Cross-language fun

[Deamonian]

So, let me tell you a story from an MMORPG I am playing, Dungeons and dragons online.
It all started an fateful morning when I had just logged onto my wizard (a humble level two adventurer), what happened just after was that I was challenged to a duel from a complete stranger. I, not being much of a PvP enthusiast declined the invitation, but immediately received another.
I took the time and explained to the other player the situation, and instead offer to do a few 'runs' (runs being short for running a dungeon, an expression used for playing quests in the game,) and the player accepted.
It soon showed that the player did not speak the common language of the game, English, and told me that he was Italian.
the first run we did was awkward and not verry efficiently performed as he only understood fragments of what I said, and I understood even less of his text.

I then decided to try something completely new, to run the conversation through Google translate.
I immediately opened two new flaps on my favorite internet browser (Google chrome, if anyone is wondering) and opened two pages of Google translate, setting one to translate from English to Italian, and the other one the reverse.
In my first post, I explained the situation, and what ensued was 40 minutes of cross-nationality fun. We played several dungeons, although us being a wizard and a Barb-fighter, not all of them were successful, we had fun.
Towards the end, my companion declared that I was his best in-game buddy, because I was the only one who tried, and succeeded to communicate with him.

So, after we split up, I can't help but think I did a really good thing, helping some poor chap who couldn't find anyone to play with to experience the game as it should be played, -together with friends-.

I just wanted to share this little story with everyone, and would be happy if you guys could share some heart-warming experiences as well.

 

[JoJo]

Can't think of much, other than once in France my younger sister met a French little girl and I tried and failed to use my french GSCE to translate between the two of them... helped me realise how little I actually know of the language...

Actually, one other conversation in France comes to mind, though it happen a while ago so this is slightly paraphased:

Guy: Bonjour
Me: Actually, I'm English
Guy: So am I
Me: LOL

 

[Deamonian]

It's his own damn fault for not knowing English. If you live in Europe and don't know simple English you're either an uneducated slacker or just plain dumb for choosing another language over it. It's the modern Latin after all.

Well, far from every european country would agree with you on that one.
And the statement itself is somewhat invalid as there are verry many nations where English isn't spoken at all, including france, most south-american nations, large parts of asia, much of the middle east, and large parts of africa (I don't speak from pure experience, altough I pick up things from the areas I've visited. I am certain there are many in these areas who speak English, I just doubt there are any majorities counted among them, but no matter).
As an example, I was in France once, and there everything is dubbed to french. Every movie, TV-show and commersial. But now we're getting off-topic.

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

that's pretty cool. but it makes me think back (mostly fondly, but partly hilariously) to the translator function that FFXI used. {good times!}

 

[Xenmut]

It's his own damn fault for not knowing English. If you live in Europe and don't know simple English you're either an uneducated slacker or just plain dumb for choosing another language over it. It's the modern Latin after all.

Well, far from every european country would agree with you on that one.
And the statement itself is somewhat invalid as there are verry many nations where English isn't spoken at all, including france, most south-american nations, large parts of asia, much of the middle east, and large parts of africa (I don't speak from pure experience, altough I pick up things from the areas I've visited. I am certain there are many in these areas who speak English, I just doubt there are any majorities counted among them, but no matter).
As an example, I was in France once, and there everything is dubbed to french. Every movie, TV-show and commersial. But now we're getting off-topic.

Im from Venezuela (Latin America) and to be honest the only reason i speak english is because of games!(god knows how many hours i spended playing UO and WOW with a dictionary by my side) =D moslty we dont get dubbed games (original scripts are the best anyways), but aside of that and other little addictions(fanfics & other stuff) i've never really nevar had interest in english as a lenguage. Most ppl in my country or in other countries dont know english at all (just few words and curses like always) not for being slakers but cuz they dont need it.

Im now livin in Munich, Germany, and i thought hey! first world EVERYONE should be bound to talk english fluently, but i was wrong, they got a good education though. And well then u realice that english is not so mainstream or relevant to most ppl. Like Demonian sayd, just like in France here everything is dubbed to german

Not saying ist not important, sry it is! its the business lenguage and the first lenguage of internet. But there will pass a lot of time to even try to become the new babel tower lenguage. Kukulski, what other lenguages do you speak? =) or want to learn?

definitely ist important nowadays to learn a lenguage not just for work, but to live. And it not necesarily have to be english, many ppl talk about Mandarin, but the chinese dont have still the power to dominate, even though they got the amount of ppl D=

 

[Coraxian]

Well, seeing as English isn't my own mother tongue I guess almost every conversation on the internet is something like that to me, so I'll pick something from the internet I hope is in line with the topic.

When I played WoW, my two main characters were alliance, mostly because I had always played paladins in rpg's and they were alliance only back in the day. I wasn't at all interested in pvp past level 20 or so, but I always loved the communication through means of body language (granted, pixilated bodies, but bodies nonetheless).

