does jabba need a translator for english or not?

we know luke can speak and understand huttese, he grew up on tatooine. it seems like when we first meet jabba he needs bib to translate "jedi must be allowed to speak" but then carries on a conversation with luke with no translator. am i reading too much into this?

 

I don't think Bib was translating anything for Jabba. I think alot of bilingual folks just naturally go in and out of the different languages they speak if they're conversing with someone who can do the same. Luke used the Jedi mind trick on Bib, and Bib just naturally spoke Huttese to Jabba.


EDIT: So to answer your question....no, Jabba doesn't need a translator for english. He is spoken-to in english by several characters during that entire opening sequence. The only time that he needed a translator is when Boushh shows-up.

 

I've often wondered the same thing. My best guess is that he's drunk when he needs a translator. I don't get it either. It really doesn't make much sense that he needs a translator in one instance but not another.

 

The only time that he needs a translator is during the Boushh sequence. So...yes, he needs a translator at times.


EDIT: "It really doesn't make much sense that he needs a translator in one instance but not another."

Because he can understand english. The majority of the people in the movie speak to him in english. He couldn't understand Boushh's dialect....hence, the translator-needingship. Makes perfect sense to me. *shrugs*

 

They are speaking Galactic Basic, not english...

 

There's a great quote from the novelization: something about how Jabba understood many languages, but "as a point of honor he spoke only Huttese. His only such point."

 

"They are speaking Galactic Basic, not english..."

Good lord. Please forgive my non-ultra-geekiness on the matter...

 

LOL!!!

 

thanks for the answers guys. also anyone know how luke got the gate to go up? did he mind-trick the guardian of the gate? that computer ball thing, can computers be mind-tricked? "I TOLD YOU NOT TO ADMIT HIM!!" or did he just force push the door up, that would be even cooler.

 

Jabba speaks Basic. In the novel "Shadows Of The Empire", Jabba speaks to Prince Xizor in Huttese and then Xizor orders Jabba to speak Basic which Jabba then does.

 

I think Bib was just repeating things because he was under "Jedi mind trick" effect, not to translate them to Jabba. He probably knows, intellectually, Jabba heard and understood, but he's just compelled to bring it up again.

"Move along, move along."



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

No, Jabba didn't need translating.It said in the novelisation of ROTJ that Jabba purposefully only spoke huttese.As for Bib Fortuna, he was under the jedi mind trick.Oh, and it's basic,not english.

 

And,uh...no, computers can't be mindtricked. I haven't watched ROTJ in a while, so I have no idea.

 

Good call DarthLassic007, you beat me to it! Only I thought that happened in the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy. ah well, it's been a while since I read em all.

The other main purpose of Jabba's translator/s is of course to translate what Jabba says to his vistors/guests. As has been stated (a few times), his understanding of Basic is fine, but he refuses to speak it. Hence the need for a translator.

{||||| ?||} ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Jabba probably just has a translater in the rare cases when he would need one (for example when he talked to Boush, or if there was someone who couldn't speak Huttese). With all the languages that exist in the galaxy far, far away (Threepio is programed with a LOT of them), it's not too unforseeable that someone would turn up who wanted to speak in something other than Huttese or Basic.

Also, the translation could be for others in the Palace so they can understand what is happening as well.




The Cleric 007

 

also anyone know how luke got the gate to go up? did he mind-trick the guardian of the gate?

I wouldn't be surprised if Luke yanked the gate open with the Force. No need to banter with the eyeball droid.

 

smellyouvediscovered

First there is no English in a GFFA. It is called Basic as Indigo_Jade said. Second, Jabba can only speak Huttese (most likely the because of the structure of his vocal cords/mouth) but he can understand Basic. Logically this makes sense, and doesn't contradict the movie.

 

[EU]Hutts can speak Basic[/EU]
[purist]although nothing in the movie suggests that[/purist]


(And I like the bugs in KotOR where characters switch from Huttese to Basic/English/German )

 

I find it hard to believe that Jabba is biologically or physiologically unable to speak English. (sorry, "Galactic Basic". geez...)

Most of the sounds that comprise English words can be heard in Huttese as Jabba speaks it; perhaps he would have difficulty with certain words or sounds (as speakers of Chinese or Japanese do with English, or speakers of English do with Hebrew or Arabic), but he would be able to be understood at least. There's nothing in the films to contradict the idea that Jabba is able to speak English but chooses not to.