30 September 2013

translation. 'In Little Time' by Garnet Crow

every time I experience some difficult period, I find my consolation in music. this time, Garnet Crow with their slow, sad, somewhat filled with emptiness songs helped me.

Japanese
original lyrics here

十二月にしては暖かいこんな夜は思いつきで出かけた
車の中でずっと手をつないで眠った 朝日が二人を起こすまで
まるで天國(てんごく)だね 光で満たされた海の側(そば)で
こんなに幸せな瞬間(とき)何故か涙が溢れてくることがあるんだね

いつの間にかトキはすぎて 壊れてく
二人を癒す為に思い出していた 切ない in little time

迷わずに愛する為にどれくらい、ねぇ、強くなればいい?
いつまでも與(あた)え続けて 決して枯れないくらい強く生きてゆきたい
儚い願いを込めて孤獨の意味を知ってゆく ah~ um-
I have so little time

地球儀を回して見たこともない國(くに)を想った
それでもいつも君が傍にいたよね 十年先もそのずっと向こうも

身體中(からだじゅう)が満足されると怖くて
思い出すMathilde身を投げた河で永遠(とわ)に生きる
(きっと果てるのいつの日にか in little time)

誰もいない街角に立ち君を探してる夢を見てしまう
かけがえのない人を見つけた 生きてゆく十字架また一つ増えてゆく
決して枯れない様に強く生きてゆきたい ah~ um-
I have so little time

English

That evening was warm for December, and I left home on a whim
In the car we had been sleeping with our hands joined, until the morning sun woke us up
It seemed like heaven – near the sea filled with light
And sometimes it happens that in such a happy time, for some reason, my eyes become full of tears
Time passed by before we knew it, the two of us were gradually breaking
And to heal us, I remembered that. Heart-rending, in little time…

To love unwaveringly, tell me, how strong should I become? 
Offering all I can, forever, I want to live strongly, so that it never withers
Embracing an ephemeral wish, I learn the meaning of loneliness, ah… um…
I have so little time
Rotating the globe, I imagined a land I have never seen
Still, you were together with me all the time, ten years later and even later than that

When my whole body is filled with satisfaction, I become scared
And remember Mathilde, who threw herself in a river and lives there forever
(Someday when it will surely end, in little time)

I can't help seeing a dream where I stand at an empty street corner, looking for you
I found an irreplaceable person, it adds me one more cross of living to bear
I want to live strongly, so that it never withers, ah… um…
I have so little time
_____
remarks:
  1. some words have their reading in brackets - that means, their reading is unusual. 'tengoku' and 'kuni' are written with a rarely used old kanji for 'country' - 國 instead of the commonplace 国. other words unusual for the modern everyday written language are 何故 usually written as なぜ, 與 which is an old form of 与, and 身體 where 體 is an old form of 体, and the reading 'karada' is preserved though a more usual reading would be 'shintai'. it does not change the meaning, but adds some charm to the lyrics
  2. also, 瞬間, a word that means 'moment', is read like 'toki', a word that means 'time' in general. the former is an ordinary noun, but 'toki' is a word used in a grammatical structure frequently translated as 'when...', and merging the two words implies that the narrator cried when she was happy, but that happiness was caused by a single moment, something that did not or cannot last too long. in the next line the word 'toki' is written with katakana, which makes it more emphasised
  3. replacing the reading of 永遠 as 'towa' instead of 'eien' is a widespread thing. they both include the same initial kanji, which makes them related, and Japanese-... dictionaries list the same words as variants of translation, and monolingual dictionaries include one of them into the explanation of the other. if any principal difference is to be found, than I would put it like this: while 'eien' is explained as 'lasting eternally', 'towa' stands for 'being unchanged forever', and is used in negative combinations, such as 'parting forever'.
  4. you can find an alternative translation here, a good one I think. both me and the other translator came to the conclusion that the line 'you were with me' means that the other person was with the narrator in her dreams about the unseen land, because the line starts with それでも - 'still', 'nevertheless', which implies that even when she imagines another reality, she wants him to be with her.
  5. the line in brackets 'someday...' is not sung, and the previous line contains the name 'Mathilde'. the explanation can be found in the web easily, for example here, of course in Japanese. the best answer chosen in the link I provided shows the peculiar Japanese way of thinking - ability to find associations, links, think deeply and explain implied, hidden meaning. Mathilde is a heroine of The Hairdresser's Husband, a woman who SPOILER committed suicide because she was extremely happy and wanted to prolong that happiness eternally END OF SPOILER. the previous line in the song says 'I become scared when my whole body is filled with satisfaction', that's why the narrator associates herself with Mathilde. the unsung line 'Someday when it will surely end, in little time' remains a mystery, but I liked the explanation by the same person in the discussion on the yahoo service: the narrator thinks so, but does not want to pronounce it, does not want to admit it, that's why the line is omitted. if we compare this line with the line 'And to heal us, I remembered that. Heart-rending, in little time', we can see that both end in 'in little time', which could mean that they were both supposed to be the last line of the verse, but the second verse was changed later.
  6. actually the translation could not show it, but the lines 'I want to live strongly, so that it never withers' are slightly different in the original. the first one says 枯れないくらい, which, in my mind, implies that the love won't be able to wither, that there won't be any preconditions for it to start withering. it's like that after many years she looks back at her life and says 'oh, it hasn't withered!' the second time it says 枯れないように, which means that the narrator will do her best to keep the love alive, live properly with the purpose of not letting the love wither. of course, this is only my version, which is more or less subjective.
  7. however that may be, 'In Little Time' is one of the best songs of Garnet Crow, moreover, one of their earliest compositions. and you know what. I understand the wish to end your life while it's still filled with happiness

