Russian Translation - Safaquel

[Safaquel]

In this thread I shall post the progress and plan for translation of Xenonauts, and will post the rationale for translator decisions.

I intend this rationale as suggestions for the future translation guidelines.

In this post I supply the copy of my old forum post regarding translations. Will post something more... tasty as time goes, but nothing can beat a task name with a green 'complete' on the right of it.

[Safaquel]

A short explanation of the draft approach used below:

Draft 1: Possibly publishable draft which, though, may not be optimal from the point of view of style or immersion, or may contain basic spelling mistakes.

Draft 2: Aesthetical, stylistic and grammatic corrections are applied where necessary to Draft 1 upon review.

Draft Final: A draft where the translation is finalized and set, and not subject to furhter changes.

Admittedly there might be a draft 3 somewhere in there, or Draft 0 (something the end user should not see, ever), but by and large we try to avoid this kind of thing.

The stages are as follows:

Stage 0.

This is where a kind of pre-work happens. This is where we actually think about the project and how we use the words, and which words we would use rather than others, and make a mental picture of all the translator decisions we will be making.

To do here:

* Assess workload

* Conduct research into military style written documents

* Think and choose a possible style for the russian translation

* List the translation options for character statistics and primary strings (i.e. world map, start menu, options and base menus)

Stage I. Preproduction.

This is a preliminary stage which will allow us to work on strings and xenopedia entries separately.

To do here:

* Choose translation for all primary unit stats

* Choose translation for all race and weapon names

* Document or at least make note of all the strings relative to their position in the game context

* Choose a general approach to translating plurals

* Implement the choices made by translating most visible strings (world map, base construction, research, main menu)

Milestones:

1. Position of all the strings in the game and their context is clear and noted

2. Listed choices are all made and may be interpreted as a guideline for translation

Stage II. String translation.

This is where we actually translate all the strings.

Current Strings.xml file contains roughly 59k digits of translatable text.

Since I would like to do this with drafting approach, milestones will probably be 20k digit chunks of text, and look like this:

Milestones:

1: Draft 1 of Batch 1 (20k digits);

2: Draft 1 of Batch 2 (20k digits);

3: Draft 1 of Batch 3 (20k digits); Draft 2 of Batch 1;

4: Draft 2 of Batch 2; Draft 2 of Batch 3;

5: Draft Final of Batches 1, 2 and 3. Draft Final is the one version of the translation that will not be changed and will go into the final version of the game, unless the original text is changed.

I think we will arrive to Final draft state much sooner for most of the strings, as there are only so many ways of translating Baghdad or September, but there are some trickier strings that will require drafting and playtesting.

Stage III. Xenopedia translation.

The current Xenopedia contains 111 entries and some of those descriptions have yet to be written. However each entry is a size-able chunk of text (ranging from a bit under 1800 digits to about 3k), so this can be segmented any old how.

Since I'd like to do the draft approach on this one, I think these should be sub-divided into categories.

The milestones, hence, look like this:

Milestones:

1: Draft 1 of all racial autopsies;

2: Draft 1 of all ballistic weaponry;

3: Draft 1 of all basic vehicles and fighters;

4: Draft 1 of all alien weaponry;

5: Draft 1 of all laser weaponry; Draft 2 of all racial autopsies

6: Draft 1 of all alien vivisections; Draft 2 of all ballistic weaponry

7: Draft 1 of all alien interrogations; Draft 2 of all basic vehicles and fighters

8: Draft 1 of all armor research; Draft 2 of all alien weaponry;

9: Draft 1 of all UFO analyses; Draft 2 of all laser weaponry;

10: Draft 1 of all tank types; Draft 2 of all alien vivisections;

11: Draft 1 of all uncategorized research; Draft 2 of all alien interrogations;

12: Draft 2 of all armor research; Draft 2 of all UFO analyses;

13: Draft Final of any 6 of any categories;

14: Draft Final of all Xenopedia entries.

This will probably look a bit different in practice, but that largely depends on how the beta will progress.

Now for the timeline.

