Monogatari Series Light Novel Translation Thread

[zarqu]

I'm ashamed to admit that I just now started reading this, after being a Bakemonogatari fan for so long.

Thank you for all your efforts.

[Otrebla]

i noticed that i posted in the wrong forum. moved to light novel discussion. sorry

[omimon]

I'm still currently on my quest to find the fitting translation to that one word. "Progeny" seems to fit, what do you guys think? http://www.answers.com/topic/progeny

[karice67]

Originally Posted by omimon

I'm still currently on my quest to find the fitting translation to that one word. "Progeny" seems to fit, what do you guys think? http://www.answers.com/topic/progeny

I was looking it up myself the other day...

To me, 'progeny' is a bit weird, because it implies 'more than one' in my mind (even though it can be singular too).

Using google for synonyms, how about "scion"?

[Romanticide]

Just read the last two chapters....so Kissshot was in a relationship with the First it seems.

[omimon]

Originally Posted by Romanticide

Just read the last two chapters....so Kissshot was in a relationship with the First it seems.

It's debatable. Kissshot said Araragi was the first to ever be kind to her so it may have been a one-way thing.

[Romanticide]

Then what about the meaning of Kizumono that was in the last chapter?

[omimon]

Originally Posted by Romanticide

Then what about the meaning of Kizumono that was in the last chapter?

Its a story about two people hurting each other and baring scars that will last a lifetime.

[Romanticide]

Originally Posted by Shikijin

And... that's all, guys.

Spoiler for Kizumonogatari chapter 18 (last chapter):

{It is worthy to note that "kizumono", from the title, means not only "damaged goods", but also "a woman who has been deflowered"}

I meant this.

[Shikijin]

It's a double meaning. Nisio seems to like this kind of things. For example, the Japanese adjectve "charai", referred to Oshino, means both "flippant" (his attitude) and "gaudy" (his aloha shirt).

If creating subordinates is akin to a sexual act, then Kissshot, by having created already a first subordinate, was not "virgin" anymore, thus a "kizumono". On a more serious note, kizumono refers to their state after a life-changing experience.

[Romanticide]

Oh. I thought it meant something else.

[OokamiKasumi]

Originally Posted by Shikijin

And... that's all, guys.

Thank you so very, very much for your impressive work.

[Gosick]

Found these.

Bakemonogatari short story: Nadeko and Swimming Pool
http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/20...ming-pool.html

Nisemonogatari chapter 1
http://canonrap.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/nisemono1-001/

[HasuMasu]

^ donate to BT?

[omimon]

Originally Posted by Gosick

Found these.

Bakemonogatari short story: Nadeko and Swimming Pool
http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/20...ming-pool.html

Nisemonogatari chapter 1
http://canonrap.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/nisemono1-001/

This guy translates from Chinese to English so its the exact same way as I do it. With that being I would take it with a grain of salt since it is technically "second-handed".

[K336]

Where can we purchase Chinese versions of the novels? Or are they also fan translated?

[omimon]

Originally Posted by K336

Where can we purchase Chinese versions of the novels? Or are they also fan translated?

Both exist but people mostly read the fan-translated one.

[Shikijin]

Originally Posted by omimon

This guy translates from Chinese to English so its the exact same way as I do it. With that being I would take it with a grain of salt since it is technically "second-handed".

I previously read some excerpts from Neko and I think his English is good (I got an inferiority complex because I am not mothertongue ) and wordplays are skillfully rendered. Possibly some parts here and there may be inaccurate, but on the whole I think it's a good work. I just got the impression he hates Hanekawa though

I compared the first chapter of Nisemonogatari to the original Japanese text and this is my nitpicking. Difference in wording may sometimes only express my personal choices rather than a real error on his part.

Spoiler for Nise001:

I don’t believe in the existence of any social class which would desire to know the story concerning Araragi Karen and Araragi Tsukihi

The original world here rendered with "social class" is difficult to translate. Basically, do you know when someone represents people on a pie chart? That would roughly be the concept. Something like a "niche", a fanbase or the like.

However, those two are a minus sign of generality

"Even if we deduct this generalization, those two -"

my number of eccentric acquaintances have increased in no small number

"I came to possess a no small number of eccentric acquaintances"

Unlike someone like me, coming to ruin at the end of an indolent high school life

"Coming to ruin" is correct in meaning but probably could have a better translation. Araragi is alluding to him becoming a dunce.

as though it were a necessary comment

"as though it was a set phrase"

so in that way this should be of no surprise to anyone

"so as things stand it can't be helped"

While they are not failures, they are problems

"While they are not failures, they are problem children"

when she apparently dyed her hair — she was like some anime character

"It seems she dyed her hair - she looked like some anime character"

where brown is more-or-less not an actual hair color

Nice loose translation, literally it was "where there aren't even people with brown hair"

In terms of form, she is frankly just not cute.

Possibly there is a better word for "form". The original word meant "moulding".

Saying that they “make her feet look long”

The word for "feet" here means "legs".

caused one upperclassman to be hospitalized, the furnishings of the classroom were so close to being completely destroyed that they couldn’t be sorted out again. Choosing to send sunflowers as a get-well gift to the hospitalized upperclassman complicated things.

"They weren't satisfied with sending an upperclassman to the hospital and to almost completely destroy the furnishing of the classroom. They went at length in sending as a get-well gift to the hospitalized upperclassman sunflowers"

but seeing as I was the one who have gotten in trouble successively over these months, I wasn’t being very decisive

"but seeing as I was the one who have gotten in trouble successively over these months, it doesn't really ring true"

Araragi Karen and Araragi Tsukihi –

That their deeds as the Fire Sisters are still nothing more than playing as allies of justice.

