I realize the universal translator is just a hand-wave to avoid the “Aliens Speaking English” trope, but there are at least some basic rules established for it:

When it translates, it will use the closest approximation in the database, it can learn as it hears more of a new language, it’s apparently a neural implant (at least with Ferengi), and probably a few more that I’m missing.

Does it keep the original speaker’s voice, tone, inflection, and in this case, melody? Does Kira hear Vic singing in perfect Bajoran or is the universal translator belting out Frank Sinatra in Lwaxana’s voice? Do the lyrics still make sense with the computer translation?

I very rarely complain about the UT, and I enjoy the Vic Fontaine component, but I just have a hard time combing the two lol.

Sometimes I wish they would have gone with a “standard” language like Space Esperanto that just sounds to the audience like English rather than the UT.

Update: I completely forgot Federation Standard existed, and that’s probably the language Vic is using, and Kira is very likely fluent due to her time spent on DS9. It’s kind of a retcon since that wasn’t mentioned until DIS, but I can live with it.

  • milkisklim@lemm.ee
    16·
    3 months ago

    Space Esperanto

    That could be the case here. Vic may be singing in Federation Standard (aka English) and Kira /Odo have learned it after hanging out with the Federation for the last six to seven years. Considering their backgrounds as people who lived in multi-lingual societies (from the Occupation), it wouldn’t be the strangest thing for them to pick up a new language with some off screen effort over the years.

    • mannycalavera
      10·
      3 months ago

      Vic may be singing in Federation Standard (aka English)

      Wait a second… You’re telling me that in the future there’s peace on Earth and we don’t need for money or food or anything and the standard language is (effectively) English? And the French are ok with that? GTFO. 😂

      • thessnake03@lemmy.worldEnglish
        9·
        3 months ago

        The “French” aka Jean Luc Picard? He’s rather British for a Frenchman. Maybe WW3 had some other consequences.

        • ummthatguy@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          3 months ago

          Interesting point. His family has that longstanding vineyard that produces purportedly non-radioactive, if tart, wine.

            • ummthatguy@lemmy.worldEnglish
              7·
              3 months ago

              One of the lesser moments of weak writing made painfully present throughout Star Trek: Picard. That being said, it’s part of a great ongoing joke about Château Picard being a terrible wine.

            • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgOPEnglish
              5·
              3 months ago

              He may know Picard calls it wine, but he may not be able to call it that himself because the running joke is Chateau Picard wine is terrible.

    • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgOPEnglish
      9·
      3 months ago

      Oh, I don’t doubt that many of the characters are polyglots; Kira would definitely be likely to be fluent in multiple languages for all the reasons you said. Perhaps that is the case here specifically, and Vic is singing in Federation Standard.

      I also forgot that Federation Standard existed. That’s on me 🤦‍♂️

      • milkisklim@lemm.ee
        2·
        3 months ago

        No worries. I think you have a valid point and it could also be a weird UT thing going on where Vic’s words are translated idiomatically and not literally.