Associations

It's so hard to immerse yourself in reality when every single word said, every item, every sound  makes you remember one certain artwork, because situations described there were so diverse.
You simply pronounce 'there' in Japanese, and hear Usui say 'I wiped myself with your towel there, and there, and even there', and Misaki shouting 'Yukimura, you're supposed to be angry, not to blush here!'
You notice the word 'Tochigi' while looking through a news website, and remember Misaki being worried 'Did he say 'maid'?! Oh, 'made in Tochigi'...'
You see words in Japanese written in both hiragana and katakana, and remember how ms Fujiwara answered the question about the proper reading of her surname by writing it in hiragana, katakana and romaji. 
You see your friend wearing spectacles, and remember Misaki crossdressing, in wig and spectacles.
You are asked by a person at the Japanese goods fair whether the green tea is expensive for Japanese or not, and you recall how Ayuzawa family won a tea box in a lottery.
You open your old notebook which is made in Japan, and is very cute, and remember how Misaki noticed a sale in a stationery shop and was so happy to have bought a cheap notebook.
The world around is filled with memories. I wonder if 後ろ向き is a proper antonym for 前向き. 'Pessimistic' is a good words, but the Japanese one is more precise. It says 'looking backwards'.

29 September 2013

'happy' birthday to Misaki

the truth is, I stopped celebrating birthdays of people I like or admire, but can I keep silent when the last chapter comes out just right before the birthday of Misaki
years in manga pass slowly, when so many things happen. only 2 years in manga took 7 years in real life to depict them. 
years in manga pass quickly when a period in the characters' lives is 'skipped'. 10 years in manga took only several pages.
there is nothing lasting eternally. 時間は否応なく過ぎる - time passes by whether one likes it or not. it is not simply a line from the manga describing Misaki's life, it is a truth one has to admit
from now on, nothing more

28 September 2013

goodbye, Master, fare thee well

not even a single detail was disappointing, unlike what I was fearing. the graphics looked a bit strange, maybe, but did not lose its charm. the story did not become dull, the characters did not change into completely different people, and the happy ending was not too sickly sweet.
I could not wish for a better ending. that's what I wanted to be able to say when I finish reading.
probably, I could. you see, there are so many things I haven't seen in the manga, even though there are whole 85 chapters. however, now I cannot complain. everything is ok, just as it should be
and I am not crying. you know, I am not. no, I am not... I am... I am trying... not to...

27 September 2013

warm piano melody in my ears

a good OST is an OST that, despite not being an outstanding masterpiece, starts playing in your mind when you inadvertently notice a picture with a memorable moment from the anime

It's three A. M.

