German Translation Improvements

Airport CEO Support
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Hi everyone, because the new translation of ACEO is now released, it would be good to have thread to discuss it a little bit. I think its all in all ok, but definitely needs some polishing. So we should make and discuss some alternative phrases to help the devs, so that they can focus on developing the actual game.

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I think one example is the “Auftragnehmer vor Ort” for “contractor site”. In my opinion this sounds a bit weird, since its reads like somebody shouts “Hey the contractors are on site” and not like a location on your airport. Maybe “Auftragnehmer Ankunftsort” would be a better term. (Report 16663)

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Another one is the a flight is delayed message. The current translation is “Der Flug 
 ist an 
 zu spĂ€t dran. Möchtest du den Flug um eine Stunde verspĂ€tet eintreffen lassen?”. The last sentence says something like “Do you want to delay the arrival of the flight by one hour?” No necessarily wrong, because if the flight departs one hour later it maybe arrives one hour later as well :slight_smile:. But to refer more to the depature with " Möchtest du den Flug um eine Stunde verspĂ€tet abheben lassen?" or “Möchtest du den Flug um eine Stunde verspĂ€tet starten lassen?” would be more clear. (Report 16664)

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I’d call the contractor site “Arbeiter-Sammelstelle” (as it’s actually the location where they all come together and wait for work). If it sounds too much like recycling, you could as well use “Sammelpunkt” or “Sammelplatz”.

For the flight delay, I’d say “Flug number an Parkposition stand name ist unpĂŒnktlich. Möchtest du den Abflug um eine Stunde verschieben?”
Sounds more natural. If you stay too close with the English sentence, it will always sound a bit weird.

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The strange thing about this is
even as a German, the German localization is not important to me compared with other features to do. Could have to do with the fact that English is mandatory at German schools so many people will get the idea of what is written in the game in English and for vocabulary in question ask their smartphones. Absurdly, the translation creates more problems when the translation made by a third party hits the native speakers. Otherwise, this is a very productive community, so I believe you will get the fine-polishing for free in a reasonable amount of time if you care for such a thing. As long as it is not like ‘All your base is belong to us!!’ - I guess we can live with it.

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@Alexander you might wanna check this topic out :blush:

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I’d prefer “Arbeiter-Sammelplatz”, but there are all fine. Probably one has to think about replacing “Auftragnehmer” with “Arbeiter” in general, because it describes not really what they are doing, as long as you are not talking about the company. Another related point is, that in the turtorial the “contrator site” is called “Baustelle”. Could be confusing for new players?

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“Baustelle” for the contractor site is wrong, so it should be changed in the tutorial. “Baustelle” is “construction site” which is a different location. So you’re right, it will be confusing.

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Some years ago, I heard news about a Lufthansa engineer got in trouble because he used to talk about “FlĂŒgel” instead using the word “wings”. Not sure if that’s true, but it shows that many terms in the airline business are used in English. Even passengers rather say “airline” instead “Luftfahrtgesellschaft”.

When I looked at the translation I immediately notice that not all texts where translated by a native German speaker. This would have make more thinks sound natural.
When I read that you hired a professional translation office I thought maybe an organised user-based translation would lead to better results (and I still think so).
I was thinking about making a list of corrections and proposals for better German terms but then stopped because it was too much effort for one person without the sources.
But now the proposals start to come in and I think it’s not too late to steer the user base here. Give us the translation tables (excel or csv) with a unique id, the English expression, German expression now, some explanation in which context it is used. I’m sure many of us will gladly propose other words and we could have a discussion beyond the go-live of the final game. :slight_smile:

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Yes, the list would be nice. And context is very important, missing context is where bad translations come up.
What would be really cool - if possible - would be an ingame editor. For example through a shortcut or the F10 menu activate a “text chooser”. If it’s activated, you can just click on any text and an editor for that text will open (prefilled with the current text templates including variables; a check should make sure the variables will still all be in the new text). The player corrects the text, presses enter and the text will automatically be uploaded into a database.
That way the devs could easily get translation feedback out of the game and if there are several possible translations, they could choose the one most players send in (or decide themselves / create a voting here / whatever).

