Square-Enix translator discusses the infamous Final Fantasy VI line change
A portion of a RPGamer interview Square Enix translator Tom Slattery...
RPG: One change that bothered me was Setzer's line when joining the team.
SNES: "The Empire's made me a rich man."
vs.
GBA: "The Empire's been bad for business."
The original made it seem like Setzer was taking a gamble by joining, but the new translation made it seem like he really had no choice. Not saying that the new was less accurate, but it just seemed to fit better originally. Can you speak to the thinking behind this change?
TS: It may have made Setzer appear to be making a more dramatic and nobler transformation, but that was a mistranslation in the original English script, plain and simple. The expression used in Setzer's Japanese line is an idiomatic one, shoubaiga agattari, meaning "business has dried up." Setzer is beginning to reveal that he has no personal love of the Empire, acknowledging that it has been hurting him financially. Celes jumps on this first sign of receptiveness to their appeal, saying literally "It's not just you," and encouraging him to think about all of the other people who are likewise suffering at the hands of the Empire.
My guess is that the original translator was not familiar with the idiom and translated it literally, assuming it meant business had "gone up," or improved, rather than "evaporated." That was a rather major departure from what was intended there, however, and presumably a wholly unintentional one on the part of the translator. So, there was really very little in the way of a thought process there. I recognized the mistake for what it was and corrected it.
It wasn't as though Setzer had no choice in the matter. An act of open rebellion against the Empire put him at great personal risk, so it was still a huge gamble on his part. However, he had reasons for arriving at the decision beyond a sudden and inexplicable desire to do good. There has always been a fair amount of homage to Star Wars in Final Fantasy (see: "Aren't you a little short to be an Imperial trooper?"), and I think it's fairly safe to say Setzer is our Han Solo. He hates the Empire, loves his money, and doesn't want to join the rebellion, but in the end he follows the right path--in hopes of getting the girl.
Full interview here
link
RPG: One change that bothered me was Setzer's line when joining the team.
SNES: "The Empire's made me a rich man."
vs.
GBA: "The Empire's been bad for business."
The original made it seem like Setzer was taking a gamble by joining, but the new translation made it seem like he really had no choice. Not saying that the new was less accurate, but it just seemed to fit better originally. Can you speak to the thinking behind this change?
TS: It may have made Setzer appear to be making a more dramatic and nobler transformation, but that was a mistranslation in the original English script, plain and simple. The expression used in Setzer's Japanese line is an idiomatic one, shoubaiga agattari, meaning "business has dried up." Setzer is beginning to reveal that he has no personal love of the Empire, acknowledging that it has been hurting him financially. Celes jumps on this first sign of receptiveness to their appeal, saying literally "It's not just you," and encouraging him to think about all of the other people who are likewise suffering at the hands of the Empire.
My guess is that the original translator was not familiar with the idiom and translated it literally, assuming it meant business had "gone up," or improved, rather than "evaporated." That was a rather major departure from what was intended there, however, and presumably a wholly unintentional one on the part of the translator. So, there was really very little in the way of a thought process there. I recognized the mistake for what it was and corrected it.
It wasn't as though Setzer had no choice in the matter. An act of open rebellion against the Empire put him at great personal risk, so it was still a huge gamble on his part. However, he had reasons for arriving at the decision beyond a sudden and inexplicable desire to do good. There has always been a fair amount of homage to Star Wars in Final Fantasy (see: "Aren't you a little short to be an Imperial trooper?"), and I think it's fairly safe to say Setzer is our Han Solo. He hates the Empire, loves his money, and doesn't want to join the rebellion, but in the end he follows the right path--in hopes of getting the girl.
Full interview here
link
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