Language - One word that can set you back

Khanor · Post by **Khanor** » Wed May 08, 2002 9:31 pm

Arguments are hard enough, but against someone who doesn't understand you is even harder, especially if you dont understand theirs either, maybe everyone could be e-mailed key words if someone could use their time to compile a list, you could go round Illarion and ask them for what words they would like to be included in it. This would be a great help, and don't call me lazy because I am trying my best to learn German, but its hard when all you have ia a book with 10,000 German words :(.

Khanor · Post by **Khanor** » Wed May 08, 2002 9:36 pm

Erm, I just thought, what about a translator in the game.

Astral · Post by **Astral** » Thu May 09, 2002 2:25 am

I like the idea of a translator in the game, only it wouldn't work out too well. I know that in english, there is far too much slang to incorporate it in the translator. And most of the players do use slang even when they aren't supposed to. And english is quite complex too. So it would take someone that knew EVERYTHING about both languages and can speak them both like their first language to make an accurate translator. And there aren't too many of those people around.

Erdrick · Post by **Erdrick** » Thu May 09, 2002 1:29 pm

There's quite a lot of German speakers who can speak very fluent English. Quite a few times I have had to ask some friends what was being said, but I'm getting better at German

Translator? Boy, I'd feel bad for that person, unless he was being paid.

Setherioth · Post by **Setherioth** » Fri May 10, 2002 10:01 pm

yeah it's hard to make a translator, but instead of someone else making a list of keywords do what i do, i think of phrases that i might use in everyday Illarion life, i write them down and then when i found somebody who's bi-lingual and isn't busy i ask them if theyd translate my phrases for me and then i just write them down so you have say 30 or 40 phrases to keep up a basic conversation and such

Lloyd · Post by **Lloyd** » Sat May 11, 2002 6:58 pm

2 language translaters for two ways (german-english, english german) can take anywhere from a week to months to make, depending on the creater PLUS it has to be programmed into the clients as which they ar eselected english,german. if bror and co were to do such, it would take a while anyways, and that may reduce anything else they have up thier sleave. plus a translater is unrealistic, people should speak thie rlanguage and people shouldent understand it, remember the twoer to the heavens in the bible? god made them speak differant luanguages for a reason.

Astral · Post by **Astral** » Sun May 12, 2002 3:27 am

But is Illarion supposed to be bilingual? I am talking about ingame now. In roleplay, should it be bilingual? I dont know, either way it still works out. It is just a question of having the time.

Galdriel · Post by **Galdriel** » Mon May 13, 2002 8:35 am

sorry??

the idea of an included translator is entirely unrealistic. i doubt, that even commercial games could do that.
we do have 2! Programmers, wo did their exams lately (and to my amazement still found time for illarion). They definitly have more important things to do, than to build a translator-engine.

if you dont understand: ask
and learning some basics of another language is neither very difficult nor bad.
it will help you anyway in your future life.

martin · Post by **martin** » Mon May 13, 2002 8:41 am

if you have look around the net, you'll find several translators (ger-eng). try to use them -- if you just know english, you might think that the output *is* german.
if you know german and english, you notice, that the output isn't what it's supposed to be. (there are several sites and discussionboards where they collect funny miss-translations, and most of these translations in fact are miss-translations

). now, these translators were programed by professionals who knew linguistics of both languages etc., so i fear your idea is really unreachable. the only thing which is possible and which actually is implemented are bilingual server-messages (such as the message when someone logged in or at the shops). this is quite easy to realize.
everything else -- well, you'll have to deal with it, there is no easy solution (at least none i know of

). to compile a list of important key-words is a nice idea, however i wouldn't use this board for it, but an extra-board (you can find free ones all around the net). whenever my time allowes me to i'd participate in it (i speak german and a little bit english, but it will last for some vocabulary).

martin

Galdriel · Post by **Galdriel** » Mon May 13, 2002 9:06 am

#me grunts and thinks "Martin speaking german?? mhmmm - Ih woas net ob moah des sso sogn kon"
<radebrech und gewisserleute Ohren verletz>
-> <wheelbreak and someones ears hurt>

<g>

martin · Post by **martin** » Mon May 13, 2002 9:40 am

ok, lets say: some kind of german (in fact we all know that austrian german *IS REAL* german and german german (hehe) is some kind of weird dialect, spoken by some.. well, never mind.

i glaub, i spinn mit eich.

martin

Lloyd · Post by **Lloyd** » Mon May 13, 2002 2:41 pm

lol, I typed in a german sentnce in translater, and I got this.....
"my underwear is to tight in town this week"

now unless peeps are comparing undergarmets, thats a bad mistranslation.....

Muck · Post by **Muck** » Mon May 13, 2002 5:57 pm

i still wait for different languages for the different creatures and when i am able to learn the other languages.
so don't speak any longer about an english translator!
Widar, Druid of forest

Astral · Post by **Astral** » Sat May 25, 2002 5:05 am

I have seen this too, and it is hilarious. The mis-translations you get are just horrid. I remember when Peace Keeper translated a couple of the sentences about not casting in town, it turned out horribly.

She meant to say "Please dont cast in town" and it turned out like "You mustn't admit, you may not throw in the city."

Well, I suppose it is not solely the translator's fault, but they are still partially to blame! Warning to people: If you translate something and it LOOKS like good german, it's not. The only way for it to be good is if you spend years learning German.

So, in short, there is basically no solution.

Bror · Post by **Bror** » Sun Jun 09, 2002 7:02 pm

I don't see how a list of phrases "to keep up a basic conversation" helps. You can throw in a piece of conversation, but you don't understand the answer, so what will be your next sentence?

I haven't heard of any working computer translator. This is subject of huge groups of scientists who try to figure out, how to create such a thing, but there was no big success until now (and I suppose for a long time).
We will certainly NOT try to programm such a thing.

About the people who use these translators to post something in a foreign language on this board. DON'T do it! Noone would understand it, there will just be confusion and you will perhaps be blamed for something that you haven't said.

Muck · Post by **Muck** » Mon Jun 10, 2002 7:58 pm

Wann kommt denn die funktion der Language skills ins spiel?

Astral · Post by **Astral** » Tue Jun 11, 2002 3:50 am

Thinking about all the confusion that an in-game translator could cause, I think it is quite a bit better without it. At least now the other language people just ignore you or say they don't speak your language, rather than mis-interpreting your words. Keep it the way it is, it is a waste of time anyways.