Serbian translation (English and Serbian discussion)

InkOnTubeInkOnTube Serbia Join Date: 2016-09-27 Member: 222641Members
edited September 2016 in Translations
I would gladly help to translate texts in Serbian for Subnautica, and I guess it is big effort on community behalf. However, I would like to point out few things that would help us to translate texts to be closer to native Serbian language yet to be very usable from gamer perspective. Also, there are common mistakes that most of us in Serbia make regarding our own language (not easy when language is mostly based on feeling than in stone written rules) so let us begin with some principles (will edit them as discussion goes in this thread):

Use our proper characters: Č Ć ; Ž ; Š ; Đ
Do NOT (!!!) use as replacement: C ; Z ; S ; DJ

Ingot is not Šipka (do not Google translate!) and Poluga is usually something for mechanical use (i.e. clockwork). Officially in Steel production we use word Ingot as well. Trust me I visited Steel factory in Smederevo to many times so it is hard to miss the term. Here is part of this ancient old manual that is copy pasted in every book:

LIVENJE ČELIKA ZA PRERADU
Ako čelik posle prerađuje postupkom gnječenja (valjanje, kovanje ili dr.)
livenje se vrši u čelične kalupe koji se nazivaju kokile, a odlivak ingot.


in that regard:

ENGLISH: Titanium Ingot
SERBIAN: Titanijumski Ingot OR Ingot Titanijuma

I would prefer if we use material first and shape second but Ingot Titanijuma sounds better even though both are correct.

When we have our native words - use native words and do not force foreign words when we don't need to

ENGLISH: Log ; Audiolog
SERBIAN: Zapis ; Zvučni zapis

Some things should be translated using context as English is not that precise language as Serbian. Example:

ENGLISH: Power
SERBIAN: Moć, Struja, Napajanje

In case of "Power Cell" we won't translate it to "Struja ćelija" - it is "Napojna ćelija".

Some of them are even trickier. A good example is Wiring Kit. We just don't use such term at all. Use context and for what it is used ingame. It would be much better to use "Rezervni delovi" or "Pribor za popravku".

Some things you simply can NOT translate literally. Example:

ENGLISH: Kelp Forest egg
SERBIAN: Jaje iz Šume Morskih Algi

I found translation "Jaje Šume Morskih Algi" - that literally means that forest itself produces the egg. That is no go - it is egg that is found in that forest. Another one:

ENGLISH: Grassy Plateaus egg
SERBIAN: Jaje sa Travnatih Platoa

I found translation "Jaje Travnatih Platoi". First "Platoi" is using wrong case, and again it means as if Grassy Plateaus are producing this egg. Use "iz" or "sa" accordingly for meaningful translation.

Let us use here this thread as sort of guidelines how to translate texts properly. Let us discuss here.

Comments

  • IwuzorIwuzor Bosnia and Hercegivina Join Date: 2017-01-14 Member: 226676Members
    Good evening, I am interested in Translating Subnautica to some languages, mostly serbian and I am quiet familiar with the process of translating into different languages, but my only concer is: How to translate the names of the different kinds of fish.
    For example: "Peeper" should I keep the name "Peeper" or translate/make it more comfortable to our Language "Piper" ?
    But the biggest problem would be with "Sea Emperor", if I translate it to "Vladar Mora" would there be issues with people, that might think of that name as, let's say Poseidon as being the "vladar".

    A za domaće, da prevodim imena riba ili ne ? xD

    Pozdrav
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