lost in translation

[padmoi]

just a small observation but, shouldn't they speak there native language? i'll survive, i mean i'm happier that they did instead of subtitling everything they said to each other. anyone else notice this?

[willgtavcs]

yeah, i prefer English as the main language.

it is just like scarface, he always speaks english to manny.

so yes it is ok if they have the occational thing that does not need translation like que pasa (even thought the are serbian) but yeah

 

[fishermanGTA]

Because subtitles all the time with our main character would be plain retarded.

Its the same reason as why The Sound of Music has all the characters speaking in an english/american accent.

Its so we can relate.

[Raindancer]

I would not mind every now and then Nikko speaking his own Language, but not all the time.

 

I have no problems with it. just prefer to hear him speak rather than read it.

[Sertn]

I would prefer him cursing in his native language. Apparently they're pretty good at it too:

 

Damn straight Pushkin cursed.  Lermontov?  sh*t yeah! Tolstoy cursed like a motherf*cker.  Russians have been cursing since before the Mongol invasion, despite legends to the contrary.  Ancient birch barks have been unearthed with the same vulgar roots scrawled on them as are found defacing today's subway stations. 

 

If you're a hard-core student of Russian, rest assured: you're going to encounter mat, the dark shadow of literary Russian—whether it's in a Petersburg bar or a Pelevin novel. Mat is more than mere slang; it's an extremely versatile language in its own right—more complex and more expressive than anything English has to offer. Let's be honest: if the Cold War had come down to cursing, we'd all be speaking Russian. 

But it don't bother me that he speak english with an accent.

Edited January 29, 2008 by Sertn

[willgtavcs]

I would not mind every now and then Nikko speaking his own Language, but not all the time.

 

I have no problems with it. just prefer to hear him speak rather than read it.

yeah that is what i was meaning i like reading but not when i am playing a game well only a bit not too much. i found that annoying about oblivion how you had to read books.

 

Off topic: could i please use that countdown in your sig or could you please link me one like it

 

thanks

[ceedot]

So they don't get racist comments and mugged because of their country!

 

 

Na, it would just be annoying. Niko obviously knows both languages becase of his military experience, and Roman because he lives in LC.

[rowben86]

No my friend. America isnt like Britain where immigrants take the piss and don't bother to learn english.

[Mute Giant]

I have thougt of this myself, and it wouldn't make much sence for two foreigners not to talk together in their own language. but then again, it dosnt't make sence that aliens in sci-fi movies and series talk english perfectly either.

 

English just happenes to be a universal language. Those who have it as their first language, I guess makes up at least half of the consumers of the game. And the rest, maily europe, has being influenced/ exposed by the laguage through american popculture since their births. And if I'm correct, I don't think you Americans, which probably buy most copies, are used to or are very fond of subtitling

[BlackMamba47]

Would a person who has spoken English for a great period of time revert to his native language (of which we don't even know) for the majority of a game (which is being sold and created in English speaking countries and countries close to English speaking countries) that takes place in an English speaking city. We heard Roman tell Niko Zdraveru Burazeru in trailer 3, and we can probably be sure to hear a few more comments in their native language (Scarface had this, the game as well), but it would be silly to hear them speak in their native language for the entire game when 1. We dont know where they come from 2. The game has its main markets in English speaking countries (which aren't their native country) 3. The game takes place in a fictional NYC, and the main characters have a good grasp of how to speak English that isn't broken

[krashdown]

so that we can understand what they are saying

 

and because he can

[padmoi]

my views completely.. well almost bar a few, but i was just wondering how everyone else felt on it. what with this sudden need for ''realism'' in games.

[T.I.P.]

I wouldn't mind if their conversation was entirely in subtitles. It would make more sense and he could speak to the other characters in English.

[Flexo Slim]

Because it's a game

[sinemetu]

just a small observation but, shouldn't they speak there native language? i'll survive, i mean i'm happier that they did instead of subtitling everything they said to each other. anyone else notice this?

It be cool if they spoke to each other in russian when they were having some kind of dispute and raisning their voices but other than that i would have to read and i dont read to many books mostly mags.

