Talking names in Death Stranding: Cliff and Sam. Localization of the last communication of heroes

Players of Death Stranding know that one of the key figures of the game is Clifford Unger. The game uses more often abbreviated name – Cliff/Cliff. In one translation from English, the name means “rocky”, because the word a cliff from English is a rock, cliff, cliff, etc. D., And in another translation, the name means “ford at the cliff”.

Knowing that in the Games of Kodzima-Sensus there are a lot of symbolism, I decided that the name was chosen for a reason. Seeing Japanese subtitles in the scene of the last communication of the heroes, I was even more convinced of this.

When the cliff speaks of himself in this scene, hieroglyph 崖 (read がけ gake) in subtitles. The hieroglyph is translated into Russian as a cliff, a cliff, a cliff, a rock, into English as a cliff.

Literally, the cliff says: “I am a cliff”, but the translation of his name from English and the hieroglyph used frankly hinting to compare the hero with the rock. With a large natural object, which is distinguished by immobility, monolithic, isolation, which has steep slopes and sharp ledges. This comparison reveals the character of the hero. Obviously, the cliff is conservative, adamant, stands on his own, does not move forward, maybe stubborn and not flexible. He himself talks about this further:

ずっと崖っぷちにいた。
I was on the edge of the cliff all the time [out on a limb].
崖っぷちから、向こう側を
お前たちが、創ろうとする世界を覗いていただけだ。
From the edge of the cliff, I just looked at the world,
which you tried to create on the other side.
だから世界を繋ぐ橋にはなれなかった。
That’s why [Because it was a “rock” by nature] I could not become a bridge connecting the world.

The “rocky” character of the cliff is even stronger in contrasting itself and Sam. At the beginning of the scene, the cliff says:

お前はただのサムではない。
You are not https://www.trsports.co.uk/best-betting-strategy-for-football.html just Sam.
お前はサム・ブリッジズ。
You are Sam Bridges.
私の息子、未来への架け橋 (ブリッジ) だ。
My son, bridge to the future.

“Bridges” from English. Bridge words – bridge – structure that connects objects. The surname Bridges helps to reveal the character traits already Sam. It turns out that Sam, as a bridge, is characteristic of uniting people, tenden to be a communicator, this is his task and Cliff speaks about this at the end of the scene:

サム、お前が俺の代わりに本物の橋になれ。
Sam, you, instead of me, become a real bridge.

The choice of the character’s name in the game is not accidental, more often he pursues some goal. In Death Stranding, the names of these main characters reveal their characters, as well as the key message of the game – to combine disparate into a single whole.

Localization of the last words of Cliff Sam

Now about the translations of the words of the cliff in this episode, since there was a mention of them, it is no longer possible to miss their analysis. When she prepared the material, she looked that in Russian and English voice acting and was again surprised by the freeness of the interpretation. I will not compare Japanese, English and Russian texts line, I will bring them in order for everyone to look, listen and concluded how much the translations convey the similar meaning.

Japanese localization

Let me remind you of the Japanese text with my translation:

お前はただのサムではない。
You are not just Sam.
お前はサム・ブリッジズ。
You are Sam Bridges.
私の息子、未来への架け橋 (ブリッジ) だ。
My son, bridge to the future.
俺はクリフ (崖)
I am a cliff
ずっと崖っぷちにいた。
I was on the edge of the cliff all the time [out on a limb].
崖っぷちから、向こう側を
お前たちが、創ろうとする世界を覗いていただけだ。
From the edge of the cliff, I just looked at the world,
which you tried to create on the other side.
だから世界を繋ぐ橋にはなれなかった。
That’s why [Because it was a “rock” by nature] I could not become a bridge connecting the world.
サム、お前が俺の代わりに本物の橋になれ。
Sam, you, instead of me, become a real bridge.
さあ、サム、立って。
Come on, Sam, get up.

English localization

The English text and how would I translate:

They Told Me You Name Was Sam Porter ..
I was told that your name is Sam Porter.
… but you’re sam bridges.
But you are Sam Bridges.
My Son. My bridge to the future.
My son. My bridge to the future.
Without You, I Was Just Like Any Other Cliff.
Without you, I was the same as any other rock.
A Dead End. No Way Forward.
Who has come to a dead end. No way forward.
Nothing buttacle.
Just an obstacle.
Looking on at the World, People Like You Were Trying To Build.
Leaving the world that people tried to build like you.
Dividing People Was the only Thing I Was Ever Good at.
Separation of people is all that I have ever been good.
But not you, sam. You Bring People Together.
But you are different, Sam. You bring people closer.
You’re their bridge to the future … and mine.
You are their bridge to the future … and mine.
Come On, Sam. Stand Up.
Come on, Sam. Get up.

Russian localization

I was told that your name is Sam Porter.
But you are Sam Bridges.
My son. My bridge to the future.
Before you … I was not a man, but a stone.
Dead end. A barrier on the way.
Just an obstacle ..
Leaving the world that people built like you.
To separate others is all that I have ever known.
But you are different, Sam. You bring people closer.
You are their bridge to the future … and mine.
Come on, Sam. Get up.

Obviously, the Russian text is a translation from English, and both of these translations are significantly different from Japanese. In both texts, the translators retained references to the rock and bridge. Somewhere added excess, somewhere they added their meaning. No one converted the cliff that he did not become a bridge. None of the translators retained the imperative (rather even an order, because the hero is a military man), where a cliff with a theater pause on Japanese tells Sam to become a bridge. Literally the phrase sounds like this: