Time survived:

[cgv]

Hi all,

I hired a translation service to translate the text for a computer game I'm making but I forgot to include the game over screen text so I used Google translate for it.

Can someone please verify this:

Time survived: = Tiempo sobreviví:

or should it be; Sobreviví tiempo:

or maybe they're both completely wrong!

Thank you.

EDIT: BTW, I realize that "Time survived" is technically not a complete sentence but in computer games it's pretty common to distill down to the bare essence like that. Maybe in Spanish it's not grammatically correct to say it that way but nonetheless that's what I need, just those two words. Thanks again.

[Cloudgazer]

I'd be inclined to say "período de sobrevivencia"/"survival period" as "time survived" is a noun.

[pjt33]

Have they translated any other fragments of text with either word in? If so, please post the original and the translation so that we can keep things consistent.

The translation Google is giving you means "Time I survived", which probably isn't appropriate. I know that when I write games I address the player in the second person, and it seems to be the general trend. Although your fragment no finite verb, if you were to add one I suspect you wouldn't make it first person.

A literal translation would be "Tiempo sobrevivido".

And finally: in future, keep all your text for localisation in a single file (or keep it in a database and generate the files in your build script).

[cgv]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Have they translated any other fragments of text with either word in? If so, please post the original and the translation so that we can keep things consistent.

The rest of the instructions don't include either of those words so that wont help.

if you were to add one I suspect you wouldn't make it first person.

Yes I definitely want second person.

Grammar tends to go out the window with the snippets of text in dialog boxes so as a game programmer yourself would you go with "Tiempo sobrevivido"? How about Cloudgazer's "período de sobrevivencia"?

And finally: in future, keep all your text for localisation in a single file (or keep it in a database and generate the files in your build script).

Yes, that would have prevented this problem. I had all my strings inside the classes that referenced them so they were spread out over a half dozen classes.

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by cgv

Can someone please verify this:

Time survived: = Tiempo sobreviví:

or should it be; Sobreviví tiempo:

or maybe they're both completely wrong!

You're right, that translation is incorrect. It actually doesn't mean anything in Spanish... either sentence

Cloudgazer - I'd be inclined to say "período de sobrevivencia"/"survival period" as "time survived" is a noun.

How about Cloudgazer's "período de sobrevivencia"?

The word "sobrevivencia" doesn't exist in Spanish.. it's "supervivencia"

It could be "tiempo de supervivencia" or "tiempo sobrevivido".

These sound a little weird in Spanish, but they are, in my opinion, the most accurate translations. I don't think the word "período" is right because if it's a game you're talking about actual time, in seconds or minutes, not periods of time, right?

If you think the second person is better, there's no way to make it two words.. you'll have to use at least 3 words: "tiempo que sobreviviste".

[cgv]

Thanks Luna Azul,

I think I'm going to go with "tiempo sobrevivido" even if it sounds a little weird.

Video games have been butchering grammar since their dawn.

The word "sobrevivencia" doesn't exist in Spanish.

Someone should inform Google translate.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

The word "sobrevivencia" doesn't exist in Spanish.. it's "supervivencia"

The second Google hit for it says

Sobrevivencia no existe en el diccionario de la RAE, aunque en el Larousse aparece, pero como un término de américa.

[sosia]

say simply: "tiempo transcurrido" (elapsed time) or "tiempo antes de morir" time before diying
"tiempo sobrevivido" sounds strange ....
saludos

[Cloudgazer]

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

The word "sobrevivencia" doesn't exist in Spanish.. it's "supervivencia"

La he oído pero ¡supervivencia lo es! Es bueno saber esto. ¡Gracias!

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

I don't think the word "período" is right because if it's a game you're talking about actual time, in seconds or minutes, not periods of time, right?

Sólo para debatir ¿qué te parece otra opción: «duración de supervivencia»? Entiendo «time survived» decir o cuánto la vida del carácter del jugador duró, o ha durado hasta el momento, en el juego. ¿«Tiempo» expresa esta de manera más natural? ¡Gracias!

Originally Posted by sosia

say simply: "tiempo transcurrido" (elapsed time) or "tiempo antes de morir" time before diying
"tiempo sobrevivido" sounds strange ....
saludos

Para mi, «time survived» suena raro pero guay, también. Al igual que Cgv dijo, expresa lo esencial y los jugadores lo van a entender, y creo que les va a gustar.