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FotR film Japanese subtitles.

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Anthony J. Bryant

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Jan 11, 2003, 10:16:29 PM1/11/03
to
There was mention not long ago of the problems with the subtitles
of the Japanese release of FotR which resulted in Jackson
"firing" the translator and making sure there'd be a different
subtitler. The issue recently came up on a list I read for
professional translators, and I came across a few of the errors.
Here is a small sampling of some of the more egregious ones --
for those interested in seeing how the Japanese get to encounter
the film.

There are many, many, more -- some of which I fear just don't get
across the point when translated back into English, being issues
of nuance.

Tony


Barliman:
[script] Good evening, little Masters.
[subtitle] What are these shorties here for?


Boromir:
[script] Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the
forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your
lands kept safe.
[subtitle] My father who was the Steward of Gondor, beat off the
army of Mordor. By the blood of our people, he kept your lands
safe.

(Denethor's dead?)


Gandalf:
[script] I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame
of Anor!
[subtitle] I am a servant of the Secret (Anor) Fire, the Creator
of life!

(in the subtitle, "Anor" is given as the pronunciation for the
word "secret" -- making Anor a "foreign" word meaning "secret.")


Galadriel:
[script] I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star.
[subtitle] I give you the light of Elendil.

(ELENDIL???)


Frodo (to Boromir):
[script] You are not yourself.
[subtitle] Liar!

Frodo (to Aragorn):
[script] Can you protect me from yourself? Would you destroy it?
[subtitle] Don't you need this? Can you destroy it?


Aragorn:
[script] I let Frodo go.
[subtitle] He has left.

Boromir:
[script] Then you did what I could not.
[subtitle] I am ashamed.

Aragorn:
[script] I do not know what strength is in my blood. But I swear
to you, I will not let the White City fall. Nor our people fail.
[subtitle] By the strength in my blood, I will protect our city,
and save men from ruin.

Boromir:
[script] I would have followed you, my brother. My captain. My
king.
[subtitle] I feel regret, our brother. Our captain. Our king.


Gandalf (on the trailer for Two Towers):
[script] Sauron is not so mighty yet that he is above fear.
[subtitle] Sauron is nothing for us to fear.


Saruman (on trailer):
[script] So Gandalf Greyhame thinks he has found the lost King of
Gondor.
[subtitle] Did Gandalf find the lost Kingdom of Gondor?

Banazir the Jedi Hobbit

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Jan 12, 2003, 4:01:05 AM1/12/03
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Anthony J. Bryant saved the Lost Kingdom of Condo:

> [Engrish subtitles]


> Here is a small sampling of some of the more egregious ones --
> for those interested in seeing how the Japanese get to encounter
> the film.

Excellent - the salvation of Condo is at hand!

Here is Eekfrenzy's page, which contains select LoTR:FoTR captions
from a subtitled bootleg which we think is Chinese:
http://users3.ev1.net/~eekfrenzy/captionspage/badfotrcaptionsx.html

("Hoppit" seems to be a phonetic translation, and I've seem similar
ones in Chinese translations of LoTR.)

The errors are usually grammatical and homonymic errors (at least, the
originate form what passes for homonyms with the captioner, e.g.,
"Isildur" / "a senator" / "the Dutch" / "Legolas"). The ones you have
so kindly provided below are semantically deeper, but no less
interesting (or, truth to tell, amusing).



> Barliman:
> [script] Good evening, little Masters.
> [subtitle] What are these shorties here for?

An auspicious beginning!

FRODO: My name Mr. Ondale, did Gandalf leave us a baggin?
http://users3.ev1.net/~eekfrenzy/captionspage/badfotrbree.html

> Boromir:
> [script] Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the
> forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your
> lands kept safe.
> [subtitle] My father who was the Steward of Gondor, beat off the
> army of Mordor. By the blood of our people, he kept your lands
> safe.
> (Denethor's dead?)

This is a rear gift!

> Gandalf:
> [script] I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame
> of Anor!
> [subtitle] I am a servant of the Secret (Anor) Fire, the Creator
> of life!
> (in the subtitle, "Anor" is given as the pronunciation for the
> word "secret" -- making Anor a "foreign" word meaning "secret.")

That's the best kept Anor in Tolkiendom, don't you know!
(Somebody's got to protect "Thuringanor" from herelf, though.)

