The usual disclaimers:
I’m an amateur. My advantage over the original translation is that I have no deadline pressure, and I have the modern internet to help me. I’m assuredly wrong about some of my translations.
Translation is hard. When I point out a mistranslation, it’s not a judgment of the original translators. They had a deadline and poor resources.
Please no jokes in the comments about Karen being a Karen. I really hate that trend.
We head for the Great Wall of China. Here’s how it’s labeled on the overworld in both versions:
This makes me wonder who was responsible for choosing the names on the Mode 7 map in the original. This interpretation is wild.
万里 (banri) means thousands of miles. The Japanese name for the Great Wall of China is 万里の長城 (banri no choujou) which translates to thousands of miles long wall.
By the way, the real Great Wall of China, if considered as a single structure, is about 13,000 miles long. For comparison, the United States is less than 3,000 miles long, and the interstate highway system that crosses the country every which way is just under 50,000 miles.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
万里の長城 | China’s Great Wall | Great Wall of China |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブの 足どりを追って ぼくは 万里の長城へ やってきた。 | I followed Lance’s trail to the Great Wall. | Following Rob’s trail, I arrived at the Great Wall of China. |
わたりロウカは 地平線のかなたまで 果てしなく 続いている．．． | A corridor stretched to the distant horizon. | The wall stretched on forever, beyond the horizon. |
I’m not sure what word to use here. The JP says わたりロウカ (watarirouka) which means skyway. But the Great Wall isn’t a skybridge. OE chose corridor. I’m using wall.
As you explore the wall, you’ll find a couple of shinies on the ground.
If you examine them, Tim will say:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
きれいな小石が おちている。 | A small stone falls. | A pretty little stone has fallen. |
If a Japanese verb is conjugated in te-form (ending with the kana て - te) and followed by the auxiliary verb いる (iru), it often corresponds to English progressive aspect. E.g. 食べている (tabeteiru) means am/is eating. But there are a group of verbs and verb usages that you might classify as resultative: they describe a change in state that retains its significance until the present. You can use the continuous construction for resultative verbs, but they have a different interpretation than English progressive aspect. Example: 結婚している (kekkonshiteiru) does not mean is marrying but is married or has gotten married. Sometimes ている best translates as progressive, sometimes as perfect, sometimes as a participial adjective. You have to keep in mind what would make sense given context and the verb in question.
In this instance, おちている (ochiteiru) can’t mean falls or is falling. It has to be has fallen or is fallen, or even that it simply fell. The stone fell in the past and the result is that it’s in a fallen state.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ハッ！ これは ロブが リリィのために 作っていた ネックレスの一部だ．．． | Ha! This is part of the necklace Lance made for Lilly! | Oh! It’s a part of the necklace that Rob was making for Lily! |
ネックレスの石を ひろいあげた。 | I picked up the stones. | I picked up the necklace’s stones. |
OE translated ハッ (ha) as the English laugh. That’s a good first instinct, given that it’s written in katakana as English words usually are. But Tim has no reason to laugh at this. My dictionary says that, when followed by a small tsu as it is here, this is an interjection of surprise.
