Translating project!

[Rosette]

So, I have this wild idea: Anyone interested to translate BN in english? Unfortunately I can't speak Russian at all. But I have the program that can make subtitles and I have already done some anime subtitles. I just need the translator. There are so many people that would love to watch the series, but can't understand anything (like me).
Any volunteers?

This will be huge project, so the more the translators the better. Or if you can't translate, then you could help by writing up every line and let someone other translate.

This project won't start yet, I just need to know if there is anyone who would like to help. You will have the time to decide.

Thanks.

Rosette

[Poisy]

Not me, hon, sorry, the work, family and administrating this forum take up all my spare time!
We conceived the idea like this once, a few years ago, but as you said - it's a huge project, so no one turned out to be up for it!

[alex4c]

I was thinking about this too unfortunately I'm not good with Russian. My basic knowledge of this language comes from similarities between Serbian and Russian. But I think I can try to translate (at least part of) it but I would need a transcript in Russian. If somebody can just type everything that has been said in an episode I think I can menage to do something with it.

[Poisy]

alex4c, that would be awesome!

If somebody can just type everything that has been said in an episode I think I can menage to do something with it.

All I have is an extended episode guide, it's not a transcript though... We can ask the forum people here if they can help us out. I mean, if everyone agrees to make a transcript of one episode per week, we might be able to do it:) And I can probably spare some time for English translation, too.

[lapka55]

I can probably translate some of the episodes too

[alex4c]

We can ask the forum people here if they can help us out. I mean, if everyone agrees to make a transcript of one episode per week, we might be able to do it:) And I can probably spare some time for English translation, too.

I can probably translate some of the episodes too

Yeah, that would be great!
I think we can make it.

[Poisy]

Great, I'll post this offer of yours tonight.

[Poisy]

Hi guys! So far so good, we have a few volonteers for this little project of ours.

I have a few question and suggestions though:

Rosette, how exactly are you going to put up the subtitles and videos? My suggestion is to create a separate file for subtitles which could be further downloaded along with the original video we already have on the website. In such a case it will spare everyone downloading the whole show once again (let alone the time for the new uploads).

alex4c, to make it easier for you and to make the translation more consistent, I could write down all the names, titles, places, etc, both in Russian and English to avoid any misspelling or misunderstanding. Is it ok with you? I could also proofread your translation in case you missed something, what do you think?

[Poisy]

Guys, we also have to summon up the Russian titles to address all the characters correctly.

Here's my list, please feel free to amend/correct it:) (I checked once again, all the dictionaries translate "князь" as 'prince', and "княжна, княгиня" as princess. No capitalization though).

The Royalty:
Император Николай II - The Emperor Nikolai II
Его Величество - His Majesty
Ваше Величество - Your Majesty
Императрица Шарлотта - The Empress Charlotte
Ее Величество - Her Majesty
Ваше Величество - Your Majesty
Цесаревич Александр - The Crown Prince Alexander
Его Высочество - His Highness
Ваше Высочество - Your Highness
Мария, Принцесса Гессе-Дармштадская – Marie, the Princess von Hesse-Darmstadt
Ее Высочество - Her Highness
Ваше Высочество - Your Highness

The Nobility:
Ваша Светлость - His/Her Grace
Барон Корф - Baron Korf
Баронесса Корф - Baroness Korf
Княгиня Марья Алексеевна Долгорукая - the princess Maria Alekseevna Dolgoroukaya
Князь Петр Михайлович Долгорукий - the prince Peter Mikhailovich Dolgoroukiy
Князь Андрей Петрович Долгорукий - the prince Andrei Petrovich Dolgoroukiy
Княжна Лиза (Лизавета Петровна) Долгорукая - the princess Liza, Lizaveta Petrovna, Dolgoroukaya
Княжна Соня (Софья Петровна) Долгорукая - the princess Sonya, Sofia Petrovna, Dolgoroukaya
Князь Михаил Александрович Репнин - the prince Mikhail Aleksandrovich Repnin
Княжна Наталья Александровна Репнина - the princess Natalia Aleksandrovna Repnina
Граф - the count
Графиня - the countess
Фрейлина - the lady.
Предводитель уездного дворянства– The Head of the County Nobility
Андрей Платонович Забалуев – Andrei Platonovich Zabaluev
Двугорский уезд – Dvougorsky County

The Military:
Поручик Корф, Репнин - Lieutenant Korf / Repnin
Полковник - Colonel, Col.
Шеф Тайной Канцелярии Александр Христофорович Бенкендорф - The Chief of the Secret Police (?) Alexander Christophorovich Benkendorf

Misc. names
Владимир, Володя - Vladimir
Иван Иванович - Ivan Ivanovich
Анна Платонова - Anna Platonova
Михаил, Миша, Мишель - Mikhail, Michel
Натали, Наташа - Natalie
Лиза - Liza
Лизавета - Elizabeth
Полина - Polina
Карл Модестович Шуллер - Karl Modestovich Schuller
Варвара - Varvara
Ольга Калиновская - Olga Kalinowska
Сычиха – Sychikha
Таня, Татьяна Веревкина – Tanya Verevkina
Никита - Nikita
Василий Андреевич Жуковский – Vasiliy Andreevich Zhukovsky

Misc.
вольная - the free papers (plural)
барин, господин (for serfs) - 'master'
'sir' for everyone else
крепостной/крепостная - а serf
воспитанница (Анна) - а protegee

[alex4c]

@Poisy
Great, thanks for names, I had problems translating them. I called The Prince Alexander the crown Prince Alexander. Is that suitable?