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Could there be another typo be at work? What if they meant constructors - people building stuff and not contractors - although construction worker would be more precise in English I think - as a non-native? My guts would say ‘Bauarbeiter’ and this covers all people being involved in constructing a house or bigger structure. On construction sites we have ‘Baustelleneinrichtungen’ which just means special road segments for the workers and their machines and material to enter the construction site and all related area where the workers are working. We might step away from having a material offloading site and on top of that a place where the workers are shuttled to. Basically this area is roughly the same. No entry for anyone except construction workers. Usually this has storage ‘bays’ for delivered materials, parking space for machines not currently in use, road access for trucks delivering stuff and barracks for workers making a break, going to the loo or housing a small bureau for the architect supervising the construction - all container-style.
Take a look at this link leading to german wikipedia: Baustelleneinrichtung – Wikipedia
The upper right picture shows what I mean. There are containers, vehicles can enter and offload, there is construction material and not such a thing like a simple bus stop in other colors.
The Contractor seems to be the ‘Bauunternehmer’. There also is the translation ‘Auftragnehmer’, but it is odd at this position. i.e. Bauunternehmer/contractor is the juristical person owning and leading the construction office and has the construction workers as employees or hired via subcontractors. The ‘contractors’ from the game are in fact construction workers like carpenters, masons, electricians etc.
So in fact, you may phone the contractor i.e. the ‘Bauunternehmer’, but have construction workers ‘Bauarbeiter’ on site. So: Bauunternehmer (a person owning a company) /Bauunternehmen (a company errecting houses and structures) for the contract entity like Brickley and construction workers/ Bauarbeiter for the sprites running around and do the work.

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@Alexander will probably pass by this thread tomorrow and look through your valuable feedback! :sunglasses:

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Some things that got into my eye:

  • UI low button description:
  1. Terminal → this is o.k. Abfertigungshalle would be o.k. as well.
  2. Flugzeuginfrastruktur → this is very clunky and I doubt us Germans would use that it is literally translated ‘infrastrukture of an airplane’. The correct term seems to be ‘Zuwegung’ and ‘luftseitiger Bereich’. The first is the term used to describe parking lots, bus stands etc. before the terminal and luftseitiger Bereich everything behind the Terminal. ‘Flughafeninfrastruktur’ would be o.k. as well.
  3. Infrastuktur und Transportierung → simply: no. Transportierung is grammatically wrong and out ofd syntax. ‘Straßenbau und Nahverkehr’ is the term you are looking for.
  4. GepÀckbandsystem is o.k.
  5. Personal is o.k. ‘Flughafenpersonal’ would be more specific and nicer
  6. Sicherheit is o.k. - we also use the term security in Germany. If you plan to implement customs as well, this menu would be the right place to go and the designation ‘Security und Zoll’ would be appropriate.
  7. Toilette → use the plural ‘Toiletten’ oder ‘SanitĂ€re Einrichtungen’ - the latter sounds more eloquent and expert-like.
  8. GeschĂ€fte is o.k. ‘Ladenlokale’ could be an option.
  9. Restaurants und Cafés is o.k.
  10. SitzplĂ€tze
is too vague. ‘Sitzgelegenheiten’ would be more precise. We would use SitzplĂ€tze like ‘Das Stadion hat 40.000 SitzplĂ€tze’ oder ‘Das Auto hat 5 SitzplĂ€tze’ meaning seats. Various objects to sit on and at are called ‘seating’ and we Germans say ‘Sitzgelegenheiten’ or ‘Sitzmöbel’ to this.
    The other buttons are o.k. in the lower menu.

IN the UI menu:
Description Terminal:
Terminal-Fundament 
yeah, this could work. Description is wonky. Better: ‘Du benötigst ein Fundament, um auf ihm andere Strukturen im Terminal zu errichten.’
Boden 
 use either plural ‘Böden’ oder ‘Fußböden’. Change ‘dein’ to ‘Dein’.
Variations: Backstein is not Backstein, but either ‘Fliesen’ or ‘Kacheln’ - the ceramic stuff you put into restrooms.
TĂŒren: Description wonky: Better: ‘Durch TĂŒren können sich Angestellte und Passagiere in andere RĂ€ume bewegen’ - but
everyone knows what a door does anyways
just sayin’
Fenster: There is a comma missing after second word and better to talk about windows in plural. Sounds better. ‘Ermöglichen es,
’
Personalbereich: Missing comma and ‘zu’ instead of ‘in’ at ‘Eine Zone, zu der nur
’
‘Essensraum’: Wrong word. We don’t have that. Call it ‘Gastronomiebereich’
‘GeschĂ€ftsraum’: Same here. Call it ‘Ladenbereich’

That is what I found before going to sleep. Hope this helps @Alexander

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Awesome feedback. Will notify @Alexander of it tomorrow!