As Tim progresses, he’ll be interrupted by a text box:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
まって！！ | Wait! | Wait! |
A dandelion seed flies over and starts talking, as they do. You can see in these screenshots how they changed the background for the U.S. version. In the original, the wall is clearly in a desert. I can’t tell what’s going on in the U.S. version.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
リリィ： ロブを さがしに行くんでしょ？ | Lilly: Are you looking for Lance? | Lily: Are you looking for Rob? |
あたしも いっしょにいくっ！！ | I’ll go with you! | I’ll go with you! |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
リリィ： えへへ。 こうして テムの ポケットを かりるのも 久しぶりだよね。 | Lilly: Ha ha. It’s been a long time since I borrowed Will’s pocket. | Lily: Heh heh heh. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to borrow your pocket like this, huh? |
さ 行こう。 | Well, let’s go. | Ok, let’s go. |
In the next Dark Space, there’s a new powerup. Before I grab that, Gaia has some advice:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
テムの力 スピンダッシュは その 反動を使って 坂をのぼったり ジャンプしたりすることができる。 | Will’s power is the Spin Dash. Use this to climb hills and jump. | You can make use of the recoil from your Spin Dash power to ascend slopes and jump. |
ここ 万里の長城は 坂が多い。 いろんな場所で ためしてみる ことだ。 | There are many hills at the Great Wall of China. Try everything. | There are many slopes here in the Great Wall of China, so try it out in various places. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ヤミの力 スピンダッシュが 使えるようになった！ | Spin Dash can now be used! | Gained the dark power Spin Dash! |
スピンダッシュは 少年テムだけが 使うことのできる ちから。 | Only young Will can use the Spin Dash. | Only young Tim is able to use the Spin Dash. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
自分が 高速回転し 敵を はじき飛ばすことができる。 その反動を 利用して 坂を かけあがることもできるであろう。 | Spin your body to send enemies flying, and use the recoil to climb hills. | Rapidly spin yourself and you’ll be able to send enemies flying. You can also use the recoil to ascend slopes. |
こうげきボタンで 力をため LRを こうごにおすがよい．．． | Use the Attack and LR Buttons for power. | Use the attack button to save up power and alternate the L and R buttons. |
It took me a while, as a kid, to figure out how to use the Spin Dash. Gaia’s instructions in the OE suck. Even in JP they’re not great. You need to charge an attack, then alternate the L and R buttons, then choose a direction to go while there’s an indicator on the screen. If you wait too long, it won’t work.
There’s not much else going on at the Great Wall. The boss is Sand Fanger, who’s a joke. When it’s down, you get this message:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
サンドファンガーを たおすと しかばねから ミステリードールが 見つかった！！ | You’ve defeated the Sand Fanger! Look! A Mystic Statue! | After defeating Sand Fanger, found a Mystery Doll on its corpse! |
This thing’s blood is supposed to cure any illness, right? Kind of a waste. Sand Fanger farming could’ve been the most important medical advance ever made.
After this, we run into Rob, who’s just standing around in the area past the boss. It was impossible for Tim to get to this point without the Spin Dash. Sometimes I get the impression that Tim’s friends are actually much more competent than he is. “Hey Tim, have you tried just walking up the slope? Or jumping?”
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
リリィ： ロブの ばかっ！ 心配したじゃないっ！！ | Lilly: You’re crazy! I’ve been worried sick! | Lily: Rob, you moron! I’ve been worried sick! |
まものに 殺されちゃったら どうするのよっ！！ | What if you’d been attacked! | What if you’d been killed by a monster!? |
I’m guessing both of these changes are censorship.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブ： みんなに 心配かけたのは悪かったと 思ってる。 | Lance: Sorry to have worried you. | Rob: I’m sorry I worried everyone. |
でも おやじの病気を直す薬が 手に入ったんだ。 | But I got some medicine to cure my father. | But I got some medicine to cure my dad’s illness. |
Rob, don’t you mean that Tim got it? By killing the Sand Fanger? Or did Rob sneak up on it while it was sleeping and give it a little jab with a needle? I’m really confused about how adventuring works for non-Tim entities in this game!
