I started translating NDX story...

[Cyllya]

Here it is, up until entering Efreet's cave, where it sort of stops in the middle of a sentence because that's when I got bored. 

Some notes:

• I'm trying to practice a less literal translation style than I normally do, but since it's a "just letting you know what it says" type of translation it'd be weird if it didn't still correspond pretty closely to the actual text (as opposed to a translation patch sort of translation, where you can fudge things up a little more). Feedback on this will be appreciated.
• I tried to use the character names from the opening credits, but I've been typing "Mel" for nearly 10 years, so that may have sneaked in a few times. Kururu's not in the credits, but someone said something somewhere official called him Couleur , and I like that name. (It's pronounced ku-LOOR, and it's French for "color")
• I didn't translate "narikiri" and "narikirishi" because... it's practically impossible. Whatever. You know what it means (or should).
• I didn't translate "mamono" because iirc, it's flopped back and forth between "monster" and "demon" in various other Aseria translations, so I figured mamono was just the least confusing thing to call it for now.
• There's a few lines I couldn't get. Anyone else want to look at them? I'll post them so you don't have to look through the whole document.
• It's in a doc 'cause I'm lazy. 

[throughhim413]

Awesome! I'd check it out, but I think I have my own interpretations too ingrained in my head to enjoy any alternative translations. I'm sure there are tons of people out there who will benefit from it, though! Good luck with the translation!

[BassForever]

When I have some money and import I'll be using your guide to play though the game

[Carnivol]

Curse you, Cyl! (and 'ello again, by the way)

I'm trying not to want to play this game! Not to mention that I'm also trying not to want to do certain other things to it too. You're making things harder for me now.

(By the way, hooray for lazy peeps!)

[edit]
I think I must have the least welcoming attitude in the world... I read the thread title and just thought to myself "Oh no... here we go...", but then I saw it was your thread and went kinda "Pheeew-")

[Sirius9]

I didn't translate "narikiri" and "narikirishi" because... it's practically impossible. Whatever. You know what it means (or should).

I'm curious about this...how close is "narikiri" to "metamorphosis"?  The whole Narikiri House thing got me thinking about the "House of Changes" in The Neverending Story  but I'm not sure that would really be an appropriate localization.

edit:
Or possibly the verb form "metamorphose"?

[Carnivol]

Personally have no clue about any exact counterparts, but I've had countless nights of sleep issues trying to find a suitable way of dropping the term narikiri in English. (Without having to share my bed with a script doctor and do some extensive rewrites to work around its annoying complications.)

Of course, you can always dodge a bullet by just leaving it in Japanese and try to introduce it as a "universe" term. A lot of games introduce their own bullshit terminology, so sneaking in an actual, unchanged, foreign term every now and then probably wont be the death of anyone... (at least not as long as any highlighting of it doesn't trigger epileptic seizures and its introduction is given with a proper description of its supposed meaning)

[Cless]

I think narikiri is just something that should be translated to whatever works depending on the context. You're just going to get screwed trying to find an all-encompassing term in English.

[Yetika]

Yeah, for what it's worth, the usual localisation route would be to create a portmanteau using an obscure word (often with a foreign language root); Still awfully tough even with that in mind, however.

Also, eeeee~! I was hoping you would pick up stuff related to NDX, Cyllya! Now I have even more reason to poke and prod Carnivol into messing with the game. My grasp of the Japanese language is so poor now that I can't even read the few kanji present in the original version any more, so it's great to see fans who are passionate about the lore taking the game on!

[Sirius9]

Of course, you can always dodge a bullet by just leaving it in Japanese and try to introduce it as a "universe" term.

If I were actually translating this, that's what I would do.  I like words, especially words that English doesn't have an exact equivalent for, so it doesn't bother me much seeing the occasional thing left untranslated. But I can see why most people aren't into that.  In any case, it's a bit of idle fun for me to try finding some word or phrase that would work.  Yetika's route is probably what I'd try next, since even if "metamorphose" is pretty close in meaning, it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.  I suppose you could reeeeally stretch "narikirishi" into "transformers" but...I don't have to explain why that would be stupid. 

[Kajitani-Eizan]

if you hate japanese you could maybe try something with german, like verwand or verand (how to make that into a noun, as in, one who verands, i dunno)... but that's just the same problem in a different language.

[Cyllya]

Yeah, for what it's worth, the usual localisation route would be to create a portmanteau using an obscure word (often with a foreign language root); Still awfully tough even with that in mind, however.

if you hate japanese you could maybe try something with german, like verwand or verand (how to make that into a noun, as in, one who verands, i dunno)... but that's just the same problem in a different language.

I'm jealous of Japanese writers, because not only not only is it acceptable to use practically any word in any language, but due to how kanji works, they can just make up new Japanese words!

