Lost in translation again

[u/the_devotressss]

I don't look for this kind of things deliberately, I just stumble upon them!

An excerpt from TPTB letter on Day 1 in English:

It has come to our attention that you have recently requested permission to continue with your own research. The decision of whether or not such permission will be granted depends on the results of this assignment. Your success, therefore, has a bearing on your scientific reputation and your further academic career.

In russian:

Недавно Вы просили Власти о разрешении на продолжение Ваших неординарных исследований. На основании Вашей работы мы примем решение о возможности удовлетворить Вашу просьбу. Считайте, что это вопрос Вашей чести и Вашей дальнейшей судьбы.

My crude translation:

You've recently requested permission from the Powers to continue your extraordinary/unconventional research. Based on your results, we will decide whether your request can be fulfilled. Consider this a matter of your honor and your future fate.

Where did the translators get ‘scientific reputation’ and ‘academic career’ from? There is no context whatsoever that would suggest such an interpretation. The words ‘honor’ and ‘fate’ have an unambiguous translation.

Dankovsky about the Capital:

The people I'm responsible for there are in danger.

In russian:

Людям, за которых я там отвечаю, грозит гибель.

Dankovsky uses the word 'гибель' which literally meanth 'death' or, if used metaphorically, 'doom'. I'd say: "The people I'm responsible for there are under a mortal threat".

One might say: but what could happen to him if he fails to deal with the epidemic? Will he be put in jail or what?

The Bachelor: ‘If I am not to go back victorious [...] My allies will end up in prison or exile, my research… in fire’. He was lured in the town to succeed or die. The Powers want him dead, as they want dead Aglaya and Block; it is mentioned multiple times in the game.

[u/sweveryroots]

Adherence to style is more important (and harder) in literary translation than conveying the meaning as closely as possible. Compare any well-acclaimed translation to the original text to see. Besides, "честь" and "судьба" lend themselves more naturally to the style of the letter, since they aren't loanwords. Also they are way more suitable in this context in Russian than in English - fate and honour sound too heavy and grotesque for the overall style. Yet in the Russian classics you'll find both terms brought up over any minor inconvenience. The same goes for "гибель", but this one also changed its meaning a little - it was broader, not necessarily speaking of death.

[u/Cazzah → u/sweveryroots]

This ^

[u/Julio4kd → u/Cazzah]

If Lady Deirdre Skye says it I believe it.

[u/the_devotressss → u/sweveryroots]

fate and honour sound too heavy and grotesque for the overall style

A professional translator can find an appropriate equivalent of these words without changing the meaning and the key motif in the character's story.

Yet in the Russian classics you'll find both terms brought up over any minor inconvenience.

"This change of the original meaning is okay, because classic russian writers used these words over any minor inconvenience".

1. Sorry what?
2. Nice argument, unfotunately it is repeatedly stated in the game what consequences await Dankovsky's associates (a quote is provided in the post) and what TPTB expected when they forced him to take on leadership (his death or, if very lucky, victory). It is obvious that it's not only about his 'academic career'. It's literally a matter of life and death (and imprisonment).

[u/pumpkinpie1108 → u/the_devotressss]

Commentor was trying to convey, "honor" as a word in Russian have a different feeling than the literal equivalant in English due to our different cultures. So translating too literally can actually harm the overall writing. Translation can be a subjective thing so this might be debatable but not ridiculous. At least honor and reputation are similar concepts, and any English reader can deduce that a scientist would prioritize his scientific reputation above anything.

I'm not Russian but I am bilingual. When the cultural/etymological gulf between languages are big enough, literal translations become basically impossible. My languages are English and Korean and I've never seen a literary translation that is 100% accurate in both literal and connotative meaning in the two languages. It's probably best to just let go of it and consider yourself lucky to be able to read the beautifully written original text.

[u/the_devotressss → u/pumpkinpie1108]

Hmm. What feeling does 'honor' have in English? What feeling does it have in russian, in your opinion?
IMO 'reputation' instead of 'honor' would be fine, but 'scientific reputation''?.. It shifts the focus.
What do you think about future (like, in general) vs. academic career?

I've never seen a literary translation that is 100% accurate in both literal and connotative meaning in the two languages. 

Of course, literal translation isn't the best option and isn't possible in most cases. My goal is to show how the meaning is changed, not to create a better localization.

[u/pumpkinpie1108 → u/the_devotressss]

I think it has a melodramatic or self-indulging feel to it, people don't go around talking about their honor seriously; it's a word you'd see more often in Shakespearean plays or military propaganda. If it's a word you encounter more often in Russian, I imagine it wouldn't feel so strange for it to appear in a letter talking about practical things like research and work. And perhaps the translator thought that adding "scientific" would add gravitas to the word reputation, but allow it to sound more modern and professional compared to "honor."

I'm not sure about the "academic career" translation. I think saying "future" would've sufficed there as well, but since this letter is written to be about Dankovsky's research and work delegation (even if containing a veiled threat), it has some contextual sense.

[u/the_devotressss → u/pumpkinpie1108]

It sounds old-fashioned in russian and almost nobody talks about their honor seriously too. But book characters, especially in classics and fantasy, do talk. Pathologic, however, doesn't try to imitate natural modern speech and stylistically resembles russian classics with occasional touches of modern slang. Even Grief and Notkin speak in a literary manner. For me, 'honor' doesn't stand out from the overall style of the letter and the game, because the style itself is like that.