"Eight Ways to Say You"

I find it interesting that the translator may have to do research not just for historical and cultural context, but also for style and tone of the translation, as Hirano did with reading children’s books and watching American movies constantly throughout the translation. In this way, the translation becomes more natural.

I agree that it is difficult to translate cultural-specific text, especially culture-specific sayings, and idioms. Interestingly in some translated webnovels I read, the translator leaves a note explaining the cultural/historic background while in some other translations, the translator assumes the reader is already familiar with the culture and doesn’t localize the translation. From Hirano’s article, it seems the translator makes the decision based on the audience and purpose of the translation.

When I read the translated version of webnovels, I do notice some differences between the writing styles of different languages/cultures. There is a distinct difference in style between Chinese, Korean, and Japanese webnovels that the English translation reflects and within these categories, further distinction depending on the author. I’ve read the first chapter of a web novel before and was instantly like “I think I know who this author is,” because of the phrases that was being used so often. Likewise, I can also tell if I’m reading a Japanese webnovel because the characters tend to be long-winded and super descriptive and think a lot and are usually in the first person, while Chinese webnovels are usually in third person.

Hirano discusses the challenges of translation and different ways to resolve it. Having to sacrifice some aspect of the original in exchange for a smoother reader experience is necessary, and I find it meaningful that the translator helps convey an unique experience from one culture to another.

Tiffany