Well, I think we should make up a new English word! Like Kaji and Yetika are getting at. (For the record, we don't think we need a verb. I don't believe I've ever seen "narikiru" in either version of the game.)

I think narikiri is just something that should be translated to whatever works depending on the context. You're just going to get screwed trying to find an all-encompassing term in English.

It seems like the sort of thing that deserves an all-encompassing term though. 

Also, eeeee~! I was hoping you would pick up stuff related to NDX, Cyllya! Now I have even more reason to poke and prod Carnivol into messing with the game. My grasp of the Japanese language is so poor now that I can't even read the few kanji present in the original version any more, so it's great to see fans who are passionate about the lore taking the game on!

Even though it's annoying to translate straight off the game, I can't handle not knowing what it says. ^o^

By the way, I posted this trans on the GameFAQs message boards, and someone responded with:

This topic got me wondering how hard it would be to make a translation patch.
The answer is that it's quite easy.

Here's some screenshots:





Note: I may have made up Kuruuru's text.
As you can see, it looks quite nicely (no monospaced font, the textbox automatically stretches) and from what I've seen, there are hardly any space issues since the file system is quite flexible.

Now, I really haven't done stuff like that before, so I'm not sure yet if I can get the script out and get the translated version back in (the above screenshots were made by editting the bytes/remapping the pointers manually)

[LJkAze]

So Cyllya you going to work on this project   Would be nice if you are . Someone that goes by the name Crevox that did the Tales of graces menu translation is working on the Menu patch for NDX. Maybe someone can call him up and join together and work on this game.

http://tales.namco.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=3067300

[ZeForte]

By the way, I posted this trans on the GameFAQs message boards, and someone responded with:

T'was me.
I actually already have most of the script extractor done and am now working on the inserter.

I'm not doing this because I expect someone to actually do the translation (more because, as stated in the topic, I haven't done stuff like that before, it's mad fun so far and I'm learning a ton), but it'd be great if you or someone else picked it up.

[Sirius9]

Well, I think we should make up a new English word! Like Kaji and Yetika are getting at. (For the record, we don't think we need a verb. I don't believe I've ever seen "narikiru" in either version of the game.)

So basically, you need two nouns yes?  One for the transformation magic thing they're doing (narikiri), and one for the people who practice it (narikirishi)? 

Sorry if these questions seem dumb, I don't speak Japanese so speculating on how to translate this is a shot in the dark for me. 

There is another possible approach, which is to take some ordinary words and use the context to make it clear you're twisting the meaning a bit.  This is probably too basic, but for example you could use "changing" for "narikiri", which kind of works both with the fact that they change costumes as part of it.  Then "changeling" for "narikirishi" which kind of references the fact that they are otherworldly children.  Doesn't exactly match the English or Japanese definitions but context and possibly capitalization can make it clear what you're talking about. 

A portmanteau word would be the most fun though.   

[Carnivol]

A portmanteau word would be the most fun though.   

Indeed. Portmanteaus can be great fun, but portmanteau or not, I'd say rubbing off a little bit of Germanic/Norse influence on the term would probably be a good approach.

T'was me.
I actually already have most of the script extractor done and am now working on the inserter.

I'm not doing this because I expect someone to actually do the translation (more because, as stated in the topic, I haven't done stuff like that before, it's mad fun so far and I'm learning a ton), but it'd be great if you or someone else picked it up.

By the way, check the post I wrote in the other thread (PS: I'm not a translator, but more of an overseer/consultant/*insert-what-someone-else-would-describe-me-as*)

[Cyllya]

T'was me.
I actually already have most of the script extractor done and am now working on the inserter.

I'm not doing this because I expect someone to actually do the translation (more because, as stated in the topic, I haven't done stuff like that before, it's mad fun so far and I'm learning a ton), but it'd be great if you or someone else picked it up.

Well, it's of personal importance to me to understand every excruciating plot detail of NDX as well as any changed/new parts of ToPX, so I'm translating the script one way or another. (Even if Namco surprises us with an official translation.) I'm definitely willing to contribute the results of that labor to any translation patch, as well as the skits, villagers, and environment text if I get script dump. However, my motivation might wane when it comes to menus, tutorials, and minigames.

I'm getting the impression that multiple different parties are interested in translated NDX though none have green-lit a full project. Well, I'll share the translation with anyone who wants it as long as they don't mind me sharing with everyone else. I'd also like to put a script in both languages on my website like I did with TOP.

As for the ToP portion of the game, I've already done a first-draft translation of anything that was in the PS1 version (well, only a portion of the skits) and would be willing to comb the script for changes and translate anything new. (Though if Cless isn't planning an NDX project, perhaps he'd be willing to share PP's ToP script, since he and other PP members have put huuuge amounts effort into editing it into absolutely perfection.)

So basically, you need two nouns yes?  One for the transformation magic thing they're doing (narikiri), and one for the people who practice it (narikirishi)?

Yup.