November 18, 2008
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Translation details
I think about odd things while driving. In particular, I think of nuances in things like the translation of phrases.
There is a scene in Naruto Shippuuden where the title character shows up and says, “Uzumaki Naruto tadaima-kenzan!” This is translated by the illustrious Dattebayo Fansubs as “Uzumaki Naruto has arrived!”
Close, but . . . not quite. Just from looking at that, one would miss the point of using the terms “tadaima” and “kenzan.” The first term is the “I’m back” expression used in everyday Japanese when returning home. The second term denotes arrival on the battlefield. Literally, we might get, “Naruto has returned to the field of battle.” The author is almost certainly looking to modify the kenzan statement with a sense of “I’m back!” Otherwise, we do not normally see anything appended to kenzan (both terms are generally used individually.)
“Arrived” totally skips this nuance. Rather than attempt to reconcile the problems of translation, it gives up and substitutes something that is passable and bland. (“Dear, the mail has arrived.” “That’s nice.”) Worse still, there is a slight hint of formality in the term. (“The queen has arrived. Make ready the red carpet.”) Nothing could be more antithetical to Naruto than formality. I don’t want to bust the chops of Rhole and Chichiri too much, as they are clearly miles ahead of me in the actual practicalities of translation and subbing, but this was definitely glossed over, and not smoothly.
How would I translate it? The best idiomatic equivalent would be, “Uzumaki Naruto is back in action!” That retains both the sense of arriving at battle and the sense of returning to something. It also retains that gutsy feel that Naruto’s expressions are supposed to have. It’s even a bit cheesy, which – let’s face it – is a perfect fit.
Comments (11)
OH GOD WATCH THE ROAD.
definitely keep your eyes on the road … turn on the music …
i love naruto shipuuden x)
I was going to say something… and then I saw noplacia’s comment. Bwahaha. I am useless.
Hmm, that’s an interesting thing to think about while driving. Normally I entertain thoughts like, “Why the hell do you have to drive so freakin’ slow in the fast lane?! RAWR!!1!11!one!!”
Japanese translation almost qualifies as an art in my opinion. You have a language that is either somewhat ambiguous in meaning half the time or that doesn’t have a direct English translation. Not that translating English into another language is any easier… lol
hehe, the last anime i watched, was death note, i believe.
Such is the nature of translation, I suppose. It’s even more difficult for poetry–makes me sad to think just how much I’m missing when reading Neruda in English.
Despite noplacia’s and menskeet’s comments about watching the road… I can completely relate to you re: thoughts wandering while driving.
I’ve seen some rather creative translations to some of the rather “harder” phrases such as “itadakimasu” or “go jizo sama deshita”. Ranging from “lets eat!” to “FOOOD!!!!” to “CHOW DOWN!!”
This is one reason why dubbed anime is evil. At least with subtitles you have a chance at working out what characters are really saying.
RYC: Hmm, I think I’ll change the title of that post. Sorry about that.
I can imagine mori doing a crazy dance like, I AM AN AWESOME TRANSLATOR! But then, you’re driving at the same time?!
Those are some pretty complicated thoughts while driving. Usually when I’m behind the wheel I’m thinkign about not crashing the car