> Galadriel:
> [script] I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star.
> [subtitle] I give you the light of Elendil.
>
> (ELENDIL???)

Knot even! It's the light of Eden Dune!
http://users3.ev1.net/~eekfrenzy/captionspage/badfotramonhen.html

> Frodo (to Boromir):
> [script] You are not yourself.
> [subtitle] Liar!

I know why you like this...
It reminds me of AFT!

"You are not yourelf today."
"Are you calling ME a liar?!"

> Frodo (to Aragorn):
> [script] Can you protect me from yourself? Would you destroy it?
> [subtitle] Don't you need this? Can you destroy it?

LOL, rubbing that temptation in, eh?
"Don't you NEED this?"

> Aragorn:
> [script] I let Frodo go.
> [subtitle] He has left.

Hrm, with THIS sort of shift, PJ needn't worry about changing
Faramir... these folks will either change him BACK or make him so bad
that you can't tell him from Saruman...



> Aragorn:
> [script] I do not know what strength is in my blood. But I swear
> to you, I will not let the White City fall. Nor our people fail.
> [subtitle] By the strength in my blood, I will protect our city,
> and save men from ruin.

> Gandalf (on the trailer for Two Towers):


> [script] Sauron is not so mighty yet that he is above fear.
> [subtitle] Sauron is nothing for us to fear.

Cases in point!
Perhaps he and Gandalf should get together and declare War of the Ring
ended "by fiat".

> Boromir:
> [script] I would have followed you, my brother. My captain. My
> king.
> [subtitle] I feel regret, our brother. Our captain. Our king.

Is that the "royal `we'"? #-)

> Saruman (on trailer):
> [script] So Gandalf Greyhame thinks he has found the lost King of
> Gondor.
> [subtitle] Did Gandalf find the lost Kingdom of Gondor?

No, it's still lost.
He found the kingdom of Condo:
http://users3.ev1.net/~eekfrenzy/captionspage/badfotrcouncil.html

--
Banazir
("this is no real rangers")

doug

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Jan 12, 2003, 9:27:38 AM1/12/03
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*snip*

>
> Galadriel:
> [script] I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star.
> [subtitle] I give you the light of Elendil.
>
> (ELENDIL???)
>
*snip*

I've studied a bit of japanese, took a couple classes. There's not too
many ways to properly pronounce Earendil in Japanese.

The R's sound like a weird mixture of r's and l's. You gotta hear it to
understand, I can't explain it with text, at least I can't.

I'm guessing that in subtitles with hiragana or katakana, the closest
you could sound to Earendil, would sound like iarenderu.

I'm not an expert in japanese, I can't speak fluently, but I can read,
and piece together sentences worthy of an elementary student. :-) But
that's how it would end up, with the r's sounding somewhat like l's to us.

The rest of it can't be excused though, it just looks like sloppy
translating. I was actually considering getting a Japanese Silmarillion
just to see the differences. Only problem is, I know hiragana and
katakana, the phoenetic alphabets. I'm no where near being proficient
with kanji, which is pretty much required to read anything in japanese
intended for adults.


Pradera

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Jan 12, 2003, 1:46:45 PM1/12/03
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On 12 sty 2003, doug <zenh...@linuxmail.org> scribbled loosely:

>> [script] I give you the light of E„rendil, our most beloved star.


>> [subtitle] I give you the light of Elendil.
>>
>> (ELENDIL???)
>>
> *snip*
>
> I've studied a bit of japanese, took a couple classes. There's not
> too many ways to properly pronounce Earendil in Japanese.
>
> The R's sound like a weird mixture of r's and l's. You gotta hear it
> to understand, I can't explain it with text, at least I can't.
>

You're right. I do wonder how they manage to translate these things in
the books, not to mention the movie. Silmarilion must be a terrible
bother - how do you distinguish between Balan and his son Baran?

> I'm guessing that in subtitles with hiragana or katakana, the closest
> you could sound to Earendil, would sound like iarenderu.
>

I'd say it's rather earenchiru...