And I am lying on my bed with my eyes wide open and tears in my ears because I am lying on my back and they flow right there. The thoughts have been in turmoil for the last three days, which did not prevent me from finishing an urgent translation, starting a conversation with a new client, teaching English and Japanese as always, writing an email to my friend, chatting with others in social networks, composing a text for the future excursion, playing 'Need for Speed' and using a hand cream every evening.
Since any more crying and recollecting the past experience of reading is too dangerous for the psyche, the brain is directing the thoughts to another field, trying to think of a proper translation for the complicated phrases it has just met in the manga.
I write that ms Fujiwara has created enough and I understand that everything should come to an end. I have a huge experience of finishing reading something with a happy end and being completely satisfied with it. I know it should be like that.
But I don't want to read the last chapter.
I must. I will. But I don't want to

26 September 2013

read it later. but it's too late

you go to the website where you always find raw scans of magazines, but this month's issue seems not to be ready yet. you go to google to search whether there are other websites that have already scanned and uploaded the magazine you want. it turns out there is one. you read the address in the bar, you are going to press 'read it later' and add it to your bookmarks so that next time you will know that you can check this website to get the magazine as soon as possible
but there will be no next time

24 September 2013

ab invito ~ ms Fujiwara, thank you so much for these 2 years and 2 months

having a strong intuition - take it as you like, the socionical one, or the usual one - has both advantages and disadvantages. the good side is that you know what comes next and you are ready for it. it does not work for me often, though. nevertheless, intuition has an unpleasant side, too
after I knew that the current arch of the manga is the last, I persuaded myself that an 'arch' in manga is something that lasts a dozen of chapters, which means I can spend one more happy year with it. I could even prove it with my logic. when the mangaka took a break for one month, I also took a break. when the manga was back the next month, I decided to prolong my break and wait one more month. the next month came and I decided that I could not read the new chapter because it would make me closer to the finish, which was not scheduled yet. then the next month came and I thought there was a good opportunity for me - to wait until the manga ends and read all the last chapters starting from the one after the mangaka's break to the very end. however, the moment I realised this opportunity, I was scared. why? because I guessed exactly how it would be. I could try to persuade myself once more that there will be some more chapters, I could try to shut my eyes to that, I could try to ignore that fear, but it was late. I already realised what would happen next: there will be some more chapters, few enough to count them with fingers on only one hand, and there will be an end. I could not believe it, I would not want to believe it, but I was aware it will be this autumn. against my own will, but naturally, I did not start reading until today, therefore not noticing the inscription on the 83th chapter cover saying there were only 3 chapters left until the end
and today, when I opened Facebook to check my friend Ann's activity, I read ms Fujiwara's posts by chance, and realised it is the end
it is hard to pretend you are surprised when your subconsciousness has been whispering the truth to you all the time. if it were like a bolt from the blue, I would probably be able to cry and feel refreshed. but it wasn't like that. it crept up, slowly, gradually, it did not come from somewhere, it was born within me and grew up from a mere guess to the absolute confidence, no matter how hard I tried to suppress it. if someone said to me that I am wrong and I needn't hope for the better, I would hit him, but when it is your own mind that tells you that, there is nothing you can do but to admit your defeat
it is so strange. next week I have an important work as a guide which I have to prepare for, and today I have a translation to finish, but that seems so insignificant
I have finished listening to Siam Shade's discography and those moments when I found a song I could die listening to will never repeat. I will have finished reading Maid-sama within the next few days, and the moments of bliss of the new chapter coming out will never repeat. so many other masterpieces I have already discovered - I will never discover them as if they were new to me

23 September 2013

-オト-

この世界は音楽に溢れている。オトは空気の中にある。自分では音楽を作れないけど、誰か作ってくれたら、私はそのオトを聴く。というか、感じる

22 September 2013

разница между БЛ и ЧЛ

нет_я_больше_так_не_могу. я весь вечер читала факи и форумы, десять раз перезагрузила роутер, пять раз перезагрузила тлф, стопицот раз удалила и заново добавила свою домашнюю вафлю (и кто слово-то такое выдумал, у меня теперь роутер как вафля выглядит - в голове моей, конечно), но ничего не изменялось, до тех пор пока тлф не взял в руки папа. и сделал то же самое - удалил и добавил сеть. после чего сеть добавилась и подключение пошло. браузер, правда, как не грузил ничерта, так и не грузит. но, как говорится, после болезни всегда чувствуешь себя бодрым

