歌の翻訳についてOn Song Translations

Well, first of all, they're what I do for fun. There's a reason why I can remember the lyrics to what must seem like every anime song ever, and it's not just because I have a good memory. If I really like a song, I'll buy a CD that has it, copy the lyrics into my computer (in kanji/kana and romaji), and then take a shot at translating it.

まず、僕の趣味だ。アニソンの歌詞をよく覚えられる理由があるよ。歌が好きだとしたら、CDを買って、パソコンで歌詞を書いて（漢字と仮名、さらにローマ字）、翻訳しようとする。

However, I'm probably not spending as much time on them as I should. I'm taking a translation class this semester, and it's already taught me that I'm ignoring too much. For example, with Wolf Girl just recently, I tried to throw kind of a childish air into my translation, mostly because so much of it was in katakana when there were kanji that could have been used. I have no idea if it worked. I have no idea if the original lyrics or song give off that air in the first place. I mean, I think it does, but...

しかし、ちょっと速すぎるかな。今学期、翻訳の授業をとってる。習ったことは、翻訳しながらたくさん小さいことを無視している。たとえば、オオカミガールの翻訳で、ちょっと子供らしい風を使ってみた。たくさんカタカナがあるからだ。でも、いいかどうか分からない。その風は元の歌にあるかどうか分からない。僕はそう思ったのに…

This is one of the reasons why I'm posting them. I know that only a very few people that see this are going to be capable of offering comment, so it's not my only reason, but I do want comments.

これはここで翻訳を見せる一つの理由だ。これを見る人の中で、コメント出来る人（翻訳出来る人）が本当に少ないと分かってるから、その理由だけじゃないけど、本当にコメントが欲しい。

And the other note? Well, even if I did spend an appropriate amount of time on them, they're going a lot faster than they used to. Back during my first year at Brandeis, it took nearly a week to even type the lyrics into my computer, since I had to look up nearly every single kanji and my listening skill was bad to say the least. Now, I just did that copying process in about 15 minutes. There were exactly two kanji that I weren't already familiar with, I should have remembered one of them, and I listened to the song to figure it out. Even if I take several hours to actually translate the song, this will still be much faster than it used to be.

他のこととは？まあ、もっと遅く翻訳するとしても、前と比べると、すごく速い。大学一年生の時、パソコンで書くのは一週間ぐらいかかった。というのは、全部の漢字を調べなければならなかったからだ。しかも、聴くのは下手だった。今、新しい歌を書いて、かかる時間は15分。漢字は、二つだけ知らないし、その二つの一つはもう習ったし、歌を聴くとすぐ読み方が分かってる。翻訳は何時間もかかるとしても、本当にもっと速い。

Progress really does feel good.

上達するのは、気持ちいいな。

DVDレンタルDVD rentals

Actually buying DVDs in this country is really, really expensive. I mean, it's not like American DVDs are cheap, but they don't cost a good eighty dollars for one disc with three episodes.

日本で、ＤＶＤは本当に高すぎる。アメリカのＤＶＤは安いなんてないけど、７千円以上ではない。しかも、日本のＤＶＤは三話だけある。

So I'm kinda pleased that I finally managed to get myself into a rental store, like the Tsutaya near Doshisha. I don't remember how much Blockbuster cost back home, but I don't think I could have rented five DVDs for a week (two of which were new releases) for $12.50. Needless to say, I have even more fun things to watch now.  For this first run, though, there were a few things I absolutely had to do.

だから、レンタルの店で借りたのはうれしい。同志社の近いつたやという店がある。アメリカのレンタルの店の値段を覚えてないけど、もっと高いと思う。というのは、アメリカで１０００円でＤＶＤを５枚（２枚は新作）借りることが出来ないからだ。もちろん、たくさん見たいＤＶＤがある。でも、今回は、みなくちゃいけないＤＶＤがあった。

The first of those was to finally get around to watching Inception. (As a side note, my friends were surprised when they pulled four anime DVDs out of the bag, and then Inception.) No, I did not watch it in Japanese; I set the dialog to English. I thought about leaving the Japanese subtitles on, but I didn't in the end. It would have been a distraction, and distracting myself from the pure awesome that was that movie would just have been wrong.