You can now talk to Lily and Lance.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
リリィ： もう．．． ロブは 自分勝手なんだから．．． | Lilly: Already? you’re selfish…. | Lily: Geez, Rob, you can be so self-centered. |
もう (mou) usually means already or soon but in this situation, it’s an expression of exasperation. Geez, come on, damn, seriously, etc. Something else funny about the OE is that, in so many other instances in the game, the translators failed to translate people’s names as you even where that would be more natural. Here, the game does translate Rob as you… except this is one of the instances where that causes confusion, because it looks like Lily is talking to Tim. The final effect is that, in OE, you might interpret Lily as scolding Tim for trying to get her to leave before she’s had a chance to talk to Rob. No, she’s still just exasperated with Rob.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブ： あっ その石は．．． | Lance: Oh. That stone . . . | Rob: Oh, you have some of the stones. |
テム： この石ころをたどってきたら ここに ついたんだ。 石は ロブに返すよ。 ほらっ。 | Will: If you follow the stone chips, the trail leads here. | Tim: If you follow the stones one by one, they lead here. Here, you can have them back. |
I’ll give them back to you. |
Rob notices that Tim has the stones no matter whether you bothered to investigate any on the way here. I have no idea where OE got “stone chips” from. 石ころ (ishikoro) means small rock, pebble, etc. I guess a lot of small rocks would look like chips off of other rocks, but I’d expect these to be round, since Rob chose them for a necklace.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブが 小声で ささやく．．． | Lance whispers… | Rob whispers… |
ロブ： テム．．． ちょっとの間だけ リリィと 2人にしてくれないか？ | Lance: Will…will you take care of Lilly for me? | Rob: Tim, will you give me and Lily a moment alone? |
No surprise that this is a mistranslation. Rob has no reason to ask Tim to take care of Lily, and after you run off, the screen continues focusing on Rob and Lily. Of course Rob wants to talk to her alone.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブ： この石の おかげで おれは 助かったんだよな．．． | Lance: I was saved thanks to these stones… | Rob: I was rescued thanks to these stones. |
実は これ リリィのために 行った ネックレス だったんだ．．． | This was the necklace I made for you. | To tell the truth, they were part of a necklace that I made for you. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブ： ネックレスの石が ずいぶん 少なくなっちゃったけど 受けとって くれないか？ | Lance: There aren’t many necklace stones left. Will you take them? | Rob: There aren’t many stones left on the necklace, but will you take it anyway? |
ロブは ネックレスを つなぎ直し そっと リリィの首に かけた．．． | Lance, fixing the necklace, puts it around her neck. | Rob fixes the necklace and places it gently around Lily’s neck. |
Lily promptly turns into a dandelion seed again.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブ： あっ．．． | Lance: Aaah… | Rob: Oh… |
リリィ： 今度は にげないから．．． | Lilly: I won’t run this time. | Lily: I’m not running away this time. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
このあいだは とつぜんのことだから びっくりして どうしていいか わからなかったの．．． | This happened so suddenly, I didn’t know what to do… | Last time, everything happened so suddenly that I was surprised and didn’t know what to do. |
今は ロブに こんな顔を 見られたくないだけ。 | I don’t want to show my face now. | This time it’s just because I don’t want you to see my face. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
うれしくって なみだが あふれて くるんだもの．．． | I’m crying from happiness… | I’m crying because I’m so overjoyed. |
リリィ： ロブにはね．． はじめて 会ったときから 何か ちがうものを感じてたよ．．． | Lilly: I’ve always felt there was something different about you. | Lily: Since we very first met, I somehow felt something different for you. |
Nitpicky, but she didn’t feel that Rob was different. She felt feelings that were different, regarding Rob.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
そして その 何かが 今 わかったような気がするの．．． | Now I feel I know what the difference is. | Now I think I understand what that something is. |
このあいだの 返事．．． させてもらうね．．． | I want to give you an answer… | I think I owe you a reply. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
リリィ： あたしも ロブのことが好き．．． | Lilly: I love you, too. | Lily: I love you, too. |
ずっと いっしょに いられたら いいね．．． | I want to be with you forever… | I want to be with you always. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブ： いやっほーっ！！ こんな 気分って はじめてだっ！！ | Lance: Wow!! I’ve never felt this way before! | Rob: Yahooooo! I’ve never felt like this before! |
学校が 夏休みになったときの １００万倍くらい うれしいよっ！ | It’s like a million summer days! | I’m a million times happier than I was when school went on summer break! |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
リリィ： くすっ。 あたしも おんなじ 気持ち。 | Lilly: (Sob). I feel the same way. | Lily: *sniffle* I feel the same. |
さあ 町に もどりましょ。 きっと みんな 心配してるよ。 | Let’s go back to the village. I’m sure everyone’s worried. | Ok, let’s get back to the village. I’m sure everyone’s worried. |
The scene fades back into the house in Watermia, where we regain control immediately. You can talk to everyone.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
カレン： クルックって 変な動物よね．．． | Kara: A Kruk is an odd animal. | Karen: Kruks are weird animals. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
エリック： 今日は 満月の夜。 なんか いつもと 町の様子が ちがうような 気がするなあ。 | Erik: There is a full moon tonight. The village seems different. | Erik: There’s a full moon tonight. Something about the village seems different. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブ： さっき おやじに 薬をあたえてきたよ。 | Lance: I made my father very happy before. | Rob: I gave the medicine to my dad a little while ago. |
これから ゆっくりと 回復していくと思うんだ．．． | I think he will slowly recover. | I think he’ll slowly recover now. |
Looks like the original translator mixed up 楽 (raku - comfort, relief, part of many words relating to enjoyment) and 薬 (kusuri - medicine). I’ve made this mistake many times too, when reviewing kanji.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
リリィ： ロブの お父さんが はやく よくなるといいね。 | Lilly: I hope Lance’s father recovers quickly. | Lily: I hope Rob’s father recovers quickly. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ニール： ここから 西へ行くには 広大な さばくが 立ちはだかって いるんだよ。 | Neil: If you go west of here, there’s a huge desert. | Neil: If you go west from here, a vast desert stands in the way. |
クルックでも いないかぎり 人間の足では とても わたりきれる もんじゃない。 | You can’t cross it on foot without Kruks. | Unless you have kruks, there’s no way a person could cross it on foot. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
さあ どうやって クルックを 手にいれるかだな．．． | How will I get a Kruk? | So, how do we get our hands on some kruks? |
We now have a goal for story progression: get kruks!