жадность фраера сгубила

если что-то работает не так, как надо, или стало работать чуть хуже, чем надо, но все еще работает - остановись, добрый молодец, не чини
не работают макросы у Веры, удалила Вера драйвер от планшета, поставила заново, а планшет перестал реагировать на изменение силы нажатия, да не везде, а только в самой нужной программе. а при попытке переткнуть его в другое гнездо вообще перестает реагировать на нажатие
не работают у Веры браузеры, удалила Вера сетку вайфайную, поставила заново, а чуйствительный тылыфон (sensation по-басурмански) теперя вапсче к ней не подключается
вот и кручинься теперь. чавойто? перезагрузка нас спасет? ан нет, не в этот раз. отлично. значит буду жить без вайфая до утра, а утро вечера мудренее

16 September 2013

Takarazuka monthly wallpapers September 2013

just when I was ready to blame those responsible for the calendars for not showing me enough photos from Moon Troupe performances, they make a wonderful collage (?) with Arsene Lupin. I love this image of miss Ryuu...

15 September 2013

'usui' or 'usui'

it feels so strange. I was trying to search for the phrase 'light shade of purplish pink', and typed in 'usui' which stands for 'light'. but the Microsoft IME changed うすい in kana into Takumi's surname instead of 薄い

12 September 2013

happy birthday to ms Suzukaze and ms Aono

the fact is, I stopped congratulating any siennes with their birthdays, since it is 面倒くさい, too troublesome, and since it has no meaning if I simply write something in my blog. if I truly wanted to congratulate any of them, I should rather send a card at least. however, yesterday's birthday added one more year to ms Suzukaze and I started thinking... 
she still agreed to voice Kenshin last year in a new OVA. I wonder if her voice changed in comparison to what was more than 15 years ago. I have yet to watch it, so I don't know. I only know that voice actors and actresses in 90s were incredibly cool, and there is no one to inherit this side of anime world now. if they decided to make the cast for the new RuroKen entirely new, how would Kenshin sound like? I cannot imagine. there is only one other seiyuu who could replace ms Suzukaze - ms Ogata, from what I have heard she was chosen to voice Kenshin in the audio-dramas. however, she belongs to the same generation. find me at least one woman in her 20s who can sound like them 20 years ago
and ms Aono is celebrating her birthday today. well, I hope she is doing well, since I lost her trace last year after 'Bad Boys'. stop. I did not even properly learn about it, and did not finish translating the article either! ohhhh >_<

11 September 2013

до сих пор интересно, Джинга на русском озвучивала ведь тоже женщина, да?

у нормальных людей в голову приходит Репорно "Учитель мафиози". а для меня мальчик в полосатой "футболке" и с короной - это совсем другой персонаж. его не знают те, кто младше меня, почти не знают те, кто одного возраста со мной, и знают немногие, кто старше.
когда села батарейка на плеере, пришлось слушать, что есть в телефоне. более-менее длинные версии треков были только в папке Ватанабе  Хироси и остов к Джингу - остальные я обрезала. 9 класс, первые озвученные регулярные сериалы по MTV, СТС и МузТВ. эндинги длительностью десять секунд - из-за того, что каналу надо успеть еще вставить рекламу. кроме "шалала" ничего не разбираешь, но поешь с друзьями в школе. медленный интернет с лимитом 250 мегабайт в месяц - и ради одного трека Scudelia Electro не было жаль пожертвовать всем остальным интернет-серфингом. эй, а та музыка, что ты слушаешь сейчас, стоит такого?