--
Pradera
---
-Lynch was more true to the book!-

http://www.pradera-castle.prv.pl/

Anthony J. Bryant

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Jan 12, 2003, 1:48:39 PM1/12/03
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Banazir the Jedi Hobbit wrote:

>
> Here is Eekfrenzy's page, which contains select LoTR:FoTR captions
> from a subtitled bootleg which we think is Chinese:
> http://users3.ev1.net/~eekfrenzy/captionspage/badfotrcaptionsx.html
>

I love this. It is just too painful. <snicker>

>
> Perhaps he and Gandalf should get together and declare War of the Ring
> ended "by fiat".
>

Ended by Lamborghini would be better. <G>


Tony

Anthony J. Bryant

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Jan 12, 2003, 1:59:40 PM1/12/03
to
doug wrote:

> *snip*
> >
> > Galadriel:
> > [script] I give you the light of E較endil, our most beloved star.


> > [subtitle] I give you the light of Elendil.
> >
> > (ELENDIL???)
> >
> *snip*
>
> I've studied a bit of japanese, took a couple classes. There's not too
> many ways to properly pronounce Earendil in Japanese.
>

I just did a doublecheck through my Japanese copy of LotR (指輪物語 = Yubiwa
Monogatari = Tale of the Ring) to make sure. The difference between エレンデ
ィール (Erendiiru = Elendil) and エアレンディル (Earendiru = Earendil) is
small, but clear enough in the books. The point is, even though similar, they
are different enough for the fans, at least, to have noticed that the names
were different.

> I'm not an expert in japanese, I can't speak fluently, but I can read,
> and piece together sentences worthy of an elementary student. :-) But
> that's how it would end up, with the r's sounding somewhat like l's to us.
>

I'm a grad student in medieval Japanese history, and lived in Japan from
86-92, so no problems there. <G>

>
> The rest of it can't be excused though, it just looks like sloppy
> translating. I was actually considering getting a Japanese Silmarillion
> just to see the differences. Only problem is, I know hiragana and
> katakana, the phoenetic alphabets. I'm no where near being proficient
> with kanji, which is pretty much required to read anything in japanese
> intended for adults.

Try the Hobbit first. It's actually rather easy to read in Japanese (once you
get past the dialect issues -- the hobbits often come across as bumpkins from
the sticks).

Tony

MP

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Jan 12, 2003, 4:38:50 PM1/12/03
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In article <Xns9301C93415ED8p...@130.133.1.4>,
Pradera <pra...@pradera.prv.pl> wrote:

> You're right. I do wonder how they manage to translate these things in
> the books, not to mention the movie. Silmarilion must be a terrible
> bother - how do you distinguish between Balan and his son Baran?

A good point. Both Japanese and Chinese don't distinguish between R and
L sounds. A Japanese friend of my often has trouble telling the
difference.

Tolkien's published letters include some remarks he made, mostly
negative, about translations. He was actually quite practical, language
being his speciality. While ordinarily, personal names don't need their
spelling changed, in a case like this something needs to be done. Either
Balan or Baran needs to be given a name that, in Japanese, is different
from the other.

And why, tell me, are they subtitling rather than dubbing. Japan is a
large, wealthy country. It deserves to have the movie dubbed. Even bad
dubbing beats subtitling. It lets you watch the film rather than the
bottom of the screen.

Of course, a lot of the younger Japanese can follow at least some of the
English.

--Mike Perry, Seattle

--
****************
Preorder Lord of the Ring DVDs and videos.
http://www.inklingbooks.com/
****************

Öjevind Lång

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Jan 12, 2003, 6:15:44 PM1/12/03
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"MP" <blac...@foxinternet.net.invalid> wrote:

[snip]

> And why, tell me, are they subtitling rather than dubbing. Japan is a
> large, wealthy country. It deserves to have the movie dubbed. Even bad
> dubbing beats subtitling. It lets you watch the film rather than the
> bottom of the screen.

I disagree. Seeing a French film dubbed into English is a bizarre
experience. The same goes for seeing an American film dubbed into French or
German.

Öjevind


Jamie Armstrong

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Jan 12, 2003, 7:21:34 PM1/12/03
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I would say it depends on the quality of the dubbing: I think the
English soundtrack to the Directors Cut of Das Boot (fantastic film) is
exremely well done, although they had the advantage of using many of the
original cast to dub the parts. But the dubbing for Crouching Tiger
Hidden Dragon is bloody awful (E-W differences in phonetics perhaps?
German and English does have much in common, whereas Chinese and English
are completely different of course)

The only other foreign language film I currently have is Seven Samurai
which only has the Japanese soundtrack, and I find it rather straining
reading the subtitles against a B&W background (thought I *do* need to
get a new pair of glasses...).

