Because it wouldn't match how the credits actually appear on screen, and translations often aren't always 100% accurate and can lead to ping-ponging.

You can always translate them and keep them locally.

For credits in non-roman characters (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc), you can't match how credits appear on screen anyway.  Translations are like everything else we evaluate that requires judgement.  This is a bad rule that needs to be changed.

Hey Taro...
Crew is different. You really have no choice but to translate the crew roles since we use built in roles for crews in the program. Plus there is already a rule for crew to cover it. Saying use the chart and goes on to say...

"If someone is not credited with one of these roles (or direct translations of these roles), do not include them in the Crew section. "

So for crew you are safe.

The cast list rule on the other hand. The rules say exactly as credited and then on translations it says....

"Do not translate foreign language role names to the language of the locality unless a translation is provided in the film credits."

So that is how it needs to be done with contributions at this time. Should it be changed? Part of me understands the desire... but I think I personally prefer exactly as credited in the credits whenever possible Less headaches in the long run.

If I saw anything like that added to the overview I would vote against it. The overview needs to be overview only (other then simple lists where applicable per rules).

Thanks for your clarifications, Addicted2DVD. The current rule makes more sense to me now.

xradman, as far as role names is concerned, I tend to add both, e.g.
Tooru Kusano as Murabito (Villager)
That way there is the romanization of role as well as the translation that goes with it. In doing so I hope to be able to please both groups, both those that want romanized roles as well as those that want translated roles. Locally users can always erase the part they don't want.

I don't know, there doesn't seem to be exact rules on that regard, so I just try to please both groups, as much as possible. At any rate, entering them exactly as credited is impossible anyway, since we can't enter Asian characters. That leaves mutliple questions:
- do we romanize?
- if so, which romanization method do we use?
- do we translate?
I think both romanization as well as translation can be interpreted as 'exactly as credited' in such cases. So I just pick the romanization method that resemble the original writing the closest and add a translation between brackets.

However, I do agree that a 'romanization only' credit tends to be rather pointless as most users won't be able to understand what the role exactly is.

Taro,

It doesn't effect Japanese titles as much since many Japanese movies I've seen do not include role names in end credits, so this rule would not apply.  Instead you would go by

If an actor is credited by name but does not have an associated role, you may use the film itself, or another source to identify the role.

So you could credit the role anyway that you find appropriate.  However, I don't see how listing roles as bunch of romanized gibberish helps anyone.

Quoting Staid S Barr:

Quote:
So where do you draw the line? Which languages are gibberish? And to whom?

Personally, I would draw the line with every credit which doesn't use the Roman alphabet. Because there has to be done some kind of translation (romanisation) anyway, we can as well translate the role names to the profile language.

I would not vote against (nor in favour) of such a contribution. Since I could not do neither the translation nor the romanisation myself, I would have to leave the role names for Asian credits (in non Roman characters) empty any way.

Of course such a contribution would only be conforming to the rules, if those would be changed.

Quoting RHo:

Quote:
Quoting Staid S Barr:

Quote:
So where do you draw the line? Which languages are gibberish? And to whom?

Personally, I would draw the line with every credit which doesn't use the Roman alphabet. Because there has to be done some kind of translation (romanisation) anyway, we can as well translate the role names to the profile language.

I would not vote against (nor in favour) of such a contribution. Since I could not do neither the translation nor the romanisation myself, I would have to leave the role names for Asian credits (in non Roman characters) empty any way.

Of course such a contribution would only be conforming to the rules, if those would be changed.

Mostly agree with you here.
If the credits are in a language which is not contributable, just translate them into english, exactly the way xradman does.

my 2 cents
Donnie