05 September 2013

нет, я все-таки ненавижу фейсбук

в ниспадающей строке гугла с поисковыми предложениями уже есть строка "как найти свой комментарий в фейсбуке". а ответа на этот вопрос нет. ну так как же его найти?
открыть страницу, где он был поставлен, например, чью-то личную страницу. если это был комментарий просто на страницу - нажать "все", если это был коммент под какой-то новостью - смотреть ленту. вспомнить, когда примерно это было. нажимать кнопку page down, пока не будет загружена лента за этот период. нажать ctrl+f и попытаться найти слово, которое фигурирует в комменте, или собственное имя - второе чревато началом поиска с верха страницы, вследствие чего уже загруженная лента может разгрузиться обратно. может, я чего-то и путаю
а вот как найти свой коммент в гугл-плюсе:
открыть гугл плюс. ткнуть в колокольчик и таким же макаром искать пост, к которому был комментарий. это не намного удобнее, но хотя бы все собственные действия в плюсе собраны в одном месте. кстати, равно как и вконтакте
еще проще найти в гугле определенный пост. просто набрать в поисковой строке какое-то ключевое слово, которое было в посте или комментарии, и в ниспадающем меню по стрелочке выбрать "мои записи"
вот

04 September 2013

в 5 вечера в 15й не залезть, всем студентам срочно надо выехать из кампуса в город...

утром уехать в направлении кампуса наверняка сложно. а вот возвращаются все как будто специально вместе, в 4-5 часов, причем большинству надо на одну остановку.
впечатления такие
1. на радио Монте-Карло Ростов в одном fashion report'е было озвучено сразу несколько мудрых мыслей. во-первых, что под белую одежду надо надевать не белый бюстгальтер, а телесный, мол, он в глаза меньше бросается. мне и самой приходила такая мысль в голову - надо ведь, чтобы он был менее заметен. но если белая ткань просвечивает по причине кружевности или тонкости, то я не могу согласиться с таким постулатом - пусть лучше фон будет таким же белым, как она сама. во-вторых, длинные юбки и платья подразумевают обувь на плоской подошве, блин. не надо к длине ткани прибавлять еще и каблучищи. но в этом холиваре, видимо, не станет участвовать большая часть девушек. им нет дела даже до основного правила, которое было третьим в списке. летняя одежда на бретельках ну никак не может надеваться на другие бретельки. бюстгальтер - он либо либо предназначен, чтобы его видели, либо нет. если да - то он должен носиться гордо и нарочито, чтобы все понимали, что так и должно быть. если нет - то нельзя делать вид, что его нет. ну потому что он есть, и потому что черная сплошная ткань видна под тоненькой недомаечкой, которыми увешаны все магазины, и потому что черные лямки, расстояние между которыми чуть больше, чем между лямками майки, ну никак не превращаются в пустое место.
2. не надо брать с меня пример и причесываться по 10 минут. надо взять расческу и потратить 30 секунд, чтобы привести волосы в порядок, прежде чем завязать этот свой хвост. а прядь, выбившаяся из общего хора и уходящая под воротник, это не кежуал. это неряшливость.
3. леггинсы... леггинсы - это как колготки. самое короткое, что с ними предполагается, это туника. длинная. не футболка. не куртка поверх длиной до талии. да, леггинсы непрозрачные и на них нет полосок и швов, но это не штаны, господи боже мой. прикройте же свою попу, я вас умоляю...
4. на прошлой неделе рядом со мной на остановке стояла женщина в голубой рубашке и серьгах из бирюзы, на заднем сиденьи автобуса ехала женщина в платье тепло-розового цвета в коричневый "шахматный ромб", оттенок которого по палитре почти совпадал с цветом ее волос, а уже вечером, когда я возвращалась домой, справа от меня стояла женщина в аляпистой светлой кофточке с цветами, нарисованными свободными мазками, и коралловыми серьгами, красный цвет которых был абсолютно аналогичен красному цвету на кофте. я подумала, что это день - праздник гармонии.
5. нашла бутик с афигенными вязаными и трикотажными вещами. ценовая политика - от 3 тысяч. если так считать, то я бы оставила там тысяч 15, не меньше. вряд ли бы меня поняли, но я бы носила это с большим удовольствием, ибо милые французские модели были отчасти и какими-то азиатскими.