Jamie

Yuk Tang

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Jan 12, 2003, 8:29:16 PM1/12/03
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"Öjevind Lång" <ojevin...@swipnet.se> wrote in message
news:sDmU9.1984$EG4....@nntpserver.swip.net...

In any case, subtitles aren't all that hard to read. A full line would take
around 4-5 seconds to read aloud, and under a second to read on screen. So
one keeps one's eyes on the main action for the most part, with the
occasional flick downwards. Once the information is taken in, one looks up
again, to see how the actors speak the words.

Of course, subtitles are difficult to read on a 4:3 ratio. But with
letterbox, there's usually some margin of black top and bottom, and the
subtitlers can take advantage of this to insert the text, unimpeded by
background.

Cheers, ymt.


Michael Mendelsohn

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Jan 12, 2003, 8:25:51 PM1/12/03
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Jamie Armstrong schrieb:

> Öjevind Lång wrote:
> > "MP" <blac...@foxinternet.net.invalid> wrote:
> >>And why, tell me, are they subtitling rather than dubbing. [..] Even bad

> >>dubbing beats subtitling. It lets you watch the film rather than the
> >>bottom of the screen.

> > I disagree. Seeing a French film dubbed into English is a bizarre
> > experience. The same goes for seeing an American film dubbed into French or
> > German.
> >
> I would say it depends on the quality of the dubbing:

I second that. Most A- and B-movies are dubbed well into German; some
computer games have had awful dubs; and I've yet to see an anime title
that has been dubbed well. Subtitles for those are acceptable on a TV
screen, though I see that this could be a problem in the cinema.

I've seen LotR in the cinema in German, and have the FotR DVD, which I
watch in English; the German dub is excellent.

Futurama is also well dubbed, I even like the German Bender better than
the English one, but that may be in part because I'm already used to it
that way.

Michael
--
"I have known war as few men now living know it.
Its very destructiveness on both friend and foe
has rendered it useless as a means of settling
international disputes." (General Douglas MacArthur)

John

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Jan 12, 2003, 9:24:16 PM1/12/03
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MP <blac...@foxinternet.net.invalid> wrote in message news:<blackhole-E41A8...@netnews.attbi.com>..

> A good point. Both Japanese and Chinese don't distinguish between R and
> L sounds. A Japanese friend of my often has trouble telling the
> difference.
>

Chinese *does* distinguish between r and l.

--John

the softrat

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Jan 12, 2003, 10:04:21 PM1/12/03
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On 12 Jan 2003 18:24:16 -0800, john_...@hotmail.com (John) wrote:
>
>Chinese *does* distinguish between r and l.
>
The languages may, but many of the people don't.


the softrat "Wannabe orcodentist"
==>Jar-jaromir Lives!<==
mailto:sof...@pobox.com
--
Don't allow your mind to wander; it's too little to be allowed
out by itself.

Aris Katsaris

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Jan 12, 2003, 11:15:45 PM1/12/03
to

"MP" <blac...@foxinternet.net.invalid> wrote in message
news:blackhole-E41A8...@netnews.attbi.com...

>
> And why, tell me, are they subtitling rather than dubbing. Japan is a
> large, wealthy country. It deserves to have the movie dubbed. Even bad
> dubbing beats subtitling.

You are utterly insane. *Utterly*.

I think I'd rather not see the movies at all than see them dubbed.

Aris Katsaris

Banazir the Jedi Hobbit

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Jan 12, 2003, 11:52:19 PM1/12/03
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Anthony J. Bryant saw the White Car:

> Banazir the Jedi Hobbit wrote:

>> Here is Eekfrenzy's page, which contains select LoTR:FoTR captions
>> from a subtitled bootleg which we think is Chinese:
>> http://users3.ev1.net/~eekfrenzy/captionspage/badfotrcaptionsx.html
>
> I love this. It is just too painful. <snicker>

It burnss uss, it freezes, it teuncess uss, it does...