And of course we have to get them in a horrifying way, because that’s how this game do.
Something mildly interesting: In the Japanese version, Luke is still standing outside, saying the exact same thing about how he’s leaving on a voyage and you can use his house. In the US version, they had the thought that, hey, maybe he would have left on his big fishing voyage, after 2 or more days have passed, rather than standing around the whole time.
Before proceeding to witness more of this game’s horrors, you can drop by Gem and give him your 30th Red Jewel. He’ll give the final prize before his big secret.
This is the same dialogue as when he increased the power of the Psycho Dash, back in entry 19. This is the only thing that’s different:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
自分の放った ダークフライヤーが 飛んでいる間に もう一度 こうげきボタンを おして みるといい。 | Try pushing the Attack Button once more when the Dark Friar is flying. | Try pushing the attack button once again when the Dark Flyer is flying. |
This upgrade kind of amusingly doesn’t matter at all, at least for this playthrough. You can get it in the next town by waiting in a line, which I’m going to do anyway because I want to capture the dialogue.
Tim is supposed to go to that secret raft behind the gambling den. There, someone stands in the way:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ここは ロシアングラスの会場。 あんた 出場するのかね？ | The Russian Glass Club. Do you wish to join? | This is the Russian Glass meeting place. Do you want to compete? |
If you say No:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ならば かえるんだな。 そして ここで見たことは すべて 忘れるんだ。 | Then go home, and forget what you’ve seen here. | In that case, go home. And then, forget everything you’ve seen here. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
なんと その若い命を かけて ロシアングラスを やろうと いうのかっ！ | Do you want to risk your young life playing Russian Glass?! | You’re really saying you want to risk your young life playing Russian Glass!? |
これは 遊びじゃない。 命が かかっているんだぜ。 | This isn’t just a game. You could lose your life. | This isn’t a game. Your life is on the line. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
もう一度 聞く。 本当に こうかいしないな？ | I’ll ask again. Are you sure? | I’ll ask one more time: Are you absolutely sure? |
If you say No, he repeats the same thing as if you had said No earlier. If Yes:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
よかろう。 そこに いるのが 対戦相手だ。 | All right. The Opponent is over there. | Very well. Your opponent is over there. |
彼は 百戦れんまの 強者。 彼を越える 運を もちあわせている 人間を 私は 見たことがない。 | He’s a seasoned veteran. I’ve never seen a man so lucky. | He’s a seasoned veteran. I’ve never seen anyone with as much luck as he has. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
さあ。 彼から ルールを 聞くがいい。 | Well. Ask him the rules. | Go on. You can ask him the rules. |
Can we talk for just a moment about how this scenario makes no sense? It turns out that Tim’s psychic powers let him cheat at his horrid game, so he’s actually safe doing this. But he doesn’t know that going in—he’s ready to throw his life away right here? Does he even know what the prize is, how much money he can win by doing this?
And it’s not clear that there are any other opponents besides Tim who would play this night, so wouldn’t any deaths be Tim’s fault for even playing? He should have no part in this, right? Imagine if, back in the slave town, Tim didn’t just witness the horrors of slavery but participated in them and perpetuated them.
