Why Adapting Your Game to use Modern Everyday Language Sometimes Doesn't Work: How Van messes up and why using the word "Pronouns" doesn't always work
Why Adapting Your Game to use Modern Everyday Language Sometimes Doesn't Work: How Van messes up and why using the word "Pronouns" doesn't always work
While the script adapters at NIS America do their job really well, sometimes they make some decisions that the fandom doesn't like. In Trails into Reverie, people had a problem with the "Tower of Babel" being translated to "Retributive Tower", and there are a few smatterings here and there of people talking about other translation bits. However, when you mix translation with a bit of modern day language that people think is political, you get a lot of problems.
In Trails Through Daybreak, the character Van asks a character "I was just wondering what pronouns to use for you", and while many people were talking about a political discourse that shouldn't exist, that line didn't sit with me for a different reason. After doing some digging, I understood why the translation felt so off. I’m probably going to get some hate for this article, but I really want you to read this to the full extent before making a comment.
What you have to understand about Van is that he’s a VERY CONSIDERATE character, but he also, like everyone else, makes mistakes. The biggest flaw in this translation is that Quatre is OFFENDED by Van. If someone asks “What are your pronouns?”, as a trans person, you wouldn’t really be offended. But what Van asks in Japanese is “I don’t mean any offense (but) I was wondering if you went by he or she" (or in the unofficial translation, sir or ma’am, while in Japanese he's debating what suffix to use).
Van is trying to thank him and get their gender right, but as a trans person, it’s really easy to react in various ways when someone calls you the wrong gender. So Quatre deals with it by lashing out at Van for making a rude comment (despite Van’s preface) and the rest of the group chastises Van. Due to the context of the response to Van’s question, I think the Translation is a bad one WITHIN THAT CONTEXT. Out of context, this translation works.
But the summary of the scene is that Van accidentally screws up even though he’s trying to be considerate, Quatre lashes out at him, and then the group comments on Van being an idiot.
As adapters, it's really cool when you come up with a translation that's not literal, uses your own words and still makes sense compared to the original. On the other hand, it can be better to leave the translation as literal so that players understand the original intent of the line or scene. That is why adapting can be so difficult, as it takes experience to know when to do what. Even if you are a master at adapting, you can always make mistakes. Context is super important, and it is something that should be kept in mind as you work on a game.
(Side note: PLEASE do NOT harass the NISA translators and adapters, they have done SUCH a good job with their games recently, I just wanted to comment on something I saw. If you know a NISA adapter, make sure to tell them how good of a job they are doing)
Sources:
June 2024, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9LJDo1akA8HqKrA0LfjOGNIZAlfeSg-K.
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