Translation spells are a potential for comody. · 4:51am May 12th, 2015
So in a ton of stories ponies use translation spells to talk with humans or other species. This could lead to humor quite easily.
Given the basic laws of science fiction, "Any sufficiently complex technology is indistinguishable from magic." So therefore the inverse "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from technology." So if we are writing a scifi pony fic, is it too far out of the question for magic to have hiccups, glitches, and oddities like computer programs? I think it would make sense if magic did work like software.
Which means a translation spell might not be the best option for discussing things perfectly. If Google Translate, a program thousand s of people have poured millions of man hours into developing docent translate perfectly, why would a spell with equivalent development?
Which means there is a good chance a human has a translation spell cast on him and ias asked to sing a song from "human culture". He complies and sings "I'll Make a Man out of You" from Mulan. Only because of the spell, the ponies hear this Google translate version:
Stuff like that should be expected from artificial translation, and would be pretty fun/lead to funny things. Anyone else with me on this?
shut up and take all my yes!
3063740 Think of the misunderstandings of human culture XD
3063743 XD
how embarassing...
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/9/the-greatest-equine-who-has-ever-lived
check it, oldest surviving story on site
Something like this was actually my plan for a self-insert Human in Equestria story. :) A magical translator collar that struggles with things like proper nouns and idioms.
Comedy...
And yes, there certainly could be. Give it a go, comedic shenanigans are best shenanigans.
(Is it bad that when I first read the title I thought it said commodity? I think that could be a whole idea in itself.)
Ah yes, when a human visits Equestria and either English=Equish or a translation spell is used there is always that chance that certain words and phrases aren't going to exactly mesh.
Words for things ponies might not have like television, radio, iPhone (what's an eye phone?) and many more.
Or phrases that you really should just avoid except for comedy like:
)
Kill 2 birds with one stone (don't say that in front of Fluttershy
I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse (I think that's my favorite)
I'm waiting for someone to try to explain Schrödinger's cat to the ponies (that should be interesting).
If that was on purpose, awesome. If not, DON'T FIX IT. It's perfect.
3064020 For once my typo was in fact intentional XD
I remember reading a fic where a female human uses the phrase "So hungry I could eat a horse." and Twilight takes it wrong, but not in the "I want to eat you way but in such a way where she replied, "Oh! I'm sorry I'm not into mares. Dash or AJ might be willing to help you out though." That was funny.
3064196
3064259 It was!