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Little dialogue translation

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:18 am
by Kizyr
Hey, one of the scenes (a flashback in Chapter 4) had some funny bit of dialogue, with a running joke that didn't quite translate over too well. But that didn't really stop me from trying this time.

Ordinarily, the direct-quotation translations like this in my walkthrough are only going to be for big background-related or major story-related things, where knowing the exact words is really helpful. This is kind of an exception to that rule, due to the silliness of the joke's premise:
(S)-Lena calls the other girls together. She figures that since the boys are lousy at magic, and really arrogant, she can probably trick them into giving up the better half of the floor (the right side, away from the stairs). She asks the girls if they know the phrase "Ladies First", and then continues to trick the boys into giving up the good half of the floor. (Note: this joke -really- does not translate well, but I'll try anyway...)
Lena: Oh there's just something that, you know, every guy knows about. I'm sure that you'd know about it too, Ant.
Rick: There's nothing bro don't know!
Kule: Of course!
Lena: Well... you must know what Ladies First means...
Kule: Ladies Fast... yeah
Rick: Ladies Toast?? What's that?
Ant: Of course I know what Ladies Fist is!
Lena: Well, do you care to show us?
Ant: Sure, um...
Lena: I can just get Ellie to explain
Ellie: Well, Ladies First means that boys should show respect to girls by letting girls go ahead of them.... Otherwise, you look selfish. Ant, you don't really want to look like you're rude and don't respect girls, right? I mean, you did say you knew what Ladies First meant, right?
Ant: Of... of course! See, I know what it means. You can go on ahead. Ladies Fist!
Lena: Ok then. We'll take the right side of the room.
Ellie: Thanks, Ant!
Ant: Hah!
Rick: Cool, bro! You totally showed them what Ladies Toast is.
Ant: You idiot! It's Ladies Fist!
Rick: Ladies To...ast?
Ant: No! Ladies Fi...rst...?? Man, I don't know.
KF

Re: Little dialogue translation

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:47 am
by DezoPenguin
Just for clarification, are they saying "ladies first" in English (i.e. in katakana?)--that is, to the Japanese-speaking boy magic students it sounds like a magic spell instead of a foreign phrase?

Re: Little dialogue translation

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:07 am
by Kizyr
DezoPenguin wrote:Just for clarification, are they saying "ladies first" in English (i.e. in katakana?)--that is, to the Japanese-speaking boy magic students it sounds like a magic spell instead of a foreign phrase?
Yeah, that's what it is. It's a word in Japanese, but it's derived directly from English (i.e., an English loanword). KF

Re: Little dialogue translation

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:39 pm
by Sonic#
I thought it was cute. I wasn't lol-ing all over the place (which brings images of a rain of timber for some reason... probably what happens to people that use it too much), but... yeah.

Ladies fist!

Re: Little dialogue translation

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:49 am
by Kizyr
Besides this, there are some other hilarious moments in L:MS. Some of which don't even require much translation.

I've been writing my notes and structuring the guide so that it's still a treat for anyone playing the actual game. Basically, anything you can infer from the actions that occur, I don't explicitly describe. I try to stick to just describing story elements that you'd have to obtain from the text/dialogue.

Here's another somewhat funny bit on the island of the merfolk... A mermaid girl comes up to the three of them, and...
Shiela: I'm Shiela, can I talk to you for a bit?
Ellie: Talk to us?
Shiela: Yeah, I have an interest in humans, you see...
Senia: I have an interest in humans, too!

That bit is still funny no matter how many times I see that clip. KF

Re: Little dialogue translation

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:53 am
by ilovemyguitar
Kizyr wrote: Shiela: I'm Shiela, can I talk to you for a bit?
Ellie: Talk to us?
Shiela: Yeah, I have an interest in humans, you see...
Senia: I have an interest in humans, too!
Is Senia being snide and trying to get the mermaid to go away because she's not a human? Or is she being a ditz a la Romy & Michele's High School Reunion? (Romy: "I hate throwing up." Michele: :shock: "Me too!") It's funny either way, I just don't really know how Senia's character is portrayed in this game and curious.

Oh, and the obvious: GAWD, I wish this game had been officially translated into English!

Re: Little dialogue translation

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:12 am
by Kizyr
ilovemyguitar wrote:
Kizyr wrote: Shiela: I'm Shiela, can I talk to you for a bit?
Ellie: Talk to us?
Shiela: Yeah, I have an interest in humans, you see...
Senia: I have an interest in humans, too!
Is Senia being snide and trying to get the mermaid to go away because she's not a human? Or is she being a ditz a la Romy & Michele's High School Reunion? (Romy: "I hate throwing up." Michele: :shock: "Me too!") It's funny either way, I just don't really know how Senia's character is portrayed in this game and curious.
No no, on the contrary. Senia is a beastwoman, not a human. So she's being completely on-the-level.

As soon as she says that line, Ellie and Lena give her a "WTH?" look. KF

Re: Little dialogue translation

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:55 am
by Kizyr
More little translation fun!
Student: President Brown was captured...
Lena: Lucky!
Student: And Eleonora was also captured...
Lena: Er... unlucky! <3
Senia: Stop with the <3s! We have to go!
I'm midway through Chapter 9 right now. Only 3½ more to go.

There's also a pun in this chapter that's really bugging me in trying to translate it... KF