Heloo Forum ! :)

[RED_BARON]

I am kinda new to this forum so hello everybody nice to meet u

I got a question which was probably asked many times before but after i watched Atlantis' first episode it became relevant again..
How the hell in the Pegasus galaxy humand speak english???? And not just humans even some ancient race of powerfull aliens also speak english!!! ???
thanks for your responses

[Ugly Pig]

Isn't it obvious? They all speak English for the same reason everyone in our galaxy speak English.

And welcome!

[Major Tyler]

To reconcile the fact that everyone on Stargate Atlantis seems to speak perfect English, I just "pretend" they found a Universal Translator in Atlantis...it helps me suspend disbelief.

Here's the scene I would have added to Rising, Part 1:

*Canadian Dr. Rodney McKay and a Spanish scientist "León" are in an Ancient Lab*

McKay: "León, come take a look at these."
*León and Rodney look at a case full dozens of small, triangular devices.*
León: "What are they?"
McKay: "I don't know, León! That's why I said 'Hey, León, come look at these.'"
*McKay actives one of the devices and it makes a sound that startles León*
León: "Ay Dios mio!"
McKay: "What did you say?"
León: "I said 'Ay Dios mio,' you scared the crap out of me! I thought it was going to explode."
McKay: "Say something else."
León: "I just did."
McKay: "Ugh! In Spanish!"
León: "Eres un idiota pomposo."
McKay: "You just called me a pompous idiot."
*McKay smiles about his discovery*
McKay: "I don't know Spanish...I don't even like Spanish! This must be some sort of translator device."
León: "I'll get Dr. Weir."
McKay: "Wait, you just called me a pompous idiot!"

*End scene*

[VirtualCLD]

I'm never going to get tired of that pretend scene!!

[RED_BARON]

Hehe.. really wierd... they had to come up with some idea explaining this...

[Major Tyler]

I'm never going to get tired of that pretend scene!!

I'm glad you like it! Thank you.

[tinyloko]

As hoped, the lost city is indeed a treasure trove of advanced technology, which includes such things as a universal translation device. Each team member travelling off-world receives one, which is capable of instantly translating virtually any language encountered

well there is your answer
youmight want to read the atlantis section
it contains section about the characters,universe , and the episode guide

[Ugly Pig]

Well... That device wasn't shown or used in the pilot. So either that was a concept that was scrapped, or it will be introduced in a later episode and everyone the team encountered in Rising just happened to speak English anyway.

[puddlejumper747]

As hoped, the lost city is indeed a treasure trove of advanced technology, which includes such things as a universal translation device. Each team member travelling off-world receives one, which is capable of instantly translating virtually any language encountered

The only problem with the universal translator devices already being used in Rising is that everyone else's mouths still moved like they were speaking English... They'll probably just show up later.
And I just assumed that the Ancient hologram was automatically translated into whatever language the current people spoke. Maybe it read their minds or something to determine this.

[Major Tyler]

The only problem with the universal translator devices already being used in Rising is that everyone else's mouths still moved like they were speaking English...

If everyone's mouths moved like they were in a dubbed Japanese horror movie, that would suck. I prefer the way they do it on Star Trek...just suspend disbelief.

[Indiana]

Theya speak English because if they spent ages trying to figure out what was being said, ala, Stargate, it would have been pretty boring.

Thing is thats weird is that there some people in the Atlantis team who do't speak English as their first Language, yet its common in a galaxy far, far away in the Pegasus galaxy.

[puddlejumper747]

If everyone's mouths moved like they were in a dubbed Japanese horror movie, that would suck. I prefer the way they do it on Star Trek...just suspend disbelief.

Although I wouldn't mind it necessarily being dubbed (as long as they did it well), I think it would be easier to use the Universal Translator if the aliens just spoke their own language, and the team members just understood what they were saying. We'll see.

[Major Tyler]

I think it would be easier to use the Universal Translator if the aliens just spoke their own language, and the team members just understood what they were saying. We'll see.

Kind of like Translator microbes from Farscape? That is the ideal plot device for translation and they were brilliant for thinking of it. But how would you like the show to portry this understanding? Subtitles? I prefer to think we are hearing alien characters speak from the Earthers' point of view. That's why the aliens "seem" to speak English. It's just a manfestation of our heroes' understanding them, and us understanding them through our heros.

[VirtualCLD]

One word:
babblefish

[Ugly Pig]

One word:
babblefish

Heh heh... Yeah.

Then all letters would speak in such a way.

(Then all the characters would be talking like this.)