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Spanish Blood Bowl translation

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2017 3:47 pm
by Kafre es Ispurio
I’m writing this in TFF and not in the Spanish forum because I know that someone within the GW staff lurks this forum and maybe, just maybe, they will take good note of my protest.

First, I’m not a newcomer to the Blood Bowl fields, neither to the Blood Bowl Spanish translation. I started playing 3rd edition and not very long after that, I started translating all the articles that feel into my hands and the first Compendium. When 4th Edit8on “Golden Rules” was released I made the Spanish translation used in the Spanish forum, and because there were no official translations I also translated the Longbomb magazine, Vault rules, Magazine articles and almost everything since then. When the LRB was released, some of us got in charge of keeping the Spanish translation of LRB updated. So I can say that even if I’m far away from introducing me as a professional translator, I have indeed some experience in Blood Bowl and translating Blood Bowl related documents.

During all this time the only GW published material in Spanish were the articles in White Dwarf, and much later the boxed set that came with LRB2. Because of this, the 3rd edition official translation was taken as base for wording, general expressions, and keeping the Blood Bowl particular feel in successive translations. In other words, the way in which the manual was redacted was assumed and applied to the new translations made.

Now, the release of the new edition has brought some great changes to the Spanish community:

1. I don’t know for other languages as German or French, but he core manual inside the Spanish box is not translated! A small document of less than 16 pages has been released as a summary version of the rulebook. BUT the Death Zone 1 has been translated and makes reference to the rulebook. (?)

2. The translated material is in Spanglish. As you probably will be unaware of, GW is now maintaining the names of every miniature in their catalog to protect their IP, but the translator applied it to the positions of the players too. Let’s switch the languages so I can transmit the message correctly: “The Bailarín guerrero elfo silvano tries to perform a Pass Action, but the Defensa Orco Negro intercepts the ball.” Weird, isn’t it? In the translator defense I must argue that this was more than probable a GW request.

3. Many things had their names changed creating uncertainty among the Blood Bowl coaches. Just imagine calling the Line of Scrimmage, Most Valuable Player or some skills in two different ways.

4. All the general feel of the rulebook has been changed. I’m partially ok with it, as it is a new translation things could change, but I don’t find the logic behind it when the current rulebook is based in the 3rd edition manual.

5. There are some paragraphs that lose the subject coherence. Things like gender and plural/singular subject changes that are not acceptable in Spanish. Some of them inherited from the English version of the rulebook and some plain mistakes.

6. There are misspelled words.

7. There are mistakes in punctuation marks.

This translation is far from being good. It seems to be a fast, cheap and unverified version that makes me sad and angry. However the last straw that broke camel’s back was not the rulebook and the Death Zone, but the cards. The ones in the box weren’t translated and I didn’t have time to download the Spanish ones from the web nevertheless I have recently acquired the new set of Special Play Cards released by GW, the so called “Hall of Fame pack” and how to say it. The Spanish translation is outrageous. Is not bad, is Google translator bad. There is at least one major errata for every two cards. It gives me Spanish shame AND I’M SPANISH I know what I'm talking about.

In view of these facts I wanted to make a couple of requests.

1. If any of you have other than English language versions of the rulebook, death zone and cards, can you confirm this only happens in Spanish please? Also,

2. do you know if is there a way to contact GW about this particular issue?

Thank you,

Re: Spanish Blood Bowl translation

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2017 8:02 pm
by Deathrain
The German version seems to be solid, although being familiar with the rules I haven't read them extensively. Postionals are not translated, I believe they did this so the rules would be consistent with the transfer sheet which they didn't want to localize.

Re: Spanish Blood Bowl translation

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 6:03 pm
by Depende
Im agree with you Kafre. The spanglish "thing" make it awful to read nice idea to switch it, I dont like to read in this spanglish, so i dont buy any book on that shit translation, the rulebook is similar but the new translation make it "strange". And also, Spanish ppl dont any problems with transfer sheet in English, we like and want read a nice rulebook in our language. I hope GW would understand that.

Re: Spanish Blood Bowl translation

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 9:13 am
by Dark Duke
I'm also very disappointed in GW and their current Spanish translations. Either you make a proper translation or keep it in English and assume customers that don't feel comfortable with that language won't buy it, but this in between thing is embarrasing.