It's obvious to someone who knows the language, of course, but this one is always somewhat difficult to translate. It's almost like a pre-meal prayer, an expression of gratitude for the meal to an unspecified listener, so there's no direct translation. We usually use "time to eat!" but that doesn't quite work in sexual contexts. It usually becomes a free-for-all in context-sensitive situations, with each translator having a different opinion about what should be said.
With that said, I'm putting in my two cents because dibs.
It's obvious to someone who knows the language, of course, but this one is always somewhat difficult to translate. It's almost like a pre-meal prayer, an expression of gratitude for the meal to an unspecified listener, so there's no direct translation. We usually use "time to eat!" but that doesn't quite work in sexual contexts. It usually becomes a free-for-all in context-sensitive situations, with each translator having a different opinion about what should be said.
With that said, I'm putting in my two cents because dibs.
(grinning) Hey, I was just happy I could read it all by myself (all in hiragana, and I'm waaaaaay down on the learning curve here).
And, while I've got you here: I believe you're the one doing the translations (and adding translator-notes) on these? THANK YOU!!!!!! THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!! I'm really enjoying these, and it's because they're being translated. THANK YOU! Cheers!
It's obvious to someone who knows the language, of course, but this one is always somewhat difficult to translate. It's almost like a pre-meal prayer, an expression of gratitude for the meal to an unspecified listener, so there's no direct translation. We usually use "time to eat!" but that doesn't quite work in sexual contexts. It usually becomes a free-for-all in context-sensitive situations, with each translator having a different opinion about what should be said.
With that said, I'm putting in my two cents because dibs.
"Almost like a pre meal prayer"? Damn, and I wonder how many difficult to translate things English language has for other languages, or if the dearth thereof is why English is the Lingua Franca.
"Almost like a pre meal prayer"? Damn, and I wonder how many difficult to translate things English language has for other languages, or if the dearth thereof is why English is the Lingua Franca.
Well, since when English-speakers encounter a new concept in another language we usually just rip off the other language's word for it, anything difficult to translate from English to X is probably just something that was difficult to translate from Y to X already.
It's obvious to someone who knows the language, of course, but this one is always somewhat difficult to translate. It's almost like a pre-meal prayer, an expression of gratitude for the meal to an unspecified listener, so there's no direct translation. We usually use "time to eat!" but that doesn't quite work in sexual contexts. It usually becomes a free-for-all in context-sensitive situations, with each translator having a different opinion about what should be said.
With that said, I'm putting in my two cents because dibs.
Bon appétit.
Okay, it's French, but it's used in English as well, and can potentially function as a double entendre.
Mithiwithi said:
Well, since when English-speakers encounter a new concept in another language we usually just rip off the other language's word for it, anything difficult to translate from English to X is probably just something that was difficult to translate from Y to X already.
(grinning) Hey, I was just happy I could read it all by myself (all in hiragana, and I'm waaaaaay down on the learning curve here).
And, while I've got you here: I believe you're the one doing the translations (and adding translator-notes) on these? THANK YOU!!!!!! THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!! I'm really enjoying these, and it's because they're being translated. THANK YOU! Cheers!
I'm grateful, but these translations are a group effort. I'm doing some of them, but not all of them. If I gotta be honest, I'm doing the easy ones. >.>
Searchwanted said:
"Almost like a pre meal prayer"? Damn, and I wonder how many difficult to translate things English language has for other languages, or if the dearth thereof is why English is the Lingua Franca.
Japanese is particularly insidious when it comes to "this can't be translated directly" because you're almost not allowed to just up and say something. Formalities are required and giving context is optional. Japanese has a word used entirely to celebrate you meeting someone for the first time ("hajimemashite/初めまして") which is usually translated as "pleased to meet you". Beating around the bush is both expected and proper. Being blunt is seen as an embarrassing faux pas to everyone in the room, almost like hearing a mentally challenged kid tell complete strangers that he wasn't breastfed as a baby and not understanding why you don't just say that to people.
There are over a dozen words for "you" or "I/me", and where you use each of them depends entirely on your gender, your social standing, the listener's social standing, and the perceived difference between your social standings. A lot of them are archaic and disused, too, and some others have had their implications changed or even inverted over time. They can have very deep meanings with stark implications, but ultimately, they are single words, whose only literal definition is "you" or "I/me".
Then there are words whose sole use is to tell you how the speaker feels about something else. They're not really words so much as tags that get attached to other words, almost like suffixes or prefixes.
I'm only scratching the surface here. It's a really beautiful language, honestly, but it can be infuriating sometimes, since, as I mentioned, a lot is said in what's not being said. Good luck finding a dictionary for that.
Here's a fun one. Sometimes you'll see the word "sonna..." used by itself. The dictionary definition of this word is "that's..." or "things like that..." - but sometimes you'll see someone use it almost as a "nooooo!" So what's the deal? You're actually supposed to fill in the blank yourself based on the context. Fun, fun!
Here's a fun one. Sometimes you'll see the word "sonna..." used by itself. The dictionary definition of this word is "that's..." or "things like that..." - but sometimes you'll see someone use it almost as a "nooooo!" So what's the deal? You're actually supposed to fill in the blank yourself based on the context. Fun, fun!
