Translations guide for various countries

[Cold Skin]

I don't always have the brightest ideas for threads, but I might as well put them to the test with one chapter.

Since I'm always very interested in the various ways to translate something and the various choices made by official handlers in the world, I thought about this thread to share the current official version of names and translation explanations from your country, which can encompass both the manga and the anime (as their most recent editions), official explanations or your own explanations and guesses about their choices.

I always choose complications and lengthy explanations, but as far as you're concerned, you're free to simply put a list of official names used in your country, without further complications and explanations!
You can also just comment on the way one specific scene or line was translated in your national version.

WARNING: I've put pictures to better situate the moments in which explanations are given, since it is my understanding that it's okay as long as it's very low resolution, shows only a minimal part of the product, and is there to illustrate explanations. However, I will take down the speech bubbles, some of the pictures or even all of the pictures if I am asked to do one of those things.

"PERFECT EDITION" (KANZENBAN) FRENCH TRANSLATION

This will tell you about each name for the definitive French retranslation which tries to be as close as the Japanese as possible, including as many translation notes as needed.
This "Perfect Edition" translation is actually an update of the retranslation done for the Tankobon collection, changing names and adding some more notes, while also removing notes that were ultimately deemed unnecessary.
That updated translation also removes any Japanese influence that does not belong to a proper French language, keeping Japanese names, but removing unnatural Japanese marks ("-chan", "-san" and such were eliminated and replaced with natural equivalents, and symbols supposed to convey the double letters were also removed as they don't belong to natural French - "Son Gokû" becoming the more appropriate "Son Goku" for example).

I will show as red the versions used in the original retranslation for the Tankobon that has become obsolete and has been changed.
I will show as green the current official versions and explanations.
Any text that is not colored is from me, explaining you about some aspects that would be missing for a complete understanding otherwise.

If something feels unnatural to you, be sure that it comes from my own English as the original seems natural to a French reader.
And if you ever want to a list of official translations for all the names in your country (characters, attacks...), you absolutely don't have to add explanations like I do, you can just make a list of names!!

FULL LIST (on-going)

Most names are certified as being the definitive update (Kanzenban or Movie Anime Comics).
Red names are names that could still go through an update (with the Kanzenban release).

- Afterimage
- Aura
- Baba the Fortune-teller
- Babidi
- Bankoku Bikkuri Sho
- Big Bang Attack [kept in English]
- Bubbles
- Bubutai
- Bulma
- Butta
- C-8
- C-17
- C-18
- C-19
- C-20
- Celestial Cross
- Cell
- Chaozu
- Dead Zone [kept in English]
- Demon King Piccolo
- Dende
- Dodoria
- Dr. Gero
- Dr. Uiro
- Dragon Ball [kept in English]: Yi Shinchu, Aru Shinchu, San Shinchu, Su Shinchu, Wu Shinchu, Ryu Shinchu, Chi Shinchu
- Dragon Radar [kept in English]
- Ebifrya
- Erasa
- Final Flash [kept in English]
- Freezer
- Garlic
- Garlic Junior
- Genki Dama
- Ghourd
- Ginger
- Ginyu
- Ginyu Commando
- God
- Gotenks
- Great Chief
- Great King Enma
- Gregory
- Guilan
- Jeese
- Kaio
- Kaio Shin
- Kaio Shin Kai
- Kame Hame Ha
- Kame Sennin
- Ki
- Kienzan
- King Chapa
- King Cold
- King Vegeta
- Kishime
- Kyoken
- Lanfan
- Lil' Son
- Mai
- Majin Boo
- Makanko Sappo
- Masokattsun
- Mister Popo
- Mister Satan
- Muscle Tower
- Muten Roshi
- Namek [both the planet and the people]
- Nail
- Nam
- Nappa
- Nicky
- Nodoame
- Other World
- Piccolo
- Pilaf
- Raditz
- Reacum
- Red Ribon [kept in English, with the missing "r" considered a deliberate choice by Toriyama].
- Saiyan.
- Sansho
- Saruken
- Seehay
- Shapner
- Shogayaki
- Shu
- Son Gohan
- Son Goku
- Son Goten
- Super Saiyan
- Ten Shin Han
- Tenkaichi Budokai
- The Almighty
- To the Carrotransformer
- Trunks
- Unaju
- Vegeta
- Yamcha
- Yoïko Min-min Ken
- Zabon

KANZENBAN 01
CHAPTER 001

>> ABOUT THE SIGNS ON THE DOORS OF GOKU'S HOME

On the door, one can read the sign for "Fuku", which means "Happiness". That sign caracteristically symbolizes Songoku. (note that the name Songoku was written in one word in the Tankobon early chapters).
The signs on the house's doors mean "Happiness".