On several occasions, when I was in a zone with hardly anyone there and was taking on quests well above my level I would find that a horde character was the only one doing the same quest. We ended up helping each other, fighting twice, letting each other get the tag and even accopanying one another at the following quests. It's one of those moments where you feel a little bit better about humanity as a whole .

Not internet related: Apart from other professional experiences, the biggest one was when I was starting up a new factory in Eastern Europe over the course of a year and a half. During the first months I was practically surrounded by people who didn't speak any languages I spoke (forcing me to learn a bit of their language), but with difficulty we all got it up and running. Especially with the main mechanic I remember pointing at parts and giving them names during "conversation". It changed me for the better, I think.

 

[Tharwen]

A friend and I once went on a French server on WoW several years ago (we were about 13) and started messaging random people in basic French.

What started with a pre-GCSE-level statement about swimming pools ended up with some French guy raving about Haribo...

 

[randomsix]

If I misunderstand your post a little bit I can tell you all that the persian word for snow is barf.

But really OT: Never play scrabble with german exchange students. It's uncannyridiculous the kind of websteresque clairvoyance they have.

 

[Deamonian]

Well, seeing as English isn't my own mother tongue I guess almost every conversation on the internet is something like that to me, so I'll pick something from the internet I hope is in line with the topic.

When I played WoW, my two main characters were alliance, mostly because I had always played paladins in rpg's and they were alliance only back in the day. I wasn't at all interested in pvp past level 20 or so, but I always loved the communication through means of body language (granted, pixilated bodies, but bodies nonetheless).

On several occasions, when I was in a zone with hardly anyone there and was taking on quests well above my level I would find that a horde character was the only one doing the same quest. We ended up helping each other, fighting twice, letting each other get the tag and even accopanying one another at the following quests. It's one of those moments where you feel a little bit better about humanity as a whole .

Not internet related: Apart from other professional experiences, the biggest one was when I was starting up a new factory in Eastern Europe over the course of a year and a half. During the first months I was practically surrounded by people who didn't speak any languages I spoke (forcing me to learn a bit of their language), but with difficulty we all got it up and running. Especially with the main mechanic I remember pointing at parts and giving them names during "conversation". It changed me for the better, I think.

That wow-related story really does inspire faith in humanity, something desperately needed now that the news are flooded by inhumane cruelty and such (, and has anyone stayed updated on that Libya rebellion? I hope they are succeding. Go freedom!).

 

[Fetzenfisch]

It's his own damn fault for not knowing English. If you live in Europe and don't know simple English you're either an uneducated slacker or just plain dumb for choosing another language over it. It's the modern Latin after all.

Well, far from every european country would agree with you on that one.
And the statement itself is somewhat invalid as there are verry many nations where English isn't spoken at all, including france, most south-american nations, large parts of asia, much of the middle east, and large parts of africa (I don't speak from pure experience, altough I pick up things from the areas I've visited. I am certain there are many in these areas who speak English, I just doubt there are any majorities counted among them, but no matter).
As an example, I was in France once, and there everything is dubbed to french. Every movie, TV-show and commersial. But now we're getting off-topic.

Im from Venezuela (Latin America) and to be honest the only reason i speak english is because of games!(god knows how many hours i spended playing UO and WOW with a dictionary by my side) =D moslty we dont get dubbed games (original scripts are the best anyways), but aside of that and other little addictions(fanfics & other stuff) i've never really nevar had interest in english as a lenguage. Most ppl in my country or in other countries dont know english at all (just few words and curses like always) not for being slakers but cuz they dont need it.

Im now livin in Munich, Germany, and i thought hey! first world EVERYONE should be bound to talk english fluently, but i was wrong, they got a good education though. And well then u realice that english is not so mainstream or relevant to most ppl. Like Demonian sayd, just like in France here everything is dubbed to german

Not saying ist not important, sry it is! its the business lenguage and the first lenguage of internet. But there will pass a lot of time to even try to become the new babel tower lenguage. Kukulski, what other lenguages do you speak? =) or want to learn?

definitely ist important nowadays to learn a lenguage not just for work, but to live. And it not necesarily have to be english, many ppl talk about Mandarin, but the chinese dont have still the power to dominate, even though they got the amount of ppl D=

posts like Kukulski's usually come from ignorant English speakers that are either not interested or just too lazy to learn another language and open up to the new insights this process grants them. I personally think that no one that calls himself educated should live without at least one foreign language. It gives you a completely new feel for the culture, the literature ( translations never work) and the people. And it plainly gives you access to media that never get translated in the first place. Newspages, Newspapers, Magazines,TV Shows,Movies all the things that make it possible to see how other countries look at the developments just outside your own door.