Suzaku Ibun, Mount Koku Arc, Chichiri's Version
Ni-hao, minna-san!
As promised, I have a couple announcements before we get into the translation.
First - In case you missed it, the second episode of Ask Westeros is posted to YouTube (and IMO, it's better than the first). Tell your friends!
Second - I'm on tumblr now! Look at me, all up in the Internet Tubes. Come follow me: itsmethedee.tumblr.com. I don't automatically follow everyone who follows me, so shoot me a message either through LJ (or email) and let me know who you are, so I know that I know you, too. ^_^
Okay, announcement time over. Go-go Ibun translations! And once again we backtrack slightly, for another seishi path...
----------
>>I Chose: Chichiri
You: Chichiri, could you come with me?
Chichiri: If that’s what the Priestess of Suzaku wishes no da. ♪
You: Mm. With your senjutsu, Chichiri, we’ll be able to find the Shinzaho in no time flat!
Chichiri: Da?
You: Hm?
Chichiri: If I could have found it, I’d have done so a long time ago no da~
Chichiri: That’s not where my uses lie no da.
I-I see. So senjutsu isn’t all-powerful, huh.
You: Aww, then we’ll just have to take it slow and steady!
Chichiri: Da~!
…
…..
You: We didn’t find the Shinzaho… did we?
Chichiri: Da~...
You: I wonder... if there’s a way to save time...
You: Like, Chichiri, I want you to try getting a blaze going so we can melt all this snow. Chichiri: Doing that would cause an avalanche no da.
You: ...Or like, you could see into the future to find it, Chichiri.
Chichiri: If I could see the future, I’d have done it a long time ago no da~
You: …I’ve got it!
You: You could go back in time and find out where they put the Shinzaho!
Chichiri: *siiiigh*...
You: Oh... you heaved a sigh...
Chichiri: Slow and steady wins the race no da!
You: Yes, sir...
Chichiri: The Priestess of Suzaku is one who stands on her own two feet, without depending on others no da.
Chichiri: You were aware of that, weren’t you no da?
You: Er... not really.
Chichiri: Da?
You: Y-yes I was... sir.
Chichiri: Were - you - a - ware, no da? Is what I’m asking no da.
You: Please don’t smile when you’re angry... It’s terrifying.
Chichiri was about to start lecturing me even more, when-
Big Brother: [Your Name]! We’ve got trouble!
You: Big Brother!?
Chichiri: “Elder Brother”... Is someone from your world contacting you no da?
You: Mm! It’s my brother’s voice!
Big Brother: Aah, Chichiri-san. It seems like my little sister is always causing you trouble....
You: B-Big Brother!!
Chichiri: What’s he saying no da? His voice will only reach those with ties to your world no da.
Big Brother: Looks that way.
Big Brother: And I wanted to give my compliments to Chichiri-san for putting up with you, too.
Big Brother: Too bad, but there’s no time now!
You: What is it?
Big Brother: Nuriko’s in trouble!
You: Nuriko’s in trouble...?
Chichiri: Da?
Big Brother: It’s being written in The Universe of the Four Gods that Nuriko’s in danger. He’s being attacked by a Seiryuu Celestial Warrior.
You: A Seiryuu Celestial Warrior...
Chichiri: An assault from the Seiryuu warriors no da!? Drat!
Chichiri took my hand in his.
Chichiri: We’re going after Nuriko no da!
Big Brother: Hurry, things are looking pretty grim right now!
You: Okay!
Chichiri tugged at my hand and I broke out in a sprint.
----------
Translation Notes: Yay Japanese!
Two words come up in this section that are sort of interesting, so let’s talk about ‘em!
地道 (jimichi), which I’ve translated as “slow and steady” twice (first when our MC uses it, and then somewhat more liberally when Chichiri does), but it has connotations of honest, simple, straightforward, down-to-earth, and so on. There’s actually a great little blurb about it on the last page of this newsletter, so I’ll let them do the explaining.
自覚 (jikaku), a noun that translates most accurately as “self-awareness” or “self-consciousness,” but which is often used in everyday language to mean consideration, realization, understanding (of oneself), etc. Jikaku doesn’t always translate smoothly as a noun, though, which is why I so often find myself shifting it into an adjective and/or verb (in this case, Chichiri’s repeated use of jikaku ga aru, which is literally “to have self-awareness,” but which I’ve translated as “to be aware”).
However! Jikaku also has the added bonus of being a term with a lot of religious/philosophical connotations, and oh look someone smarter than me wrote a paper about it. I’m a big nerd, so I found it pretty interesting, but enter the scholarly rabbit hole at your own risk.
Granted, none of this has anything to do with the translation above… But as long as I’ve got y’all here, I figured I could sneak in some linguistic learnin’ along the way. I’m a Knowledge Ninja!
*smoke bomb!*
----------
H'okay, that's all for today. I've got my hands a bit full with the new site (sites, actually - but more on that later), so I may not be able to post twice this week. But I'll definitely be back next weekend, where the multiverses merge to bring us one of the more painful moments in the Fushigi Yuu-niverse. Get'cho tissues ready, friends.