>> DRAGON BALL [kept in English]

Despite a ball being a female item in French, Dragon Balls were inexplicably male objects in the Tankobon version (as well as in the very first translation).
They are now logically mentionned as female items in the Kanzenban. The name "Dragon Ball" is kept in English.
The plural form is naturally "Dragon Balls", although it is unknown if the final "s" should be pronunced as in English or unpronounced as in French (though everyone here always naturally choose the second option, writing the "s" but not pronouncing it).

>> ABOUT THE FIRST EXPLANATION ON THE DRAGON BALLS

"Puis j'ai fait des recherches, et j'ai finalement trouvé la réponse dans des ouvrages très anciens.
Le nom de ces boules est "Dragon Ball", les boules du dragon. En tout, il y en a sept.
On les reconnaît facilement car elle brillent faiblement, et qu'à l'intérieur de chacune d'entre elles se trouvent des étoiles, de une à sept."
("Then I did some research, and I finally found an answer in very old books.
Those balls are called "Dragon Ball". There's a total of seven of them.
You can easily recognize them thanks to their faint glow, and because inside of each of them, there are stars from one to seven.")

As mentionned on Herms' topic, the term "Dragon Balls" is written in Japanese (despite the pronunciation symbols associated clearly implying it should still be pronunced "Dragon Ball"), which is likely so that people would know what it means even if it's pretty simple English.
Perhaps for this reason, the French version extends the sentence to include both the usual "Dragon Ball" term and a French translation right after it:
"[In French] Those balls are called [in usual English] "Dragon Ball", [back in French] the Dragon Balls."

>> ABOUT THE NAMES FOR DRAGON BALLS
(1: YI SHINCHU - 2: ARU SHINCHU - 3: SAN SHINCHU - 4: SU SHINCHU - 5: WU SHINCHU - 6: RYU SHINCHU - 7 CHI SHINCHU):

SON GOKU: "C'est vrai ! Il y a quatre étoiles dans celle de mon grand-père !"
BULMA: "Oui, c'est celle qui s'appelle "Su Shinchu". Moi, la première que j'ai trouvée s'appelait "Aru Shinchu", la boule à deux étoiles !
Et celle-là, je l'ai trouvée il y a à peu près dix jours. Dans une vallée au nord, j'ai eu du mal à mettre la main dessus, d'ailleurs. C'est "Wu Shinchu", la boule à cinq étoiles !"
(SON GOKU: "It's true! I can see four stars in my grand-father's!"
BULMA: "Yeah, that's the one named "Su Shinchu". The first one I found was named "Aru Shinchu", the two-stars ball!
And that one, I found about ten days ago. In a valley to the North, and I had my share of trouble getting a hold of it. It's "Wu Shinchu", the five-stars ball!")

Each Dragon Ball has a Chinese name meaning "star ball", preceded by the number of stars it contains. The Chinese transcription being hard to pronounce, we chose the Japanese version instead. Example: Su Shinchu instead of Si Xing Qiu.

Because it may be hard for non-Japanese speakers to know the actual number of the ball with just a Japanese name, characters add that information right after (Example: "It's Wu Shinchu, the five-stars ball!"

>> SHENRON

"Quand on rassemble les sept Dragon Balls et qu'on prononce la formule magique...
Shenron, le dieu des dragons, apparaît pour exaucer n'importe lequel de nos vœux !!
("When you gather the seven Dragon Balls and pronounce the magic words...
Shenron, the god of dragons, appears to grant any wish of yours!!")

[No explanations]
To be coherent with the other characters, the Japanese transcription is used for the sacred dragon: Shenron instead of Shenlong.

>> DRAGON RADAR [kept in English]

"C'est le Dragon Radar !! J'ai remarqué que les boules émettaient de faibles ondes, alors j'ai fabriqué cet appareil !
Regarde, ces trois points correspondent aux trois boules que nous avons déjà..."
("This is the Dragon Radar!! I noticed the balls broadcast weak waves, so I built that device!
Look, the three dots match the three balls we already have...")

There is no translation given because both words exist as such in French, making it understandable to anybody.

>> SON GOKÛ
>> SON GOKU

"Je suis Goku. Son Goku."
("I'm Goku. Son Goku.")

[No explanations]
Son Goku is a name from Chinese classic Saiyuki, Journey to the West. The whole beginning of Dragon Ball has been influenced by that novel. In the original story, Son Goku is a playful monkey that goes along with monk Sanzo in his pilgrimage.

In the original Tankobon retranslation, his name was actually written as "Songokû" in one word for the early chapters.

>> BULMA

GOKU: "Et toi ?"
BULMA: "Bulma..."
(GOKU: "What's yours?"
BULMA: "Bulma...")

[No explanations]
Bulma comes from "bloomers", which in Japanese are the shorts that high school girls wear during gym class.

Since no explanation or dialogue alteration was in the original Tankobon, it left Goku's reaction of saying her name is funny and laughing unexplained.

