Fanslation Chamoru #4: Tatahgue

Here is my latest Fanslation Chamoru, chapter 171 of Naruto, titled "Tatahgue" or "Replacement."

This is the second part of an earlier fanslation that I did, "I Tilu na Maga'gera," which featured a big fight between the three "Sanin" of Konoha, Juraiya, Orochimaru and Tsunade. This chapter continues that story, and also helps build up that very familiar and regularly tiresome, but inevitable story arc, in that Naurto will one day become the Hokage or leader of the Konohagure.

Apologies ahead of time for those who would like to read this latest fanslation. There might be one or two errors in this one. I saw them when I was first editing it, but in the time since I've forgotten where they were, and no my brain doesn't pick them up when I read the manga. I hate it when that happens. As an academic when you're brain gets blind spots like that and fixes the mistakes you're reading in order to smooth things over, it makes you look like an idiot when other people then find your errors.

I haven't done one of these in a while, since I've been busy with other work. But I'm slowly getting back in Naruto again. There are rumors going around the internet that Kakashi sensi, the character who is my blogger profile image is already dead or will soon be dead, as the Atatsuki has conducted an all-out assault on Konohagure (sort of). If this is true, then teneki gos triste yu' (I'll be very sad). Kakashi was my favorite character in Naruto, and frankly I would rather have Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke all get killed enough, instead of having cooler and much less irritating characters like Kakashi manaka'.

As I wrote last year in my post "Kakashi Sensei" Kakashi, the character and the story of his origin, was something that touched me profoundly, more than anything in the Naurto universe. I am slowly working on the next fanslation Chamoru and it will be from Volume 27, most likely the chapters of his origin "The Kakashi Chronicles."

Manaitaitai yu' kada puengge gi me'nan Si Yu'us yan Si Kishimoto, na olaha mohon na matai Si Kakashi. Homhom este na tano' sina i dinenggat-na yan i botleha-na.

The Chamorro in this fanslation that I'm offering today is fairly simple, there were no real translation dilemmias or interesting processes of taking the language of the world of ninjas into the world of Chamorro language. This doesn't mean though that it wasn't fun translating this issue. There were still plenty of fun things to write, which helped me see how language is not just an abstract network of meanings that I utilize, but that I always infuse meta-meanings, or extra meanings into it. That prior to even speaking there are always expectations or tendencies which I bring to how I use the language, and help define things such as appropriateness or inappropriateness, or how something can be said, how something can't be said, and then what needs to be twisted in order to have it said.

For instance, in my case, my Chamorro is very formal sounding people always tell me, because I've learned it primarily from reading the dictionary or grammar books, and so it doesn't sound very conversational. This doesn't mean that my Chamorro is wrong, but only that I approach the making of sentences of expressing of ideas differently than those of learned the language in a more "natural" fashion, picking it up from parents or other kids and becoming fluent out in the world.

In another example, with my grandmother my primary speaking partner in Chamorro for many years, my Chamorro was almost always slang and chatfino' free. My grandmother never cusses in English or Chamorro and so the formalness of my Chamorro is enhanced even more to become an almost obtuse respectfulness or formalness, which feels to many people unnatural.

So when I translate these mangas, it helps me break that formalness or break out of the way that I am used to thinking, speaking or writing in Chamorro. Not only do I get the chance to write things I never would have considered before, but I also get to use a voice, a tone or an emotional starting point that I don't usually use otherwise.

So, one of the phrases that I keep cracking up about, each time I read it, is the phrase "I'm gonna get you granny!" which I translated to "Bai hu foyung hao biha!"

Incidentally, the most interesting to translate for so far has been Orochimaru. I've never ever tried to create an atmosphere of menacing mystery in my Chamorro, but with him I've been able to try a few things out.

For instance, as the battle between the three great ninja is over, Orochimaru is sicking/sneaking away into the sand with Kabuto, and as he does he says to Tsunade, "Tsunade…sen taiåmko’ yan taihinekkok…Lao Guahu…taiminatai!" There were so many different ways of expressing the "limitless" remarks of Orochimaru, but it was fun picking the ones I did.

As always, email me if you're interested in get a copy of the fanslation.