Quote:
Originally Posted by Katsunami
I actually like the suggestion of just transcribing names phonetically, but I think it wouldn't work for all names and all languages
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Transcribing is the way to go IMO. Translating first names or names of places is idiotic. If you were to translate any name of any place in Japan you would get fantasy names that have nothing to do with Japan.
For example 青森県 means Blue Forest Prefecture, but it's Aomori Ken isn't it? You can say Blue Forest, but nobody will understand what the hell you're on about.
Now if this is valid for real places, why shouldn't it be for fictional ones?
Elrond = Elrond
Gandalf = Gandalf
Sam = Sem
Strider = Strajder
Ranger = Rendžer
That is transcription in bosnian/croatian/serbian of LoTR names. Now doesn't that look better then translating like this:
Strider = there is no word in my language for that. To stride would be koračati. So if I forced language to comply I would have to translate with
Koračar which sound so silly and dumb.
And Ranger as is in profession is Šumar. That is not relevant or truthful to the original.
My point is translation can make things worse and warp the original meaning. Phonetic transcriptions are just that. They don't add meaning, just makes original easier to pronounce and they adapt it to the rules of the language it is being transcribed into.
Hell, Japanese have made an art out of this. Katakana is used almost exclusively for that purpose. Making things easier to pronounce and not adding meaning.