Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) General gamesplanet interview

Not everyone owns MS Office (expensive), and automatic translaters are infamozus for producing sometimes absolutely hilarious translations - especially in complex languages like German. Seen from the grammar point of view, English is quite simple.

Thats the first time I ever heard anyone say english was simple, Alrik. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Anyway, I thought the translation was fine. Good job!

Everything is relative. It is simpler than German, for example. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> (At least from my point of view. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> ) Successors of Celtic languges are said to be very complex, too and SAnskrit as well. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Remember what I had once quoted : A professor once wrote in book about european languages, that "German has the state of English 900 years ago."

Yeah right <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> lets try Doh! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" /> again; weather, wether and wether,

Now the first one is stuff like rain sunshine etc., the second is a choice and the third well it is a type of male sheep, however they are all pronounced the same way.

Ftrmre, it is generally believed that in english pronounciation the accent is on every second syllable as in; yesTERday, but every know and then we change that as in the modern word for a Mat rest or bed which is now known as a MATress with the accent on the first syllable, then in english it is tV as in short for television, but in the USA is Tv with the accent on the first syllable .... anyways you get my drift, on a second point, don't even try to translate Polish into english they haven't made a Babel program that works, and they really tried at The University of Warsaw <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

I think every language has words like that. With grammar, I think Alrik is rather refering to genders of substantives and the rules for verbs - which are very easy in English, compared to, for instance, German.
Besides, the example above is more vocabulary-related than it is to grammar, no? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" />

[color:"pink"] Besides, the example above is more vocabulary-related than it is to grammar, no? [/color]

Err yes! if I missed that bit in Alriks write up, I apologise, put it down to old age bad eyesight and the Fact that English is now (counting fingers) my third language as I have totally forgotten French (second) and have basicly forgotten Dutch (native) so I get screwed up sometimes <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sleepey.gif" alt="" />

I remeber when my Mum was over here in Oz, geez that was funny we use to speak 1 part English 1 part Dutch and 1 part German i.o.w what monad is het nu ?

nice translation and yet another enjoyable and informative,interview!

Thx <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

lol, I can understand that ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> If there was someone around me speaking English (sometimes I wish it was so), I'd easily switch between English and German several times ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

Might sound really weird, but Language is actually a passion for me, (apart from writing). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> Sometimes I wish I had an English-speaking Girlfriend. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> And I could learn all Languages of the World ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

I love languages. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Until you do, you could always consider an English speaking parrot <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Hmm I am to Old I guess Huh! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />


Hey are you calling me a Parrot <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

"You forgot the other languages. Janggut ? How would this sound in your own language ?" alrik

well, if u use microsoft office translation, it'll be very hilarious & at the same time sad. that i can assure u as the grammar system in malay language is different from english, chinese & so on .... . translation et verbatim without considering the grammar & context will always ruin it all. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

anyway, thanks to the new dutch dude foetsy, we can enjoy the interview. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

@janggut : Yes, I feared that. Grammar interpretation is the most difficult part of programming translators at all !

I just thought you might translate ist literally ... ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

A few days ago I wrote a "fan-fiction" story that takes place ion the Star Wars Universe in English first, then I translated it back into German ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> It was kind of fun and work at the same time ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

To write english is easy but to if you start speaking it it has manny tung twisters say this 10 time over.

whitch wicked which

I leared all my english from the simpsons futurama, 24 ... if theire are no subtitles theire isn't much else you can do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" />

ps: First one to spot the irony gets a beer.

there were other dutch ppl here right?

Lots of them ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

Yes but were just lazy. Not me tough I studing for exams.

Shouldn't that be:
which wicked witch ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Ok you found the irony. Here your beer

Hey are you calling me "Lazy" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" /> Huh! Huh! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> Oh yes that's right I am <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" /> alrik, translating it to malay et verbatim is the worst thing i can ever do to the language as well to myself. so i guess i won't do such thing. language is too sublime & subtle for any program to translate properly. which is why some chinese literature can only be appreciated by reading it in its native language. so's other literatures of other languages. am i right? there are certain nuances & subtleties only a particular language can express which others cannot.

& as for the fan-fic, please post it up in SW:KOTOR thread in RPG-related section if it's not too lengthy for a post. winterfox has written one & in the process of the third chapter.