Joined: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 11,321 Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Xanadu Next WIP translations « Thread Started on Aug 23, 2009, 1:54am »
So as discussed in another thread, this is going to be my dumping ground for Xanadu Next translations until such time as the game is fully patched and ready to go. (:
The reason I'm doing this here instead of in the Xanadu Next translation patch topic is because as I progress farther and farther into the script, my chances of revealing spoilers grow quite a bit. Not that they're necessarily BIG spoilers, since the bulk of the translations I post here will be from stone tablets and memorandums that you find as you explore the game world, meaning you're just reading them in order anyway during the game (which is exactly what you'll be doing here)... but still, for those who are really picky about spoilers, I figured creating a separate topic for discussing story details and in-depth translation quandaries would be best, so the patch topic can be devoted solely to discussing patch-related things (as well as minor non-story-related translation quandaries).
Hope that all made sense! (:
Anyway, I'm going to start by re-posting the first stone tablet translation, which I've slightly edited to sound a little less repetitive. I'll then post additional stone tablet translations in replies to this topic, and if you'd all be willing to look them over (especially those of you who know Xanadu like the backs of your hands!) and give me any suggestions you may have for better wording or what-not, it would be appreciated.
I tell of my homeland, founded by the great Kublai Khan, and purported an Eden by all who behold its vistas - its name, Xanadu. Here, the songs of the birds ring out, the flowers are always in bloom, and the light of the sun doth shine warmly upon all the land. Truly, Xanadu is a place of beauty, and peace.
However, it is not my intent to extol the glory of this countryside herein; rather, the duty that falls upon me is that of minutiae and fact - to make accurate record of the history that's befallen us.
And even in such a place as this Xanadu, there must always be a shadow cast for every light.
To those who shall inherit and succeed our history, I beg ye read this account carefully and with open mind.
I must regrettably chronicle that twice did our paths cross with a hideous calamity of unimaginable horror. The devil Galsis - he who rules the world of nothingness; he who brings forth apparitions to defile our glorious kingdom. At his hands, the ideals of our just and righteous community fell to ashes, and our Eden became a world governed by lust and vice.
As we stand now, however, we have overcome these tribulations, and re-established a prosperity befitting of Xanadu. We owe our gratitude for this good fortune to the heroes and wise men of the past, who drove our devil's influence from the land.
The first invasion of Galsis was held back by a valourous youth who bore the sacred sword, sent to our aid by his liege King Giuliden, and guided by the one star's light.
The second invasion of Galsis was held back by a beautiful and valiant princess, who carried with her the selfsame sword.
Both of these figures have since been regarded with the highest honor in the annals of history.
Light coexists with shadow; and so too must the tales of Xanadu's calamitous past coexist with those of its heroes. If we are to remember the trials we faced, it is important we also remember the means through which they were overcome...
Joined: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 11,321 Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #1 on Aug 23, 2009, 1:58am »
"The Chosen Ones"
It came without warning, during the reign of His Highness King Giuliden. The devil Galsis - such was the name given to that dragon of wicked deed and grotesque countenance. Galsis released his minions upon the land, and in the blink of an eye, all of Xanadu fell to panic. The renown artisan Seisen was forced to construct a maze for the devil within the sacred catacombs that stretched beneath the royal capital.
Powerless against Galsis, those who had formerly thrived under the reign of King Giuliden began inundating him with unreasonable demands. Rumor had it that the treasured crowns themselves, long-standing symbols of Xanadu's royal line, had been torn from his grasp; and with them, the world plunged into darkness.
Still, despite the looming shadows of terror and disgrace, His Highness remained undaunted. He bode his time, quietly waiting for a portent from above. Finally, with the help of a noted astrologer, he found his foretoken, and arranged for an audience with a group of young men boasting an heroic disposition. The youths were placed under the care of seven officiating monks, who helped train them in body and spirit to stand up against the devil's regime.
Valour, merit, charm, empathy, wisdom, demonism, and victory; such were the subjects of mastery taught by the seven monks, all of whom were merciless and unforgiving tutors. Despite this, one brave soul persevered, and it was he who ultimately set forth into the vast underground labyrinth that Galsis had made his lair.
Singlehandedly, he retrieved all the crowns, and even obtained the sacred sword known as Dragon Slayer. This sword is said to house the deified spirit of a great hero who spent his life hunting dragons of wicked heart; some even claim it to be his very incarnation. And with this weapon in hand, our brave soul faced innumerable threats, culminating in the triumphant defeat of the devil Galsis.
He truly was a courageous youth; and the king, truly a great and wise man. Through their valour and wisdom, Xanadu was pulled back from the brink of hell. Even now, the people of this land gloriously recount stories of these two valiant men. It is with heavy heart I must report, however, that the name of this youth has been lost to history.
As our story draws to a close, the devil Galsis lay defeated, and Xanadu's peaceful days are returned. But as you surely must be aware, dear reader, this was not to be the tale's final conclusion...
Joined: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 11,321 Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #2 on Aug 23, 2009, 2:01am »
"When the Rain Falls Without Warning"
No matter the era, bad tidings never warn of their approach; their arrival is sudden, and devastating.
