Inuyasha - Translation Notes

INUYASHA: SENGOKU O-TOGI ZOUSHI:
TRANSLATION & READING NOTES

READING THE MANGA

The manga is scanned as it appears in the Japanese publication "Shonen Sunday.
That is, it's read from right to left. I generally keep the words in the same
places as they appear in the original.

PARDON MY JAPANESE...

First of all, obviously I'm not a professional translator. I've studied Japanese
and translate this for my own enjoyment, so I just don't forget what I've learned.
(Not that manga is a very good way of "studying the Japanese language" so to
speak, it's fun to read...) That and I like continuing to read and learn more about
the Japanese culture and language.

Anyway, I do take a few minor liberties in translating. I try to keep things as literal
as possible while still trying to flow in natural English (ie. not quite "bookish")
and build on character personalities. There are swear words where the language becomes
so in the original Japanese version. I also find mistranlations and errors in my
translating here and there. Plus there's almost always lines that bowl me over
in regards to what they really mean...

This isn't perfect, but hopefully passable.

~ MS

CHAPTER 332 GLOSSARY & NOTES

Please refer to the Inuyasha General Glossary for recurring words that remain untranslated.

UPDATE: July 3, 2004
Ah... the first time I translated this last year, I was actually on a trip in LA, so I didn't write notes for it. I guess now's the chance to notate some of the fun things in the chapter since it was, after all, one of my favorites since I started ear-tweak. I'm not going to go back and translate the sound-effects, but you can see what they mean in my original translation script.

"OH BE QUIET! SIT!!!!11" - (page 6) I just had to say... Sango trying to "osuwari" Inuyasha was my favorite part of the entire chapter... XD

"IT NEEDS TO BE A BIKE..." - (page 7) The nuance here is that Kagome is saying it needs to be a bike that carries her, although she doesn't mind the fact that Inuyasha carries her for the most part. There's a some "you carry me/I'll carry you" symbolism here.

"I'M PUTTING UP WITH IT" - (page 10) "Iroiro jijou ga aru kara, gamenshiteru n da kedo..." I really like this line of Kagome's. There's a few ways to interpret it, but basically, she's saying that becuase there's so much that's been happening and going on with Inuyasha, she can put up with him going off to see Kikyou. Iroirio jijou translates to something like "various things happeneing."

IS THAT HIS... NAME? - (page 13) XD When the girls say "team name," team here means something like a gang of delinquents. Hehe. They also mention that he's supposed to be a delinquent, and they use the word "yanki," (yankee) which is a somewhat slangish word for "trouble-maker."

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH KAGOME? - (page 16) "Kagome to itsu kara tsukiatta n no...?" The girls use the word tsukiatta to ask about the relationship, and in my experience, that word actually often IS used to mean "dating," although it really depends on the context.

WORKING PART-TIME AT THE SHRINE - (page 16) "Jinsha de BAITO shite n no?" The word "baito" comes from the word arubaito (arbiet), which means "part-time work." Usually it refers to non-permanent employees (usually high-school or college students) who do work less than 35 hours a week.

HALF-FOREIGNER - (page 16) They literally use the word "haffu" (half), which is often used to mean someone who is half-Japanese, half foreigner.

THAT IRON-BIKE-THINGAMAJIG - (page 18) XD I loved Inuyasha's line here. You may have to see this in Japanese to see why I chose to translate it like this... he actually says the word tetsu no kuruma (literally meaning "iron vehicle") but the word is written in print as jitensha (bicycle). Meaning, that he means one thing, is saying something else, and... ah, to get the "humor" across...

..I almost made him call it a "dinglehopper!" Or a "snarfblatt!" XD Um... yeah.

So.... the episode covering this manga chapter is airing on July 26, in Shiawase o Yobu Bouryoku Futamata Otoko ("The Violent, Two-Timing Boy Who Invites Happiness"). Can't wait!! :D

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