Re: Fascinating book ...

From: Travers Naran (tnaran_at_no-more-virii-please.direct.ca)
Date: 01/09/05 

Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2005 00:32:03 GMT

Paul Blay wrote:
> "Travers Naran" <tnaran@no-more-virii-please.direct.ca> wrote ...
>
> I'll quote a bit though which I'm sure your Japanese will be up to the
> gist of...
>
> I am a teacher. $B$O!V;d$O@h@8$G$9!W$H=,$C$F$-$??M$K$O$A$g$C$HBgJQ$G$9$,!"(B
> $B;d$J$I$O$R$M$/$l$b$N$G$9$+$i!"!V%&%=$@$m!*$$$o$M$(%g!W!"!V%&%=$d$m!*(B
> $B8@$($X$s$o!W$H$:$C$H;W$C$F$$$^$7$?!#(B

So if I get this, he's objecting to anyone just up and announcing they're a
"sensei", correct? Is this related to our previous conversation about the
real meaning of "sensei"?

> Basically (as far as page 46 anyway ;-) it's about things like the traps
> of literal translations, the importance of considering the background,
> why it's 'inadvisable' to do a 'two phase'* translation without
> having the original work to look at and such.

Which would explain why the best manga adaptations I've read were both
translated & adapted by a native English speaker with a lot of Japanese
experience. And a couple of them are regular contributors to the honyaku
list. ;-)

> * e.g. English -> Dodgy Japanese (by English speaker)
> Dodgy Japanese -> Good Japanese (by Japanese speaker)

So much anime & manga is translated from English to dodgy school English by
a native Japanese speaker and from there to Good English by an native
English speaking "adapator" who knows next to nothing about the Japanese
language or culture.

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