If I commit full-time to this project, I can probably do it in six weeks' time, if I work alone. A second translator would probably cut this time to 5 weeks or a month (depending on how good the man is and how compatible our styles), and yet another translator could reasonably get us into three weeks' deadline.

Optimistic prognosis says the project is doable in 4 weeks.

[Schnittertm]

Just a little thing, the strings.xml and the Xenopedia are still missing quite a few entries, therefore an assessment of the total workload right now would be just a wild guess. On the other hand, several of the tooltips for item descriptions use almost the same text with only minor additions on what has changed in a new version of the item, e.g. from ballistic rifle to laserrifle, the basic text is virtually the same, with addition on how stats would change for the laserrifle. This reduce the workload on some of those descriptions, as you can just copy and paste and add/adjust what is missing/needs adjustment.

[crusherven]

Seems like a reasonable plan. I know some missionaries who do Bible translation work, and usually they also have a "back to English" step to verify they caught the original meaning. I'm not sure if that's necessary for a localization.

Unfortunately, the extent of my Russian consists of "vi gavorityi pa-angliski," so... good luck.

[Safaquel]

Just a little thing, the strings.xml and the Xenopedia are still missing quite a few entries, therefore an assessment of the total workload right now would be just a wild guess. On the other hand, several of the tooltips for item descriptions use almost the same text with only minor additions on what has changed in a new version of the item, e.g. from ballistic rifle to laserrifle, the basic text is virtually the same, with addition on how stats would change for the laserrifle. This reduce the workload on some of those descriptions, as you can just copy and paste and add/adjust what is missing/needs adjustment.

Thank you for that, I extrapolated the probable workload by the unwritten but confirmed entries.

In the final version the workload may well be over 400000 letters, so it is a somewhat valid point.

I will post the rationale in the 2nd post, so eveeryone can review it from the start and we can share opinions on some of the translator decisions.

My current dilemma has to deal exactly with the fact that the beta has not yet come and it is unclear what the xmls will look like.

I intend to appeal to Chris for helping us with that, putting priority on the strings and xenopedia entries that are least likely to change.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Safaquel

[Tom_Sine]

Would gladly help with translating.

[Safaquel]

Noted, expect development within a week.

[Jerohn]

I am ready to help too. In fact, i'm better in russian, then in english)

[a333]

Safaquel, any news? You seem to be left the events horizon.

[Safaquel]

I have not, still working though.

I had some delays, mostly from trying to beat the game (which the game resisted with an impressive array of hardcore 'features'), waiting for a quick release of updated xenopedia, and actually trying to get a job in Moscow government in between.

The job thing failed, and the new version is out, so that's two things out of the way.

[Chris]

The "finished" (obviously subject to future tweaks) Xenopedia should be out with the Steam release.

[Safaquel]

I'm figuring I shouldn't wait for that then...

Frankly, I'm not having much success in beating the game.

[Chris]

The Steam release is next week, you probably should wait for it

[savant]

Hello. I can help with translation.

[Mkile]

I can help to translate some xenopedia articles.

[sovietcommando]

Count me in.

[strix]

and me, if you need more translators.

[2pizza]

I'm willing to help if someone explains what kind of help is needed.

Edited July 2, 2013 by 2pizza

[Safaquel]

Everyone, please.

If you are willing to help, please translate a xenopedia article or a weapon/equipment tooltip and post it here as a spoiler.

One item of translation would be quite enough.

I promise I won't use your translation w/o your permission, unless it matches my own version precisely.

Thank you for your support.

[2pizza]

Here's the thing: I'm playing via Desura, and I don't have access to experimental builds with their updated version of Xenopedia, so I'd be grateful if someone provides me with one.

Tomorrow, while at work, I'll be able to translate a lot of it.

By the way, I think it would be easier for everyone, if we start to speak Russian here. I mean, bourgeois don't really have to know what we're talking about here.

[Safaquel]

Actually they do.

It serves a dual purpose: we practice our language, and Chris, for one, can actually see what's going down.

I also use Desura, so we're kinda on the same floor here.

