I think Japanese onomatopoeia are often overlooked as a very difficult-to-translate part of the language, and this article reminded me of that. They were my nemesis when I started, since I was mostly translating robotically, word by word, and they're often used in places where it'd be unnatural to place a modifier in English, not to mention they're often just restating and emphasizing the action that they're modifying. I also sometimes just can't find explanations of their meaning online. Since then, I think I've gotten better at dealing with them, but most of that is just accepting that finding a word-for-word equivalent is a losing battle, and emphasizing the effect in some other way. This all is to say that I'm impressed with the way Carpenter approaches the translation. It requires both an intuitive understanding of the sounds they represent that I don't yet have, a lot of creativity, and an ability to have fun playing around with the words and seeing what sticks.
I adore the coloring book analogy, and I think it's why I enjoy translation despite historically despising my English courses. I don't think I'm that bad of a writer, but I really struggle with organizing and formalizing my ideas into something structurally coherent, especially with open-ended assignments. The intimidating blank sheet of paper isn't a barrier I have to overcome when translating. I have the lines to color between, and can jump directly to the aspect of writing that I actually enjoy. The whole process of dissecting the source material, figuring out the author's intent, and trying to replicate it in English is fascinating, and I love the way the smallest translation decisions can be infinitely analyzed.
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