Cheers,
Dee
As promised, I have a couple announcements before we get into the translation.
First - In case you missed it, the second episode of Ask Westeros is posted to YouTube (and IMO, it's better than the first). Tell your friends!
Second - I'm on tumblr now! Look at me, all up in the Internet Tubes. Come follow me: itsmethedee.tumblr.com. I don't automatically follow everyone who follows me, so shoot me a message either through LJ (or email) and let me know who you are, so I know that I know you, too. ^_^
Okay, announcement time over. Go-go Ibun translations! And once again we backtrack slightly, for another seishi path...
----------
>>I Chose: Chichiri
You: Chichiri, could you come with me?
Chichiri: If that’s what the Priestess of Suzaku wishes no da. ♪
You: Mm. With your senjutsu, Chichiri, we’ll be able to find the Shinzaho in no time flat!
Chichiri: Da?
You: Hm?
Chichiri: If I could have found it, I’d have done so a long time ago no da~
Chichiri: That’s not where my uses lie no da.
I-I see. So senjutsu isn’t all-powerful, huh.
You: Aww, then we’ll just have to take it slow and steady!
Chichiri: Da~!
…
…..
You: We didn’t find the Shinzaho… did we?
Chichiri: Da~...
You: I wonder... if there’s a way to save time...
You: Like, Chichiri, I want you to try getting a blaze going so we can melt all this snow. Chichiri: Doing that would cause an avalanche no da.
You: ...Or like, you could see into the future to find it, Chichiri.
Chichiri: If I could see the future, I’d have done it a long time ago no da~
You: …I’ve got it!
You: You could go back in time and find out where they put the Shinzaho!
Chichiri: *siiiigh*...
You: Oh... you heaved a sigh...
Chichiri: Slow and steady wins the race no da!
You: Yes, sir...
Chichiri: The Priestess of Suzaku is one who stands on her own two feet, without depending on others no da.
Chichiri: You were aware of that, weren’t you no da?
You: Er... not really.
Chichiri: Da?
You: Y-yes I was... sir.
Chichiri: Were - you - a - ware, no da? Is what I’m asking no da.
You: Please don’t smile when you’re angry... It’s terrifying.
Chichiri was about to start lecturing me even more, when-
Big Brother: [Your Name]! We’ve got trouble!
You: Big Brother!?
Chichiri: “Elder Brother”... Is someone from your world contacting you no da?
You: Mm! It’s my brother’s voice!
Big Brother: Aah, Chichiri-san. It seems like my little sister is always causing you trouble....
You: B-Big Brother!!
Chichiri: What’s he saying no da? His voice will only reach those with ties to your world no da.
Big Brother: Looks that way.
Big Brother: And I wanted to give my compliments to Chichiri-san for putting up with you, too.
Big Brother: Too bad, but there’s no time now!
You: What is it?
Big Brother: Nuriko’s in trouble!
You: Nuriko’s in trouble...?
Chichiri: Da?
Big Brother: It’s being written in The Universe of the Four Gods that Nuriko’s in danger. He’s being attacked by a Seiryuu Celestial Warrior.
You: A Seiryuu Celestial Warrior...
Chichiri: An assault from the Seiryuu warriors no da!? Drat!
Chichiri took my hand in his.
Chichiri: We’re going after Nuriko no da!
Big Brother: Hurry, things are looking pretty grim right now!
You: Okay!
Chichiri tugged at my hand and I broke out in a sprint.
----------
Translation Notes: Yay Japanese!
Two words come up in this section that are sort of interesting, so let’s talk about ‘em!
地道 (jimichi), which I’ve translated as “slow and steady” twice (first when our MC uses it, and then somewhat more liberally when Chichiri does), but it has connotations of honest, simple, straightforward, down-to-earth, and so on. There’s actually a great little blurb about it on the last page of this newsletter, so I’ll let them do the explaining.
自覚 (jikaku), a noun that translates most accurately as “self-awareness” or “self-consciousness,” but which is often used in everyday language to mean consideration, realization, understanding (of oneself), etc. Jikaku doesn’t always translate smoothly as a noun, though, which is why I so often find myself shifting it into an adjective and/or verb (in this case, Chichiri’s repeated use of jikaku ga aru, which is literally “to have self-awareness,” but which I’ve translated as “to be aware”).
However! Jikaku also has the added bonus of being a term with a lot of religious/philosophical connotations, and oh look someone smarter than me wrote a paper about it. I’m a big nerd, so I found it pretty interesting, but enter the scholarly rabbit hole at your own risk.
Granted, none of this has anything to do with the translation above… But as long as I’ve got y’all here, I figured I could sneak in some linguistic learnin’ along the way. I’m a Knowledge Ninja!
*smoke bomb!*
----------
H'okay, that's all for today. I've got my hands a bit full with the new site (sites, actually - but more on that later), so I may not be able to post twice this week. But I'll definitely be back next weekend, where the multiverses merge to bring us one of the more painful moments in the Fushigi Yuu-niverse. Get'cho tissues ready, friends.
Cheers,
Dee