まずは、やっとインセプションという映画を見た。（僕の友達はびっくりした。）声は英語だったね。日本語の字幕を使うかどうか考えたけど、使わなかった。使うとしたら、邪魔になるかもしれない。この映画は、邪魔なしで見た方がいいと思う。すごく良い映画だったから。

Then there's the Mobile Suit Gundam DVDs. And when I say Gundam, I mean the original 1979 series. I can't call myself a fan of the series without actually having seen this, don't you think? So I rented two of those discs the first time around, and as I write this I've watched one, episodes 1 through 3. There's still another 10 discs or so to go, I think. This'll be a long-term thing.

そして、機動戦士ガンダムのＤＶＤを借りた。グンダムというと、最初の１９７９年のシリーズ。そのアニメを見ないことには、グンダムのファンに名乗れないね。だから、２枚借りて、今は１枚（第一話から第三話まで）見た。まだ、１０枚ぐらい見てない。ちょっと、時間がかかるはずだ。

Also added to the pile was the Pokemon Arceus movie, in Japanese "Arceus: To the Conquering of Space-Time". I don't really know why either. Still, it's a kind of achievement, right? To be able to say that I've seen all of the Pokemon movies? I mean, I still need to see the Zoroark one after this...

アルセウス超克の時空へというポケットモンスターの映画も借りた。僕も理由が分からない。でも、すべてのポケットモンスター映画を見たのは、良い事じゃない？まあ、ゾロアークの映画はまだ見てない．．．

Finally, there's Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. For those of you not familiar with Fate/stay night, it was originally a visual novel, and one of the routes in the game was titled Unlimited Blade Works. This is essentially the movie version of that route.

最後に、Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works（フェイト/ステイナイトアンリミテッドブレイドワークス）と言う映画だ。フェイト/ステイナイトというのは、最初はビジュアルノベルで、一つのルートはUnlimited Blade Worksという。その映画は、そのルートの映画のバージョンだ。

Also, it is awesome. Seriously. If you haven't played the game and actually seen some of these fights, you may be out of luck... I don't think I can properly describe it. I suppose you could start by going here and listening to the awesome battle music.

そして、すごくかっこいい。本当に。ゲームをしなかったなら、何も出来ないかもしれない．．．僕はうまく言えない。まず、こちらを見て、バトルのテーマを聴いて。

Basically, the message here is simple: I have even more things to do here now. The Tsutaya I went to has Space Battleship Yamato, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Tales of Symphonia, Sora no Otoshimono, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Totoro, My-HiME, Ghost in the Shell... and those are just the ones I remember. Why couldn't I have found all this back at the start of last semester?

つまり、メッセージは簡単。僕は、したいことがまた増えた。行ったつたやは、宇宙戦艦ヤマトや少女革命ウテナやそらのおとしものや時をかける少女や舞-ＨｉＭＥ．．．以上は、覚えてるものだけ。なぜこの前にレンタルをしなかった？

オオカミガール歌詞Wolf Girl Lyrics

I like Miku Hatsune.

初音ミクが好きだ。

Don't know why I picked this one though. I do tend to like tsundere-type characters, so maybe that's it...?

でも、この歌を選ぶ理由が分からない。たいてい、ツンデレのキャラクターが好きだから、それかな…

Wolf Girl

オオカミガール

Artist: Kura-P Feat. Miku Hatsune

歌手：くらP Feat. 初音ミク

Composer: Kura-P

作曲：くらP

Lyrics/歌詞:

目覚めた午前二時　お月さまきらきら

ムネがドキドキ　体がアツいわ

アタシ　変身しちゃうの？

I woke up at two in the morning,

the moon was shining brightly.