>> Perhaps [Arrogant] and Gandalf should get together and declare War of the


>> Ring ended "by fiat".
>
> Ended by Lamborghini would be better. <G>

But who was in the van, driving the Enemy from the Gate?

--
Banazir

Pradera

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Jan 13, 2003, 3:25:09 AM1/13/03
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On 12 sty 2003, MP <blac...@foxinternet.net.invalid> scribbled loosely:

> And why, tell me, are they subtitling rather than dubbing. Japan is a
> large, wealthy country. It deserves to have the movie dubbed. Even bad
> dubbing beats subtitling. It lets you watch the film rather than the
> bottom of the screen.
>

No way!
I can't stand japanese movies being dubbed in english, I don't think it
would work better the other way 'round. Even though Japan has the best
voice actors in the world.



> Of course, a lot of the younger Japanese can follow at least some of the
> English.

That's for sure.

Banazir the Jedi Hobbit

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Jan 13, 2003, 3:35:26 AM1/13/03
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the softrat <sof...@pobox.com> wrote in message news:<c4b42v4o1dh7mtria...@4ax.com>...

> On 12 Jan 2003 18:24:16 -0800, john_...@hotmail.com (John) wrote:

>> Chinese *does* distinguish between r and l.
>
> The languages may, but many of the people don't.

It varies diarrhetically, er, I mean dialectically.

Some dialects confound 'n' and 'l' - e.g., Sichuan folks might say
luo[4] mi[3] instead of nuo[4] mi[3] (glutinous rice). Oddly enough,
"lemon" is transliterated nin[2] mong[2] in "proper" Chinese (Beijing
accent) and Sichuanese get it RIGHT: lin[2] mong[2]! I couldn't
digest this fact when it was first explained to me by my cousin; I
thought I was on Candid Camera (or the Chinese variant). #-)

--
Banazir

Joy

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Jan 13, 2003, 3:45:34 AM1/13/03
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"Pradera" <pra...@pradera.prv.pl> wrote:
> MP scribbled loosely:

>
> > And why, tell me, are they subtitling rather than
> > dubbing. Japan is a large, wealthy country. It
> > deserves to have the movie dubbed. Even bad
> > dubbing beats subtitling. It lets you watch the
> > film rather than the bottom of the screen.

As Aris said, you're insane.

Dubbed movies, even those that are well done, make me cringe. The only
things that really hold up well after dubbing are cartoons. I *hate* live
action dubbing with a passion. I know a lot of people who don't speak a word
of English but would still rather listen to the original soundtrack of a
movie and read subtitles than watch to dubbed versions.

> No way!
> I can't stand japanese movies being dubbed in english,
> I don't think it would work better the other way
> 'round. Even though Japan has the best voice actors
> in the world.

Indeed. They're amazing. Still... I think I'd be rather disturbed if I
watched LOTR and heard a growling Japanese man shout. Although I'd imagine
their elf impressions would be lovely. And they'd probably improve on
Viggo's voice. But, but... No no no! Dubbing is eViol.

> > Of course, a lot of the younger Japanese can follow
> > at least some of the English.
>
> That's for sure.

They even speak Engrish in Japanese movies now.

-joy


Leif Magnar Kj|nn|y

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Jan 13, 2003, 3:51:45 AM1/13/03
to
In article <blackhole-E41A8...@netnews.attbi.com>,

MP <blac...@foxinternet.net.invalid> wrote:
>
>And why, tell me, are they subtitling rather than dubbing. Japan is a
>large, wealthy country. It deserves to have the movie dubbed. Even bad
>dubbing beats subtitling. It lets you watch the film rather than the
>bottom of the screen.

Gah. Dubbing is for those who are too young to read subtitles.
Even good dubbing changes the movie (takes away the vocal performance
of the actors, replaces with some other actors), and most dubbing is
bad or worse. In countries where subtitling is common, people learn
to read them quickly and without missing what else is going on.

--
Leif Kj{\o}nn{\o}y | "Its habit of getting up late you'll agree
www.pvv.org/~leifmk| That it carries too far, when I say
Math geek and gamer| That it frequently breakfasts at five-o'clock tea,
GURPS, Harn, CORPS | And dines on the following day." (Carroll)

the softrat

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Jan 13, 2003, 4:29:22 AM1/13/03
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On 13 Jan 2003 00:35:26 -0800, hs...@hotmail.com (Banazir the Jedi
Hobbit) wrote:

>It varies diarrhetically, er, I mean dialectically.

