[TIP] Genji Question

[ti_project]

As many of you probably know, most of the characters in The Tale of Genji are identified by their rank, or by a nickname alluding to their actions in the story, or by their relationship to other characters, without having a true name of their own. Translators are always faced with the conundrum of whether to keep the Japanese words intact, and lose the meaning to most of their readers, or translate the names and keep the meaning but lose the sound. There is also the added difficulty when the character's rank changes during the course of the novel, which many translators solve by simply keeping their most often used appellation throughout.

For example, Genji's father-in-law Sadaijin, the Minister of the Left. Or Genji's friend and the Minister of the Left's eldest son, Tō no Chūjō (the Secretary Captain), known throughout the novel by over fifteen titles.

My question to you all is, which would you prefer in the TIP project? The sound, or the meaning? I'm partial to the meaning, at least where the men are concerned, because I feel like it feels the most authentic, particularly in the middle of an English translation.

Either way, I'll probably be adding a lot of notes to the beginning of this disc. ;)

Comments

[lightbringer70.livejournal.com]

I'd keep the original Japanese expressions and simply include a kind of "dramatis personae" at the beginning. I recently read Tyler's new Genji translation and reading the English ranks made it feel sort of... "off" at times. If I remember correctly, the subs in "Genji sennen no koi" left the original expressions untouched. And I think many viewers will be at least sort of familiar with the story, so they'll know Tō no Chūjō as Tō no Chūjō and might be confused if they read "Secretary General" all of a sudden ;)

[caithion.livejournal.com]

Ah, I was afraid everyone would feel this way, since it's the exact opposite for me. I loved Tyler's translation and felt as if reading the titles as titles put me closer to how the Japanese reader of that age would have felt while reading it. Ah well, good I asked. Guess I'll go with the majority. ;)

[charis]

I prefer the Japanese, to be honest -- partly as a thread of familiarity to other versions, and partly because I do like the sound (and I like being able to match what a character is being referred to in subs up with the spoken dialogue; my Japanese is pathetically poor, but it's nice to have that little linkup). As lightbringer70 says, a "dramatis personae" would be fabulous. :D

[soranokumo.livejournal.com]

Casting in my vote with lightbringer70 and myalchod. I've read Genji a few times, and I think would feel more familiar with the Japanese expressions than the constantly shifting ranks.

[tokugawa.livejournal.com]

Echoing almost everyone here. I'm casting my vote for the original Japanese expressions and including a "dramatis personae" at the beginning :)