Hi,
Well, I'm not sure, but I feel the name of the company is probably a namesake -- I found "another Toys for Bob" site (toysforbob.com) before, about Spring 2000 (at least Fred didn't know about the site at that time). To the best of my memory, coincidentally the company made some software for PC. And then our TFB finally broke down and got the web site around Winter 2001. So I doubt if the games are TFB's. But I wish I were wrong:)

Could anyone who is a native speaker of English help me to correct errors in the rest (9 to 12) of the English compositions? http://home.att.ne.jp/wave/rainbow/Toys_for_Bob/draft1.htm  -- I really respect his works as well as Fred himself, so I wish to make complete sentences as much as possible...

Thank you,

-Yukki

Well, you can restore the original wording instead of 'anyway'. It just seemed to me that it was an exact phrase I had frequently heard out of Japanese translations, so I suspected it was simpler in Japanese, so I attempted to render it as simple in English.

More later...

Thanks again!:)

OH, I see. I never think of one's blood as a 'strain', that word is reserved for infectious agents. So, you could simply say 'Math and science stirred in his blood and he was drawn...'

4) I prefer to use "may" because it has the interviewer's or readers' imagination -- "Math and science may have stirred in his blood".  What do you think of it?

I did a little rewrite to avoid being repetitive. The 'in particular' was intended to describe the way in which he was drawn in.

I get it.

Right, I just meant that the grammar was off, not that I couldn't figure out what was meant.

Ah, grammar...I see.

I understood. In this case, I had never heard of husbandry being used for anything other than animal care, like on a farm. But I suppose it is technically the right word.

I checked my English language dictionary and -- I think you're right -- according to it, "husbandry" is usually a word for farming, so I'd like to avoid to use the word. I tried to use "household economy" instead of "husbandry". But I'm not sure.  Do you think "our household economy was not so easy" is a natural English?

Hmm... still a toughie. I have settled on something below, in which I fix up some other things I missed.

Thank you:) And I agree with you, I believe that "I think we did the best job possible" is the best one.

8 "...Accolade didn't pay us at all for the last 6 months, because the term of our contract had expired... but we had enough spirit to make the game as best we could, so we carried on with it anyway."

I feel the last word, "anyway" differs from the original meaning.  The original nuance was "we didn't care about it (or we could even forget about it) that we hadn't paid for six months because we really wanted to make SC2 and had the enough spirit". Do you have any idea instead of "anyway"?

Oh... one other thing. Though FF was working with PR3 at this time, I thought that TFB was not formed until later.

Well, in a sense I think you are right.  Fred told me that they worked as outside contractors from 1989 to 1993 -- they just called themselves Toys for Bob. And then they started working with Crystal Dynamics -- still as contractors. Crystal left TFB alone as a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, so he and Paul could get to keep their TFB identity.  But after they left Crystal, they formed "Toys for Bob, Inc.", so their own company is only two years old now.  A bit complicated, isn't it?

And don't worry, it's not like I'm going anywhere...;>

*Sigh of relief*

Some people jokingly use "husbandry" to refer to raising a large number of children, so it could be a direct quote. I'd love to know what that got translated into in Japanese.

It's interesting, isn't it? I didn't know that and it was not a direct quote. (I'm sorry to fall short of your expectation anyway).

Hi Death999,

Thank you so much for your help! I updated the draft again.

3 of course is exactly right since it's an exact quote from English.

Wow, no problem at all?

4)...The Sirens' call of math and science may have stirred in him, and he was drawn into the programming world more and more.

I have a question --  Do you think the meaning of "the Sirens' call of math and science" has the same nuance as "the strain of math and science" in my draft?  (I used "the strain" as the meaning of "his blood").  I think "the Sirens' call" means a kind of temptation, so I'd like to know if your translation can also include the nuance of the original meaning, "his blood of math may lead his way".  (I'll update 4 after I grasp the meaning clearly).

4)...In particular, he began working as a programmer for the first time.

The original meaning is "at this point" instead of "in particular" -- "At this point, he began working as a programmer for the first time". What do you think of this English?

Hmmm... the exact quote in 5 is mighty peculiar.  "Because of so many people"? and "the husbandry was not so easy"??

5)...Well, his parents had eight mouths to feed (eight growing kids) -- so his family was not wealthy enough.  "Because of so many people" means "because his family was large one and he has many siblings". "The husbandry was not so easy" means "it was hard to juggle household expenses to make ends meet". (So he had to work to pay his own tuition fee).  Do you think you understand my explanations now?

7 is a bit of a run-on sentence, but is basically OK aside from that.

Thanks for your advice. I rewrote it again. Would you click here http://home.att.ne.jp/wave/rainbow/Toys_for_Bob/draft1.htm and check 7 again?

8..."As for Star Control, I think we did the best job*. I'm fully satisfied with it," ......* either 'I think we did the best job possible', 'I think we did a great job', or 'I think it was the best job we had done'.

I'm not sure which he meant.

The original meaning is "I think I did everything I were able to and had to do for Star Control I". Do you think which translation will be the best one?  

More later! Hope this helps.

Thanks again and I hope you come back here again:)

I'm an American, so my English is far from "proper", but I'll help where I can

Thanks so much for your help, 0xDEC0DE:) I updated the draft...and...uh, sorry, the word, "proper" probably wasn't a word appropriate to the meaning -- I mean "native speakers". I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings.

I would appreciate it if you (or anyone) could find time to check or rewrite the rest of them.

Hi there,

Does anyone help me? Well, there is a Japanese PC magazine called Login. That mag has an article, an interview with Fred. Although the mag was out here in 1998, recently I have been trying to re-translate it into English and correct errors for my TFB fan site, because I think the article is worth to read, especially for just Star Control fans as well as TFB ones. Unfortunately I'm not so good at English, so would anyone here who writes proper English check/rewrite the following lame English? (I divided it into 12 parts).

http://home.att.ne.jp/wave/rainbow/Toys_for_Bob/draft1.htm

I'm going to upload them with his pictures on my site after it is complete and I got his final confirmation. (Fred doesn't remember the interview well but the rough content has been already confirmed by him anyway).

Thanks in advance,

-Yukki

Anyone know if Reiche and Ford are still around? i.e. Alive?  If so what are they doing these days?  Has anyone contacted or tried to locate them? Has anyone contacted them about maybe getting them involved with the project and/or in the development of a true SC3?

Hi. Though belatedly, I met them last October. So I believe they are still alive -- Paul is tall and a cheerful man, while Fred is sturdy and a calm and kind person, and both of them are funny like SC2 aliens:p  My site has a couple of their pictures, so if you are interested in them, please pay a visit:)
http://home.att.ne.jp/wave/rainbow/Toys_for_Bob/indexE.htm
Btw, currently I think they are making their next game related a movie and I'm looking forward to it anyway though it's a license based game and unfortunately not a SC.  

Okay, Yukki, I ask again, Do you draw your picts, scan them in, and do CG on them, or do you do your line work on the computer too?

Both.

Are you a boy or a girl?

I think I'm not a boy at least.

Is there a link to your old art work?

All right...    
http://home.att.ne.jp/wave/rainbow/Day_Dream/gyo.html

http://home.att.ne.jp/wave/rainbow/Day_Dream/momiji.html

As I told you before, the site has been abandoned.

Do you like large amounts of American Money?

I don't know -- we can not use American currency here.

I wrote about my comment about the name on the first subject, 'Making new "off topic" discussion forum'. In short I like it:).

That made me smile. I have a feeling we'd get along quite well if we weren't half a planet apart, with no reliable rapid transport system to bridge the gap in a spur-of-the-moment sort of way.

(BTW, Yukki, Are you a Boy or Girl? Not that it matters, it's just I don't want to seem like I'm comming on to you if you're a girl. I'm married you know. And the name Yukki can go either way, can't it?)


Even if we promised to pay large amouts of American Money to see it? Not me, of course, I just had a kid so I'm broke, but I'm sure we could get [turns to reading audience] someone to step up?! What'dyawl say?


So do you do the line work on paper and scan it in, then color on Painter and Photoshop? Or is you line work in Painter and Photoshop too, on a tablet or something?

Link to your old site, please?

Thanks for your reply but it seems like an "off topic" discussion forum is available now:)

Thanks to MarkVera for suggesting the name 'Starbase Cafe'.

'Starbase Cafe' is the good name, isn't it? --  the artwork of the Starbase Commander that made by Paul was based on Fred and now I'm wondering if he caluculates the bills at sight there as Hayes does the minerals:p

YUKKI!!! Next to a post from Fred, I love to see you on these boards the most. I missed your post the first time.

I remember you, guesst, because you like Unholy War:) I think Fred is just busy for a while.

So Minions is SC2-Pokemon.
...
I don't know what to say to that. It seems like such a passe idea. Any collecting games just don't seem to thrill the market anymore. Call it over-sautration.

Of course, if it's TFB, it'll be great.

Well, Minions is not SC2-Pokemon nor an imitation of Pokemon. As far as I know, Minions' monsters will be like SC2 aliens -- you have to negotiate with/help them and then win them over to your side or lead them to give you their information/items and so on. Also it will have a story like SC2. I'm not sure but it seems like you might breed the monsters. I wrote about Pokemon because I felt it had some impact on TFB. (The Big Pikachu is not a metaphor).

You know what I'd like to see, and forgive me for going off, but I'd love to see "UQM - Yukki Art Edition" where all the conversation picts are drawn by Yukki! Animation may be a pill, but I still think the change'd be cool and Yukki's artwork is so kawaii! (Isn't that how it's spelt? I'm doing a search and only turning up Henti so I'll go with this spelling.)

Thank you for your compliment but I'm too lazy to do so:)

Aside from StarControl and Unholy Wars doodles, do you have any other drawings on the web, Yukki? How, by the way, do you make your drawings? Pen and marker, or CG, or what?

Ususally I use Painter and Photoshop, but I used to do pen and ink. As for my web, yes, and I have my very old abandoned site which was written in Japanese.

I'm sorry, I might go off the subject, but I am wondering about why StarControl addicts who want TFB to make the sequel/the new SC don't care about Minions at all.  I know Fred and Paul are still very interested in making the game. I feel the concept is fun and mixed SC2 with Pokemon (probably because TFB has been invaded by a Big Pikachu).  Also I even think if Minions hit the market and sold well, they might be one step closer to SC fans' dream. Frankly speaking, I'd like to play their own new game again and I hope their plan is within the odds...

Also, translating is far from trivial. As an exercise, try to translate the following text to your native tongue:
Quote:
To Arms! To Arms!... wait a minute! Don't HAVE any arms!
AIEE!! MY ARMS!! WHO HAS STOLEN MY ARMS!!! AIEEE!! ARM THIEF!!!

It is just an untranslatable joke, and I believe to translate means to adapt a text to its target culture without betraying the intention of the author. We call it "localization", and I suppose "localization"  is basically different from "translation".  I think what we have to do is the former. Right?