FOR WRITERS
Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Christine Wright:
Addressing alien languages in your books? Did you write them and have a character / device translate, left it untranslated or just have everyone basically speak English or another basic human language?
“Addressing alien languages in your books?”
Frequently.
“Did you write them and have a character / device translate,”
Occasionally.
“left it untranslated or just have everyone basically speak English or another basic human language?”
Rarely.
More often, if I’m using other languages, it’s because they matter to the plot and characterization, so I deal with them in more depth. This frequently involves the character(s) learning a new language.
I typically write the dialog in the original language, then include a translation or paraphrase after it.
I’m about ready to give up on this website, though. The animated blinking sidebar drives me nuts.
“animated blinking sidebar” … such things should be eschewed. Try an ad-blocker like Ad Blocker Pro… maybe that’s why I don’t get the sidebar.
I once wrote a (DOS) program called Syllabator, which did nothing but connect syllables together and match those words with English words input from a file. Done thus, it would be an “English” cypher, and would just LOOK alien.