The future of novel translations?

Chief Petty Officer Klerk · Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:07 am

Circle wrote: w00t, we have a volunteer! Lets get this going...

I'm almost done with college... but I can take more Japanese through extension classes, but that'd still not be good enough as a proof reader. But I can help edit the English versions and be a distro if we BT it.

Why not ask Boku-tachi if they will recruit you for their FMP project? They have other translators/staff that may help you also. If you don't want to talk to them alone, we can go as a group (or just you and I ). They also have a formal recruiting process for translators too, you can do that but just make sure you get to translate FMP. If you look at their shoutbox, it's just a bunch of ppl asking for more FMP.

Welcome to the forums, I hope the brass don't overcook you.

Indeed w007.

/me eyes Circle...Brass?! We all work for a living here

Post by **Taurec** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:16 am

Hi kirstianl,
If you are willing it's not a problem to get some raw material.

It might not be a bad idea to volunteer with Boku-Tachi.
Because overthere you would be in a group of translators and overhere you would be surrounded by editiors ... *snickers*

Distro isn't a problem...

FreagaZ · Post by **FreagaZ** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:14 pm

Looks like something is happening afterall... Mebbe this thing isn't as doomed as I thought!

Ok then, it seems the only thing left I can probably do is recruit more people in to the fold... Although someone more capable of joining the Boku-Tachi for example might be able to do the job better because of the connections and earned credibility. In either case I better do what I can instead of flapping my mouth since I started this topic

kirstianl · Post by **kirstianl** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:29 pm

Hahah, uh oh, what have I got myself into...

I thought about joining Boku-Tachi before, but I really haven't had that much translation experience, plus, I worry that I'd be... encroaching, I guess, on Brandi's territory. She's done an absolutely MARVELOUS job of the novels, and whatever translations I could do would be absolutely sub-par to her work, nevermind that I feel I would come off as being extremely impatient - I mean, I am impatient, but not with her or the work she does.

Does Boku-Tachi actually have multiple people working on the FMP novels? Because I was under the impression that Brandi was going at it all on her own, which is partially why I feel so nervous for encroaching. XD

Post by **Taurec** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:52 pm

It's not like they could sue ya ....besides BT has no dibs on FMP so I wouldn't feel too nervous.
Also if they don't want ya, I'm sure you would find support here (atleast moral support <g>) Even a small amount of extra/new information is very welcome.

afaik it's just Brandy..

justin · Post by **justin** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 10:18 pm

not that i am not grateful for brandi's really hard work (and very excellent) but i also always wondered why more people didn't do the translations

no i guess i talk the talk but i can't walk the walk (don't know japanese)

but yea, maybe someone over at animesuki? i know there are some people who translate the mangas in their spare time

heck, i would even take something crude, i just wanna know what happens ^^

HELLFIRE · Post by **HELLFIRE** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 10:36 pm

The worst BT can do when you ask is say no. Drop them a line and see.
Best of luck kirstianl!

@Circle
It's ALWAYS overcook here or nothing....

Regards

Jae · Post by **Jae** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:10 am

In anime and manga most of what needs translating is dialouge, which is often simple and repetitive, so it's much easier to translate those just on that basis.
But there are other things that make a novel translation tougher than the other two. Such as more complex kanji and grammar, more idioms and sayings, and more references to cultural/historical things, not to mention the lack of visual clues as to context, intent, subject, ect.

I think I'll work on getting the relevant chapters together and scan them, perhaps releasing the RAWs into the wild as bait may net some wanna-be Babelfishes

Ppl who can help distro (seed) the RAWs would be nice...

If there really is a 'translation gap' here, it would be nice for there to eventually be a team, with people who can fill the roles they are best able- RAWs, distro, trans, proofread/edit, ect... if anything were to happen here, the team would need more people than just the translators. So don't anyone despair about your lack of ability to help!

(if we were able to get some ppl together, perhaps we could get some of the things like the little manga-omake strips translated too...)

BTW, kirstianl, grats on being the 600th roas--er-registered. I'll PM you about the chapter raws when I have em, so you can see em for yourself

Weltall Elite · Post by **Weltall Elite** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:49 am

You know, even if you feel like you're stepping on Brandi's toes, maybe you can do some translations of the works she has no intention of working on. We have the first three novels and tons of the short stories. I'd be grateful if someone could at least do a few of those.

kirstianl · Post by **kirstianl** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:27 am

600th registered? I was? ... I hope this doesn't turn into something like birthday bumps.

That's very true about the comic stories, too. As much as I want to know what happens in COMO myself, I'd love to check out some of the short stories that we haven't had a chance to read yet.

Weltall Elite · Post by **Weltall Elite** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:36 am

Well, ultimately, it's your call, since you're the translator. I'm pretty sure Jae could scan you just about anything you need. All the rest of us can do is hope someone does it, so we really don't have a say either way. I suppose you should do whatever it is you feel like doing and I'm sure someone can get you whatever source material you need to get it done.

Say, are you the same kirstian that I've spoken to briefly on LJ? Or maybe she was kristian. I can't remember.

kirstianl · Post by **kirstianl** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:45 am

Very true. I just feel really, really strongly about, as you put it, stepping on Brandi's toes, so.

Hahah, on the TDD-1 LJ community? I am the one and the same... at least, I think. (I go by just "kirstian" on LJ, so. L's the initial of my last name.)

Nice to see a familiar, er, screen name? XD

FreagaZ · Post by **FreagaZ** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:25 am

I find that odd about stepping on Brandis toes... I can only imagine her being grateful about other people picking up her work and carrying on, because it spares her of the burden of doing that stuff alone, don't be so negative

And I reckon getting COMO/BOMF out of the way would be a good idea before focusing on to the short stories... But that depends on how quickly the new group would be able to get things rolling, how many more people want to find out about the "main" story etc etc.

Weltall Elite · Post by **Weltall Elite** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:52 pm

kirstianl wrote:Very true. I just feel really, really strongly about, as you put it, stepping on Brandi's toes, so.

Hahah, on the TDD-1 LJ community? I am the one and the same... at least, I think. (I go by just "kirstian" on LJ, so. L's the initial of my last name.)

Nice to see a familiar, er, screen name? XD

Alright, well, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you and everyone else here. As much as I want to read the novels, I've spoken with Brandi on a few occasions and she's more or less a friend, so like you, I'm very weary of pulling the rug out from under her.

Maybe she'd consider it saving her a burden, but last I spoke with her, she still wanted to continue with it. And when I've mentioned in the past the possibility of someone like ADV bringing over the novels, she said she hoped they didn't. So while she has no legal claim to it, she more or less considers it her baby, so to speak.

So at least for now, I really think we should probably stick to some of the side stories. She has no plans of ever translating those anyway and there are plenty of fans who would LOVE to read them. I know I would.

At least that's how I feel on the matter. Again, I really have no say in any of this so I leave that call to you.

EDIT: Oh, and btw, hi! Nice to have you here.

FreagaZ · Post by **FreagaZ** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 4:13 pm

Ok, how about you look at the fact that FMP novels are "on hiatus" as the B-T website puts it, and with not even a word about someday picking it up again...

Considering what has happened for the past half a year, I think Brandi definetely needs help at least. I mean hundreds and hundreds of pages needing translation it definetely burns you out when you keep doing that stuff alone, if any of her friends here are capable of sharing the burden then I wonder what's keeping ya

But I guess it's already obvious that people feel bad about stepping on her toes etc. so I beforehand offer my apologies to Brandi and the people of this board, thanks for your time. I'll focus my efforts elsewhere