Translating Japanese: a cross-comparison

[amielleon]

Just as a silly demonstration of how hard a task translating Japanese can be!

Character	My Rough Translation	Japanese	A Hyperliteral Translation
Levin	As in the days of old, just 'Levin' is fine. After the Battle of Barhara, Silesia was conquered by the Empire. Even now, by living this kind of life, I bear this shame to the world; while% Silesia, alongside my mother, was destroyed with its pride intact. I am now as I was then -- an idiot minstrel. I don't know what Oifey's told you, but never, ever address me as a king!	昔のように、レヴィンでいいさ シレジアはあのバーハラの戦いの後、 帝国に占領された▼ 私は今も こうして生き恥をさらしているが、▼ シレジアは母上とともに 誇りを持ったまま滅んだのだ▼ 私は今も昔も、間抜けな吟遊詩人 オイフェはどう言ったか知らないが、 まちがっても私を王などと呼ぶな！	In the way of old, just Levin is okay saa. As for Silesia, after that battle of Barhara, it was conquered by the empire. As for me, now too, in this way I am exposing my living in disgrace, but As for Silesia, it is that in conjunction with my honored mother, in a state of holding pride, it was ruined. As for me, now too, in the old times too, an idiot minstrel. As for Oifey, how did he speak, I do not know, but in error too, do not call me king and such!

For fun, here is Google Translate's touching rendition:

As of old, I After the Battle of Silesia Sa Bahara that the Levin,
Was occupied by the empire ▼

I'm still thus expose oneself to ridicule, ▼

Silesian holon he would remain with the mother proud ▼

Even today, I do not know Oife bard stupid What did you say,
Do the king and called me by mistake!

And here's the version from the patch:

Hey, drop the 'king' bit, okay?
Once the Battle of Barhara was over and the empire took control of Silesia, I just kinda...
Well, let's just say my shrink has had steady work for a while.
My mother may have perished with Silesia, but she at least kept her dignity to the very end.
While I'm just wasting away as a bard again...
Celice, I don't care what Oifey may have told you. Don't EVER address me as 'King Levin' again. Got it?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Fire Emblem born as much as a Dragon Quest Clone as much was planned as a Nintendo Wars Spin Off(more emphasis, in personal unit rather general strategy, imagine that as a japanese Cannon Folder), thus common RPG tropes as the Silent protagonist were to be used(much like the evil dragon, magical object and the princess), but change when the first idea(DQ clone) was refused by Yamauchi, with Narahiro & Kaga working together under Yokoi Support, the Fire Emblem we know and love, Born.

Yes, that was something the French always tell me, Several IS member(with Kaga as lead) were poetry fans, plus mythology ones, thus those element were pretty common in FE script, FE13 adopt a 'Persona' approach,. for that the whole thing is more 'modern' and simple, that could explain the explosion this FE have in his debut.