Author Topic: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language  (Read 6598 times)

Offline AngelEve

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Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« on: September 21, 2007, 06:31:55 pm »
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'm getting so frustrated. I've noticed recently that a few stories are being posted in French and German at the BB Slash LJ Community site and I'm having a nightmare trying to find out if there's anyway of changing the actual chapters to English?? The annoying thing is that the summary's are in English and this gets you interested, so it really bugs me that you can't understand them when you open the author's link. Does anyone know a way round this?? If not, would it be really rude of me to suggest that these stories not be posted as it seems pointless if no-one can read them.

Regards
Eve

Offline Sharon

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2007, 10:43:25 am »
Welcome Angel Eve, I know how you feel!
I`m from Germany and it is really frustrating if you don`t understand all.
For me there are hundreds of posts and many things to translate.
A side wich is working fine for me by the German - English translation is:


You can not put the whole text in it, but words and sentences.
You have to spend more time, but it is more exact than babelfish!
Sometimes I skip fom babelfish to dict.cc. and back!  ;)

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2007, 09:26:54 pm »
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'm getting so frustrated. I've noticed recently that a few stories are being posted in French and German at the BB Slash LJ Community site and I'm having a nightmare trying to find out if there's anyway of changing the actual chapters to English?? The annoying thing is that the summary's are in English and this gets you interested, so it really bugs me that you can't understand them when you open the author's link. Does anyone know a way round this?? If not, would it be really rude of me to suggest that these stories not be posted as it seems pointless if no-one can read them.

Regards
Eve

I think your complaint is a legitimate one but you should take it to the moderators of the BBM Slash LJ community. They are the folks who can deal with your concern. As far as I know, we have only links to English stories posted here...although I know my story, A Love Born From Steel, has been translated into German and Russian.

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mvansand76

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2007, 05:02:52 am »
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'm getting so frustrated. I've noticed recently that a few stories are being posted in French and German at the BB Slash LJ Community site and I'm having a nightmare trying to find out if there's anyway of changing the actual chapters to English?? The annoying thing is that the summary's are in English and this gets you interested, so it really bugs me that you can't understand them when you open the author's link. Does anyone know a way round this?? If not, would it be really rude of me to suggest that these stories not be posted as it seems pointless if no-one can read them.

Regards
Eve

I have already sent the mods on bbslash an email about this. I asked them if people who posted a different language story could also write the summary in that language and have a title in that language so that nobody gets confused. I don't know if they've done anything with my comment.

Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2007, 07:38:31 am »
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'm getting so frustrated. I've noticed recently that a few stories are being posted in French and German at the BB Slash LJ Community site and I'm having a nightmare trying to find out if there's anyway of changing the actual chapters to English?? The annoying thing is that the summary's are in English and this gets you interested, so it really bugs me that you can't understand them when you open the author's link. Does anyone know a way round this?? If not, would it be really rude of me to suggest that these stories not be posted as it seems pointless if no-one can read them.

Regards
Eve

As far as I know there's nothing you can do to be able to read those stories (except for learing those languages, lol  ;)). There are translation programmes on the internet, but they don't make much sense. 

To be honest, I have another opinion than you and the others who have repiled here. I've never seen a story in French at BBS, only Spanish and German. First, all the stories have stated the different language in the first line of their posting. Second, there are only a few authours who write in languages other than English and it doesn't take more than a few days to know their names. It's not difficult to ignore their postings, is it?
Third, at least one of them has asked for help to translate their story/stories to English. S/He would like for the English speaking people to be able to read her/his stories, but just isn't able to. One of her/his stories is now translated to English. This is a benefit for the whole community - and it wouldn't have happened if the story hadn't been posted in German first.

Also I don't think it's true that stories in foreign languages don't get read. For example, there are quite a few Germans on BBS and the stories do get FB. Therefore I don't think it's pointless to post them.

But the the most important point is, that there are people out there who aren't able to read fanfiction in English. I think we, who can read so many stories, should not begrudge them this possibility.

Bottom line is, I think it's good that there are stories in other languages and I think it's not truly a sign of liberality to ask the moderators that these stories should not be posted anymore.
About the summaries I'm a bit on the fence: one one side, it wouldn't hurt to post them in the respective language, on the other side, in at least one case it has led to an English version of a story --> benefit for all, like I said above.

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2007, 08:00:43 am »
Thanks for weighing in, Chrissi. Lots of good info there and lots of good thoughts.

