Re: Translation Preferences

On 18 Nov 2003 22:07:48 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Hand-of-Omega)
wrote:

>If you were translating anime for Western distribution, would you:
>
>1) Change the characters' names or leave them as is?

In almost all cases, I'd leave them as is.  The exceptions would be when
the dub is aimed at young children (in which case, change them to names
the young'uns would already be familiar with), or when there's a plot
point involved with knowing what the name means (like "Usagi" in "Sailor
Moon R"), in which case translate them to the appropriate name if one is
available (in the example case, "Bunny") or footnote the meaning if one
is not.

>2) Translate honorifics, prefixes and suffixes or leave them as is?

Leave as is.  (I was impressed that the "Angelic Layer" dub did this.)

>3) Change topical references to Western ones or leave them as is?

If the show is set in the West (such as "Riding Bean" or "Noir"), then
change then to Western references.  Otherwise, leave them alone and
footnote them.

>4) Leave some Japanese exclamations/phrases that don't really
>translate or change them into some kind of English equivalent? e.g.
>"Oh!" for "Ah!"

Hmmmmm...  Dunno.

>Dex,
>just curious...

-- 
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> robkelk -at- jksrv -dot- com
  "I'm *not* a kid!  Nyyyeaaah!"  - Skuld (in "Oh My Goddess!" OAV #3)
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of
 childishness and the desire to be very grown-up."    - C.S. Lewis, 1947