the cow.

The names should be up to the translators. I would personally translate it to the name that is most common under FF fans in the respective country[...]

Once again I agree. Strangely blessed are therefore they who have never had an official translation of the game, for they can make shit up. (And looking at your location, you might know about that. We're growing in numbers...)

[Transcend]

Why, right here! I've got your Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Chinese (in traditional, to mix it up), Italian, Japanese (again) and English translations, cooked up ready to order. Only...well, budgets were short, so we could only do the first episode, and even then, due to my extremely limited knowledge of some of the languages, the translation needed to be bent a bit, and I did have to Babelfish the Korean one and kinda guess a bit at most of the Romance ones, and again, do to time, I had to condense all of them into one comic.

But hey, enjoy!

:bmage: 那, 我们怎么走通过巨人的森林?
:fighter: Porque la Cueva de Ninguna Vuelta está detrás de ella.
BM: はああいい。私達はなぜそこに行きたいと思うか?
Fighter: Hörten Sie nicht auf den alten Mann?
BM: 나에게 말하십시요.
Fighter: À l'intérieur de la Caverne Sans Retour est l'armure d'invincibility.
BM: 如果這是不讓回來的洞, 怎麼知道內容?
Fighter: Se non qui, dove?
BM: はい、馬鹿. 私は次の冒険を選ぶ。
Fighter: Phooey.

[gundevako]

Originally Posted by Transcend

:bmage: 那, 我们怎么走通过巨人的森林?
:fighter: Porque la Cueva de Ninguna Vuelta está detrás de ella.
BM: はああいい。私達はなぜそこに行きたいと思うか?
Fighter: Hörten Sie nicht auf den alten Mann?
BM: 나에게 말하십시요.
Fighter: À l'intérieur de la Caverne Sans Retour est l'armure d'invincibility.
BM: 如果這是不讓回來的洞, 怎麼知道內容?
Fighter: Se non qui, dove?
BM: はい、馬鹿. 私は次の冒険を選ぶ。
Fighter: Phooey.

That made me laugh.

But anyway does anyone(other than myself) even remember the ONE attempt(I think it was in Spanish, but don't quote me on that) to translate it into another language? And if you do, could you send me a link IF it still exists(which at this point I doubt)!

[BlackMageFF1]

The english language has been butchered so much since the eleventh century (when modern english was born) that it's almost impossible to perfectly translate even one sentence of it.