My heart’s beating fast,

my body feels hot...

have I transformed?

イチゴのケーキに　クマのぬいぐるみ

もうオトナだし…！

だけどホントは大・ス・キライ！

Strawberry cake, my teddy bear...

Come on, of course I’m an adult!

But you know, I just love - I mean, hate it!

オオカミガールが　キミを困らせに行くよ

素直になれない

「あのね…ホントはね」

オオカミガールが　キミを困らせるけれど

ウソツキなんて呼ばないで　不器用なだけ

Wolf-girl’s going to make trouble for ya!

I’m not used to being open about myself...

“Um... Actually, I...”

Wolf-girl makes trouble for you, but

don’t call me a liar, it’s just awkward!

なかなか眠れない　お星さまきらきら

ムネがドキドキ　頭はくらくら

アタシ　おかしくなりそう？

I can’t sleep;

the stars are shining brightly.

My heart’s beating fast,

I feel kinda dizzy...

Does it seem like I’m becoming strange?

星占いで　キミとの相性をみたわ

なんとなく…なんとなくよ！

気がついたら　キミのことばかり

頭から離れない！

I read the stars and saw our love;

I don’t know why!

When I noticed, there was nothing but you;

I couldn’t stop thinking about it!

オオカミガールが　キミを困らせに行くよ

いいコになれない

「あのね…ホントはね」

オオカミガールが　キミを困らせるけれど

ツンデレなんて呼ばないで　恥ずかしいだけ

Wolf-girl’s going to make trouble for ya!

I’m not used to being a good little kid...

“Um... Actually, I...”

Wolf-girl makes trouble for you, but

don’t call me a tsundere, it’s just embarrassing!

オオカミガールが　キミを困らせに行くよ

素直になれない

「あのね…ホントはね」

オオカミガールが　キミを困らせるけれど

「あのね…ホントはね」

「あのね…ホントはね」

キミがスキでダイスキで　仕方ないだけ！

Wolf-girl’s going to make trouble for ya!

I’m still not used to being open about myself...

“Um... Actually, I...”

Wolf-girl makes trouble for you, but

“um... actually, I...”

“um... actually, I...”

I like you, I love you; it just can’t be helped!

復活Resurrection

... It's been a while.

When I started National Novel Writing Month back in November last year, I knew I wouldn't have the time to blog as often. I did not expect to stop entirely. But I did. All I can do now is apologize for that and try to do better this year.

I would summarize what I've been doing that took me away from blogging, but it's been two and a half months... summarizing that in any kind of short or simple method would be pretty much impossible. Sorry... you'll have to use your imagination. I did win National Novel Writing Month, if nothing else.

Oh, and I've been writing more since then. Mostly fanfic. You can find that here if you're interested. There's not much there yet, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Last note: while this is obviously only in English, I will return to attempting bilingual posts from here on in, and I'll probably have another translation project (in addition to the songs) going up soon.

So here we go... new year, new semester, new classmates, and a brand new adventure!

よろしくね！

巡礼の一種A Type of Pilgrimage

First up: yeah, I'm about to do National Novel Writing Month, and I still have a lot of stuff from the Tokyo trip that I haven't yet fully translated/played with... so from here until probably December at least, I doubt I'll have the time to translate my blog posts. They'll only be in English for a while.

So I'm back in Kyoto. Tokyo was fun, but I couldn't stay there forever. I'd buy too many things.

Anyway, yesterday I went with a friend to... well, I can't really call it a pilgrimage, but it's kind of similar... maybe. You see, on Google Maps there is a map of locations that look similar to scenes from anime or games. So one of the things I've been doing in Japan is going to some of these places. (For example, Moriguchi City station.)

Yesterday, we headed off to Kobe in search of a number of those different places. We met at Kyoto Station and very rapidly discovered that the JR trains are really expensive. 1050 yen out to Kobe, no thank you. Certainly not when the Hankyu line costs 600 and goes to the exact same place. Even if you have to start from Kyoto Station and pay 210 to go to the Hankyu station at Shijo, it's still cheaper.

