The All-Purpose "Translation Request" Thread

[NeoKING]

1. An ateji? Well, I don't think so but I'm no expert.

2. 萬國驚天掌 would be something like... "Earth-Shattering Palm of Ten-Thousand Kingdoms," I think. But that's just me translating it wacky, because it sure as hell looks wacky.

[Ashy-kun]

Wasn't the Bankoku Bikkuri Shou supposed to be a pun on the title of a show, "The Bankoku Bikkuri SHOW", to be exact?

[NeoKING]

Wasn't the Bankoku Bikkuri Shou supposed to be a pun on the title of a show, "The Bankoku Bikkuri SHOW", to be exact?

Sounds like pun.

[ShadowDude112]

I don't know what episode it is in GT but, It's either 56 or 57. The first line in the episode is said by Eis Shenron (Yes, I'll use the dub name since I don't know his Japanese name). My GT Complete Series box set doesn't have any subtitles for that line. What does he say? If it helps, it's the episode in which the last line in the recap has Goku saying "I'll defeat you in 5 seconds."

[Herms]

I've got a few questions regarding Roshi's Bankokubikkurishou(萬國驚天掌) technique:
1.Would the word be an ateji since 天 doesn't seem to fit the bikkuri reading?
2. Would a translation of the attack be: Heavenly Palms of Universal Shock?

I think the 驚天 kanji in the name are taken from the expression 驚天動地/kyouten-douchi, meaning amazing or earth-shaking (in a metaphoric sense). So basically, Toriyama used the kanji for a fancy word for ‘surprising’ but gave it the reading for a simple word for ‘surprising’, similar to how he uses the kanji 萬國 for bankoku rather than the more usual 万国. He's just trying to give the attack as fancy-looking a name as possible. So all in all the name should be translated something like “Universal Surprise Palm”.

2. 萬國驚天掌 would be something like... "Earth-Shattering Palm of Ten-Thousand Kingdoms," I think. But that's just me translating it wacky, because it sure as hell looks wacky.

萬國 (usually 万国) literally means "ten-thousand kingdoms" but in practice means "international" or "universal". Ten-thousand in Japanese is a number used metaphorically to refer to all things, so "ten-thousand countries" is shorthand for "all countries".

Wasn't the Bankoku Bikkuri Shou supposed to be a pun on the title of a show, "The Bankoku Bikkuri SHOW", to be exact?

That's what I've heard.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

I don't know what episode it is in GT but, It's either 56 or 57. The first line in the episode is said by Eis Shenron (Yes, I'll use the dub name since I don't know his Japanese name). My GT Complete Series box set doesn't have any subtitles for that line. What does he say? If it helps, it's the episode in which the last line in the recap has Goku saying "I'll defeat you in 5 seconds."

Yeah, I noticed that, too. A couple of other lines were also left unsubtitled, at other points in the series. I wonder if somebody just screwed up when making the season sets, or if Steve Simmons forgot to translate a couple of the lines, back when they released the DBGT singles? In any case, I was able to understand the lines anyway, but I guess it would be frustrating for somebody that can't understand Japanese. Here's the line:

San Xing Long: 「五秒で倒す」ですって、この私を。/
"You'll defeat me in five seconds, you say?"

(By the way, I think it's worth it to learn the Japanese names of the dragons. It gives you more street cred. )

[Makaioshin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2sKyyYTrFo
Could someone please translate the text at the end of the video?
Sorry if it just something like "COMING SOON". I would just like to know if the image shown is of anything special and not just of an alternate cover.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

Arcade (something) special IC card.

[Makaioshin]

Arcade (something) special IC card.

Ah, well it was something different at least.
Thank you very much!

[Piccolo Daimao]

Can anyone tell me what the original version of this Viz line is? It's when 100% Freeza's flying to Shenlong to wish for immortality.

Freeza: Shenlong! Make me...immortal!!!!!"

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

Coola's normal form is equivalent to the form Freeza reached after his 3rd transformation. Because of this, through his first transformation he reaches a 4th-transformation form.

Herms, Savage and I were having a little debate about this entry. He claims that the implication of the first sentence is that Coola's normal form is as strong as Freeza's final form (which I say makes no sense in context), while I say that "is equivalent to" means that it's just the same type of form. Can you tell me how it was phrased in Japanese? Thank you!

[Senzu_Bean]

I have always wondered exactly the words Vegeta and Tenshinhan exchange in this scene, specially what Vegeta calls Tenshinhan:



If anyone is willing to translate them, I appreciate it.

[dbgtFO]

I would like to know what Goku says in the 4th panel of this page.
http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/6323/073k.jpg

[Ashy-kun]

I would like to know what Goku says in the 4th panel of this page.
http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/6323/073k.jpg

"Wakaranee na... Chibi-tachi no fusion no ki mo kanjineeshi... Tatakatta you demo neeshi... Nande ki ga puttsuri to kiechimatta ka..."

"I jus' dun' gettit... I can't feel the Qi from the lil' uns' Fusion... S'not even like they fought at all... Then, how come their Qi just totally vanished inta thin air?"

[Scan editted out for space]

If anyone is willing to translate them, I appreciate it.

"Vegeeta... Mada Chikyuu ni iyagatta no ka...?"

"Nanika iita sou da na..."

