Topic: Language and The Translator Microbes

[Kakhthulm]

Hi all,
I'm new to Farscape and even newer to the forum.

Anyway, one of the things I keep constantly wondering about as far as the show goes is language, I love the universe the creators of the show have created and a lot of it seems to be very well thought out, but this is one of the things I wanted to ask other "fans" about. 

So this is how I understand language and the translation microbes work in the farscape world:

The microbes do exactly what their name hints at: they translate, but people with these "translators" within them can still hear the actual spoken language through sound waves in air.   Right? 

Why then does Crichton put on that fake Sebacean accent in "It's a Bug's Life"?    (I'm not quite sure I remember the episodes name but it's the one where some peacekeepers get on Moya about half way through the first season). 

I mean Aeryn seems to be picking up on some of John's english at a later stage in the show, which makes sense: hearing and somewhat learning certain english phrases over a couple of years is logical.  But, I just never understood why the fake accent in "Bug's Life"...   Chrichton couldn't have picked up enough Sebacean without the peacekeepers noticing it right away. 

What first came to my mind is the peacekeepers themselves speak dozens of different languages, so when Crichton speaks they don't pay any attention to the actual sound of the language, but again, why the fake accent?   

[scorpiesue]

...i don't know why they gave Crichton a "Sebacean" accent but i'm sure glad they did !! ...to me it just make him incredibly sexy and paired with Captain Larraq ( ) makes A Bug's Life one of my favorite episodes 

  ps   
... welcome to the forum Kakhthulm 

[Brent Barrett]

Welcome. 

Yes, for the Crichton question, I would also conclude that sebaceans don't always speak the same language anyway.  But more importantly, I don't think the other PKs would've had any reason to suspect he wasn't sebacean... I mean, he sure looked sebacean and they didn't know about humans.  So they probably just accepted it, even if they did somehow stop and listen to his weird language.

[misaditas]

Sebacean and Peacekeeper are slightly different languages. Or rather, Peacekeeper is Seacean with all the 'nice' words taken out. (Aeryn's reaction to "compassion" carries this theory out, as well as Crais going on about his loving, moral parents).

This doesn't explain Crichton's accent though. Or the occasional 'alien' words like when D'Argo curses Rygel in Family Ties or a million other examples. It's part of the charm of Farscape 

[Michael Falkner]

Hi all,
I'm new to Farscape and even newer to the forum.

Welcome aboard!  I apologize for my belated response.

So this is how I understand language and the translation microbes work in the farscape world:

I've thought about the translation technology in not only Farscape but other shows as well.  Try as they might, the writers always seem to come up against a wall when trying to explain it.  Much like the Universal Translator concept from Star Trek, the aliens always speak English, but shouldn't their mouths move in time with their native language?

My philosophy has always been one of pushing the "I Believe" button with respect to translation tech.    Other than that, I have no other explanation.

Have fun with the boards.  I look forward to seeing you around!

[Kakhthulm]

cool. 

[mardy]

Sebacean and Peacekeeper are slightly different languages. Or rather, Peacekeeper is Seacean with all the 'nice' words taken out. (Aeryn's reaction to "compassion" carries this theory out, as well as Crais going on about his loving, moral parents).

This doesn't explain Crichton's accent though. Or the occasional 'alien' words like when D'Argo curses Rygel in Family Ties or a million other examples. It's part of the charm of Farscape 

Hey all - another board newbie. *waves*
Just wanted to say re: some words not coming out English through the translators - maybe there isn't an English word and it comes out as the original native words. I was in a lesson just yesterday and a student asked me why café had an accent over it. I had to explain it was not an English word, so she asked me what the English word was. Cue a five-minute think before an entire sentence came out of my mouth. "So simply," she says, "it's a café?"

Or perhaps the translator microbes have censors in them - you can't swear before tea-time, even in the Uncharted Territories?  I notice Chiana understood what D'Argo said though - does she speak Luxan? Or did her microbes find a Nebari word for what he was saying? Perhaps English is too boring to describe what he said! LOL