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[翻译] 翻译语系的驱魔守则
How to translate a game into 20 languages and avoid going to hell
原文: http://www.pocketgamer.biz/feature/58406/sponsored-feature-how-to-translate-a-game-into-20-languages-and-avoid-going-to-hell/
作者：Vladimir Kupratsevich
Greetings! I’m Vladimir Kupratsevich, head of translation projects at Alconost.
We were once approached by a client – a game developer for Android and iOS. He had a game he wanted localized into 20 languages, including Arabic, Japanese, and Korean.
Why not? we thought. We know how to localize apps and we love doing it; we have the native-speaker translators for it. But the devil was in the details.
各位好！我是Vladimir Kupratsevich，Alconost翻译专案的负责人。我们最近接触了一位客户，一位Android与iOS平台的游戏开发者。他的游戏想要翻译成二十个语系，包含阿拉伯语，日语，韩语。
我们不觉得有什么问题？因为我们已经深深了解把app区域化这个事业，而且我们热爱这份工作。我们在各种语言都有母语翻译者。但是魔鬼就在细节中等着我们。
Getting ahead of myself, let me say that we successfully performed the exorcism, and gained some useful experience in the bargain. We decided to conduct the translations on a cloud platform – and we were not mistaken.
Now let me tell you about the devils we exorcised using this solution. I suspect every developer and translator who works in IT can learn something useful from our experience.
老王卖瓜，事实上我们完成了整个驱魔仪式，得到了宝贵的经验。我们决定在云端指挥翻译者大军，这是正确的决定。现在我要说明关于我们如何驱除这些恶魔。我相信IT产业的开发者与翻译人员都汇获益良多。
The first devil
恶魔法斯特
The game is updated regularly. On average, each day three lines need to be translated into 20 languages. This means we can’t simply deliver a turn-key translation and pack all the project documentation away into a trunk with a sigh of relief.
游戏是不断更新的。平均的话一天会有三行要翻译成二十个语言。意思是我们没办法订出一个时间，打包所有翻译项目。一口气交付工作。
For the new lines may refer to subjects and concepts already contained in the game. They need to be translated consistently, so that a Scarecrow once translated as such does not appear as a Bogeyman or an Uglie-Wuglie.
那些新产生出来的文字，可能与游戏中先前的文句有相关。就必须同步地翻译，避免稻草人在前后被翻译为鬼差及怪胎。
Exorcising the first devil: First, a custom terminology database is created. We immediately acquaint each new translator joining the project with this glossary (if one of the “Big Twenty" transfers to another project or drops out for other reasons). Second, this database is always provided to the proofreader – the editor who reads through the translated text.
驱逐恶魔法斯特，我们有一个自制的语典数据库。新加入专案的新翻译人员会先阅读过这个术语辞典。第二，经由这个数据库组成后续翻译完成的文句后还会有编辑人员来校正。
Benefit for the client: The result is that the client receives quality translations into the required languages. We avoid bothering the client by asking the same questions repeated by different associates: the translator’s access to the glossary immediately eliminates a number of questions. And quality control by the editors is the best defense against less-than-ideal interpretations, inaccuracies, and typos.
帮助客户：成果是客户能收到各种语言有品质的翻译。也不会用重复的确认动作让客户烦恼。翻译人员只要透过这个词典就可以排除很多问题。编辑人员的品质管理则确保不会有随便的直译，不准确，还有错别字。
The second devil
恶魔色肯德
Frequently, identical phrases are encountered in versions of the app for iOS and Android. To translate each phrase separately would be expensive and impractical. To hunt for the equivalent in the localization for the other platform would be inconvenient and time-consuming.
通常，在不同平台上的不同版本都会有相同短语，个别对不同的短语进行翻译是一件不敷成本也不实际的事情。相反地说，要追求不同平台上的一致性，是既不方便又很花时间。
Exorcising the second devil: The cloud platform we employ contains a “translation memory" option. If word sequences or phrases in the project have previously been translated (even for a different OS), the system automatically supplies the existing translation. Like all phrases taken from the translation memory, the phrase is invariably checked by an editor, who notifies the translator if for some reason the auto-suggested version is not a good match.
驱逐恶魔色肯德，我们使用的云端平台提供了一个翻译记忆的功能。假如一个单词或短语被翻译过（即便是不同的平台），系统会自动提供那些翻译结果。这些翻译记忆的项目，同样会被编辑人员所检查，假如那些自动建议的项目并不合适，编辑也会通知翻译人员。
Benefit for the client: Localization cost is ordinarily calculated by the number of symbols. Having a translation memory in the cloud system reduces the amount of text for “live" translation. This means a lower cost of localization for the client.
帮助客户：地区化的成本通常以符号数量为计算。云端系统的翻译记忆则降低这个活跃中项目的数目。也就是客户更低的成本。
Even if the localization is only for one OS, a translation memory still comes in handy for auto-suggesting standard phrases. For example, if we begin the first quest with the phrase: “Great things await you, O young Padawan!", the second quest should begin the same way, so as not to confuse the user.
Translation memory not only optimizes the client’s expenses, but also helps ensure consistency of the text, to help users feel confident and well-oriented in the game.
