Lost in translation?
Sometimes I really have to restrain myself when I'm working through a translation. For example, take this line:
That was a complete failure!
Now, the line I just typed makes sense and is correct (imo), but that wasn't the translation I immediately thought of. My first impulse was to use the phrase "epic fail." Also correct... kinda... but maybe a little too slang-y?
Here's another example: The guest on stage has just made a stinging comment about another entertainer.
How mean!
"Hidoi" does mean "terrible, dreadful, cruel, nasty, etc," so saying, "How mean!" or "That's so cruel!" would work. But what did my brain first come up with? "Oh snap!" ^_^;
I was once told, "It's always good to localize when you're working on a translation," but sometimes I wonder if it's possible to take that localization too far. I'm American, therefore, I speak American English, and it's the variety I'm most comfortable with because it's around me 24/7. When working on translations, however, I always try to be mindful that the people who will ultimately view this video clip could be from all over the world and speaking a different variety of English or even using English as a second, third, or fourth language. I'm completely aware that Hollywood and American culture touches every corner of the globe these days and that almost any English dialogue I come up with will most likely be understood by many different audiences, but I also feel it would be very arrogant of me to assume that I can write anything I want and everyone will get it.
On a slightly different note, how do people feel about leaving some traditional phrases as they are? elenniel and I have always been comfortable with just leaving "otsukare sama's" and "itadakimasu's" as they are, but other people prefer some sort of English translation be substituted. That's all well and good if there's something that fits nicely in that situation, but a lot of times it's a real stretch to find an English word or phrase that can be appropriate. A benefit to leaving the phrases as they are is that, for the Japanese learner, you can hear them in context and get a sense of the situation. The downfall is that it leaves other people searching the internet for an explanation of the phrase.
I have a theory that depending on how you became associated with Japanese entertainment your idea on what should be translated and what shouldn't will differ. In my case, I first started learning Japanese because I was a fan of anime and manga. I spent a lot of time in senior high school (1996-99) and university (1999-2002) watching fansubbed anime, and those fansubbers rarely translated those traditionally awkward phrases. Their logic was that if you're watching fansubbed anime, you must also be wanting to learn the language. It's a valid assumption because, at that time, it was true. (It may not hold true now, but I don't know because I don't watch anime anymore.) For Jdrama and variety, however, I don't think the same assumption applies. Even though a lot of Jdrama and variety fans are trying to learn Japanese, I think there's also a fair amount of people who want subtitled files so they can enjoy the show without the hassle of taking on another language.
What do you all think? Am I completely off base with my theory? Do you like having the phrases left alone or do you like translations as long as they make sense? Or, as V6 fans, are you so relaxed about everything that you really don't mind as long as everyone's happy and more Tonisen-Kamisen love is being spread? ^_^v
Thanks for reading, btw! <3
That was a complete failure!
Now, the line I just typed makes sense and is correct (imo), but that wasn't the translation I immediately thought of. My first impulse was to use the phrase "epic fail." Also correct... kinda... but maybe a little too slang-y?
Here's another example: The guest on stage has just made a stinging comment about another entertainer.
How mean!
"Hidoi" does mean "terrible, dreadful, cruel, nasty, etc," so saying, "How mean!" or "That's so cruel!" would work. But what did my brain first come up with? "Oh snap!" ^_^;
I was once told, "It's always good to localize when you're working on a translation," but sometimes I wonder if it's possible to take that localization too far. I'm American, therefore, I speak American English, and it's the variety I'm most comfortable with because it's around me 24/7. When working on translations, however, I always try to be mindful that the people who will ultimately view this video clip could be from all over the world and speaking a different variety of English or even using English as a second, third, or fourth language. I'm completely aware that Hollywood and American culture touches every corner of the globe these days and that almost any English dialogue I come up with will most likely be understood by many different audiences, but I also feel it would be very arrogant of me to assume that I can write anything I want and everyone will get it.
On a slightly different note, how do people feel about leaving some traditional phrases as they are? elenniel and I have always been comfortable with just leaving "otsukare sama's" and "itadakimasu's" as they are, but other people prefer some sort of English translation be substituted. That's all well and good if there's something that fits nicely in that situation, but a lot of times it's a real stretch to find an English word or phrase that can be appropriate. A benefit to leaving the phrases as they are is that, for the Japanese learner, you can hear them in context and get a sense of the situation. The downfall is that it leaves other people searching the internet for an explanation of the phrase.
I have a theory that depending on how you became associated with Japanese entertainment your idea on what should be translated and what shouldn't will differ. In my case, I first started learning Japanese because I was a fan of anime and manga. I spent a lot of time in senior high school (1996-99) and university (1999-2002) watching fansubbed anime, and those fansubbers rarely translated those traditionally awkward phrases. Their logic was that if you're watching fansubbed anime, you must also be wanting to learn the language. It's a valid assumption because, at that time, it was true. (It may not hold true now, but I don't know because I don't watch anime anymore.) For Jdrama and variety, however, I don't think the same assumption applies. Even though a lot of Jdrama and variety fans are trying to learn Japanese, I think there's also a fair amount of people who want subtitled files so they can enjoy the show without the hassle of taking on another language.
What do you all think? Am I completely off base with my theory? Do you like having the phrases left alone or do you like translations as long as they make sense? Or, as V6 fans, are you so relaxed about everything that you really don't mind as long as everyone's happy and more Tonisen-Kamisen love is being spread? ^_^v
Thanks for reading, btw! <3