(Last updated 11 November 2012)
- General
- Can I use your text to translate into my own language?
- Will you be translating all the volumes of No. 6?
- Do you translate from Japanese or Mandarin?
- How long does it take you to translate?
- Are you taking requests for future projects after No. 6?
- Will you take the novels down after they're complete? On buying the books
- How much Japanese do I need to know to read No. 6?
- Did you buy the No. 6 books? Where did you buy them?
- Did you buy the bunko or tankobon version?
- What's the difference between bunkobon and tankobon?
- How much does shipping cost?
- How reliable is SAL? On the story of NO. 6
- Bee or wasp?
- Is Inukashi a boy or a girl? Why do you use 'he'?
- Why is Shion often called a "natural" or an "airhead"? What's the difference?
― Can I use your text to translate into my own language?
Yes, definitely! You don't need to credit me either - however, I would appreciate a heads-up or a link, so I could see where my scripts are going!
PLEASE NOTE that my translations are quite liberal; i.e. I've changed word order, grammar, tense, added/subtracted words for expression. So a translation from my script will not be quite as accurate as translating directly from the original Japanese. (to top)
― Will you be translating all the volumes of No. 6?
The volumes have all been translated. Hurrah! (to top)
― Do you translate from Japanese or Mandarin?
I translate from Japanese. (to top)
― How long does it take you to translate?
I'll be updating about half a chapter a week. The actual time it takes is about 5-8 hours per half-chapter I think, depending on the number of pages. (to top)
― Are you taking requests for future projects after No. 6?
I am currently not taking requests, as I think consistent updates would be difficult. However, I may in the future. (to top)
― Will you take the novels down after they're complete?
I will keep them up. However, if the work gets licensed, or if I receive word from the publishers to take it down, I will do so. (to top)
―How much Japanese do I need to know to read No. 6?
On Kodansha's website, you can read the first few pages of the tankobon of Vol. 9 (blue button below cover thumbnail). If you feel comfortable reading that, you should be able to read it. (to top)
― Did you buy the No. 6 books? Where did you buy them?
Yes, I do own physical copies of all the books. I bought them off honto, an online bookstore. There are others like this too, that are affordable and ship overseas. (to top)
― Did you buy the bunko or tankobon version?
I bought volumes 1-5 in bunko, and tankobon from 6-9. I would have bought all of them in bunko if I could, since they're cheaper haha. I think the content is essentially the same though. (to top)
― What's the difference between bunkobon and tankobon?
The quick answer is: bunko = paperback/cheaper; tankobon = hardcover/more expensive.
The long answer, and the reason for the price difference is below (at least of what I know; I'm no expert):
tankōbon 単行本 is the format that it first comes out in, the "hardcover" edition, if you will (although not all of them are). In the case of NO. 6, the book itself is bigger, uses heavier paper, the text is bigger, and there are random pictures and backgrounds (photos of inanimate objects, mostly; no illustrations) in the book itself. There are also lots of furigana, so for people still studying Japanese this may be a good choice.
bunkobon 文庫本 or bunko, is like the pocket paperback. It's usually published sometime after first (or several) editions, and it's a more affordable alternative. The book itself is smaller, the paper is thin, the text is smaller and condensed, and the margins are narrower. There are very few furigana, and only for kanji that are read differently from their normal usage. (to top)
― On shipping fees
With the store I order through (bk1) I use Economy Air/SAL, one of the cheaper and relatively fast options. It goes by weight so it depends on your order. One of my orders for 7 books (softcover tankobon) cost me around 1900 yen for shipping. (to top)
― How reliable is SAL?
SAL is often my first choice for shipping. It's affordable and pretty quick (for the price you pay). Sometimes it takes longer than usual, which may cause some sleepless nights, but I've never had a package get lost completely. The longest it has taken for a SAL package to reach me in Canada is 3 weeks - it usually takes about 2-2.5 weeks. I don't recommend this for expensive items because it doesn't have tracking.
In more detail, how SAL works: from Japan Post's website (to top)
― Bee or wasp?
The Japanese term hachi that is used can mean either bee or wasp.
However, all of the parasitic species seem to be wasps (whereas bees feed on nectar and whatnot) so I've stuck with that term. If certain portrayals are conflicting (e.g. physical features) that might be because of the non-distinctive Japanese term. (to top)
— Is Inukashi a boy or a girl? Why do you use 'he'?
Since Japanese pronouns have no gender, in the novel it's never clear whether Inukashi is a boy or a girl. Since most of the novel is from Shion's point of view and he thinks Inukashi is a boy (for most of the time), I opted to use 'he'. I couldn't find a good place to make the pronoun change, so for the sake of consistency it will remain masculine. (to top)
— Why is Shion often called a "natural" or an "airhead"? What's the difference?
The term that Nezumi uses in Japanese is tennen or "natural", short for tennen boke or "naturally stupid". But the term doesn't quite translate into something as simple as "stupid" or "airheaded". Tennen can be used as a term of endearment as well (so not always negative) and it can mean that someone is bad at reading between the lines, or getting the hint; he/she also might say the wrong things at the wrong time - in other words, that person is just socially awkward.
I didn't think "stupid" or "airhead" were quite accurate at getting that part of it, so I try to avoid it most of the time. I usually use "slow" or "oblivious" since I feel that's closer to the nuance. (to top)