即便只需要翻译一个平台，翻译记忆也仍然有用。譬如我们在第一个任务碰到："年轻的学徒，挑战正等着你。"，那么在第二个任务也应该以同样的方式开始，才不会混淆玩家。
翻译记忆不只优化客户的花费，也协助文句的一致性。这让玩家在游玩的时候被可信度高的文字良好地引导。
The third devil
恶魔蛇尔得
There are 20 translators and 20 editors working on a translation into 20 languages. That makes 40 people, not counting the manager. These talented people live in various time zones. But this factor needs to have no negative impact on the release date.
要翻译为二十个语言需要二十个翻译与二十个编辑人员，也就是不算管理人员有四十个人。这些优秀的工作者还分布在世界各地。但是这个困难不能影响专案的释出日期。
Ideally, the moment the developers enter new phrases into the text files these phrases should immediately be submitted to each of the 20 translators, so that the latter can commence localization without delay. The developers have the same expectations: ideally, the translated lines should immediately appear in the project the moment the editor has finished checking them. “Immediately" means that very instant, not some time tomorrow.
理想地，游戏开发商把新的词句放到文档中的时候，这些词句应该立即被派送到二十个翻译人员手上，才能没有延迟地进行。开发商的期望通常是相同的：就是希望翻译的结果在编辑校正之后能立即出现在专案中。立即的意思就是马上，不是明天的某个时间。
If delays occur at any of these stages – whether it be the “incoming" lines for translation or “outgoing" delivery of localized texts – we go hurtling headlong into a cauldron of boiling pitch.
假如延迟发生，不管是在输入，或是在交付的时候。专案的情形就会像压力锅一样。
Exorcising the third devil: We used the cloud platform’s file API to automate text delivery from and submission of completed texts to the client. This meant we could toss 20 task assignment emails to translators into the burn pile, and as many emails to editors. Task assignment occurs automatically: the completed translation is immediately sent for editing, and the localized texts are instantly incorporated into the project. Of course, there is the risk that a translator or editor may ignore an assigned
task, but our fellows have never been caught slacking, God love ‘em. In any case, the manager is always on the lookout, keeping an eye on how work progresses to make sure the translations into all the languages proceed with equal speed.
驱逐恶魔蛇尔得：我们使用的云端平台函式库会自动交付输入与交付的文本内容。也就是说我们可以投掷二十个工作邮件到翻译人员跟编辑的火堆中。工作分派是自动地：完成的翻译自动交付编辑，区域化的文本会立即进入专案。当然翻译人员与编辑可能会忽略掉工作项目，但是我们的员工从未被抓包，感谢上苍。不管是什么情况，管理人员总是会注意例外，与工作进度，确保所有语言的翻译者都以同样的速度推进。
Benefit for the client: The client saves time, and the risk of a delayed release due to non-readiness of the localized versions is minimized.
帮助客户：客户节省时间，不会因为本地化还没准备好而延迟发布。
The fourth devil
恶魔佛尔史
What’s to be done with a phrase if the context of its usage is unclear? Should a humorous phrase – a meme, for example – be translated literally, or creatively localized? The client sends three phrases in all caps, and three in all lower-case letters. Should this be preserved in the localized version?
假如一个段落的时机不明，如何翻译这样情形的短语？一个幽默的短语－美眉，该被翻译的秀气点还是有创意点？如果客户交付全部大写的三个短语，以及全部小写的三个短语。这种表征应该要保留在地区化的结果内吗？
These and 100 other questions are a living hell for the manager, with every translator sending his own list of comments. To ask the client all these questions would mean to inundate him with dozens of e-mails and bring work to a grinding halt. Yet to not ask them is out of the question.
这些问题对管理者来讲都是困难抉择，要嘛每个翻译人员要提出这样意见，要客户在满满的邮件中停下来回答这些问题，然后才回去工作。若不问，出了问题怎么办？
Exorcising the fourth devil: The cloud platform we employ provides a place for discussion of each phrase. The translator and the client discuss ambiguous questions directly, avoiding the manager middleman, which helps to keep up the pace of the work. The manager is spared from drowning in a muddle of questions, mixing up questions from the Japanese translator with comments from the French localizer. What’s not to like?
驱除恶魔佛尔史：我们使用的云端平台提供了一个各项短语的讨论区，翻译者与客户会针对这些模糊的问题直接进行讨论，避免中间透过管理者，这样可以让工作的节奏不至于中断。管理者则可以免去因为传话导致的错误。日语翻译者提出问题，法语翻译者加上意见。有什么比这更棒的？
Benefit for the client: The work process is completely transparent for the client. By being directly in contact with the translators regarding ambiguities, the client can effectively influence the end result and immediately select the versions he likes best. This translates to fewer editing cycles, as all corrections are made in the course of the work.
帮助客户：工作的流程是完全对客户透明的。直接接触翻译人员可以避免混淆，客户也能直接影响结果，立即挑选想要的版本。翻译人员可以减少编辑的次数，不用完成之后才回头过来修正。
Read more about these and other devils in my presentation, “How We Made Localization Agile".
It is my hope that our experience will help you conduct localization without the headache. If you don’t have time to spend looking for translators and management, look us up. We’ve got it all.
想要知道更多的内容，请来参加我的演讲："让你的本地化敏捷起来吧"。我希望我的经验可以帮助你们的本地化减少痛苦。假如你没有太多时间找翻译人员跟管理人员，试试看我们。我们已经有完整的经验。