On our way to Kobe, though, we stopped at a station called Nishinomiya-kitaguchi (which would translate roughly as Western Shrine, North Entrance), where there were a few Haruhi places. Having not watched Haruhi in a while, I didn't really know what I was looking for, and the map was a little hard to read. We didn't get lost, but we kept having no idea whether we had found a point or not.

This was also when we got lunch. Japan is awesome when it comes to food... where else can you buy an actual decent lunch at a convenience store? (Yay for bento!)

Eventually, we got back on the train and headed for Sannomiya Station. And by that I mean Hankyu Sannomiya Station. There are three of them: JR, Hankyu, and Hanshin. Okay, they're all right next to one another, but still.

The biggest attraction for me here was also the easiest to find: the Kobe Great Bridge. At first it wasn't really recognizable, but once we had crossed it and turned around, it became really obvious. I will get pictures up eventually... I forgot my camera, so I have to wait for my friend to send me the pictures he took.

... I know, I know, I'm a very strange person. Next time I go to Kobe, I'll actually explore the usual tourist places and the like, I swear. Right after I stop in Nishinomiya again... there's still a lot of Haruhi places that I haven't been to yet...

秋葉原Field of Autumn Leaves

Pretty much since I got to Japan, there’s been one thing that I absolutely wanted to do: go to Akihabara. And now? Now I have. I will say this: I’m glad I chose to study abroad in Kyoto. Because if I had gone to a program in Tokyo, I would be going to Akihabara every day, and probably would have run out of money within a week.

日本に来たときから、絶対にしたい事がたった一つある。それは、秋葉原に行きたい。行ったよ。僕は京都に留学したことはよかった．．．というのは、東京のプログラムに行ったなら、毎日秋葉原に行ったし、多分一週間で僕のすべてのお金を払った。

Along Chuo-dori, the main street, there are at least five arcades. I have been inside three different ones, although really the differences are minor. I did finally get to play F-Zero AX, on a machine that I found in Akihabara. I did not know before that the seat would move, for that game... I was kind of wondering why there was a seat belt on the machine.

中央通に、ゲームセンターが五軒以上ある。僕は三軒に行ったことがある。まあ、違いは小さいけど．．．やっと、秋葉原にいるゲーム機、エフゼロエーエックスをした。席が動くことを知らない．．．どうしてシートベルトがあると考えてた。

And that same arcade had the Star Wars Trilogy arcade machine, Time Crisis 4, and Bonds of the Battlefield. If the first two weren’t horribly overpriced, I might play them... but really, 100 yen for a game that costs a quarter in the U.S.?

そのゲームセンターはスターウォーズのゲーム機もあるし、タイムクライシス4もあるし、線上の絆もある。スターウォーズとタイムクライシスはすごく高い．．．アメリカで、クオーターがかかるけど、日本で100円だ。

As for Bonds of the Battlefield... the Internet lies. According to information I found on the Internet, you needed 8000 pilot points before you would be promoted to... Private again? E-2, whatever that is in the Army. (Can’t believe I’ve forgotten...) And yet, somehow, I was promoted again today... I don’t even have three thousand, much less eight!

戦場の絆は．．．インターネットはうそつき。インターネットの情報によると、一等兵に昇進するために8000パイロットポイントが必要だ。（英語の「一等兵」はなんとか忘れちゃった．．．）でも、今日はまた昇進した、一等兵に。3000さえない！

Oh, and in one of the other arcades, I got to battle someone at DDR. My status as unconquerable DDR master remains intact... well, among my friends, anyway.

そして、他のゲームセンターに、友達とDDRの勝負をした。僕はDDRのこと、最高よ！（まあ、僕の友達の中に．．．）

And there are uncountable masses of game/computer stores. There's the one store, Sofmap, that has a main branch, and then four or five more stores (all within five minutes' walk of the main branch) that sell just games, or just music, or just computers... it's ridiculous.

