Contact Reports
Translations
Translation FAQ [Show/Hide]
Q:Why have the new translations not been added and updated yet?
A: See Contributing content and read the section below about the voluntary nature of translating and updating the wiki’s content.
Q: Why does FutureofMankind place the original German text on the right and English on the left, when some of the other websites do it the other way?
A: FutureofMankind is an English language website, in English we read from left to right. It's promotional of the original German text when each English sentence is followed by the German and not the edge of the screen. It's not ignored as readily, especially where we've been able to align sentences. It may also maintain the standard of established literary wiki agreements. However the arrangement may be associated with driving on the left where the shaking of hands using the right hand is generally considered proper etiquette, it is unclear exactly why placing the original German on the right feels correct, but it feels right to read it that way to us.
Q: Why has all this information about Billy Meier spanning decades been unloaded here on the FutureofMankind wiki, often without explanations about where it originated from, who translated it, when and why and a guide on how to do everything?
A: At first its recommended that you not concern much about your unknowing. It’s a community of independent individuals and you will have to make your own mind up and form your own opinions about everything eventually. Its international so eventually may have to learn about the different standards and methods and how they've been combined and formed over time and may have to search for sources and references all on your own if you want more information about a specific subject that interests you, just as all those that came before you had to do to develop an understanding of all the whys and wherefores of everything and how to slowly learn how to use the site. Your on your own.
Q: Why is the abbreviation “resp.” used in translations, when it has no meaning to native speakers and doesn't derive from English. And what does it mean?
A: It throws new readers off, but after a dozen encounters the probable meaning becomes reasonably clear. The writer is explaining something and reinforcing that explanation. It could mean; that is; i.e.; or; rather; also; and; also known as; more precisely; more precisely known as; with respect to; in respect of, etc. It may also mean; regarding; with regards to, and see also.
We are not linguists, language, literacy, literary specialists or experts or those kinds of folks in this community generally speaking. We're usually normal, average, common sorts of fellows and folks, and that's part of the reason it hasn't and doesn't matter so much, but there is a few things that can be said about it.
The term “resp.” is an "English" abbreviation which is not English, so does not appear in dictionaries. It seems to be quite often used by native German speakers when writing in English, when they want to use respectively as a conjunction and not as an adverb. In German, instead of bzw., a writer can also use respektive as a conjunction; this explains the mistake.
Initially appearing to be a common mistake, however “resp.” is used in Billy Meier’s original German source text, so translators have probably been muddled / confused as to how to present it, and translators have therefore tended to opt to retain it and incorporate it into the English translation.
Apparently the abbreviation viz. for videlicet, should be used if the writer intends it to mean "namely", but it may sometimes mean that too. As we know in English the rule for using the word “respectively” is that it means "in the order given", “in the order described”, "in this arrangement", "by this sequence" etc. In other words if you list, or mention two or more things, you are then able to end the sentence with "respectively", as a means of encouraging the reader / person (if a vocal exchange) to maintain the proportions and sequencing given by you.
With translations, and that is just how it is with the available translations of Billy Meier works. Occasionally "respectively" is placed before the end or even mid list. It may be used as an instruction like for example “you need a spanner resp. a tool, in the tool box” where it's being used to recommend or imply; "go and get it", "do it now at that location", where then the word "respectfully" would probably work better. It might also be being used when it has nothing to do with an ordered listing. I mean you wouldn't say “I have a cat and a dog respectively” would you. You might say something like “I like my cat, dog, rabbit, hamster respectively” perhaps. “It’s a feline i.e a cat”. “My cat behaves like other animals sometimes e.g like a rabbit and a dog, when I think about it that way”.
Sequencing is important; If you smile before someone opens the door for you and then relax your face, the door opener is likely to smile back and hold it open wider. If however you alter the sequencing but do all the same things, in a different order; relax your face then walk through the opened door then later smile, then the results will sit differently.
Traditionally we have all as Billy Meier readers approached it all calmly and in a non-judgemental way, appreciated them and what they've explained, and not challenged them for how the language is used. We've appreciated that they are not native speakers and respected that fact and because we've discovered that it's all made sense even when it has not been immediately clear. We can see by the included German text and comparing it, what is meant. Translations also take a long time and that is another reason we have been chilled about it.
