Problems with "R" vs "L" in names

Hi everybody.
I have seen some problems in game names, interchanging "R" and "L". Ex.:
"Raden" is named as "Laden"
"Palamedes" is named as "Paramedes"
Why???


jugaor
--the guy with a terrible English :$

This is because a japanse friend (who also has a terrible english) translated some titles :) also some titles where translated by babelfish etc and they changed those letters.

Why?

Probably because humans (you, me, and every other human being in this planet) are filling generation-msx. 5:o)

Some game names may sound better ( = more correct ) with different letter. 5:o)

That´s why I guess.

and many people have difficulties in correct spelling anyway. 5:o)

and errors occur really easy when you are typing something. (even if you are good writer)

Yep, I know this! :) This is the great thing of this site!!!
My question was only if GMSX has a current "rule" to translating japanese names or else...

Kind regards,


jugaor
--the guy with a terrible English :$

As a translator myself I know the difficulties of translating Japanese game names with an 'r' in it. The Japanese script only knows, with the exception on 'n', the combination of consonant + vowel. For example the 'r' is written like RA, RI, RU, RE and RO. But is it pronounced like an kind of 'l'. The grammatical rule has it that it should always be written as an 'r', when it comes to writing Japanese words in the western writing system.


However, when foreign names are to be written into Japanese the usage of 'r's' and 'l's' becomes troublesome for the Japanese.
Since the Japanese are not trained to distinguish between 'r' and 'l' when it comes to foreign word or names the 'l' is often written 'r'. And when that is re-translated in to English again the 'r' is not changed into an 'l '.

For. e.g. the T&E soft game Laydock would have been written in Japanese like RAIDOKKU. When that would have been translated back in English it would have become RAIDOCK.

This is a frequently re-accuring mistake both in the game-ing and anime industies.

KNIGHTMALE ?? 5:oP

Then player surely knows he is male. 5:o)