Several years passed in tranquil procession since the fated struggle between the valiant youth and the devil Galsis. One night, when the moon was nearing its peak, a messenger approached King Giuliden's private chambers as he rested.
Galsis, whose body had been entombed within the labyrinth, was returning to life; his pulse had begun beating anew.
Acting at once upon this grave news, King Giuliden convened an emergency meeting at the royal castle, summoning each of the seven officiating monks who had trained the hero that bore the sacred sword. It is said that discourse continued in that room for seven days, from early morning through the darkest hours of night. As dawn broke on the monks' eighth day at the castle, a conclusion was reached, and the meeting adjourned at long last.
The devil's body was to be hoisted to the castle, and sealed within a barrier of tremendous power, so as to arrest the beast's rebirth.
King Giuliden appointed his own daughter as a medium to this end, and commanded her to maintain the devil's seal, for as long as she may live. The seven monks would serve to support her in this task, as best as they were able. Thus spawned a noble tradition, wherein the eldest daughter of the royal family would inherit the duty of protecting and maintaining this seal.
Through this adjudication, peace persisted in Xanadu for many hundreds of years thereafter. Occasional rumors of the devil's revival did surface from time to time, but history records no such occurrences. Xanadu's rich and idyllic existence continued unabated, and all was well.
Such was the state of the land, until a particular young woman came along...
Daggers and Wingboots, Mantras and Monsters Await You!
Joined: Mar 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 869 Location: Alpharetta, GA
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #3 on Aug 23, 2009, 3:43am »
Kickass! That is all. : )
Edit: By the way, I'm pretty sure you wanted this to be a non-post-ing/able thread. So feel free to delete this post, but just thought I'd say that you might want to put "no posting" or something to that effect in the thread title or first paragraph.
The advent of the black bride is an event of considerable renown, and has thus been recorded in much detail by the secretaries of the era. The following is directly scribed from one of these accounts:
I fear I shall never forget the terrible events of this accursed day.
It should have been an auspicious occasion, with Princess Florette celebrating her 16th year of life. Her birthday rites did progress without incident; but just as the investiture ceremony for the title of royal medium was about to begin, something dreadful occurred.
That terrible woman appeared before us, wearing a black dress. She calmly stepped in front of the crowd, seemingly oblivious to the audacity of her own actions. She opened her insolent mouth, and these are the words she spoke.
'I have freed the devil Galsis from his seal within the castle,' she said.
And that's not all! She even went so far as to call herself the devil's bride! Everyone in attendance began to laugh. As one might imagine, there aren't (or weren't) many left who still put much stock in tales of Galsis. On top of that, this woman is widely known as a religious fanatic. Indeed, some even began brutally chastising her, right then and there.
But not a moment later, the derision and laughter all came to an abrupt halt.
The clear blue sky, which heretofore illuminated these proceedings as if giving nature's blessings to Princess Florette on her birthday, suddenly became black with clouds. Then, accompanied by pangs of thunder, the voice of none other than Galsis himself resounded throughout the land.
In short, he declared war upon Xanadu.
And in that very moment, one could feel the onset of a new era of terror and chaos, engulfing our would-be utopia like the clouds engulfed the light above.
There could be no doubt that this hellacious harlot spoke the truth: she had taken a vow of marriage with the devil Galsis. Although just an ordinary human being, she unleashed the wrath of ultimate evil upon our fair kingdom. She alone had overthrown centuries of peace in a mere instant.
'Black bride', they've begun calling her. A fitting name.
Joined: Nov 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,918 Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #5 on Aug 23, 2009, 9:06am »
So how do you pronounce Xanadu exactly? Geddy Lee says it like "Zawnadyoo" which I basically say as well... Still, I'd like to know.
It was very good, scholar-ish too! Like, it sounded like I was readin something smart! Which is great! It got my vocabulary going, since I haven't seen some of the words for a while. Are these parts spoken, or just read?
I guess it wouldn't be a too large translation though, eh? Because if I remember correctly the game doesn't actually have too much dialogue, or characters for that matter.
Hmm, lets see... There are some typos, but those aren't really a problem. Just little things like "It it" rather than "It is". But other than that all seems well. Perfect even!
"In this world, is the destiny of man kind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will."
Joined: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 11,321 Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #7 on Aug 23, 2009, 11:09am »
ACK!! Typos!! I thought I had avoided those! DAMN THESE FINGERS!!! (:
And yeah, it's pronounced "ZAA-nah-doo", with the ZAA part rhyming with the A sound in Anne, as Nunuu suggested.
And no, it's not spoken, only written. And yes, it's probably too long to fit, but I've asked Doppi to look into possibly allowing for extra dialogue boxes or screens... based on the way the game's code is structured, I think it'd be possible, and that would be absolutely ideal, given the fact that EVERYTHING I've translated thus far has been way longer than the space available for it. (:
EDIT: Corrected the "It it". If you see any other typos, no matter how small, please let me know, so I can correct them before they go into the game.
