Nintendo showcases new localisation process for Pokémon X and Y

任天堂展示了 Pok é mon X 和 Y 的新本地化流程

2019-08-28 11:00 insight video interpreting

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Nintendo has released Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for its 3DS console this week, and in doing so has unveiled a new localisation and translation process. For the first time, a Pokémon game is being made available in the player’s choice of seven languages, no matter where they buy it from. Pokémon languages Previously, Pokémon was available in the language of the region it was sold in, but now gamers will be able to swap between English, Japanese, French, Spanish, German and Italian should they wish. This meant translating the Japanese into each of the additional six languages straight away, which was a departure from the usual process of translating the Japanese to English and then the English to the other languages. Speaking to Nintendo’s Iwata Asks‘ blog, Junichi Masuda, director of Game Freak – the video game developer behind Pokémon – said the team made the decision to release the games around the world simultaneously for the first time, after wanting to do it for a while. However, there was a moment where they believed this goal would be “impossible” to achieve. Executive producer of the games Tsunekazu Ishihara explained: “We didn’t make different games in different languages for different countries. Instead, we took a seven-in-one approach. In other words, we put all seven languages – Japanese, English, French and so on – into one software, and the players can choose whichever language they like.” He added that at the end of the project, he wanted to congratulate himself – even though he played no role in the translation and localisation. Although the seven-languages-in-one approach to the game made sense, the makers still felt a “strong sense of accomplishment” upon achieving it. Masuda revealed that getting the translation process for the new games right was difficult, with the script presenting the greatest challenge. However, while this was a hurdle because all of the translations were done directly from the Japanese, the whole process was quicker than it has been in the past. The translation of Pokémon Pokémon X and Y were not only translated but also localised for each audience they were being aimed at. While translation is the process of transforming text from one language to another, localisation means adapting this content for the people reading it. This means taking into account their culture, slang, idioms, traditions and a whole host of other factors. When the subject of the translation is a fantasy game series, localisation can be tricky. An area that proved especially difficult for the translators was the character names, with Masuda revealing that choosing new names in each language practically left the team “in tears”. Not only did they have to be careful of copyright infringement when naming such a glut of new characters, but also Pokémon names have to describe one of their physical characteristics. “We wanted to make the names the same in every country around the world if possible, so those put to the task really struggled. However, the sense of accomplishment was incredible,” the director concluded. Pokémon X and Y marks the first time Nintendo has released a game simultaneously in all of its key regions. While the internet has made it easier for gamers to buy products from different countries, there are still occasions where games have not been localised for all markets. In April, a translator offered to provide a free English translation of Nintendo’s role-playing game Mother 3 if the company released it in the west. While the first two parts of the Earthbound series were launched in North America, fans are still awaiting the third instalment. If you require translation and localisation for the gaming industry, see what Language Insight can do for you.
任天堂( Nintendo )本周发布了3DS 游戏机 Pok é mon X 和 Pok é mon Y ,并由此推出了一个新的本地化和翻译流程。无论从哪里购买, Pok é mon 游戏首次在玩家选择七种语言时提供。 Pok é mon 语言 此前, Pok é mon 在其销售地区的语言中有售,但现在玩家可以在他们希望的情况下,在英语、日语、法语、西班牙语、德语和意大利语之间进行交换。这意味着要把日本人直接翻译成另外六种语言中的每一种,这与把日本人翻译成英语,然后把英语翻译成其他语言的通常过程不同。 在任天堂的 Iwata Asks 博客上, Pok é mon 视频游戏开发商 Game Freak 的负责人 Junichi Masuda 表示,该团队在想要在一段时间内发布游戏后,首次决定在全球同步发布游戏。然而,他们认为这个目标“不可能”实现。 游戏执行制作人石原慎太郎( Tsunakzu Ishihara )解释说:“我们没有为不同国家制作不同语言的游戏。相反,我们采取了七分之一的方法。换句话说,我们将所有七种语言(日语、英语、法语等)放入一个软件中,玩家可以选择他们喜欢的任何一种语言。”他补充说,在项目结束时,他想祝贺自己——尽管他在翻译和本地化方面没有发挥任何作用。尽管这款游戏的七种语言合一的方式是有意义的,但制造商在实现这款游戏时仍然感到“强烈的成就感”。 Masuda 透露,新游戏的翻译过程是困难的,脚本提出了最大的挑战。然而,尽管这是一个障碍,因为所有的翻译都是直接从日本完成的,但整个过程比过去更快。 Pok é mon 的翻译 《 Pok é mon X 》和《 Y 》不仅被翻译,而且还针对他们所瞄准的每一个受众进行本地化。翻译是将文本从一种语言转换为另一种语言的过程,而本地化则意味着为阅读文本的人调整该内容。这意味着要考虑到他们的文化、俚语、习语、传统和其他一系列因素。 当翻译的主题是一个幻想的游戏系列,本地化可能是棘手的。事实证明,对于译者来说,一个特别困难的领域是人名, Masuda 透露,在每种语言中选择新名字实际上让团队“流泪”。他们不仅在命名如此多的新角色时必须小心侵犯版权,而且 Pok é mon 的名字必须描述他们的一个物理特征。“如果可能的话,我们想让世界上每个国家的名字都一样,所以那些被列入这项任务的人真的很挣扎。然而,成就感是难以置信的,”导演总结道。 Pok é mon X 和 Y 标志着任天堂首次在所有关键区域同时发布游戏。尽管互联网让玩家更容易从不同国家购买产品,但仍有一些游戏没有在所有市场本地化。 今年4月,一名翻译提出,如果任天堂在西方发布角色扮演游戏《母亲3》( Mother 3)的话,可以免费提供英文翻译。虽然地球系列的前两部分是在北美推出的,但粉丝们仍在等待第三批。 如果您需要游戏行业的翻译和本地化,请参阅 Language Insight 可以为您做什么。

以上中文文本为机器翻译,存在不同程度偏差和错误,请理解并参考英文原文阅读。

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