The sisters I’m so proud of –

That you guys are just helpless impostors.

"Araragi Karen and Araragi Tsukihi.

Their deeds as the Fire Sisters in the end are nothing more than allies of justice pretend play.

The sisters I’m so proud of.

You are hopelessly impostors."

[omimon]

Originally Posted by Shikijin

I previously read some excerpts from Neko and I think his English is good (I got an inferiority complex because I am not mothertongue ) and wordplays are skillfully rendered. Possibly some parts here and there may be inaccurate, but on the whole I think it's a good work. I just got the impression he hates Hanekawa though

I compared the first chapter of Nisemonogatari to the original Japanese text and this is my nitpicking. Difference in wording may sometimes only express my personal choices rather than a real error on his part.

Spoiler for Nise001:

I don’t believe in the existence of any social class which would desire to know the story concerning Araragi Karen and Araragi Tsukihi

The original world here rendered with "social class" is difficult to translate. Basically, do you know when someone represents people on a pie chart? That would roughly be the concept. Something like a "niche", a fanbase or the like.

However, those two are a minus sign of generality

"Even if we deduct this generalization, those two -"

my number of eccentric acquaintances have increased in no small number

"I came to possess a no small number of eccentric acquaintances"

Unlike someone like me, coming to ruin at the end of an indolent high school life

"Coming to ruin" is correct in meaning but probably could have a better translation. Araragi is alluding to him becoming a dunce.

as though it were a necessary comment

"as though it was a set phrase"

so in that way this should be of no surprise to anyone

"so as things stand it can't be helped"

While they are not failures, they are problems

"While they are not failures, they are problem children"

when she apparently dyed her hair — she was like some anime character

"It seems she dyed her hair - she looked like some anime character"

where brown is more-or-less not an actual hair color

Nice loose translation, literally it was "where there aren't even people with brown hair"

and the mere act of unhooking your school uniform can cause you to be treated as a delinquent, should make the question of what kind of personality she has a non-question.

Missing part. "I don't need to speak further about what kind of personality has Karen, who wanted to achieve such an ill-advised middle school debut"

In terms of form, she is frankly just not cute.

Possibly there is a word better for form. The original word meant "moulding".

Saying that they “make her feet look long”

The word for "feet" here means "legs".

caused one upperclassman to be hospitalized, the furnishings of the classroom were so close to being completely destroyed that they couldn’t be sorted out again. Choosing to send sunflowers as a get-well gift to the hospitalized upperclassman complicated things.

"They weren't satisfied with sending an upperclassman to the hospital and to almost completely destroy the furnishing of the classroom. They went at length in sending as a get-well gift to the hospitalized upperclassman sunflowers"

but seeing as I was the one who have gotten in trouble successively over these months, I wasn’t being very decisive

"but seeing as I was the one who have gotten in trouble successively over these months, it doesn't really ring true"

Araragi Karen and Araragi Tsukihi –

That their deeds as the Fire Sisters are still nothing more than playing as allies of justice.

The sisters I’m so proud of –

That you guys are just helpless impostors.

"Araragi Karen and Araragi Tsukihi.

Their deeds as the Fire Sisters in the end are nothing more than allies of justice pretend play.

The sisters I’m so proud of.

You are hopelessly impostors."

The first link is the one that does Chinese to English, the second one who did Nise I don't know.

I don't want to spread the hate but right now there is this one guy on the internetz that is translating the first novel and I have a real problem with his attitude towards translating. He claims that he doesn't leave in honorifics because you can infer the relationship between character in just plain English. Well I say it has nothing to do with inferring. If a person can choose between reading the raws and a translated version ANYONE would want to read the raws because there is absolutely no way the translated one can be 100% correct. With that being said a translator's job is to take the Japanese content and put it in a way someone else can understand, that's it. Without the Japanese culture that comes with -san and -sama you might as well be reading an English authored book in a English setting but with the same general content. Also this guy also doesn't give the readers enough credit, he actually had the balls to say "how much anyone would actually know what any of those honorifics meant given that they don’t even speak the bloody the language (and if they did, why are they reading a translation)." I for one don't understand 99% of moonspeak but I can bet my ass I know enough about honorifics. He also claims that if he leaves in honorifics he'll have to leave in "anata" instead of "you" because he has an obligation to leave in all Japanese pronouns as well. There is no set rules in translating, if there are rules where you have to follow or obligations then every person's translations would be the same. Translators are suppose to use their common sense where they use their best judgment to leave in certain things and translate certain things.

Well that's my little rant. I don't want people to think I'm trying to guide people away from his work, I hate the player not the game, the books are innocent in this.

[Buddy Waters]

Originally Posted by omimon

I for one don't understand 99% of moonspeak but I can bet my ass I know enough about honorifics.

If you knew more Japanese, you'd know the importance is grossly exaggerated by most anime fans. I don't mean this as an insult at all; I thought exactly the same thing as you until I actually moved to Japan and learned the language properly. There are cases where honorifics are necessary and should be kept, and Nisio is occasionally a writer who does require them. But the majority of cases where honorifics are used as simple habit, the usual way of speaking for a Japanese native; and an accurate translation of ordinary everyday Japanese speech is ordinary everyday English speech, not some honorific laden hybrid. Even in cases where there is some significance to the honorifics, if the translator can work out a way to convey that same relationship by writing it well, they should do so -- just slapping in honorifics instead of proper character writing is so lazy I wouldn't even call it a translation.