Caption Contest
In an article I wrote more than ten years ago about translators of Japanese literature, I quoted Edward Seidensticker, Harvard professor and translator of the classic “Tale of Genji” who said, “a translation should be as transparent as water.” Meaning the original essence of the work should be visible to the reader, not obscured by the translator’s language. I thought it was a beautiful description.
At about the time I wrote the article, shortly before we moved to Austria from Japan, some earnest people came to my door and gave me the pamphlet below. Since then it has hung on my office wall above my PC and I would glance at it occasionally wondering what the Japanese on the cover means. I cleaned my office yesterday and took it down, but I’m putting it up here in the hopes that you will have a guess at what the translation could be.
What’s your guess?
As transparent as water
Posted in Feral Living
Schliden-schwhat?
No Melly, it says “Feral Living does it with shoes”
Being only half japanese myself, I neither speak nor read nor write any japanese, but I do know some people who are interested in japanese and asked if any of them had any ideas. Here is the result: heiwara (shin)(shii)(nari)(dono)(sei)(?) || (peace,harmony+ra) (new)(shii)(classical)(dono)(life,be born,student)(?)
my guess was “unfortunately, no one noticed bats flying out of the chimney until it was too late”
I thought it said “Little Children Make Great Panda FooD!!”
Looks like an old Jehova’s Witness pamphlet someone gave me.
after a few hours with my favorite japanese dictionary, here’s what i banged out:
Heiwa na atarashii yo de no seikatsu.
“Living in a new, peaceful world.”
My first guess was “Children of the world and the Party! Panda bears are rabid!”
Guess not.
um, that wasn’t my favorite japanese dictionary. this is. sorry.
“The escaped lunatics found it easier to approach the children if they masqueraded as pandas.”
“It tickles!”
“all was peaceful and good in the world when children and pandas lived together in harmony. but the deer. the deer were watching. and scheming. as was the eggplant.”
troll!!!!
your ISP # has been logged, dude!!!!!