I suggest we prolong the discussion of the vocabulary to the 31 of August - I didn't even expect the project to be so productive, but now I believe, that we can and will make a great translation of this game. Let's do it.
I'll be compiling an updated revision of the glossary by Monday evening.
I've been thinking a bit about using multiple words for one term, which is inevitable, if we want to make a literal translation, and have come up to the idea, that it's best to use multiple words only for the most commonly used stuff, so thet the player will get used to all the names easily. As for the secondary roles - better K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid
) - use just one word. What do you think?
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Isn't a "hunchback" specific for the education where you ring the bell in churches?
OMG, I get the reference now.
Anyhow, I like hunchback more also - it seems to be a more commonly used term, and I don't see a striking difference between the two terms.
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I agree with lxr on the adherents, it's a good word, but something like "the circle" makes it seem like your adherents have something incommon, more so than just being adherents, so I think it's confusing to call them the circle as they probably don't even know that they are connected themselves. They have no meetings, which a circle implies, and even if not literally, then in another sense.
I like the Adherents word a lot too - it's got a very strong feeling to it. The idea of "The Circle" (a.k.a. naming them as a group) is also good, but we need another name for it, that, as Heteronymph has noted, will not imply, that the adherents know, that they are connected - only the player and the Mistresses know it anyway.
Speaking of which! There one term I have completely forgotten about - the Mistresses. It's a very hard to translate word, and its current translation isn't too good. The other variant was Hostess or Keeper, but I like it even less, since it associates with something different - in the game the Mistresses are the key women figures, that "rule" one of the three fractions - Maria, Kapella and Saburova (she's actually a fake seer, but the player will only find that out closer to the end of the game). Any ideas, what we should use here?
Here's what Lingvo says about it:
http://lingvo.yandex.ru/en?text=%D1%85% ... ranslate=1
BTW, Lingvo is quite the best tool, when it comes to Russian <--> English translations, plus its online and free. Use it, if you're not sure about something.
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The question concerning apiary and similar words is, does russian players know what apiary means?
Yeah, in Russian it's actually called The Termitary, but we didn't like how it sounds and changed the word to Apiary.
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If just as much or little as english ones, then it should stay that way. Perhaps I'm a very ambitious player, but I checked all the words I didn't understand and I would like to change as little as possible to the original text.
I'd also like an unadapted translation. There's this guy, whose texts are often used for studying English in Russia - Somerset Moam. If you compare adapted translations for intermediate learners and the originals for advanced ones, you'll see the difference immediately. Yes, the original is uncomparibly harder to comprehend, but it's even more interesting that way. )
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The districts can be called just that, districts, to clear things up, but the Clot and Slough etc should be there because they are there for a reason, I'm assuming.
Well, all districts have names too, and, as I've understood, the proposition was to call them "<name> + District". Which is allright, I suppose. Same for manor names.
Maybe, we can use the full translation on the first few days for the character, so that the player gets used to it, and then use the short form, dropping "district" or "manor" in the names.
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Disinfectionists/arsonists... I'm not sure. I always thought that arsonist was simply criminal, but an online dictionary says it's people who "illegally set fire on properties". It could work, but it's not the proper word anway.
The guys with Molotov coctails are Arsonists and the ones fith flamethrowers are disinfectionists. Maybe, something like that, since the first organisation are basically riots, and the other is a part of the army?
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Don't agree on the abattoir again, as I like to learn new words and it contributes to the strange and mysterious setting of the world. ^^
AND teh Abbatoir is a very common word. )
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About Immortelle I don't know, as I don't quite understand what you're meaning. What herb?
What herb do we smoke? )))))) I'd keep Mark Immortal as is. )
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Why, in the game Haruspex is called "The Ripper" now and then! And other people from abbatoir who kill bulls are called "butchers". Both these names have a strong negative context, so why not just leave them like that?
Well, he is called Потрошитель in Russian, you remember? That's the analog.
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Well, our Bachelor is unmarried But this nickname refers to his education, that's right... We should think of it together, but I doubt that LxR will remove this word willingly.
Only if we come up with a very good analog. )
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What would you say about "Eviscerator"?
First time I hear this word, honestly. ) Will look into it, then answer...
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Ohh, is "Bachelor" supposed to refer to his education? In that case, it definitely has to go: the word is more commonly used to refer to an unmarried man. Perhaps "Scholar", or even "Scientist".
Scientist or Scholar seem way too simple.
Oh, and doesn't the intro, where he's called a Bachelor in Medicine (or "of Medicine"?) clear things? If not - we should definitely come up with something else.
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A title should come before a name, so "General Ash" would be correct - is there meant to be a double meaning in the name "Ash"? Could it be changed to "Ashton"? That's a more common name, and doesn't immediately bring fireplaces to mind! "Ash" is usually an abbreviation for "Ashley", which is a girl's name.
Allright.