>> HOI-POI CAPSULE
>> HOP-POP CAPSULE

"Vite , pousse-toi, pousse-toi ! Hop !!"
("Come on, move, move! Hop!!")

The name was originally sticking very much to the original Japanese. It stands for the short shout Bulma makes when she throws a capsule and the sound the capsule itself makes once thrown.
However, those are not natural sounds in French, and the name was changed to be more in line with what sounds are written like in French, with Bulma shouting "Hop!!" and the capsule making a "Pop!" sound.

>> NYO-I BÔ
>> NYOÏ BO

"T_i_e_n_s ! Un bon coup de ma plus grande fierté, le Nyoï Bo!!"
("Here! Have a good taste of my greatest pride, the Nyoï Bo!!")

[No explanations]
Literally "staff that obeys your exact will", this is a magic item that appears in the Saiyuki.

In the original Tankobon, it's just named "Magic staff" for the early chapters, while the Kanzenban names it immediately.
Note that when ordering it, Goku simply calls it "staff" ("Staff, extend!"), but when not talking to it and mentionning it to others in conversations, he will call it by its actual name.
Finally, you may be surprised by the two dots above the "i". That's a sign indicating we have to pronounce that letter and the preceding letter separately (as "oi" would be pronounced "wah" instead of "oy" in French otherwise).

KANZENBAN 01
CHAPTER 002

>> SON-KUN
>> LIL' SON

"Au fait... Quel âge as-tu, mon p'tit Son?"
("By the way... How old are you, my lil' Son?")

Bulma calls Songokû "Son-kun". Kun is a familiar suffixe used as a diminutive for boys younger than oneself.

This was unnecessary Japanese influence that was replaced by "lil' Son", with the explanation being erased. She calls him "my lil' Son" this time, but just "lil' Son" afterwards.
It is deemed not correct for a translation to have some sentence-forming elements carried over to the target language when they don't exist as such there, and is therefore improper to use "-sama", "-kun", "-san" and such qualifications.
Only actual names are allowed to be copy-pasted, not elements helping you to define caracteristics or how you feel about a certain thing/person.

KANZENBAN 01
CHAPTER 003

>> ABOUT THE TURTLE ASKING FOR WAKAME

TURTLE: "Veuillez m'excuser, auriez-vous la gentillesse de me donner un seau d'eau salée ? Et si vous avez des wakamé, je ne serais pas contre..."
BULMA: "C'est une tortue de luxe..."
(TURTLE: "Please excuse me, but would you be kind enough to give me a bucket with salt water? And if you have wakame, that would do too..."
BULMA: "That turtle's a little diva...")

A certain kind of seaweed.

>> ABOUT THE TURTLE LOOKING FOR MATSUTAKE (deleted entry)

A certain kind of mushrooms growing under pine trees, very appreciated in Japan.

The term was updated to simply "mushrooms", and the explanation removed.

>> JANKEN

"Janken!! Pierre!!"
("Janken!! Rock!!")

The Janken is the Rock-Paper-Scissors game. It is Songokû's first special move, and also a pun since "ken" means "punch", but also "technic"!
The Janken is the Rock-Paper-Scissors game. It is also a pun because the "ken", meaning "fist" in the original term, is used as if it was a martial arts technic here.

>> ABOUT THE PENGUIN VILLAGE

"Vous n'êtes pas au Penguin Village."
("You are not at Penguin Village.")

Reference to Arale's village in Doctor Slump (the first series of master Toriyama).

Due to Doctor Slump being retranslated too, the next occurences of the Penguin Village would be translated in French ("village Pingouin").

>> ABOUT THE TURTLE PROMISING TO COME BACK WITH A GIFT

TORTUE: "Euh... Veuillez m'attendre quelques instants. Je t_i_e_n_s absolument à vous remercier !"
SON GOKU: "Nous remercier ?"
BULMA: "Du moment qu'elle ne nous apporte pas une boîte magique..."
(TURTLE: "Hum... Please wait for me for a little while. I really want to thank you!"
SON GOKU: "Thank us?"
BULMA: "As long as it doesn't bring us some magic box...")

In the popular tale Urashima Tarô, un fisherman saves a turtle who, to thank him, gives him a box which prevents him from growing old. In the end, Urashima opens the box and suddenly grows old!
In the tale Urashima Taro, a fisherman saves a turtle who, to thank him, brings him along to a magnificent underwater palace. There, the princess of the ocean gives him a box which prevents him from growing old. In the end, Taro opens the box and suddenly grows old.

[DerekPadula]

This is really great! Thank you for your effort.

I'd like to do translations of the "It's Over 9,000!" book in as many languages as possible, so having this is helpful. The Spanish version is already done in case anyone is curious. Just waiting on a new Foreword from a Spanish voice actor.

Keep up the good work.