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May. 8th, 2016 05:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taniWhen I originally formulated the idea for this journal, I thought I would be posting translations to song lyrics. I was going through my Arashi obsessions, and it seemed like something I would enjoy doing. It would give me a chance to practice my translation skills, expand my vocabulary, and give me a better grasp of the lyrics that I loved. It seemed like a great plan.
Except the reality. I don't really care to translate lyrics on a regular basis. I'm not ever going to blow anyone away with my lyrical way with words, and it frustrates me to try. I'm not a poet. I'm not a lyricist. If I'm a writer at all, I'm a writer of fiction.
Anyway, fast forward a few years. I've finished my second Bachelor's degree. I'm in a good job. I'm pretty happy with life, but I miss translating. It's been years now since I translated on a regular basis again. I don't have interest in translating yaoi manga anymore, although I do occasionally read it. Other manga are similarly unappealing, in part because of the nature of translating manga. I just want to deal in words. I want nothing to do with editing images, and I don't want to work on someone else's schedule, which is what happens when you work with a group. I don't want this to be a chore. I just want it to be a fun way to flex my skills.
The last time I went to Japan, I bought a bunch of manga, and a few novels. When I was thinking of translating manga for a group again, I realized that the most appealing thing to me was the idea of translating those novels. So few novels make it to English from Japanese, so it actually feels like translating some of these might be productive. It also takes the images out of the equation, so I can just post words, without worrying about how people will understand them.
This is going to be an evolving experiment for me. I'm going to work on translating the first Read or Die (R.O.D.) light novel. I'll be posting the unedited translation as I go. My unofficial goal is around a page a day, but it may be more or less, based on the day. I don't know if the translation will ever get edited, to be honest. That's my least favorite part of the process for me, and I just want this to be fun. At the very least, I might hold off on any editing until the translation is done.
And that's as far as I've planned. So, time to see how this goes!
Except the reality. I don't really care to translate lyrics on a regular basis. I'm not ever going to blow anyone away with my lyrical way with words, and it frustrates me to try. I'm not a poet. I'm not a lyricist. If I'm a writer at all, I'm a writer of fiction.
Anyway, fast forward a few years. I've finished my second Bachelor's degree. I'm in a good job. I'm pretty happy with life, but I miss translating. It's been years now since I translated on a regular basis again. I don't have interest in translating yaoi manga anymore, although I do occasionally read it. Other manga are similarly unappealing, in part because of the nature of translating manga. I just want to deal in words. I want nothing to do with editing images, and I don't want to work on someone else's schedule, which is what happens when you work with a group. I don't want this to be a chore. I just want it to be a fun way to flex my skills.
The last time I went to Japan, I bought a bunch of manga, and a few novels. When I was thinking of translating manga for a group again, I realized that the most appealing thing to me was the idea of translating those novels. So few novels make it to English from Japanese, so it actually feels like translating some of these might be productive. It also takes the images out of the equation, so I can just post words, without worrying about how people will understand them.
This is going to be an evolving experiment for me. I'm going to work on translating the first Read or Die (R.O.D.) light novel. I'll be posting the unedited translation as I go. My unofficial goal is around a page a day, but it may be more or less, based on the day. I don't know if the translation will ever get edited, to be honest. That's my least favorite part of the process for me, and I just want this to be fun. At the very least, I might hold off on any editing until the translation is done.
And that's as far as I've planned. So, time to see how this goes!
