History Main / Woolseyism

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Woolsey Ted Woolsey]] was the primary translator for most of [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]]'s UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem-era {{RPG}}s from 1991–96. He is a polarizing figure in the video game community. To some, Woolsey was an iron-fisted dictator who was convinced that [[ViewersAreMorons American gamers were morons]], and couldn't accept a culture besides their own. To others, Woolsey was a hard-pressed but nonetheless creative artisan who was the primary reason that these games weren't rendered incomprehensible to Westerners, [[BlindIdiotTranslation translated literally with little regard for accuracy or comprehensibility]], [[DubInducedPlotlineChange completely remolded to suit the audience]], or [[{{Macekre}} worse]].

Either way, Woolsey's impact was keenly felt. He frequently modified the scripts he was handed in order to render them more accessible for American release. Fans coined the term "Woolseyisms" to refer to places where Woolsey had obviously been tinkering with the original Japanese script. In a 2007 interview, Woolsey revealed that the original drafts of his translation had to be cut by over 25 percent just to fit on the SNES cartridge for testing, as Japanese is often a more compact language than English in written form, which accounts for the amount of cut or abridged material in [[http://www.playeronepodcast.com/2007/02/15/transcript-of-ted-woolsey-interview/ his version.]]

Here's the thing. Woolsey's changes? They actually ''worked''. Some of the lines were so well integrated into the collective consciousness of the game that they have been ''embraced'' by the fandom instead of reviled. Though a good number of the script changes were probably unnecessary, many fans have come to the agreement that they don't hurt the final product; sometimes they even make it better. The script has diverged from the original -- maybe wildly -- and yet, it works anyway, just like a good localized translation should.

That's a Woolseyism: The PragmaticAdaptation's answer to a DubInducedPlotlineChange. It can also apply to scene additions that weren't in the original source.

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Woolsey Ted Woolsey]] was the primary translator for most of [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]]'s UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem-era {{RPG}}s from 1991–96. He is a polarizing figure in the video game community. To some, Woolsey was an iron-fisted dictator who was convinced that [[ViewersAreMorons American gamers were morons]], and couldn't accept a culture besides their own. To others, Woolsey was a hard-pressed but nonetheless creative artisan who was the primary reason that these games weren't [[WidgetSeries rendered incomprehensible to Westerners]], [[BlindIdiotTranslation translated literally with little regard for accuracy or comprehensibility]], [[DubInducedPlotlineChange completely remolded to suit the audience]], or [[{{Macekre}} worse]].

Ted Woolsey was the primary translator for most of [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]]'s UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem-era {{RPG}}s from 1991–96. He is a polarizing figure in the video game community. To some, Woolsey was an iron-fisted dictator who was convinced that [[ViewersAreMorons American gamers were morons]], and couldn't accept a culture besides their own. To others, Woolsey was a hard-pressed but nonetheless creative artisan who was the primary reason that these games weren't [[WidgetSeries rendered incomprehensible to Westerners]], [[BlindIdiotTranslation translated literally with little regard for accuracy or comprehensibility]], [[DubInducedPlotlineChange completely remolded to suit the audience]], or [[{{Macekre}} worse]].

->''"This is White Snow, a town filled with snow. \\
Enjoy the world of snow." \\

Ted Woolsey was the primary translator for most of [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]]'s UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem-era {{RPG}}s from 1991–96. He is a polarizing figure in the video game community, even today. Depending on whom you ask, you'll get wildly varying opinions on his work. To some, Woolsey was an iron-fisted dictator who was convinced that [[ViewersAreMorons American gamers were morons]], and couldn't accept a culture besides their own. To others, Woolsey was a hard-pressed but nonetheless creative artisan who was the primary reason that these games weren't [[WidgetSeries rendered incomprehensible to Westerners]], [[BlindIdiotTranslation translated literally with little regard for accuracy or comprehensibility]], [[DubInducedPlotlineChange completely remolded to suit the audience]], or [[{{Macekre}} worse]].

Compare GoodBadTranslation. Contrast TheyChangedItNowItSucks, or {{Macekre}}. ''Please'' note that this trope is about script changes in translation that ''do not'' change the actual story flow and only exist to ensure meaning is conveyed between cultures; the process of throwing a script out entirely and rewriting it nearly from scratch [[DubInducedPlotlineChange is a whole other trope and can of worms]]. See also CulturalTranslation, where elements of a culture are changed to work with a different language or audience.

Ted Woolsey was the primary translator for most of [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]]'s UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem-era {{RPG}}s from 1991–96. He is a polarizing figure in the video game community, even today. Depending on whom you ask, you'll get wildly varying opinions on his work. To some, Woolsey was an iron-fisted dictator who was convinced that [[ViewersAreMorons American gamers were morons]], and couldn't accept a culture besides their own. To others, Woolsey was a hard-pressed but nonetheless creative artisan who was the primary reason that these games weren't [[WidgetSeries rendered incomprehensible to Westerners]], [[BlindIdiotTranslation translated literally with little regard for accuracy or comprehensibility]], [[CutAndPasteTranslation completely remolded to suit the audience]], or [[{{Macekre}} worse]].

That's a Woolseyism: The PragmaticAdaptation's answer to a CutAndPasteTranslation. It can also apply to scene additions that weren't in the original source.

Compare GoodBadTranslation. Contrast TheyChangedItNowItSucks, or {{Macekre}}. ''Please'' note that this trope is about script changes in translation that ''do not'' change the actual story flow and only exist to ensure meaning is conveyed between cultures; the process of throwing a script out entirely and rewriting it nearly from scratch [[CutAndPasteTranslation is a whole other trope and can of worms]].

Please note that this has nothing to do with Richard Woolsey from ''Series/StargateSG1'' and ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', or the comedy team [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_%26_Woolsey Wheeler & Woolsey]].

See also CulturalTranslation, where elements of a culture are changed to work with a different language or audience.

->''"This is White Snow, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a town filled with snow]]. \\