Jitsu wa Imouto Deshita. ~Saikin de Kitagiri no Otouto no Kyorikan ga Yatara Chikaiwake~ - Vol. 3 Ch. 13

[jomamaphat]

I forgot who the fuck is this guy?

 

[guatafat]

IMO the line should have been "Wherefore art thou, Aniki?" simply because that's how us native English speakers know it and we would then be more likely to get the reference to the play. English speaking fans are the intended audience for these translations, after all.

"Wherefore" is a very archaic word meaning "Why" or "For what reason". But many native English readers actually don't know that. Many think Juliet is asking "Where are you, Romeo?" but she is really asking "Why are you, Romeo?" This may be why the English to Japanese translations of Shakespeare's play might have translated the intended meaning. There might be no archaic Japanese equivalent to "wherefore" and had to use the Japanese word for "why".

So, "Why are you, Aniki" went right over most of the English readers heads.

I think the translation is fine, since the script was altered by some girl of the club to make the lines easier to remember. Maybe a translator note would help some people to notice the reference, but I don't think it's necessary, the entire chapter is about Romeo and Juliet so I don't think people would be dumb enough to not get the reference

 

[BlackElite]

Damn, didn't realize that Romeo and Juliet have the same bad ending as your usual incest manga

Shakespeare got them imagination

 

[Nuggz]

Pls... Just fuck her already, I'm begging u

 

[Xnagos]

Yay thanks for the translation I am glad to see a new chapter for this series

 

[Eighty-six]

This may be why the English to Japanese translations of Shakespeare's play might have translated the intended meaning. There might be no archaic Japanese equivalent to "wherefore" and had to use the Japanese word for "why".

That would be 何故 (なぜ), which is what's in Shouyou Tsubochi's translation (see: this NHK program advertisement that cites it). Granted, it's apparently also more an adaptation, as to account for Japanese dramatic conventions (kabuki, specifically). Either way, it's an in-story detail that the script was reworked for easier usage by the students, and every citation of the script in this chapter has been modern standard Japanese. Most pertinently, Akira uses どうして instead of 何故 in the panel in question.

While it makes sense to want to point to the likely reference in a way that English speakers would most likely recognize, and there's a case to be made that Ryota recognizes what Akira's trying to do, to translate with Early Modern English would incorrectly portray Akira as speaking in a form of Japanese she isn't speaking (translators regularly use old forms of English to reflect the use of old forms of Japanese). Even supposing that it's a straightforward reference to the script (i.e. she just replaced "Romeo" with "aniki"), it's a reference to a fictional script variation that's, by all in-narrative accounts, decidedly not archaic or even especially poetic.

Lastly, your suggestion caters to the somewhat reasonably presumed ignorance of many English readers as to what Juliet actually asks in that balcony sequence-- but this kind of ignorance is best catered to in translation notes. Someone who understands what Juliet is saying has the means to understand what Akira is likely trying to do in the panel in question-- especially given that she's holding up the script book while she says what she does.

 

[GolfAlphaMike]

That would be 何故 (なぜ), which is what's in Shouyou Tsubochi's translation (see: this NHK program advertisement that cites it). Granted, it's apparently also more an adaptation, as to account for Japanese dramatic conventions (kabuki, specifically). Either way, it's an in-story detail that the script was reworked for easier usage by the students, and every citation of the script in this chapter has been modern standard Japanese. Most pertinently, Akira uses どうして instead of 何故 in the panel in question.

While it makes sense to want to point to the likely reference in a way that English speakers would most likely recognize, and there's a case to be made that Ryota recognizes what Akira's trying to do, to translate with Early Modern English would incorrectly portray Akira as speaking in a form of Japanese she isn't speaking (translators regularly use old forms of English to reflect the use of old forms of Japanese). Even supposing that it's a straightforward reference to the script (i.e. she just replaced "Romeo" with "aniki"), it's a reference to a fictional script variation that's, by all in-narrative accounts, decidedly not archaic or even especially poetic.

Lastly, your suggestion caters to the somewhat reasonably presumed ignorance of many English readers as to what Juliet actually asks in that balcony sequence-- but this kind of ignorance is best catered to in translation notes. Someone who understands what Juliet is saying has the means to understand what Akira is likely trying to do in the panel in question-- especially given that she's holding up the script book while she says what she does.

Today I Learned.

But, yes. A TL note would have probably been fine then.

 

[Jonson26]

FFS why do they never play Macbeth or something in these school plays in stories? Why is it always Romeo & Juliet???

 

[chinskiebajki]

He's not even her real aniki, much ado about nothing.

 

[Quieo]

Completely unrelated to all of this but I’m pretty sure there isn’t any sort of vow at the end of Romeo and Juliet about the Montagues and Capricorns stopping their bloody feud. If anything their deaths are likely to just make everything worse.

 

[Quieo]

FFS why do they never play Macbeth or something in these school plays in stories? Why is it always Romeo & Juliet???

I guess for the same reason you think of the Mona Lisa when I say Leonardo da Vinci and not say the Sistine chapel. It’s popular because it’s famous and it’s famous because it’s popular. Also it translates a lot better than a play set in Scotland which I’m sure most non European would struggle to place on a map or to understand what the purpose of comedy segment in the middle of an otherwise serious play is about.

 

[Jonson26]

I guess for the same reason you think of the Mona Lisa when I say Leonardo da Vinci and not say the Sistine chapel. It’s popular because it’s famous and it’s famous because it’s popular. Also it translates a lot better than a play set in Scotland which I’m sure most non European would struggle to place on a map or to understand what the purpose of comedy segment in the middle of an otherwise serious play is about.

When I think of da Vinci I think of weird tanks and helicopters though...

I guess the thing that bugs me the most about those "R&J" plays, is that they always paint it as "so romantic", despite one of the main points of the play being, that you should wait a few minutes and assess the situation and not immediately KYS.

 

[Quieo]

When I think of da Vinci I think of weird tanks and helicopters though...

I guess the thing that bugs me the most about those "R&J" plays, is that they always paint it as "so romantic", despite one of the main points of the play being, that you should wait a few minutes and assess the situation and not immediately KYS.

Well if it makes you feel any better, the play we have now is nothing like the play Shakespeare wrote and performed when he was alive. In fact it dubious that Shakespeare ever performed the plays accredited as his works.

 

[ia_zero]

Time for Dad to shine. I think that's their dad, right?

 

[ItsThatBriGuy]

Time for Dad to shine. I think that's their dad, right?

It's her dad. We probably haven't met his actual dad yet.

 

[adfjs]

Drama club...and a single guy surrounded by girls. And he's sitting by the side. It's not just me getting reminded of Clannad, right?