"Mochiron da - Iitai koto wa kusaru hodo aru... Nani shiro ore wa kisama-ra ni korosareta n'de na... Issho ni sunde'ru Yum-Cha no ki ga shiren' ze..."

"Ma- Maa... Mate yo! Ima wa sore dokoro ja nai hazu da!"

"Taihen na koto ni natta na... Freeza na no ka?"

"A-Aa... Sou rashii..."

"Kisama-ra shabetteru mae ni sassato Sentou Ryoku wo kese!! Manuke-me!! Yatsu-ra wa Scouter wo motteru n'da!"

"Vegeeta... Wasn't it that you still hated the Earth?"

"Well, it would appear I said that, wouldn't it now?"

"Of course - I've been wanting to say this so much that I could rot [I'm not too sure on this line, doesn't help I'm tired right now]. At any rate, I was killed by you monsters... How Yum-Cha's Chi could be residing together with yours, I just can't understand..."

"H-Ho... Hold on now! Surely now isn't the time or place for this!"

"Mm, this has become something serious... Could it be Freeza?"

"Y-Yeah... It seems so..."

"Before blathering on, you wretches, cut your Battle Powers, quickly!! You damn morons!! Those guys have just gotta be carrying Scouters!"

[NeoKING]

I would like to know what Goku says in the 4th panel of this page.
http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/6323/073k.jpg

"Wakaranee na... Chibi-tachi no ki mo kanjineeshi... Tatakatta you demo neeshi... Nande ki ga puttsuri to kiechimatta ka..."

"I jus' dun' gettit... I can't feel the lil' uns Qi... S'not even like they fought at all... Then, how come their Qi just totally vanished inta thin air?"

I have a question. I know Goku has the whole Tohoku-hick thing going on, but why do you insist on translating his accent into something that thick? Surely his Tohoku-speak isn't that major, because other than the "nee" part(and even then) it just seems like aggressive/slangy Tokyo-ben to me. Let me just say that I'm not expert but I think I could ask a question if something raises my eyebrows.

[Ashy-kun]

The same reason I give Freeza some pretty haughty words, overly formal and such, or I give Vegeeta condescending words. Just to add a flavour to it, for me, as I see the characters.

[NeoKING]

The same reason I give Freeza some pretty haughty words, overly formal and such, or I give Vegeeta condescending words. Just to add a flavour to it, for me, as I see the characters.

Oh, okay. The whole translation deal really gets ya' going doesn't it?

[Herms]

Herms, Savage and I were having a little debate about this entry. He claims that the implication of the first sentence is that Coola's normal form is as strong as Freeza's final form (which I say makes no sense in context), while I say that "is equivalent to" means that it's just the same type of form. Can you tell me how it was phrased in Japanese? Thank you!

Kuura wa tsuujou no joutai ga Furiiza no dai-san henshin keitai ni ataru

[Kiyza]

I've got a pretty quick question here about the note that was apparently left in Katattsu's son's spaceship. In the VIZ manga translation, Mr. Popo said that the note read "We will come for you later. Wait for us..." In the anime, that turns into a flashback and he just mentions that there was a note saying someone would come later. So my question is, was the note actually quoted in the original, and if so, does it say "we?" I've always thought that it was a note from his father, but since Namekians only have one parent, it would be a little strange to say "we," unless he meant perhaps the rest of his family, or some other Namekians.

[Herms]

I've got a pretty quick question here about the note that was apparently left in Katattsu's son's spaceship. In the VIZ manga translation, Mr. Popo said that the note read "We will come for you later. Wait for us..." In the anime, that turns into a flashback and he just mentions that there was a note saying someone would come later. So my question is, was the note actually quoted in the original, and if so, does it say "we?" I've always thought that it was a note from his father, but since Namekians only have one parent, it would be a little strange to say "we," unless he meant perhaps the rest of his family, or some other Namekians.

It's phrased in Japanese as ato de iku kara mattetekure, so super-literally it'd be "will come later, please wait". So there's no "we" or "us" (or any other pronouns) because you can leave stuff like that out in Japanese, but if you do that in English you end up sounding like a robot or Tarzan.

I've mentioned before that the word used in this scene to refer to God's parent(s) is oya, which could be either singular or plural, as opposed to ryoushin, which is specifically two parents. However, re-reading the scene I see it's a bit more complicated than that. When Popo's recounting his story and tells of how he asked God where his parents were, he says ryoushin, but when quoting God's answer, he switches to oya and uses that for the rest of his story (and so does God during the flashback panel where he speaks). Then later, when Bulma is talking about how God's parents must have died before they could come, she says ryoushin. So it seems that the people "not in the know" (Bulma, Popo before hearing the story) use ryoushin on the assumption that God must have had two parents, while those in the know (God, Popo after hearing the story) use the ambiguous oya. Maybe it's a coincidence, but it's kinda interesting.

I have a question. I know Goku has the whole Tohoku-hick thing going on, but why do you insist on translating his accent into something that thick? Surely his Tohoku-speak isn't that major, because other than the "nee" part(and even then) it just seems like aggressive/slangy Tokyo-ben to me.

Yeah, outside of Goku using ora for "I" and pronouncing (some of) his ai sounds as ee, he actually talks pretty standard Japanese in the manga. It's Nozawa in the anime who really lays on the Tohoku dialect.