[strix]

translation example

laser weapon article (original text has been taken from v18hf2)

ЛАЗЕРНОЕ ОРУЖИЕ

До инопланетного вторжения пехотные лазеры можно было встретить только в книгах писателей-фантастов. Причина этому проста - большой размер этих устройств. Лазер, достаточно мощный для боевого применения, вместе с системами охлаждения получился бы размером с линкор.

Но появление инопланетных технологий в корне изменило ситуацию. Способность кристаллов алениума запасать огромную энергию позволяет создать батарею размером с обычный патронный магазин и энергозапасом на десять и более выстрелов из лазера, прожигающего с одного выстрела стальной лист толщиной в дюйм. А со второй проблемой - охлаждением - помогает справиться сверхпроводящая керамика. Керамические детали поглощают излишнее тепло при выстреле, а рассеивают его постепенно, чтобы не обжечь стрелка, сохраняя при этом эффективность охлаждения прибора, так что массивные радиаторы для охлаждения больше не нужны. На основе этих технологий мы создали четыре действующих прототипа пехотных лазеров, подходящих для решения задач, для которых наши бойцы сейчас используют баллистическое оружие: пистолет, карабин, штурмовая и снайперская винтовки (в порядке увеличения эффективной дальности стрельбы).

Хотя у нового оружия и другой принцип работы, мы постарались создать образцы максимально похожие на привычные огнестрельные, чтобы бойцам не пришлось долго переучиваться. Тем не менее, оружие, бьющее по цели сфокусированным пучком фотонов, конечно, ведет себя не так как пулевое. Основное отличие между ними в воздействии на цель: вызванный лазерным лучом тепловой удар в материале мишени наносит ей значительно большие повреждения, чем кинетическая энергия пули. Однако, даже при использовании в конструкции сверхпроводников, не удается совсем отказаться от охлаждающих элементов, предохраняющих прибор от перегрева и расплавления, так что лазерные образцы получились больше и тяжелее своих баллистических аналогов. Поэтому они менее точны и требуют больше времени на прицеливание, чем их классические предшественники. Ради справедливости, стоит заметить, что баллистическое оружие совершенствовалось веками, а у наших прототипов такой древней истории нет.

Мы подогнали все наши образцы пехотных лазеров под использование с батареями питания одного общего стандарта, так что, надеюсь, снабжать боевые отряды станет проще. Конструкция батареи несложная: стальной цилиндрический кожух и алениум внутри. Подключаются батареи, как правило, к тому же месту, где у обычного оружия присоединялся бы магазин, и фиксируются поворотом, так что перезаряжается оружие быстро и просто. Уверен, наши солдаты это оценят по достоинству, учитывая, что большинству наших прототипов батареи хватает меньше, чем на дюжину выстрелов.

Чертежи образцов лазерного оружия и батарей уже переданы в мастерские, их производство можно начать немедленно. Надеюсь, мы сможем усовершенствовать нашу разработку: теоретически, увеличив размер прототипа возможно добиться увеличения мощности или скорострельности оружия. Мы готовы начать исследования по этим проектам.

Edited July 5, 2013 by strix

[Safaquel]

Nicely done. Minor corrections are applicable, i.e. translating alenium as 'алений' in the vein of classic Lomonosov reform, editing some commas, and some minor detail correction.

You're on, I'll contact you within several days.

[strix]

OK

I guess, if we determine some terms to use, next time detail correction will be far less.

Btw, may be it's worth to create russian term for 'alenium' without the 'alien' stem. Since 'алений' sounds like 'олений'

(it means "deer's" - remark for English speakers)

[Safaquel]

Tried that with Xenonauts as Странноборцы and Чужелазы. Results are normally hilarious.

I mean, seriously, "чуждий" sounds kinda funny and is in line with Lomonosov's reform insofar as I understand it, but you must remember that Xenonauts is an international project with America and the USSR being probably key players; history shows that English language via its american evolutionary branch is far more comprehensive and short-sounding, hence it'd probably be used widely throughout the project, and the terms evolved are more likely to come from there.

I note, of course, on the lack of french- and german-generated terms in the game, but that is perhaps understandable.

Hence the game should be translated in line with european-american style of English used in the original.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Safaquel