Here are a couple of tips on editing the translations (for all you editors out there) that stems from a couple of observations I made while reading volume 13 chapter 7.
1. avoid redundant statements, such as:
In according with the commemoration of pope coronation ceremony
Although this sentence is terrible to begin with, notice the two superfluous words underlined. This sentence becomes:
In accordance with the commemoration of the pope's coronation.
2. Always use past tense, regardless of the literal translation.
Remember, this is a story, meaning it is told in 3rd person (sometimes first), past tense. Telling a story in present tense only works well when being told in 2nd person.
3. Do not leave out important prepositions (and commas for that matter).
Louise who was stretching Saito's ear, stood.
This should become:
Louise, who was stretching Saito's ear, stood up.
While it may seem an unnecessary addition, it is quit important.
That is all for now. I'll post more later.
How the novels SHOULD be edited
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Fushichou
- Koizumi Ranger
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Re: How the novels SHOULD be edited
Thanks, bro.
Of course, anyone who has registered on the Wiki can make these minor changes. Translation from Japanese to English is difficult to make easy to understand sometimes, though.
In Japanese stories, just as in English stories, there is a constant switch between present and past, and making the entire story in past would take out the original context.
Of course, anyone who has registered on the Wiki can make these minor changes. Translation from Japanese to English is difficult to make easy to understand sometimes, though.
In Japanese stories, just as in English stories, there is a constant switch between present and past, and making the entire story in past would take out the original context.
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Ailtin
- Mikuru's Master
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Re: How the novels SHOULD be edited
If it sounds that simple and easy to you, why dont you translate it that way then ? Geez 
I´d rather be thankful, that someone got the Nerves and the Nuts to translate it anyway...
I´d rather be thankful, that someone got the Nerves and the Nuts to translate it anyway...
This Guy is Un-F***ing believeable !
by Christopher Walken
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Dan
- Square Mage
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Re: How the novels SHOULD be edited
I tried editing things to be that way, but sometimes the changes are pretty big and you just have to make compromises to keep it sounding normal.
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Ephyon
- Astral Realm
Re: How the novels SHOULD be edited
You might have noticed the word "editor" up there by employing the ancient lost art of "actually paying attention to what words mean".Ailtin wrote:If it sounds that simple and easy to you, why dont you translate it that way then ? Geez
Anyhow, it's no news that the novels do need a good deal of cleanup regarding sentence flow, the whole thing is still dreadfully raw in terms of grammar. I guess I lost steam after I finised my first sweep of Volumes 1-10 when translations just froze. I'm on vacation now, so I might go back and reread some of the novels to touch up the structure a little.
That, and I still want to finish working out how the heck the Halkeginia calendar works. It'd be easier if Yamaguchi could just provide a damn full list instead of having to do vaguely-educated guesses of what rune he's aiming for...