Several writing and presentation techniques, methods and styles have also been explained to Billy by the Plejaren, that is to say, Billy has been personally taught by them and received an education by them. Which makes the situation different too.
When the most important thing for the reader is getting to the truth, the literary presentation can be seen through.
The FutureofMankind is a dialogue between English and German, because German is the language the works are originally presented in. You may be loosely aware as an English speaker or reader, that in English there is several methods of expressing and explaining the same thing. One way might pass through the German route of wording, another way passes through the French way and another way you may occasionally with a UK speaker find them speaking Latin. Well, from their Swiss German side as writers, they're in-road to communicating with us, is by using the German way of using English. Which is nice, we're communicating together. It may mean that it seems they are avoiding certain vernaculars in common use in English because of the way it translates. There is probably a better explanation you can find about that relationship on Google. At any rate the FutureofMankind is going along with the methods of translating where it as close to the original as possible, even if that means by all acounts bad English grammar and sentence structuring. We want to know what was said the way it was said.
The translation effort tends to be voluntary (few exceptions),[1] which unfortunately tends to often be forgotten, under-appreciated or is simply not known to new readers. It requires devotion and translation skill by individuals all over the world and developing the skills necessary to translate to a professional comprehensive standard takes time and dedication. Without this voluntary free of charge work effort, individuals in the English speaking world and Anglosphere,[2] as it is for the other languages, would have only poorly translated texts; we wish therefore to express our gratitude and appreciation to them, we are all very thankful to those few individuals who have put in that effort, thank you for all the work, time and effort. [continue reading]
The translations may contain errors (as indicated at the top of contact report pages) even though meticulous efforts have been made to remove all of them; which is why the original German book source text tends to be included side by side with the English translation where possible and available. The layout on this website and others of having original text beside the translation additionally lends itself well to individuals independently fathoming a meaning which may not have been successfully passed across and transferred over the language barrier or been understood by the translator, without necessarily having to embroil others and the original translators to obtain those meanings. The meaning behind those complicated sentences and paragraphs can be garnered independently.
Extract from Contact Report 487,[3] 3rd February, 2010.
Ptaah
According to all observations, examinations and analysis we (Plejaren) have come to the unanimous decision that henceforward you from the Mother Centre[4] shall not make any further translations, also not into the English language.
Gemäss allen Betrachtungen, Abklärungen und Analysen sind wir zum einstimmigen Beschluss gelangt, dass ihr künftighin von eurer Seite des Mutter-Centers aus keinerlei Übersetzungen mehr durchführen sollt, auch nicht in die englische Sprache.
It (English) doesn't correspond to a true language, but only to a halfway acceptable auxiliary world-language that was disseminated world-wide through dishonest machinations from the USA with the aid of British English and other languages, whereby the deeper sense is to turn the terrestrial peoples into English-speaking ones, by using this meagre means of communication.
Diese entspricht keiner eigentlichen Sprache, sondern nur einer halbwegs annehmbaren Welthilfssprache, die durch unlautere Machenschaften von den USA aus mit Zuhilfenahme des britischen Englisch und anderer Sprachen weltweit verbreitet wurde, wobei der tiefere Sinn darin liegt, die irdischen Völker mit diesem ärmlichen Verständigungsmittel englischsprachig zu machen.
See main page of http://www.billymeiertranslations.com/ for an explanation about translations into other languages and the reason the German language is included with the English (or any language its translated into).
Nevertheless it's appreciated that it will continue to be read in English, the FIGU dictionary http://dict.figu.org/ has been established to help readers and translators choose the appropriate synonym and definition to use.
- ↑ Some of the books about Billy Meier written by some authors which have been sold and made a profit and have therefore contained translations which have been paid for, however the quality often of these translations have not been good because they have been translated by independents and have not utilised the resources of the FIGU dictionary and been printed before they have been checked by the community and perhaps rushed into print. So another way of saying that is that volunteers have then later had to rectify the mistakes in those translations regardless of how popular or profitable those books by those authors may have been.
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglosphere
- ↑ Extract of CR487 on Benjamin Stevens website. Benjamin Stevens is an authorised translator
- ↑ Mother Centre refers to the FIGU in Switzerland, the SSSC, to distinguish it from the centres in other nations