…Oh. Right.
Moving on, then.
If you talk to the guy again after he lets you on the raft:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
今夜も 若い命が一つ 散ろうとしている．．． | Tonight, some young man will lose his life… | Tonight, another young life is about to be lost. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
こんな エキサイティングな 遊びは 他にないわ。 ゾクゾクしちゃう。 | There’s no game as exciting as this one. | There’s no other game as exciting as this one. I’m exhilarated. |
She uses the English word exciting for special emphasis: エキサイティング (ekisaitingu).
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
あなたの 対戦者の人は ずいぶんと お金を もうけているみたい。 いったい 何につかうのかしら．．． | Your opponent has won a lot of money. I wonder what he does with it… | Your opponent has won a whole lot of money. I wonder what the heck he spends it on? |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
勇気が あるんですね。 | You have courage. | You have courage. |
Courage, stupidity, psychopathy, who’s to say really?
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
あんた まだ 若いのに こんなことに 命をかけるなんて。 | You’re still young, why would you risk your life this way… | You’re still young. You, especially, shouldn’t put your life on the line. |
It’s time to talk to our opponent. It’s the guy in the center wearing a straw hat.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
対戦者： けっ。 また 命しらずが きやがった。 | Opponent: Shoot! I forgot my lucky Kruk’s foot. | Opponent: Tch. Another person who doesn’t care about his own life. |
I’m not 100% sure this is what he’s saying. As I read the grammar, また (mata)= once again, 命しらずが (inochishirazuga) = disregard for life + subject marker, and きやがった (kiyagatta) = can’t believe came or how dare came. So… Once again, can’t believe that disregard for life came ? I can’t tell if he’s talking about himself or Tim, though. I imagine it’s Tim.
In any case, the line about the kruk’s foot is funny. It makes it seem like that’s the cause for his losing here, when in actuality he never had a chance against Tim’s magical cheating powers.
And oh, hey, this guy has a special sprite. He’s the only villager wearing a straw hat. Remember him?
That’s right, it’s the guy who was coughing before. The one whose wife is pregnant. As we all know, in fiction if you cough it means you’re definitely dying. So I guess this guy doesn’t have much to lose anyway! Except maybe, I don’t know, witnessing the birth of his child before he passes away? Or if he doesn’t have that much time, maybe telling his wife and spending as much time with her as possible?
The asshole has a bit more to say:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ルールは 簡単だ。 ５つのグラスの どれか一つに 毒薬が 入っている。 | The rules are simple. One of the five glasses contains poison. | The rules are simple. There are 5 glasses, one of which is poisoned. |
それを こうごに 飲んでいく。 最終まで 生き残った方が 勝ちと いうわけだ。 | Drink each one in turn. The one left alive is the winner. | We take turns drinking. The person who lives until the end is declared the winner. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
じゃあ おれから いくぜっ！ | We’ll start with me! | Well then, I’m up first! |
He always goes up to the middle glass and drinks:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
対戦者： うおおおおおおおおおっ！！ | Opponent: BAAANZAII!! | Opponent: Here goes! |
対戦者は グラスの中身を 一気に 飲みほした．．． | The Opponent drank the glass in one gulp… | The opponent downed the glass in one gulp. |
In JP he says “uwooooooooah!” It’s a battle cry, I guess, and BANZAI works as well as anything else.
The poisoned glass is the one on the right. If you try any one but that, Tim will drink it instantly. But if you try to drink the poisoned one, the game will warn you that it’s suspicious and give you the option to change your mind.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
テム： おや？ グラスの中の 飲み物が 血に 染まって見える．．． | Will: What? The glass looks very suspicious! | Tim: Oh? The contents of the glass look like they’ve been stained with blood. |
これも ぼくの体に やどっている 力なのか．．．？ | Do I have the courage to put this in my body? | Is this the power that resides in my body? |
A mistranslation minimizes the fact that Tim is able to see which glass is poisoned due to his psychic powers. I still understood, as a kid, that must be what’s happening, but the JP says it explicitly.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
グラスの中身を 飲みますか？ | Drink the glass? | Drink the contents of the glass? |
If no:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
テム： このグラスは やめておこう．．． | Will: I’m quitting… | Tim: I’ll pass on this glass. |
If yes:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
テム： ぼくは 目をつぶって グラスを 一気に のみほした！ | Will: Will closed his eyes and drank it in one gulp! | Tim: I closed my eyes and downed the glass in one gulp! |
OE once again changes first person to third person, but forgets to take out the dialogue marker showing that he’s saying or thinking this. So Will is saying “Will closed his eyes…” Do you think it’s out loud? Do you think he’s getting funny looks from everyone on the raft?
