I was chatting about how to get good at game translation with an aspiring translator the other day when I noticed there is a common pattern in how successful translators approach their work throughout their careers.
Beginner translators stick incredibly close to the Japanese, resulting in awkward, clunky English. They don’t realize the English reads unnaturally because they’re so stuck on the Japanese. “But that’s what the Japanese says!” they might cry. Indeed, the Japanese might use those words, but is that what it says?
This first level is the biggest wall most aspiring translators run into. I had this attitude when I started. I wanted to make sure all the original words were reflected in the English and was blind to the fact that the translation had turned into word salad.
The next step is when the aspiring translator realizes their translation is an unnatural grammatical mess and begins to translate into slightly less awkward English. The translation is now more grammatically correct, but it still lacks character, flow, and tone.
Sadly there are a lot of media translators who stop here. These people often prefer to maintain a level of “foreignness” in their writing to make it feel more “authentic.” But the original Japanese doesn’t make the narrative or characters sound like robots, so why should the translation?
After translating at this level for a period there comes a point where the translator realizes it’s okay to be more creative in their translation. To still convey the original meaning while also making the translation entertaining.
This is the point where we start getting good video game, manga, and literary translations. Where the text becomes a joy to read as it conveys the emotion of the original work rather than just the words.
This can go too far, though, and there comes a point where too much creativeness loses the original intent. This isn’t when the translation uses a joke or meme or slang to match the tone of the source text, but instead when the translation changes the intent of the original or breaks away from a perfectly decent, established style. This doesn’t normally happen for an entire translation, but at points here and there.
This is when having strong media literacy comes in handy as you begin to learn what kind of media requires what kind of translation.
Are you working on a high-fantasy RPG? Then perhaps more flowery ‘ye olde’ English is required. Or is it a text-based puzzle game? Then be very careful to retain all the important information while also making the text entertaining. Is a character using a particular accent? How can you reflect that in the translation without it being annoying?
This is the final stage of one’s translation abilities—finding a good balance of the meaning, intent, and tone that’s appropriate for each specific project. Or even just for one particular part of a project.
Skilled translators at this level can sense when there’s something off about the source or target text, which signals something was either misunderstood or someone fell for a common translation trope. They do extensive research to ensure the language used is appropriate, and can work with editors and other translators to polish the text. They are as much writers as they are translators.
A top tier translator has honed their craft (and continues to hone it) to the point where they have a strong understanding of the source language and a strong command of writing in their target language.
Of course, everyone has their own style of writing and preferences when it comes to translation, and no one is perfect, even professionals make mistakes. But there is a distinct difference in the way an experienced media translator handles their work compared to an aspiring translator.
I remember making a lot of mistakes as a beginner translator. I remember times when I thought “that’s good enough” or “the editor will fix it” or “well that’s what the Japanese says,” and I cringe at the memories of letting my ego get ahead of me when someone called me out on my poor work.
But I also remember when I matured and began to take the feedback more seriously. I worked harder on my English writing skills (very tricky when you’re dyslexic) and learned what I liked and didn’t like in translation (reading a lot of translated literature helped with this). I began to shape my own style of translation and improved my comprehension skills by reading more Japanese literature.
No translator is perfect, however, and there is still a lot I need to work on. I still make mistakes all the time, but with each mistake I make I learn something new and improve.
I can’t say there is an “end point” in one’s translation skills because there’s always something new to learn. The important thing is to keep working at it and learn to find what voice works for you and to translate something you would be happy to read.
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