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Thank you so much for this! Most of your suggestions will be implemented with the next deployment :smiley:

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I plan to take a closer look at the other buttons later this evening. If my help is appreciated, I am glad to provide it. No completion guaranteed, but what I see and think is wrong - well, I can tell you.

Here we go:
UI submenu ‘Flugzeuginfrastruktur’ (remember: word is wrong) - ‘Infrastruktur fĂŒr Flugbetrieb’ could be a good one as well:
kleine Landebahn 
 o.k.
Einfahrt/Ausfahrt
o.k.
Flugzeug-Standplatz
can work. The german wiki uses the term ‘Parkpositionen’. The word ‘Stand’ would probably work as well as the work is adopted into our language.
Rollfeld-Fundament
o.k. I would have done ‘Rollfeld: Fundament’ or ‘Fundamente fĂŒr das Rollfeld’ but I guess this is in the eye of the Beholder
Rollfeldpfad 
 o.k.
Betonfeld 
could work
although my stomach tells me something is odd about this one. Maybe ‘Betonierte FlĂ€chen’?
Treibstofflager 
 o.k. although I would mention that you cannot add fuel tanks to small depots in the description
Treibstofftank 
o.k.
Cateringlager 
 basically o.k. although I believe we would rather not use that. If you would name the item ‘Bordverpflegung’ and alter the description to ‘Zu diesem GebĂ€ude werden Zutaten per LKW geliefert und anschließend zu Mahlzeiten fĂŒr hungrige Passagiere verarbeitet, bevor sie mit Catering-Trucks zu Flugzeugen gebracht werden. Diese mĂŒssen extra erworben werden. Das GebĂ€ude benötigt sowohl eine Anbindung an eine öffentliche Straße als auch zu einer Versorgungsstrasse.’ Mind, that the word Dienststrasse does not exist in German unless it is a name for a road. The term ‘Versorgungsstrasse is correct’ as well as ‘Andienungsstrasse’ although that one is very seldom used outside specialist vocabulary in the field of traffic.
EnteisungsflÀche 
o.k.
Enteisungsmittellager 
o.k.
MĂŒlldeponie 
 I would call that ‘Entsorgungsdepot’. A MĂŒlldeponie is a large garbage dump or sinkhole, so the word is wrong.
Flugverkehrskontrollturm 
 correct, but ‘Kontrollturm’ or ‘Tower’ is commonly used as well. Very official word you have chosen.
Wetterstation 
 Change description to ‘Sammelt Wetterdaten in der Umgebung Deines Flughafens. Aktiviert die Anzeige fĂŒr Wetter im Dashboard’

This would be the second button including submenus in the lower UI. Hope I did not forget anything. Will do more, if time allows.

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Next menu: ‘Infrastruktur und Transportierung’ - mind to remove this wrong description.

