I know that translation is tough. to think in 2 languages is as easy as breathing when you live with them. but have someone ask you what this sentence says and it's like the brain shuts down!

I can't even begin to count all the times someone pops a word in my face to translate and I pull "duuuuuuuuh?" complete with a face.

so I know the feeling.

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"You must be the worst artist I have ever heard of." "AH! but you HAVE heard of me" ~based on PotC

Yeah, it's like there's this wall between you and the world when it comes to another language. I mean, I know what I'm reading or hearing means, but I can't for the life of mesay what it is, because it's like there are so many things untranslatable that I'm thinking and feeling, plus there's the whole is this accurate enough issue. >_>

There's nothing illegal about translating. I don't know how rights to distribution between countries works, but you own this translation.

What character is used for "sen" in the eight sages names?

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Visit my webcomic at jaadrih.comicgenesis.com!

It's the "person" radical and "mountain", I think, off the top of my head. My kanji dictionary says it's wizard or hermit, but I've seen fan translations of other's and this series, using "sage". Hermit really sounds more like someone that would be sort of away from people, but for the most part, the sen of this series are more or less involved with people. And wizard with all its western connotations doesn't make a good fit to me either in this text or in general with how I've seen the character used. =/ And "Enlightened being" which shadow uses is just too long, imho. The character used is the same use in Ono Fuyumi's "hisen", "chisen" or "nyosen", I'm fairly certain. I'm more of a person who would rather use the original Japanese word if I can't find a suitable English replacement. You have no idea how much "lamia" as a replacement for "nyokai" makes me shudder. Would it be more helpful if you had the original of the text from less, uh, reputable sources? Any help you could give in checking my woeful translations would be welcomed if you had time. I'm just happy as pie to see someone else who know Japanese. XD

The thing is I'm just not certain how dA would respond to it. But that's probably just me being paranoid. But I sort of wanted to make it clear that I was doing it for mine and other's enjoyment purposes? XD

Okay, I see which one it is now. "Sage" is probably a decent enough translation. Wizard or hermit....well, this is more or less correct, but it has the wrong connotations in the English. To us, a hermit is a crazy person who lives by themself. To the Chinese, a hermit is an honorable person who has left the world behind in search of enlightenment and found it. Enlightenment is often portrayed along with some supernatural power, hence the "wizard" association. To make matters more complicated, this "sen" has only the Chinese meaning and doesn't represent any Japanese words. It can only be used to make more words, as in "senjou" - "secret of a wizard"/"secret of immortality", "senkyo" - "enchanted land", and more likely "sennin" here, where the latter character is "hito". Is "yassennin" what you had for "eight sages"? Or something else?

The names are in onyomi, as they usually are, and, yeah, I think it's best to use them that way. If you tried to translate their names into konyomi, poor Hakusen would become "Shirosennin" or "Shirokenjin" or something. So why subject him to "White Sage"? Best leave him the way he is, yeah?

That "sen" seems to cause trouble in a lot of places I notice. Naruto is a big one. Naruto often cleverly, and cheekily refers to his mentor Jiraiya as "ero sennin." I usually see this translated as "perverted hermit," but I think that's pretty incorrect. "Ero" refers to eroticism, whereas "hentai" refers to perversion. We now know what "sen" means, so lastly "nin" is person, Jirayia writes erotic novels, but he's also a master ninja who has unlocked secret and mysterious arts of frog magic. His real title is "gama sennin" - toad "sage". "Pervert sage" would work, maybe.... I dunno. As long as both are translated as "sage" OR "hermit" and not one hermit and the other sage, as I see a lot of translators do. We miss the joke when you do that.

That's a big one with me: When you decide that one word means something, it must ALWAYS be translated that way! The original author means something by a repeated word, dammit! Viz is HORRIBLE with this. Everything must have some sort of "hip" spin on it. >_< I see important phrases being translated with different kinds of slang each time. Unforgivable. Using Naruto again as an example (Hey, I translated it.), Sasuke also has a nickname for Naruto: "usuratonkachi." Don't bother looking it up; it's a blend word the character made up. Basically means Naruto's "head only works in one direction." It's used both in exasperation and affection. Of course, it gets translated as 20 different words for "idiot" throughout just one volume. Completely unforgivable loss of part of an important character relationship. I mean, really. Use "maladroit" and stick with it. Variety=BAD. ....I'm ranting. Sorry.

Fun fact: "ninja" and "shinobi" are two pronunciations of the same two characters put together. The former is onyomi, and therefore correct to modern Japanese, while the latter is konyomi. That's why you'll see more modern setting uses saying "ninja" and more archaic/historical setting uses saying "shinobi." The former character, shinobu no "shino" currently means to "endure" or to "be patient." It originally meant to "suffer in silence." The character Haku (yep, "white") in Naruto references this origin when he says he will place his heart beneath the blade (the character is sword over heart). It's very elegant in the original Japanese, but I've never seen it translated well for an English audience. The bridge between Eastern and Western language is very broad.

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Visit my webcomic at jaadrih.comicgenesis.com!

No, the "Eight Sages" is written without the "nin" on the end. I hear you on the problem with the Western connotations. Well, since the story itself takes place in a sort of faux medieval China and from what I've read so far in summaries and skimming, what you gave as the Chinese meaning of "hermit" would be exactly what the author meant. I suppose it could be done that way, but it would require a note that I think few people would read. It's difficult because much of the fandom translates it as sage as well. *sigh*

I'm more or less leaving all titles the way they're given in the onyomi (furigana for the win!). So all the Sen will be colour+sen, like Hakusen and if there's a point where the two Kousens come up, I'm just going to differentiate via parenthesis. But yeah, subjecting the sages to colour+sage just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Much like a lot of the titles, which, granted have more to do with the fact that I've no idea what the english tranlations of them are. Consequently, characters like Shou Taishi, Sou Taifu, and Sa Taiho will remain like that. Bara-hime is another example, I probably won't translate that as "Rose Princess".

For jokes, I really like the idea of notes. I don't know, when people try to localise them in translation it often ends up like the translator/adaptor is trying way to hard to be funny. And word on the different words thing. It gets really confusing for people who may have an inkling of what the original actually says. Besides, goign along with your Naruto example there is a legitimate word for "idiot". See, in those cases, like a name/nickname, I feel almost inclined to leave it as it is, unless there's a non-awkward word that can be used consistently. You can rant all you want, because I feel exactly the same way! It's why I've been getting the original version ever since I could read with some basic level of comprehension. And that goes hand in hand with the whole issue of the untranslatable that you mentioned above.