そして、ゲームとかパソコンの店がたくさんある。ソフマップと言う店がある．．．本館があるし、歩きで5分ぐらいの領域で、五つのほかの店がある。それはゲームだけとか音楽だけとかパソコンだけを売る。バカなこと．．．

We've also discovered new trading card games. I suppose that my friend and I are compelled to buy stuff related to our favorite games/anime. He bought Touhou trading cards, and I bought Nanoha ones. (Well, and some Fate/stay night and Key... but mostly Nanoha.) Sadly, they're from different games, so we can't play one another.

最後に、僕らは新しいトレーディングカードゲームの興味がある。まあ、僕らの気に入るゲームやアニメのものを買いたい．．．友達は東方のカードを買って、僕はなのはのを買った。（そして、フェイトステイナイトとKeyのカードも買って．．．でも、大体、なのは。）残念だけど、違うゲームだから、勝負を出来ない。

At least not with our cards. He bought enough Touhou cards to make two decks, so we played a game. I'm sure we ignored half the rules of the game, and neither of us had any strategy to speak of. It was kinda silly.

でも、友達はデッキを二つ作れるから、僕らはゲームをした。多分、規則が分からなかったし、作戦がなかったし．．．ちょっと浅はかだった。

So yes, I'm vastly enjoying my time here in Tokyo.

さあ、東京にいる時間はとても楽しいよ。

東京へようこそ！Welcome to Tokyo!

The day started at 9:30ish, when I met a friend at Kyoto Station. Twelve minutes later, we were on the Nozomi number 116 super-express train to Tokyo. (Side note: while "super-express" is still used in English, the equivalent Japanese "chotokkyu" isn't really used anymore.) This was my first time on the shinkansen, and it was certainly awesome.

今日は九時半に京都駅で友達と会った。12分後で、僕らは東京行きののぞみ116号超特急を乗った。それは、新幹線の初めてだ。すごかった。

The Nozomi ("nozomi" means "desire" in Japanese) shinkansen only makes three stops between Kyoto and Tokyo. So we were in Tokyo by 12:15, about two and a half hours after the train left Kyoto. It really didn't feel like we were going all that fast... but clearly we were. I mean, 500 kilometers in two and a half hours... that's an average speed of 125 miles an hour, which is a lot faster than the other option, the bus. (Airlines are too annoying.)

そののぞみ新幹線は駅を三つだけ止まる。だから、京都から東京まで2時半ぐらいかかって、12時15分ぐらい東京に着いた。速くないって感じけど．．．まあ、本当に速いよ。2時間半で500キロを行って．．．バスより速かった。（飛行機は面倒くさい。）

Once we got off at Tokyo station, we proceeded to get horribly lost. Somehow, despite Google Maps having the right address, it sent us off into Chiyoda ward, when our hotel was in Sumida ward. The difference? At least a mile, if not two. Oh, and different wards in Tokyo might as well be different cities. So yeah... very, very lost.

東京駅で降りた後、迷った。すごく迷った。なんとか、正しい住所があったけど、グーグルマップは「千代田区に行け」。僕らのホテルは墨田区にある。違いは．．．まあ、5キロぐらい。そして、違う区は違う都市みたいね。だから、すごく迷った。

Thankfully, the police officers that we asked pointed us in the right direction, and we had time to spare. So it didn't ruin the trip or anything. Our hotel is nice... kind of expensive, but I don't mind. And it's literally right next to a train station, so it's very convenient.

交番を行って、正しい指示を教えてくれた。だから、大丈夫。ホテルはいいね．．．ちょっと高いけど、かまわない。そして、駅の隣にいるから、便利よ。

Hmm, what should I do next... of course. Did I mention that the Akihabara station is literally two stops away?

次はどうすればいいかな．．．あ、もちろん。秋葉原駅は近いね。