About subtitles, I use Subtitles Workshop. It is a freeware program that is easy to use and it can save subtitles in many formats. Saving them separately from video is only logical solution, so I agree with you.
To work with subtitles, creating new ones or correcting somebody else's we should need to upload and download them. Were should we upload them?

[Poisy]

Is that suitable?

In Russia, the royal princes are called: Наследник (the Heir), Цесаревич (could be the Crown Prince, yeah), but I know for sure that the Emperos's daughter is called: Великая княжна (the Great Princess).

The point here is to unify all the names so that all translators use the same titles. So Crown Prince it is:)

Anyone else has anything to say?

I will be updating the list as we progress.

Were should we upload them?

I believe we'll upload them to the site server so they could be found along with episodes. So far we can email files to each other since they are really small in size.

my email is: vickie_land@mail.ru

I have the transcript for the Episode 4, btw. A few more are on the way:)

[alex4c]

Great.
I will make an example subtitle file out of first episode character introduction and sent to you.
Oh наследник is also called in my language (different accent though), I meant Crown Prince to set him apart from all other princes. I know capital letter sets him apart but some people (the ones that are not familiar with titles) wouldn't notice.
Also is it Платонова Platonova in English?
You can send me transcript when you get my mail so I can get started.

[Poisy]

alex4c,

Platonova and Verevkina is ok
Sychikha is also ok, i'll make changes:)

[Poisy]

What about 'барин'? I translate it as 'lord' or 'my lord'.

And last but not least - вольная!
That's the deed that frees up the slaves.
I looked it up in the Wiki that says:
Manumission - is the act of freeing slaves, done at the will of the owner.

So what about the document? i have no idea... but it's kind of important.

[Falchi]

So what about the document? i have no idea... but it's kind of important.

I look it up in the dictionary - "letter of enfranchisement"

[Poisy]

"letter of enfranchisement"

Gosh, is that all we have?

Давать вольную - To give somebody his/her freedom.

which is pretty simple and right to the point. Maybe there's something as simple re: the papers.

How about: The Deed of Freedom? or the Letter of Freedom?

We just have to choose one definition and stick to it.

[Poisy]

btw, re: барин:

I'm pretty sure that all the slaves could use 'master' / хозяин, whereas the managers can use 'my lord', what do you think?

[Repnina]

Poisy
As for me, the "letter of freedom" is clear enough...

[nina]

In America, the papers of freedom were called: "free papers". Also, Сычиха should probably be "Syichikha", otherwise the previous spelling sounds more like "Сучиха", I think. It is an interesting project, but is it OK with all the copyrights?

[nina]

btw, re: барин:

I'm pretty sure that all the slaves could use 'master' / хозяин, whereas the managers can use 'my lord', what do you think?

"Master" is fine, but "sir" may be easier on our ears then "my lord". Both will probably be appropriate.

[Poisy]

nina, thanks a lot!

ok, so be it:

вольная - the free papers (plural, right?)
Сычиха - Sychikha
барин, господин (for serfs) - 'master'
'sir' for everyone else
крепостной/крепостная - а serf
воспитанница (Анна) - а protegee

[Poisy]

but is it OK with all the copyrights?

All the subtitles will be saved as independent files, and everyone can use them at their own discretion, we will not be altering the original episodes.

[nina]

nina, thanks a lot!

ok, so be it:

вольная - the free papers (plural, right?)
Сычиха - Sychikha
воспитанница(Анна) - а protegee

I have looked up the word
"воспитанница" on line in a dictionary. Here it is an opinion from the dictionary:
Russian term or phrase: воспитанница


Меня смущает предлагаемый мультитраном вар-т "foster child" или "pupil". На мой взгляд, воспитанница - совершенно необязательно приемная дочь, и все-таки больше, чем просто ученица...



English translation: charge
Explanation:
It has a nice old-fashioned ring about it. It could imply a child who has been entrusted to someone else for parenting, but not necessarily - could simply be a kid being looked after, schooled by someone else.

I agree, the word does not immidiately comes to mind, but the word "protegee" has a different meaning. If she entered the theater under someone's protection, she would be his protegee.

Syichikha I would use with "i" after "y". I agree, words like that are difficult to phonnetically translate.

Free papers are plural, you are right.

For "opekun" you will use: "legal guardian", correct?

[Poisy]

I would still stand for Sychikha, as 'y' in the open syllable is the closest to 'ы' sound they have in English... And it's kind of easier to read.

I don't know about the 'charge' - it sounds more like a liability... Ad too old-fashioned. Lingvo offers 'a ward' which doesn't sound right for me either.

What do other girls think about it?

For "opekun" you will use: "legal guardian", correct?

yep

[alex4c]

I was time adjusting subtitles for episode 8 and I realized that we can not call Миша Mikhail, there is Misha for that, also Володя should be something like Volodya (maybe I'm wrong in spelling, correct me if that is the case). I think it could be more consistent if we use their nicknames (or endearing names) than translating it as their full name. What do you think?
Also I think I can be of better help making and time adjusting subtitles than translating, so if someone have problems making subtitles just send translations to me I'll make them.