PS: I am of the 'school' that refers to the languages of the Middle
Kingdom as 'languages', not 'dialects'. They are not, in general,
mutually comprehensible (rather like Alabaman and Scots).

(or worse)

Mandarin (National Language)
Sichuan
Fukien
Guandong
Wu
Shanghei
IforgetI
IforgetII
IforgetIII

There there are the ones which aren't Sino-Tibetan ....


the softrat "Wannabe orcodentist"
==>Jar-jaromir Lives!<==
mailto:sof...@pobox.com
--

The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard. --
Steven Wright

Pradera

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Jan 13, 2003, 5:06:08 AM1/13/03
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On 13 sty 2003, the softrat <sof...@pobox.com> scribbled loosely:

> Mandarin (National Language)
> Sichuan
> Fukien
> Guandong
> Wu
> Shanghei
> IforgetI
> IforgetII
> IforgetIII
>

Ooo, where can I learn the last three?

isn't 'Yi' one of those?

Joy

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Jan 13, 2003, 5:15:23 AM1/13/03
to
"the softrat" <sof...@pobox.com> wrote:
>(Banazir the Jedi Hobbit) wrote:
>
> >It varies diarrhetically, er, I mean dialectically.
>
> PS: I am of the 'school' that refers to the languages
> of the Middle Kingdom as 'languages', not 'dialects'.
> They are not, in general, mutually comprehensible
> (rather like Alabaman and Scots).
>
> (or worse)
>
> Mandarin (National Language)
> Sichuan
> Fukien
> Guandong
> Wu
> Shanghei
> IforgetI
> IforgetII
> IforgetIII
>
> There there are the ones which aren't Sino-Tibetan ....

A language is a dialect with an army, blah blah.

Languages dknot exist!!!! DKNOT DKNOT DKNOT!!!!!

-yoj


Öjevind Lång

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Jan 13, 2003, 2:06:02 PM1/13/03
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"Aris Katsaris" <kats...@otenet.gr> wrote:

I completely agree.

Öjevind

"If Darth Maul had been drinking my moonshine instead of Chewbacca's he
wouldn't have that skin problem."

(From "The Diary of a Redneck Jedi")


Banazir the Jedi Hobbit

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Jan 13, 2003, 6:59:18 PM1/13/03
to
Pradera <pra...@pradera.prv.pl> wrote in message news:<Xns930270F1C3C74p...@130.133.1.4>...

> On 13 sty 2003, the softrat <sof...@pobox.com> scribbled loosely:

>> Mandarin (National Language)
>> Sichuan
>> Fukien
>> Guandong
>> Wu
>> Shanghei
>> IforgetI
>> IforgetII
>> IforgetIII
>
> Ooo, where can I learn the last three?

Dwink fwom the waters of the river Lethe.
/me hands the Shogun a bottle.

> isn't 'Yi' one of those?

You'll have to ask the Knights Who Speak Yi.

Minority ethnicities within China include the Miao[2] and Yao[2].
I don't know for sure whether Tibetan is considered a separate
language, but my guess is that it is.

The above may not walays be mutually intelligible, but I'd disagreen
with Softrat on their being distinct languages. For one thing, the
written language is identical (neither a necessary nor sufficient
condition, but still a strong correlate). Also, the dialects are
differentiated by pronunciation only and there is generally a 1-to-1
correspondence for all words except for idiomatic phrases.

--
Banazir

Yuk Tang

unread,
Jan 13, 2003, 7:51:51 PM1/13/03
to

"Banazir the Jedi Hobbit" <hs...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:91a1d472.03011...@posting.google.com...

>
> The above may not walays be mutually intelligible, but I'd disagreen
> with Softrat on their being distinct languages. For one thing, the
> written language is identical (neither a necessary nor sufficient
> condition, but still a strong correlate). Also, the dialects are
> differentiated by pronunciation only and there is generally a 1-to-1
> correspondence for all words except for idiomatic phrases.

If Softrat's assumption that they are different languages is correct, then
there'd be at least 2-3 different languages in an area as tiny as Hong Kong,
even before the influx from the north mixed things up further.