Öffentliche Strasse 
 o.k.
Dienststrasse 
 The term you are looking for is ‘Versorgungsstrasse’ or ‘Andienungsstrasse’
Strassentunnel 
 'Tunnel would be fine as well. There is probably a comma missing: ‘Ermöglicht es Fahrzeugen, 
’ But I am not very sure about this one. A Germanist could tell you more about it. I studied chemistry, however. Maybe I’ll ask one of my colleagues at school.
Fussweg 
 o.k.
FussgĂ€ngerĂŒberweg 
 Replace ‘Leute’ with ‘Personen’ - sounds more eloquent and professional. ‘Leute’ is informal talk.
Auftragsnehmer Ankunftsort 
 First the whole word is wrong. It would be ‘Haltestelle fĂŒr Bauarbeiter’, The Description would have to be completely overhauled. My suggestion: ‘Ermöglicht es Bauarbeitern, den Flughafen mit Shuttlebussen zu erreichen und wieder zu verlassen. Benötigt eine Anbindung an eine öffentliche Strasse.’ Reason: Auftragsnehmer is the person signing the contract and probably owning the construction company. We mean his workers here instead, which are ‘Bauarbeiter’ in German.
Lieferort 
 Replace with ‘Ladezone’. Replace description with ‘Hier können Baumaterialien von LKWs angeliefert werden. Benötigt eine Anbindung an eine öffentliche Strasse.’
Fahrzeugkontrolle 
 Mind to replace the word ‘Dienststrasse’ with a better one in the description.
Fahrzeuglager 
 replace with ‘Fahrzeughalle’. Change Description to ‘Überdachte StellplĂ€tze fĂŒr bis zu 20 Fahrzeuge.’
Parkplatz fĂŒr Einsatzfahrzeuge 
 The word Einsatzfahrzeuge is used for police cars and fire trucks so basically anything with blue flashing lights. Use ‘Servicefahrzeuge’ instead.
Dienstwagen-Haltestelle 
 ‘Haltebucht fĂŒr Dienstwagen’ would be proper. Description 2nd sentence wonky. May use ‘Benötigt eine Anbindung an eine Versorgungsstrasse’.
Haltestelle fĂŒr luftseitige Shuttlebusse 
 second sentence ‘Benötigt eine Anbindung an eine Versorgungsstrasse.’
Bushaltestelle 
 insert ‘
muss mit einer öffentlichen
’
Autohaltestelle 
 wrong word, we do not use that. Better ‘Haltebucht (PKW)’. Also insert ‘
muss mit einer öffentlichen
’
Taxi stop - lacks german translation. Have at you: item title ‘Taxistand’. Description: ‘Hier können Personen den Flughafen mit einem Taxi erreichen oder ihn wieder verlassen. Benötigt eine Anbindung zu einer öffentlichen Strasse.’
BushÀuschen 
o.k. (hard to pronounce for non-germans :slight_smile: )
U-Bahn Eingang 
 better ‘U-Bahnstation’ oder ‘U-Bahnhaltestelle’. Description is o.k., though. U-Bahn Eingang could sound like the door of an actual subway train. Or the physical entrance of a subway station.

Will try to continue with the other buttons later. Good night :slight_smile: @Alexander

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O.k. - here we go again:

UI - 4th button and submenus:
GepĂ€ckbandsystem can also be called ‘GepĂ€ckförderanlage’
GepĂ€ckbandsystem - main menu still shows the word ‘Tilt Tray’, although you use the correct word ‘Kippschalen’ on the button submenu. Replace ‘Kippschalen’ with ‘Kippschalensorter’ - this is the official term.
GepĂ€ckscanner (I) - replace ‘Inhalte’ with ‘GepĂ€ckstĂŒcke’
GepĂ€ckzerstörer - replace with ‘GepĂ€ckvernichter’ or ‘GepĂ€ckschredder’. The odd thing about is, that this seems to be a fantasy item. Usually illicit cargo will be seized and destroyed by customs. Description (suggested): ‘Wird dazu verwendet, GepĂ€ckstĂŒcke mit illegalem Inhalt aus dem Verkehr zu ziehen.’
GepĂ€ckverladestation - description wonky. Suggested: ‘An der GepĂ€ckverladestation be- und entladen Deine Ramp Agents Schleppfahrzeuge fĂŒr GepĂ€ck mit Koffern und RucksĂ€cken.’ (The vehicles are called ‘Schleppfahrzeuge’ in German)

UI fifth button
It is called ‘Personal’ but this would imply we would manage employees there. The use of the term ‘Personalraum’ or ‘Personalaufenthaltsraum’ would be an exact description. Same for subpoint 3 there, which already is called ‘Personalraum’. For consistency’s sake you should relabel the main button to ‘Personalraum’ instead of ‘Personal’
Descriptions and everything else are correct.

6th button - Schalter
Informationsschalter: Description is o.k. You might insert the words ‘mit Personal’ → ‘
können einen mit Personal besetzten
’ would work without as well. Just more exact and purely cosmetical change. Same with description of the Check-in Desk.
All other submenus here are correct AFAIK.

Something else that sprung into my eyes: When clicking on a stand while a plane is there one of the points (service round) is called ‘Dienstrunde’. This word is not used in German as far as I know - and I am German :wink: - we would use the word ‘Inspektion’. (When mechanics check for flaws and do very minor repairs or replace consumables)

Good night for today @Alexander

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This is brilliant, extremely appreciated! Haven’t looked at everything yet, but will be done until next deployment! :smiley:

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I plan to check the other UI menus as well, if you like - time allowing. As we are expecting childbirth here, this could be disrupted out of the blue within the next days. But I will help with what I can. Have a nice weekend. :slight_smile:

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