Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovejavachip
Another great episode.
In the part where Irisu whispers to Chitanda, does she really mention the opposite sex? Because in the Commie version of the subs, she doesn't mention that... at least I don't think so.
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Ah, a subject near and dear to my heart - the perils of translation.
First of all, nothing I say here should in any way be construed as criticism of the subbers' work. In fact, this is more of an homage than anything else. Non-students don't fully appreciate that subbing is not a mechanical process. There is usually no single correct answer. Subbers are routinely forced to exercise judgment and make difficult choices. I'm doing this to give lay people a peek into the hard labor that goes into each .ass or .srt that we get so quickly and at no cost each week.
Here is what I heard Irisu say:
出来れば人目につかないところで一斉に頼むんだ. ("Dekireba, hito menitsukenai tokoro de, isse ni tanomu n'da.")
Literally, "if you are capable, in an inconspicuous place, ask everything." This means jacksquat and does no good.
As usual in this business, context is everything. I've compared the mazui and commie version, and both strive valiantly to preserve as much original meaning as possible within the tight space, timing and pacing contraints of a subtitle. Commie's solution is elegant and linguistically more accurate, but if I were to pick just one I would go with Mazui in this one instance for the following reasons:
1. My own understanding of what Irisu meant was, "as much as possible, perform the measures (that I just desribed to you) in one fell swoop at an intimate setting where you are alone with the other person." But this is too clunky to fit in the sub, and it doesn't correspond to what the character is saying onscreen. Difficult compromises are necessary between an accurate translation and the need to make it work as a subtitle.
2. While it is true that "opposite sex" is not literally spoken in Irisu's whispered pointer to Eru, it is evident from the totality of the situation that Irisu cannot be describing anything other than the insidious feminine craft of steering unwilling men to unwittingly do their bidding. Consider:
- The writer provided verbal cues to support this understanding. For example, the script uses the verb "shimukeru" (仕向ける). It can be translated to mean "to encourage" or "to induce" but this particular verb has a specialized usage that has no English equivalent: it means "to handle (men)" and is specifically used to describe the handling of men by women. It is appropriate to describe women dealing with men or little children but very very rarely used between women.
- Additionaly, Kyo-ani's animators added visual cues to support this understanding. In the close-up shot of their legs, Eru is shown wearing schoolgirl socks and presumably, girly pantsu. Irisu on the other hand, is wearing dark pantyhose. PANTYHOSE!
- Finally, the anime director provides behavioral cues to support this understanding. There is the distinct whif of the verbotten - the conspiratorial whisper, the shocked gasp. We are not dealing with kid stuff here.
3. All these visual, verbal and behavioral cues taken together demonstrate that Irisu is being a senpai in the true sense of the word. We are shown a woman among little girls, a sophisticated and worldly senior patiently schooling her naive but earnest kouhai in the dark but essential feminine skill of domesticating the menfolk. The joke here is that while Irisu is obviously talking about guys, clueless Eru evidently doesn't get it and erroneously concludes the special technique applies to all people in general. This may lead to inadvertent results down the road.
4. Hence, I prefer the mazui version of this particular scene primarily because it conveys more of the subtle humor.
I don't hold myself out as an expert translator. In fact, I invite fellow students of the language to critique my analysis and help me improve.