If you do this, Tim instantly loses all his health and dies. If you have extra lives, you’re put back at whichever room you last exited, just as if you’d died in a dungeon.
The other glasses don’t have special messages. The opponent lets out a battle cry and downs it in one gulp. Tim closes his eyes and downs it in one gulp. The opponent does say something else in between turns:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
対戦者： けっ！ 運のいいやつめ．．． 次は おれの番だな。 | Opponent: Lucky! My turn next. | Opponent: Tch! You’re a lucky guy. My turn next. |
Finally:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
対戦者： 残りのグラスは これ一つ．．． | Opponent: One glass left… | Opponent: This one is the last glass. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
観客： もう いい．．． この 少年の 勝ちだ．．． | Spectator: That’s enough… This young man won… | Spectator: That’s enough. This young man won. |
観客： そうよ！ もう やめてっ！！ | Spectator: Right! Quit now! | Spectator: That’s right! Stop it already! |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
対戦者： いや．．． おれは 負け犬になって はじを さらすつもりはない．．． | Opponent: No… I’m the champion. I will not be disgraced. | Opponent: No. I have no intention of subjecting myself to the disgrace of being a loser. |
男は グラスを 手にとった．．． | He picks up the glass. | The man takes the glass in his hand. |
My translation is too literal and wordy. The original is good. The sentiment is all retained and it’s shorter.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
観客： よせっ！ もう お前の 負けなんだっ！！ 死に急ぐなっ！！ | Spectator: Stop! You’ve already lost! Stop it!! | Spectator: Stop! You’ve lost already! Don’t rush to die! |
男は 観客の 言葉も聞かず グラスの中身を 静かに流しこんだ！ | Ignoring the spectator, he downs the drink in a shot. | Ignoring the spectator, the man quietly quaffs the drink. |
The scene fades to black and opens back up with Tim in a house, a woman standing in front of him.
She says:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
女： あなたが ロシアングラスの 対戦者だった方ね。 | Woman: You’re the Russian Glass player. | Woman: So you’re his Russian Glass opponent. |
主人は いい仕事が見つかったから 苦労はかけないと 言っていたのに まさか あんなことを．．． | My husband said that once he found a job we would be OK, but I was surprised at what he did. | My husband said that, since he found a good job, our worries were over. I never thought something like this was happening. |
The OE has a mistranslation that makes no sense if you’ve been paying attention. Back when you first talked to this woman, she said:
She thought her husband was working hard already. So he wouldn’t be looking for a job.
In actuality, seems he wasn’t traditionally employed. He was raking in money for his wife and child, but not the way she thought.
She continues:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
これ 主人の遺書です。 表紙には 「対戦者の人へ」と書かれて いるの。 どうぞ お読みになって下さい。 | This is my husband’s will. It says here “To My Opponent”. Please read it. | This is a note my husband left. The front says “To my opponent”. Please read it. |
それと 外に クルックが 4頭 いますから 使ってくださいな。 | There are four Kruks outside. Please use them. | In addition, there are 4 kruks outside. Please use them. |
Oh good, 4 kruks. But we have 6 party members. Foreshadowing? Yes, foreshadowing. The JP says 遺書 (isho) which can mean will but can also mean suicide note or simply note left by a dead person. I wouldn’t use the word will here as that implies his entire postmortem legal affairs are addressed to his final Russian Glass opponent.
Now let’s take a moment to reflect on how grim this all is. This guy was dying. (It confirms it in his death note, but we already know that because he was coughing, and coughing means dying.) Rather than tell his pregnant wife, he started gambling in a game that would inevitably kill him at some point. He was saving money to take care of his wife and future child after he was dead. (Hey, Breaking Bad ripped this game off!) While playing, he finally loses (to a cheater with psychic powers), but does so in a way that allows him to continue to live and continue to save money. Rather than take that route, he commits suicide for some reason.
