Some Dialogue Questions

[JulianSull]

I'm working on dialogue and I was wondering how I would translate certain things into Oblivion English. For instance, there is no Hell in Oblivion. So how do they say these things:

"Who the hell are you?" (Hell doesn't exist, it's a christian term)

"When you want your eggs cooked right" (There are no chickens as far as I know in oblivion, including eggs that people eat)

"I'll throw it on the cooker" (They don't have ovens I don't think, cooker is I guess how British people say oven/stove? How exactly do they cook things?)

"What in God's name is that?" (Not God, but the Nine. "What in the Nine's names" doesn't sound right)

Also, I really hope Hell isn't crossing the line of the swearing policy...I don't really consider it much of a swear at all and I'm using the word as the actual place.

Edited January 25, 2011 by JulianSull

[Lanceor]

How about:

"Who the hell are you?" -> "Who in Oblivion are you?"

Eggs should be fine - the devs were too lazy to make models for chickens, cows etc. that's all

"I'll throw it on the cooker" would be understandable worldwide so I don't think it will cause too much concern. I imagine the Brits would say "stove" instead of cooker though.

"What in God's name is that?" -> "What in Akatosh's name is that?" or "What in the Nines is that?"

In real life, common idioms can't usually be translated literally into another language. For example, a common expression in Chinese is literally "Have you got it wrong?", but it would be more appropriately translated to "What on earth are you doing?" What that means is pick any expressions you think are appropriate.

Edited January 25, 2011 by Lanceor

[JulianSull]

"I'll throw it on the cooker" would be understandable worldwide so I don't think it will cause too much concern. I imagine the Brits would say "stove" instead of cooker though.

Heh I got that off of some website that is suppose to be a British word translator thing. That said, so very few people outside of Britain actually know how to have a correct accent. I think what in the Nine is that sounds pretty good.

Is there a "Heaven" in Oblivion?

[Mishaxhi]

Actually we say oven. We never use stove, that would be a hob

[ub3rman123]

They usually use references to the Nine Divines/Daedra when they need exclamations. And fire would probably work instead of cooker.

[DarkRider]

"Who the devil are you?" The term "devil" is derived from the term "diabolical" and as its not specific to a religious source, even though westerners will relate it to Christianity, it can be used properly as a generality.

"When you want your meal cooked right" No need to be specific unless that serves a purpose that's not clear here.

"I'll throw it on the fire" Look about, lots of fires in Cyrodiil. Alternatively if in an interior "I'll throw it on the hearth"

"Cor! What is that!?" I'd change it up, you already used a similar phrase, seems redundant to use this one to me.

[JulianSull]

Actually we say oven. We never use stove, that would be a hob

A hob? Hobo? Sigh, I can never fully trust websites that tell me how native British English speakers speak.

"Who the devil are you?" The term "devil" is derived from the term "diabolical" and as its not specific to a religious source, even though westerners will relate it to Christianity, it can be used properly as a generality.

Really...Still. I might ruin immersion for westerners who don't know that fact.

"Cor! What is that!?" I'd change it up, you already used a similar phrase, seems redundant to use this one to me.

I like the word Cor =D I have literally no idea what it means or what it comes from but I think it's something close to "Wo!"

They usually use references to the Nine Divines/Daedra when they need exclamations.

Sounds good to me. Once I get all this dialogue set up I'm going to start looking for voice actors.