Archive for February, 2009
Things It Lost, Or Beneath the Path of Untranslated Stream
This post has stayed in my drafts box for quite some time, and I don’t seem to spare any extra time to get it done. Leave it there means it will be left forever. I am not sure if this worth the publish, or does it help me to understand something more, my mind keeps wondering. Anyway, got to clean up my drafts. Let’s give it a shot.
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The other day when I tweeted one news headlines that I overheard from the TV, Pete told me that if he were me, he would omit the information mentioned in Japanese, and leave it untranslate.
News: [...] A 72-year-old jobless male killed a female blah blah” What does this country expect an old man to do at his 70s? Keep working?
The information which it would not go into English here would be “jobless.” It’s not important for the English reader to mention a person’s social status in news, whereas in Japanese it is, cultural wise, it is quite often they will categorise whether you work (for any organisation) or not-working. TWO big categories. I want to know the attitude behind the usage. Sounds like I just arrived in Japan, huh? Yeah, I am an alien in this country, that’s for sure.
I am no professional when come to translation. I am just trying to get it translated to get understood. Not a good idea, but if there is something I should know, very naturally I would expect the information to be passed on as well. Not professional way, thought.
I just watched the DVD “Things We Lost in the Fire” the other day. Directed by Susanne Bier. With Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny on parade. The Japanese title is translated as “Until Sorrow Runs Dry.” Both are good titles. Each has its meaning on its own.
I think this movie has quite a few scenes which are rather metaphorical, and it’s hard to squeeze all into 2 hours for further digest in another language, may be. I do know that I can’t think of anything original to write about the movie, but there are a few things which it is about the interpretation of the inner world of the personalities and characters, which I found it may have lost through the subtitle translations.
In terms of subtitle translation, I know that there are limitation of words and timeline, and translator sometimes has to go around to shorten its sentences due to visual limitation as well. There are many “s/he has had no way but to” do the bending. I am sure they get around the bend as well.
There is this one scene when Brian (David Duchovny) drives the family back to their house, his wife Audrey (Halle Berry) looks at the backseat at the two kids who fell asleep, and says to his husband, “Don’t let them grow up.” Brian keeps silent and looks at her wife then both they carried the kids back into the house. The Japanese was translated into, “Don’t wake them up.” I can’t imagine if there is any mistranslation her, let’s take the credit as it has been checked. I understand that there may be something like it might spoil the flow of the mood if things were to put into more sophisticated situation, but originally here it carries the meaning of Audery as a parent how she wants her children to be, how the parenthood might mean even after her husband Brian shocked dead later where she has to live on by herself to take care of the two kids, and it strengthens her thinking — kids are kids, they will never grow up, and they need parents to bring them up –, which we can tell if we catch this scene. I think her struggle as a widowed mother presented here as well.
Anything lost in between here? Let’s say if the Japanese translates it into as the original, what would happen? It would seem odd if the husband says nothing in reaction, may be. Simple conversation, but the culture we need to understand perhaps need more exposure before we really get to where it lands.
I need more time to write this, keep this under my to-do list for future.
“Do accept the good, then it helps you to accept the bad.”
Writers’ Rooms
I myself enjoy watching other people’s shelfs as well. But, not everyone would allow you to do so. Once I went to a very good friend of mine’s house. It’s a cozy apartment, and my Japanese friend reads a lot, writes a lot for work, and buy lots of books for personal pleasure reading as well. I wanted to see more what kind of books he has, he then told me,
“Book collection tells ones personality. So you don’t show your shelf to everyone, it’s show off.” His shelf is very self.
Has this thing to do with the Japanese read their books with covers on in the train? May be.
Money is Best Made Doing The Things You Love
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Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun
Oh, I want it so badly, wish to have it now. Bring two plates here!
DSCF3736 on Flickr – Photo Sharing!
This is tagged with seafood, looks like it has mushrooms, and taufu in it. It could be vege curry. Yummy!
Story Telling Lady on Saturday Park
This photo was taken with my new mobile camera. 8.1 mega camera is nice. It looks like a normal digital camera, only I can send it via mobile that makes thing easier. I should have changed the model sooner.
Curry Day
We are gonna have curry curry and curry! I don’t have to cook on weekends, because it will last till Sunday, I think, I hope, and I wished!
Celebrating the Coming of Spring
Today is “Setsubun,” the day before the beginning of spring. And we scatter bean at home, calling “Out with the devil! In with good fortune!” Shion all of a sudden was holding one plastic bottle as pad and started to hit the beans.
Spring is coming.
A New Encounter Starts with A Great Shanghai Cuisine
Last Friday, we had a gathering after work with a few friends. One was my ex-colleague that I have not met for almost 2 years, another two were friends that I got to know through my introduction/placement at work. I thought we can be friends besides work, so I contacted them, and they were happy to join. We went to a Shanghai restaurant at Shimbashi. This was my first time to the restaurant. I googled for cheap and good food at Shimbashi, and found the restaurant. Everyone queued up at lunch and gave very good comments, so I thought it won’t be that bad even for dinner. When I arrived there, the front gate looked not promising; just dull and too simple; just like any ramen shop you would find elsewhere. But, since I booked it already, so I had had no way but walked it. There came the Chinese lady and asked me if I am Chinese, I told her I am Malaysian Chinese, at first she couldn’t catch well what I said, perhaps my pronunciation was terrible, anyway, we sat and she recommended us Sauced Duck for a start, shown in the photo. First bite, my! it was really good! We all liked it, and that’s how it started. I never had this dish in Japan before. I did have it in Malaysia before, but not in Japan. It brought me to the nostalgic valley for a while. In fact, you can get anything in Tokyo nowadays, but I never tried it all the while. All of a sudden, I am thinking of something else in my mind. Anyway, later we had a few dishes, mostly recommendations, but all of them were great dishes!!
It was a great night. We all had lots of laughs, lots of talks even this was the first time group, but looks like I didn’t make any lousy companion selections this time. Shizuka, gave a pink chrysanthemum, I don’t know if the flower means anything, but it means a lot to me, for the last day at my last company. Thanks Shizuka!
After the first round, we left the restaurant and went for coffee invited by Rika. Her office is actually around the area, so she knew the places well. She took us to this coffee shop and we had chiffon cake too. We talked about relationships, about things we want to do, and little little things that made all of us laughed and happy. If not because of the train I need to catch before 12:00am, I think we would have continued for another hours. So much of talks and laughs. We had a great time, especially me.
Every gathering has its end. We said sayonara in the rain, and train took me back to where I belonged.
