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Prest0 Seasoned

Joined: 31 Dec 2003 Posts: 349
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:15 pm Post subject: [12 to Midnight] name the Black Guard |
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Some of you old 12 to Midnight fans have heard the little story behind Last Rites of the Black Guard and how we made a rookie translation error when we tried translating "Black Guard" to German. Jerry translated it as "Birkhuhn", which, as it turns out, doesn't mean Black Guard. It roughly translates as "little black chicken".
Now with a new edition of Last Rites hitting game stores next March, we finally have a chance to set things right. We're keeping Birkhuhn for sentimentality's sake, but we also want to put in a sidebar with the correct translation. That's where you come in. If you're a native German speaker or think you have what it takes to help us, please translate "Black Guard" correctly. We've translated it through Google as "Schwarz Wache", but we've learned the hard way that you have to be extra careful with translations.
Please post your responses below and one of you will get an acknowledgment in the book! Fire away! _________________ Preston P. DuBose
12 to Midnight
Tell yourself it's just a game.
Check out Buried Tales of Pinebox, TX! |
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JackAce Legendary

Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Posts: 3416 Location: 53°04'N 8°53'E
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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This is one of those cases where the simplest solution is the correct one:
Schwarze Garde
"Schwarz" is, of course, "Black".
And translating "Guard" with "Wache", as Google did, is technically correct, but as a name for a military unit, "Garde" would be used instead.
("The Guard is standing guard" would be "Die Garde steht Wache" )
Oh, and apparently Google translated each word seperately, with no regard for their grammatical relation. Both "Wache" and "Garde" are female nouns in German, so the adjective "Schwarz" needs to be in the female form "Schwarze" as well. _________________ Please Click:    |
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Jackson Veteran

Joined: 16 Oct 2003 Posts: 501 Location: Texas
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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Hey man! You da winner. Please send me your "real" name if you want and I'll be sure you get credit in Last Rites. Otherwise, I'll just use JackAce!
Thanks man,
Ed _________________ Keep it coming...
Last Rites, Ed's Midnight Tales, Realms of Cthulhu, Agents of Oblivion, and coming soon..Degrees of Horror. |
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Arbor_Productions Seasoned

Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 293 Location: Autumn Arbor, Maryland
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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Using: http://ets.freetranslation.com/
I also got the same result.
It's the site I also used for the Iron Reich in Dawn of Legends, to get the German version of certain names.
Going backwards from German to English, it translates as Black Corps., which might be as close a translation as we're gonna get. _________________ Lee F. Szczepanik, Jr.
Publisher, Arbor Productions
www.arborproductions.com |
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Dont Die Seasoned

Joined: 25 Sep 2008 Posts: 358 Location: Austin TX
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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I know y'all made your decision but just throwing this out there since my German is rusty (I was a translator way back when in the Army) and Last Rites is one of the 12 to Midnight products I haven't gotten yet but you could also try:
Schwartze Schutz
Google translate Schutz as protection but it can be also in reference an organization like the Bundesgrenzschutz (AKA the BGS) or the Schutzstaffel which we know as the SS. _________________ Proud Member of the RPG Bloggers Network & the Role Play Media Network |
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Clint Site Admin

Joined: 13 May 2003 Posts: 16271
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject: Re: [12 to Midnight] name the Black Guard |
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| Prest0 wrote: | | ...please translate "Black Guard" correctly. |
Clint's Commandos!
Which is an entirely different thing from "Clint's going commando."  _________________ Clint Black
Savage Worlds Core Rules Brand Manager
www.peginc.com |
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jpk Legendary
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 2178 Location: Tazewell, East Tennessee, USA
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject: Re: [12 to Midnight] name the Black Guard |
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| Clint wrote: | Clint's Commandos!
Which is an entirely different thing from "Clint's going commando."  |
You know, when I didn't have a laptop, I could run my keyboard through the dishwasher. I don't know how I'm going to feel less dirty now... |
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JackAce Legendary

Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Posts: 3416 Location: 53°04'N 8°53'E
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Dont Die wrote: | ...but you could also try:
Schwartze Schutz |
Eh... Not really!
| Dont Die wrote: | | Google translate Schutz as protection but it can be also in reference an organization like the Bundesgrenzschutz (AKA the BGS) or the Schutzstaffel which we know as the SS. |
"Schutzstaffel" literally means "Protection Squadron". It could also be translated with "Security Force". This organization started its existence as a group of bodyguards for Nazi leaaders, but there's nothing about "Guards" in that name.
Likewise, the Bundesgrenzschutz is the German Border Guard, but the name literally means "Federal Border Protection (...Service)".
Also, there's no "t" in "Schwarz".
All I get from that link is a blank page...  _________________ Please Click:    |
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Dont Die Seasoned

Joined: 25 Sep 2008 Posts: 358 Location: Austin TX
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Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:14 am Post subject: |
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Like I said my German is really rusty. Haven't used it many years. _________________ Proud Member of the RPG Bloggers Network & the Role Play Media Network |
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Arbor_Productions Seasoned

Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 293 Location: Autumn Arbor, Maryland
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Ron Blessing Heroic

Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 1507 Location: Thornton, CO
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Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:17 pm Post subject: Re: [12 to Midnight] name the Black Guard |
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| jpk wrote: | | Clint wrote: | Clint's Commandos!
Which is an entirely different thing from "Clint's going commando."  |
You know, when I didn't have a laptop, I could run my keyboard through the dishwasher. I don't know how I'm going to feel less dirty now... |
I suppose you could go with Clint's Going Commandos if you were looking to really ramp up the horror aspect of the story. _________________ Ron Blessing
Check out:
Gamer: The Blogging
The Game's the Thing |
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jpk Legendary
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 2178 Location: Tazewell, East Tennessee, USA
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Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:19 pm Post subject: Re: [12 to Midnight] name the Black Guard |
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| Ron Blessing wrote: | | I suppose you could go with Clint's Going Commandos if you were looking to really ramp up the horror aspect of the story. |
And I'm sure those background music GMs out there would have to pick a good theme thong...
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Prest0 Seasoned

Joined: 31 Dec 2003 Posts: 349
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:51 am Post subject: |
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For some reason "bom-chicka-bom-bom" isn't exactly the kind of mood we were trying to strike with this adventure. Although... that would be pretty frightening during the end encounter! _________________ Preston P. DuBose
12 to Midnight
Tell yourself it's just a game.
Check out Buried Tales of Pinebox, TX! |
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