fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2307 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2307 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Because another anon brought it up, I'm now curious has to how people view, say, an English fic with large chunks of dialogue written in Spanish.

I'm personally of the opinion that it's a bad idea unless a) you're fluent in both the languages you use and b) there was literally no other way to get across the Spanish/English language differences. I've never seen this be the case, though.

I think it's seriously annoying, and I tend to flounce on fics where I have to constantly look up translations. There's absolutely nothing worse than having the flow of a story continuously interrupted because there's so much foreign text everywhere.

I've only ever seen it with a few simple phrases that unintentionally translate to me as "I'm taking this language in high school!" I always backspace pretty hard out of them.

I think it's almost always people showing off their knowledge of multiple languages (usually with no in-fic reason) or horribly bastardizing the source language of the material to make the fic more "authentic" (common in anime fandoms.)

So...I dislike it. Strongly.

My rule of thumb for foreign languages is to include untranslated foreign words if there is no good translation, if the POV character does not understand, or at least is not fluent in, the language being spoken, or is someone is changing languages mid-dialogue. Maybe for a quotation or a fictitious quotation, too? Something to add flavor.

If there's not a translation provided, it irks me.

What really annoys me is when you have a fic where everyone is speaking the same language, which is being written as English because that's the language the fic is in, and the author insists upon dropping the five words they know of the language the characters are theoretically speaking whenever they possibly can. (Yes, it's cool you know a few words of Sindarin! I'm impressed! But since all the rest of the Sindarin dialogue is being rendered in English, throwing the words in is just... unbalancing things!)

Depending on what kind of fic it is and which characters...

I have no trouble with Sherlock randomly talking French, nor do I take an issue with it being written in French, even if I don't understand a word of what is written. It is all in how it is done and also give me the translation in some shape or form...

Like with everything it depends on how well it is actually done, a great author will make it work a less good author might not manage as well, but that is the same with any kind device used in fiction...

I feel the same as you mixed with the anon below you. I think it's something that's really hard to pull off well and that's one reason it has such a negative connotation. But done well? Those fics are an adventure and a joy. However, whether something is or is not to your* taste is just that, your taste. It doesn't make something horrible just because you, personally, don't like it. So let people write what they want to write.

I think I even read that ST fic the previous OP was talking about. I actually went looking for it to ask them if that was what they meant but couldn't find it.

*General you (from here on out)

I think people should write whatever they want to write.

I probably wouldn't read it because I can't read Spanish, but I wouldn't be upset about it. I'm obviously not the target audience.

I feel similarly to you. I know english and a language that can't be written down so if a fic uses anything other than english I have to decide whether I should continue to read it or not. I generally like language play but it's hard to do and if there's no translation then, yeah, I just assume the fic isn't for me and move on.

I know english and a language that can't be written down

Sign?

Got it in one.

[ SECRET POST #2307 ]

Fic containing multiple languages

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