Saturday, September 29, 2012
On translations, games, and illusions
So, hello to my 350th post.
I hate how some words are so... untranslatable. It makes my life annoying. It's as if my friends insist on using words that just don't have a direct translation.
You know, sometimes I feel sad for people who are only monolingual or bilingual. There's something that you lose by not being multi-lingual, because every language is different, and there are words that exist in one language and don't in another. I give you an example, the middle english "hwaet", which means something to the effect of NOW-THAT-I-HAVE-YOUR-UNDIVIDED-ATTENTION-HEY-LOOK-LISTEN. See, there isn't a word like that anymore.
Or perhaps, you say, that's just time. How about the chinese terms 幸福 and 气质? I am aware that some common translations (blessed and disposition respectively) are commonly used, but when it comes to meaning... they barely even make the mark. So when I read bad translations, it just annoys me. I mean, I completely understand as a translator. When it comes to the linguistic side of me, it's just, not. Of course, as both a translator and a person, I know that there's not going to be translations for many things any time in the near future, but that doesn't stop me from wishing, does it?
On another note, I am of the opinion that some games have better background stories than books. (Take 9dragons, which is my current interest, for example.) I'm only playing for the storyline. I love MMORPGs with warring factions. It adds on to the complexity of the game. Seriously, if it's like Runescape with people just running around, then it gets boring. Having factions just adds on to the intrigue of the plot. (It's also one of the reasons why I love wuxia RPGs, the settings and plots are the best.)
"The best illusions are those that are real."
It took me a while to get my mind around this one, but I think I've managed to at least scratch the surface of its meaning. It's like hiding in plain view. It's not lying, it's literally being. The only important thing is that your heart is not where your self is, because those are two very different things. It separates illusion from reality. The thing is, people can see where you are, but they can't see where your heart is.
Posted at 4:16 PM
