With little short stops here and there to translate air conditioning installation advertisements or academic papers about the use of memes to analyze art history, I am making pretty solid progress on this comic book translation.
The Japanese ghetto slang is getting pretty thick, I must say. Consulting English versions of gang related Japanese comic stories, I am seeing a slight usage of hip hop slang in the English, and a lot of "dude" and "crap" type slang too.
上等くれる (joutou kureru) is one interesting phrase I have run into. It seems to mean "trying to fight an adversary who is much tougher or older than you." And by "older" I mean "higher status." Check Google Japan (google.co.jp) and you will find numerous references to上等くれてるんじゃねぇ (pronounced "joutou kureterunjane," and which I believe is intended to mean "don't pick a fight with me because I am going to kick your butt" or "you're out of your league," etc.). It's interesting to see how many Japanese "hoodlums" and "ruffians" there are out there posting stuff on the net. Or at least people who like to talk tough...
Another interesting phrase I came across was ケツをもたされた (ketsu o motosareta). Yes, that "ketsu" is the same "ketsu" that means "ass." Whoo! Getting into some "bad words" here.... Anyhow, apparently this is similar to 責任をとらされた (sekinin o torasareta), and means that Person A was made to fix a problem for Person B, though Person A was not responsible for the problem occurring. I saw it used to describe someone beating up a couple of punks because they were picking on a weakling.
Ok, well, the Ono Lisa is floating through the cool after rain air, the window is open to let in the sound of neighborhood dogs barking, and Sapporo is finally starting to edge into some really pleasant weather. On and on I go.
Happy translating!
The Japanese ghetto slang is getting pretty thick, I must say. Consulting English versions of gang related Japanese comic stories, I am seeing a slight usage of hip hop slang in the English, and a lot of "dude" and "crap" type slang too.
上等くれる (joutou kureru) is one interesting phrase I have run into. It seems to mean "trying to fight an adversary who is much tougher or older than you." And by "older" I mean "higher status." Check Google Japan (google.co.jp) and you will find numerous references to上等くれてるんじゃねぇ (pronounced "joutou kureterunjane," and which I believe is intended to mean "don't pick a fight with me because I am going to kick your butt" or "you're out of your league," etc.). It's interesting to see how many Japanese "hoodlums" and "ruffians" there are out there posting stuff on the net. Or at least people who like to talk tough...
Another interesting phrase I came across was ケツをもたされた (ketsu o motosareta). Yes, that "ketsu" is the same "ketsu" that means "ass." Whoo! Getting into some "bad words" here.... Anyhow, apparently this is similar to 責任をとらされた (sekinin o torasareta), and means that Person A was made to fix a problem for Person B, though Person A was not responsible for the problem occurring. I saw it used to describe someone beating up a couple of punks because they were picking on a weakling.
Ok, well, the Ono Lisa is floating through the cool after rain air, the window is open to let in the sound of neighborhood dogs barking, and Sapporo is finally starting to edge into some really pleasant weather. On and on I go.
Happy translating!
5 comments:
I like the bear holding the little bear! And the doggie!
Even as a Japanese, I am learning new phrases through that comic book. I've never known 上等くれる or ケツをもたされた...
As I think about translating comic books, I really think that if you really wanna improve your conversational skills, comic books are a way to go! It is filled with conversations, or only conversations. People tend to look down on comic books, but as a language learner, it is such a resourceful place to learn. Now I think I should read more comic books in English!
You know where to go for good English comics! And where to find someone to help with questions!
On a (somewhat) related note, I may have to hit you up on some manga recommendations...I've stayed in the dark too long. Y'know, a couple worthwhile titles you've noticed that are available in translation.
Jeff! You might enjoy "Phoenix" by Tezuka Osamu. The art style is cartoony, and the story is pretty psychedelic and tragic. Anything by Tezuka Osamu is pretty good, tho I did not enjoy "Blackjack" as much as most people (that is his most famous work, apparently).
Another series I was into for a while that is out in English is "Naoki Urasawa's Monster." This is the story of a Japanese doctor living in Germany, and the weird adventures he has there.
I enjoyed the first, oh, five or so volumes of "Vagabond," a samurai story, but I kind of petered off... maybe I will get back into it some day.
"Bambi And Her Pink Gun" is a must read if you like Mike Alred art.
Some of the other stuff I have read is, sadly, not in English yet. I tend to stay away from the kids action comics, and those are the ones that get picked up for publishing in the US first, I think. Oh, though I did enjoy reading some Inu Yasha, and the animation for that series is pretty cool. I recommend it for a light hearted romp through the world of Japanese monsters...
Thanks for the suggestions...duly noted!
Post a Comment