Then his wife meets the cheater who’s significantly responsible for her husband’s death. She has to keep her composure and not strangle this bastard long enough to tell him (doubtless in between her wails of grief) that her idiot husband left his final opponent a bunch of valuable kruks.
Cool, game. Good story. At least his letter provides some consolation for all this horror. We’ll get to that later.
Here’s what she says if you talk to her again:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
女： お金なんて いらない．．． 本当の幸せって 好きな人と いっしょに いられることなのよね。 | Woman: We don’t need money. Real joy is being with those you love. | Woman: I don’t need money. True happiness is being able to be with the person you love. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
これが ゆずってくれるっていう クルックだな．．． さっそく みんなに 知らせ なくちゃ。 | These are the Kruks I was given. I have to let everyone know. | These are the kruks I was given. I have to give everyone the news right away. |
You might be wondering whether, having gotten the medicine from Rob and a day having passed, Rob’s father has new dialogue. He doesn’t. He still just says the childish stuff about exploring with his friends. I couldn’t find any other new dialogue around town, so back to Luke’s house it is.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
カレン： ニールの実家って エウロの町で 貿易会社を やってるんですって。 | Kara: Neil’s family runs a trading company in Euro. | Karen: Neil’s family runs a trading company in Euro. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
エリック： ここで ロブや リリィと お別れなんて．．． | Erik: I wish Lance and Lilly were coming, too… | Erik: I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye to Rob and Lily here. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ロブ： みんなには 悪いけど おれはここに 残るよ。 あんな おやじを 旅っておくわけに いかないしな。 | Lance: I’m sorry, but I want to say here. I can’t neglect my father. | Rob: My apologies to everyone, but I’m staying here. I can’t go off traveling and leave my father. |
それからさ．．． うーん なんか てれるなあ．．． | And so… I feel a little awkward. | Aside from that, I feel a little awkward, but… |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
おれさ。 リリィと つきあうことにしたんだ。 | I want to spend time with Lilly. | I’ll just say it. Lily and I are dating. |
もちろん いいかげんな気持ちじゃないさ。 ずっと いっしょに いたいと 思ってる。 | Of course, I don’t feel good about it. I wanted to go on with everyone. | Of course I have mixed feelings. I wanted to stick through with you to the end. |
I love the juxtaposition in OE. “I wanted to spend time with Lilly. Of course, I don’t feel good about it.” Is she hearing this?
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
で リリィも いっしょに 残りたい っていうからさ。 | And I wanted to stay with Lilly. | But I also wanted to stay with Lily. |
みんなと 旅ができて楽しかったよ。 テムの 旅の成功をいのってるよ。 | I’ve enjoyed the journey. I hope you’re successful. | It was fun traveling with everyone. I hope you have a successful journey. |
You better hope I have a successful journey, Rob! You have caught on that the fate of humanity is at stake, right?
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
リリィ： あたしも この町に残ることにしたの。 | Lilly: I decided to stay in this town, too. | Lily: I decided to stay in this town, too. |
わけはね．．． ロブから聞いて。 | Ask Lance the reason why. | Ask Rob the reason why. |
After you read the gambler’s death note and talk to Neil, it will force you to the next area. But Neil has something different to say if you talk to him before you read the note:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ニール： クルックをゆずってもらったって！？ あんな高価なものを．．．？ | Neil: You got Kruks? They’re so expensive . .? | Neil: You say you got ahold of some kruks!? Even though they’re so expensive? |
そんな さびしそうな目をしてどうしたんだよ．．． まあ わけは深く聞かないでおこう。 | Why such a sad face? Maybe I shouldn’t ask what the reason is. | What’s with that sad look in your eyes? Maybe I shouldn’t press you too hard about it. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
それでだ。 ぼくらは 西のエウロという町へ 向かおうと おもうんだが．．． | I think we should go west, to Euro… | Ok then. I think we should go west, to the town called Euro. |
ロブと リリィが この町に残るって いうんだ。 まあ わけは二人から聞いてくれ。 | Lance and Lilly want to stay here. You should ask them why. | Rob and Lily say they’re staying behind in this village. You should ask them why. |
Now it’s time to look at the gambler’s note. You can’t progress the story without doing so.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
いしょ | Will | Death note |
I’m calling it a death note because suicide letter seems inappropriate and will seems even more inappropriate. But the anime Death Note has kind of messed up the connotations of that phrase, hasn’t it?