[99 Gta 99]

Just to make the game easier to understand for the player. I would imagine that Niko would speak Russian or Serbian or what ever language he speaks to minor characters.

[nlitement]

Many people don't realize that immigrants tend to speak their host country's language, often so, just to get used to it and for the sake of avoiding bad looks associated with "code switching" that outsiders can't understand (er, it's rude to speak in a language others don't understand, get it? ). This is true for Finland at least.

[cesarvialpando]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH No!

 

I think that main language for the game should be in english.

[FrozenFire]

No my friend. America isnt like Britain where immigrants take the piss and don't bother to learn english.

I'm sorry, but I live in Texas, and 90% of the Hispanic people over here don't speak english. In fact, the schools have made it so they don't HAVE to! They f*cking have half the school divided into Spanish speaking teachers.

And there has to be someone to speak Spanish at restaurants and sh*t. Pisses me off.

 

But yeah, Niko speaking in his native language is just pointless. They speak english so we can understand it.

[sinemetu]

No my friend. America isnt like Britain where immigrants take the piss and don't bother to learn english.

I'm sorry, but I live in Texas, and 90% of the Hispanic people over here don't speak english. In fact, the schools have made it so they don't HAVE to! They f*cking have half the school divided into Spanish speaking teachers.

And there has to be someone to speak Spanish at restaurants and sh*t. Pisses me off.

 

But yeah, Niko speaking in his native language is just pointless. They speak english so we can understand it.

Thats Rediculous isnt it.

[ishouldntbehere]

No my friend. America isnt like Britain where immigrants take the piss and don't bother to learn english.

I'm sorry, but I live in Texas, and 90% of the Hispanic people over here don't speak english. In fact, the schools have made it so they don't HAVE to! They f*cking have half the school divided into Spanish speaking teachers.

And there has to be someone to speak Spanish at restaurants and sh*t. Pisses me off.

 

But yeah, Niko speaking in his native language is just pointless. They speak english so we can understand it.

i dont want to start something, but your statement about hispanic people in Texas i found a little offensive. Yeah, im from texas too. Most but not all hispanics speak at least a fair amount of english (some with excellent english), what's wrong with people speaking their native language? Maybe you should learn to speak spanish, hey, pretty soon there will be more hispanic people in Texas than whites!

 

Sorry, people talking crap about people just because they are foreign ruffles my feathers.

 

on topic: it's actually pretty common place for two foreigners to speak a different language between eachother in that country. I did it in Germany, my friends from Czech and Romania do it here, you just kind of get in the mind set.

 

yeah, plus how would we know what the heck theyre saying!

[jomiyo]

.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Grae

[defibrillator]

I am living in Texas also and I don't speak Italian to anyone unless they speak it to me. As for the Spanish/Mexicans thing, it's the truth, where I work none of the cooks speak English because they say they "aren't gringos". It's more or less pride, more or less English. I'm sure he'll speak Serbian with whoever talks to him in it, but he won't go out of his way to speak it and be secretive.

[T.I.P.]

No my friend. America isnt like Britain where immigrants take the piss and don't bother to learn english.

I'm sorry, but I live in Texas, and 90% of the Hispanic people over here don't speak english. In fact, the schools have made it so they don't HAVE to! They f*cking have half the school divided into Spanish speaking teachers.

And there has to be someone to speak Spanish at restaurants and sh*t. Pisses me off.

 

Just so you and everyone else know - English is not America's national language. America doesn't have a national language.

[jomiyo]

.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Grae

[Don Garcia aka NjNakedSnake]

I've been asking myself this for a while now. I guess for video-game's sake and people who hate realism, they've done it. I would have much prefered if they did have the two speak their native tongue the majority of the time.

[ishouldntbehere]

someday they'll make a game like that. but it wont be a gta game.

[Sgt. Cortez]

Well yeah, logically speaking they should be speaking their native language and not english. I dont think they're that interested in being fluent at english, f*ck, they're criminals not aristocrats!

 

Anyway, it's a game and it's probably much cheaper to have someone fake the Russian-like accent than hire someone from Russia or wherever.