Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
English
Translation
[20204]
Wilks:
That so?
//
Nervous, but puts
on brave face
[20205]
Edwards:
Just tell me what
happened!
[20206]
Wilks:
Get lost! I didn't
see nothing!
Meaning: I didn't
see anything.
//E
dwards looks
angry - he should
have handled it
better
Using a spreadsheet for translation ensures that no lines are missed by the
translators and also means that when the translated files return the pro-
grammer responsible for the localisation is able to import the new versions of
the lines into the game more easily than having to copy and paste each one.
Before these scripts are completed, however, it is a good idea to go
through them and look for possible ways that misunderstandings could
occur. In the table above, line 20206 is not grammatically correct, but it is the
way that some people speak. A good translator will probably know this, but
as it does not hurt to make sure I entered the additional comment (in bold).
Not only can dialogue styles cause problems, but also the context of a line.
There may be, for instance, a line in which the player character comments to
himself and says, 'I'm not sticking my head in there!'The translator may not
know the context and will not understand what 'there' is referring to.
Because gender is attached to nouns in many non-English languages, to make
a correct interpretation, the translator must know whether the object in
question is a hole in the wall, a toilet, a pan of boiling oil or any other of a
million things in the game world. Although you have probably covered most
of these instances with comments designed to aid the actors, be sure that your
notes cover the context in any other event that could be seen as unclear.
Once the scripts have been completed in this manner, a copy of them can
then be sent to each of the translators and the person overseeing the
localisation will ensure that it all comes together correctly.
In recent years there has been an increase in localisation studios that
specialise in game translation and often include the recording of the
translated dialogue as part of the services they offer. The advantage of this
from the game developer's point of view is that the whole process becomes
more centralised. If there are any questions about the scripts, they are usually