"In this world, is the destiny of man kind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will."
and has thus been recorded in much detail by the secretaries of the era.
'Secretaries' sounds too contemporary compared to the tone used for the rest of piece. 'Scribes' would work better, but 'scribed' was used in the following sentence.
Joined: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 11,321 Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #11 on Aug 23, 2009, 8:13pm »
"Since the Renaissance until the late 19th century, men involved in the daily correspondence and the activities of the mighty had assumed the title of secretary (or in other cases, "clerk")."
From Wikipedia. The term does have a different implication in contemporary English, but it's actually the perfect word in this context, I think. "Scribe" would imply someone who merely copies the writings of others, and "clerk" just wouldn't sound right.
EDIT: Made a couple modifications up above. In tablet 4, changed "The following is directly scribed from those accounts" to "The following is directly scribed from one of these accounts", since it's clear only a single account was used. Also, in tablet 1, I changed "guided by the stars in the night sky" to "guided by the one star's light", since it's clear after working a bit through tablet 5 that this is a direct reference to the three stars merging into one to foretell the coming of a great hero.
"In this world, is the destiny of man kind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will."
Joined: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 11,321 Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #13 on Aug 23, 2009, 11:02pm »
Correct. And I assumed it to be just a generic descriptive phrase... but no, it's a direct reference to the star formed from that constellation for which I can't decide on a name. (:
Joined: Nov 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,918 Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #14 on Aug 24, 2009, 1:00pm »
Alright, alright. I'm going to derail this thread for that name, because I'm lazy.
Is there any telling of a three headed dragon, either in Xanadu, any part of the Dragon Slayer series, or plain ol' myth and magic? That might suit it.
"In this world, is the destiny of man kind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will."
Joined: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 11,321 Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #15 on Aug 24, 2009, 5:50pm »
Nah, nothing like that actually matches with the word Shiryuuga, and most words or phrases that could potentially refer to a three-headed dragon (such as Hydra) are already the names of ACTUAL constellations, which look nothing like the three stars of Shiryuuga in the game. (:
I'm going with Dragon's Fang, I think. Thanks, though, for the suggestions - not just you, but everyone. I really love this approach to translating... it's awesome to be able to get nearly instant feedback like this. (:
"In this world, is the destiny of man kind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will."
Joined: Jul 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 11,321 Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #18 on Sept 6, 2009, 2:54am »
Been a while - sorry for the long delay. Finally finished the next tablet translation, and will hopefully have another done once I've gotten some sleep. (:
Also edited "The Chosen Ones", since the line about the astrologer now makes sense contextually. I was wondering why that had been mentioned. (: It's now been changed as follows:
"Still, despite the looming shadows of terror and disgrace, His Highness remained undaunted. He bode his time, quietly waiting for a portent from above. Finally, with the help of a noted astrologer, he found his foretoken, and arranged for an audience with a group of young men boasting an heroic disposition."
Anyway, here's the new one. Enjoy!
* * *
"Where the Star Shines"
His Highness did not hesitate; as soon as war was declared, he issued a royal decree that the devil Galsis and the black bride alike were to be found and executed. The ones named to carry out this mission were none other than General Vanaporte and his elite. His Highness entrusted them with the sacred sword, and seemed to anticipate that the might of the warriors and the force of their weapon would lead to certain victory.
Now, if you've been following along carefully, dear reader, you will undoubtedly take issue with this course of action. Indeed, when the kingdom last faced Galsis, there was a gathering of youths, who received intensive training from the seven monks; and one of those valiant men took the sacred sword in hand, and slayed Galsis by his lonesome.
That approach succeeded where all others had failed; so why, then, would the King abandon precedent in this manner? The answer, it seems, lies up above; for in the heavens, no star could be seen, and thus no gathering of youths would convene.
When the call for heroes was issued previously, history records that three stars shone as one, cutting through the thick black clouds that hung over the land like a beacon in the night. This small constellation has come to be known as the Dragon's Fang, and its leash is said to combine into a single star only once every three hundred years. From time immemorial, this merging was seen as a good omen; and only in its light could a hero be revealed.
It seems, however, that the devil's revival under the auspices of the black bride was an event even Lady Destiny could not foresee. Alas, the Dragon's Fang did not coalesce, but remained as three dim lights, barely able to penetrate the looming darkness.
Xanadu's army had failed; and this time, there appeared no hope of a hero's arrival to set things right.
It was under these conditions, when anxiety and unease permeated the every waking thought of all who dwelt within the castle, that something occurred. The royal medium herself, Princess Florette, went missing.
Joined: Dec 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 3,887 Location: Nuu~
Re: Xanadu Next WIP translations « Reply #19 on Sept 6, 2009, 11:04am »
I only did a quick skim of the recent post and it's reading well! :D
But ... the term "monk" sort of bothers me cuz it makes me think of either Buddhist monks or the Franciscan monks -- or worse yet, the ones from the FF games like Yang. ^^;
Could there be one term used for "officiating monks" instead? I was thinking them d00des were more on the line like the Ys Priests.
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