As with British English, there are a huge number of ways in which Chinese is
spoken. However, there is an accepted standard way of writing, which anyone
literate would understand, and within China there is also a standard way of
speaking, aka putonghua. In addition, due to the large numbers of Chinese
of Cantonese origin and descent abroad, overseas Chinese may regard
Cantonese as the standard form of speech. But all these different accents
and dialects are recognisably the same language.

Incidentally, much of what I've heard in Japanese and Korean are also
translatable, word for word, sound for sound, into Chinese. I reckon JRRT
would have had a field day with the family tree of East Asian languages if
he'd been interested.

Cheers, ymt.


CleV

unread,
Jan 13, 2003, 8:26:10 PM1/13/03
to

Only is some very few cases from what I've heard, and usually to do
with words which are older or place names (most obviously Tokyo, for
example). The Korean thank you sounds a lot like the Fujian thank you
to my ears.

Anthony J. Bryant

unread,
Jan 13, 2003, 8:30:07 PM1/13/03
to

Probably my friend Steve. He has a van.... <G>

Tony

Anthony J. Bryant

unread,
Jan 13, 2003, 8:31:19 PM1/13/03
to
Pradera wrote:

>
> You're right. I do wonder how they manage to translate these things in
> the books, not to mention the movie. Silmarilion must be a terrible
> bother - how do you distinguish between Balan and his son Baran?

Good question. Unfortunately, I don't have a Japanese edition of
Silmarillion to check.

Tony

the softrat

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Jan 13, 2003, 9:10:32 PM1/13/03
to
On 13 Jan 2003 15:59:18 -0800, hs...@hotmail.com (Banazir the Jedi

Hobbit) wrote:
>
>The above may not walays be mutually intelligible, but I'd disagreen
>with Softrat on their being distinct languages. For one thing, the
>written language is identical (neither a necessary nor sufficient
>condition, but still a strong correlate).

Since the writing system is not phonetic in the slightest degree, but
pictographic, of course all cows look like the picture.

>Also, the dialects are
>differentiated by pronunciation only and there is generally a 1-to-1
>correspondence for all words except for idiomatic phrases.

Not according to my other correspondents who are your scholarly equals
in these matters. *They* say that 'Guandong' is *completely* different
from 'Mandarin'. Whom am I to believe, you or _The World Almanac_ and
_The Ethnologue_?

Yeah, they are all 'Chinese', but so is 'Lakota' a form of American.


the softrat "Wannabe orcodentist"
==>Jar-jaromir Lives!<==
mailto:sof...@pobox.com
--

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many
is research. -- Steven Wright

Yellow Fever

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Jan 15, 2003, 1:46:39 AM1/15/03
to
All you base are belong to us


Hamilton Nash

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Jan 15, 2003, 3:04:52 AM1/15/03
to

"Yellow Fever" <Bl...@goaway.com> wrote in message
news:b03054$jov$1...@news-int.gatech.edu...

> All you base are belong to us
>

Theoden ( at Helm's Deep ): What that?

Aragorn: Somebody set up us the bomb!

( cut to the plain outside the Black Gate of Mordor )

Gandalf: We get message

Aragorn: What?

Gandalf: Main screen turn on

Aragorn: It's you!

Mouth of Sauron: How are you gentlemen? ( holding up mithril chain and other
objects ) All your Hobbit are belong to us. You have no chance to survive.
Make your peace. Ha Ha Ha!

http://www.nulldevice.net/images/AYB1.swf

>


Anthony J. Bryant

unread,
Jan 15, 2003, 5:48:35 PM1/15/03
to
Hamilton Nash wrote:

<snip>

>
> Mouth of Sauron: How are you gentlemen? ( holding up mithril chain and other
> objects ) All your Hobbit are belong to us. You have no chance to survive.
> Make your peace. Ha Ha Ha!

Oh, the pain, the pain.... <G>


Tony


Jorinde

unread,
Feb 2, 2003, 4:38:41 PM2/2/03
to
> Here is Eekfrenzy's page, which contains select LoTR:FoTR captions
> from a subtitled bootleg which we think is Chinese:
> http://users3.ev1.net/~eekfrenzy/captionspage/badfotrcaptionsx.html

How can I get to this homepage? They always ask me for a username and
password... please help!

Christina

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