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
遺書を そっと開いてみた。 | He opened the will. | Unsealed the note. |
対戦者の人へ | To the Opponent | To my opponent |
It’s weird how OE keeps capitalizing Opponent. Anyway, they missed the opportunity to say Will opened the will.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
私が死んでも 悲しまないでほしい。 そして 落ちこまないでほしい。 | Even if I perish, don’t mourn for me. | Though I’ve died, I don’t want you to grieve for me. Nor for you to feel sad. |
私は ロシアングラスで 死なずとも 近いうちに 天にめされる 運命で あったのだ。 | Even if Russian Glass doesn’t cost me my life, it’s my fate to pass away soon. | Even if I didn’t die from Russian Glass, it’s my fate to pass away soon. |
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
半年前に 不治の病と診断された時 死ぬまでに 人が一生動いて得る金を 手に入れようと思った。 | Six months ago, when I found out I was dying, I decided to amass as much money as possible. | When I was diagnosed with an incurable illness six months ago, I decided that, before I died, I would make a whole lifetime’s worth of money. |
私の死後 妻と まだ見ぬ子に 苦労はさせまいと 思ったからだ。 | I wanted to leave it to my wife, and the child I’ll never see. | After I died, I wanted my wife and the child I’d not yet met to not suffer any hardships. |
We do get a little bit of consolation, here. At least in taking the kruks, it seems like we are not totally screwing his wife and unborn child, who need all the wealth and money they can get. Apparently he left them enough to never have to work again.
OE lacks the consolation; by changing from a lifetime’s worth of money to as much money as possible, it leaves the player with no sense of how much money he really managed to earn.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
しかし 私が得た金は 他人を不幸にして 手に入れたもの。 こんなことは 今回で 終わりに しようと思う．．． | I made my fortune in spite of the unhappiness I have caused others. | However, the money I earned came at the misfortune of others. I think this is the last time I’ll do something like this. |
もし この勝負で 私が負けたなら 財産の一部を 勇気ある あなたに 分けあたえたい。 | If I lose, I want to leave part of my estate to you. | If I lose this game, I want to share part of my fortune with you, who are so brave. |
I struggled mightily with the translation of I think this is the last time I’ll do something like this because I was working under the assumption that he wrote this letter months ago and left it for whichever night he died. Not so; he wrote it right before this match, which he intended to be his last even if he won.
And his motivation for sharing his wealth finally makes sense: He wants to make up for the fact that he earned it at the expense of other people’s deaths. OE had to cut words to save space, but doing so mangled this guy’s story.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
私の愛馬 クルック 4頭を どうか かわいがってやって下さい。 | Please take care of my four favorite Kruk horses. | Please treat my 4 favorite kruk horses dearly. |
JP really does say that the 4 kruks are his 愛馬 (aiba - favorite horses). That’s not a mistranslation. Very odd to call them horses.
Finally, Neil will have different dialogue and the events of Watermia will end:
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
ニール： 男の子と 女の子が ひかれあう しゅんかんっていうのは すてきな まほうだと思う。 | Neil: The moment when a man and woman are first attracted to each other is like magic. | Neil: I think it’s incredible magic, the moment a boy and girl are attracted to each other. |
この気持ちは いつまでも 忘れずに 信じていたいもんだね。 | I don’t think you ever forget that feeling. | You don’t ever forget what that feels like. |
It’s really jarring to read this after reading that guy’s death note. Of course Neil is talking about Rob and Lily, but I’m still thinking about the morbid stuff.
Japanese | Original English | Translation |
|---|---|---|
それでだ。 エウロには ぼくの実家があってね、 あそこへ行けば 何か テムの力に なれると思うんだ。 | By the way. Euro is where my parents live. It will help you if we go there. | So, then. My parents live in Euro, and I think if we go there it will help you somehow. |
さあ エウロへ出発するぞっ！！ | We’re leaving for Euro! | All right, we’re off to Euro! |
So long, Watermia! At least until we come right back here as soon as we can for a Red Jewel.