My point was only that bringing up the issue here, at Bettermost, wouldn't do anything to change the situation over at BBSlash.

Also, if it's all right with everyone, I am going to move this thread to the fanfiction board. I think there are some issues worth discussing and I would like to keep the conversation going.

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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2007, 09:02:35 am »
Thanks for weighing in, Chrissi. Lots of good info there and lots of good thoughts.

Thanks darlin  :-*

Quote
My point was only that bringing up the issue here, at Bettermost, wouldn't do anything to change the situation over at BBSlash.

Agreed

Quote
Also, if it's all right with everyone, I am going to move this thread to the fanfiction board. I think there are some issues worth discussing and I would like to keep the conversation going.

Leslie
Moderator, Fanfic

All right with me  :)

Offline mariez

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2007, 11:17:19 am »
Lots of good thoughts ....and it's always interesting to hear different perspectives. 

I'm always pleased to see fanfic posted in a language other than English.  I see it as a wonderful sign of the universality of Brokeback Mountain.  Annie P's story (and the movie) may have been written in English originally, but its message is not confined to any one language.   It's also one of the great things about the internet, I get a chance to leave my own small world and interact with others across the globe. I'm always grateful (not to mention impressed) at the wonderful command of the English language that so many non-native English speakers have.   For myself, unfortunately, the only other language I could possibly attempt to read would be French, and even that would be verrrry slow going at best. But, as I haven't yet seen a story in French, I'll probably not get a chance to put this to a test.

As Chrissi pointed out, fans of Brokeback Mountain and fanfic readers come from all over the world.  I've noticed one wonderful commenter always replies in Spanish; he or she can obviously comprehend enough English to understand the story, but finds it harder to express comments in English.  I think that's great - most of the authors are able to either translate the replies or glean enough to get an understanding, and they always seem appreciative of the effort. 

I view the Spanish and German postings as a plus, and they remind me that there must be a lot of non-English speakers who are frustrated that they are unable to read the great majority of the fanfics posted at BBSlash, and how fortunate I am that I can.   :)

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2007, 12:17:48 pm »


As Chrissi pointed out, fans of Brokeback Mountain and fanfic readers come from all over the world.  I've noticed one wonderful commenter always replies in Spanish; he or she can obviously comprehend enough English to understand the story, but finds it harder to express comments in English.  I think that's great - most of the authors are able to either translate the replies or glean enough to get an understanding, and they always seem appreciative of the effort. 



Yeah, I know who you mean, she comments on my stories too and I always throw her comment in a translating machine! LOL! There are so many people commenting from all over the world and I love it!

The only thing is that on bbslash some people who post German language stories post their whole announcement of the story (summaries, etc.) in English and give their stories English titles and I wonder why they do that? I find that confusing for people on bbslash.

That doesn't mean that I think that they shouldn't post, because I love it when there's stories out there in other languages, even if I can't read them (well, Ok, I could read the German ones, but I prefer not to because my German is not as good as my English and Dutch).

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2007, 12:36:44 pm »
 



         It is just too bad that the English speaking countries,,dont tend to learn the other languages, as readily as the Europeans learn English.. I for one am guilty.  I cant speak any languages other than English well enough to read a story in them...However there are lots of people world wide that can.  So I dont think there is a solution to your problem, other than to either ignore them.  Or learn to read the other languages...
          There has to be a following, or they would not continue.




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Offline aileen

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2007, 04:56:04 am »
I think it's good that people write their stories in languages other than english:) But of course I hope those stories would be translated someday  ;D English is not my native language and I'm grateful I know it well enough to read stories in it. First fanfic I read was "Human interest" and I spent many hours with dictionary trying to understand it  :o Right now, after a year and a half  of reading BBM slash everyday I can read with full understanding (not that I can express myself in that language quite as good ;)) So I can tell - even though I was learning english in high school, I really learnt it reading slash :) (thank you, Ms Proulx, thank you Ang Lee and big thank you all authors at the fandom:))

Maybe someday, if I am determined enough I would learn german the same way:) Or spanish:) If I'm not too lazy, because english is the easiest language in the world and the other two are much more difficult :-\

Offline twistedude

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Re: Fan Fiction Posted in Another Language
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2007, 04:31:11 am »
Came here expecting ome good french or german links--and--NOTHIN! A lot a bitching. There's hundreds of thousands of words of English fanfic to read.
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