Confessions of a Manga Translator. The Rule of Rubin. I have a secret to tell you. If you’re ever been particularly moved by a line of dialog in a manga I translated; if something pithy spoke to you in some way, or had some meaning to you; if you thought something was cool or inspiring, or even if you laughed at a joke—that was probably me, not the original cartoonist. It’s disappointing, I know. But I submit for you the Rule of Rubin. It comes from Jay Rubin, translator of the best- selling novels of Haruki Murakami and one of the most notable modern Japanese- to- English translators. Rubin said in an interview: “When you read Murakami (in English), you’re reading me, at least 9. When I saw that, I nodded knowingly in agreement. And shuddered a little. Someone had finally said it. That’s the secret. The Rule of Rubin. When you read the words in a comic—the actual words, mind you—you’re reading me, at least 9. Nobody likes to hear that. When I tell people about the Rule of Rubin, they feel betrayed. And I get that. People want a connection. They want to believe it is the actual artist’s words that they react to. Making people cognizant of the translator sets up a barrier between reader and artist. ![]() Translators are supposed to be invisible. We are enablers, the babel fish in the ear with no personality or presence of our own. Readers want to think all the translator does is swap words into a different language, substituting “あ” for “a.” But that’s not how translation works. Especially not literary translation. Especially not Japanese to English translation. 1. Krita. Top-quality free painting software that's completely free for all artists. Krita is professional-quality painting software created by a team of artists with. Manga Studio EX 5.0.6 Final also named CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX - Can you imagine having a tool that allows you to create your own Manga comics? Create sketches. For the best of anime and manga software. And especially not manga translation. Japanese in Translation. Direct translation—translating words as- is—produces unreadable gobbledygook. Even reordering those words into proper English grammar results in uninspired nonsense. Here’s an example: The following joke is HI- larious in Japanese! A total knee- slapper! Husband: Let’s have ginger pork for dinner! Wife: Alas, we have no ginger. Did I get an LOL from you? No? Nothing? That’s strange … I can drop that joke on my wife anytime and it always gets a chuckle. How about this one? Husband: I want to eat salmon roe! Wife: But how much will it cost … ? Trust, me, that is SUPER funny in Japanese. ![]() Salmon roe” and “how much?” are homophones, both pronounced “ikura.” The wife’s answer (in Japanese; ikura kana …) sets up an ambiguity in which you are not sure if she is worried about the cost or just not in the mood for salmon roe. It’s also an old joke that everyone knows, so it’s told with a wink and nod and has the relaxed feel of something familiar. Putting the joke into English as written—swapping one word for another—means it’s dead in the water. A successful translation requires something more. ![]() And that’s where the artistry of the translator comes in. Any form of literary translation is a collaboration between artist and translator. Not a direct collaboration; As much as I would like to, I rarely work on comics where I chat with the original artist. Sometimes they are even long dead. But we are always working together. As invisible as I try to be, both voices are in the mix. Think of it like a band doing a cover song. No matter how good a mimic, every singer adds their own voice and style to a performance. The finished song is neither wholly the work of one nor the other. That may be a clumsy metaphor, but the point is this—a different translator produces a different comic. Part of that is the nature of the language. Japanese is not translation- friendly. It is a high context language, as opposed to a low context language like English. This means that Japanese can use fewer words, and relies more heavily on cultural context to communicate what is going on in the scene. It is sometimes said of Japanese literature that for every word on the page there are three unwritten. Readers are expected to fill in the blanks. On top of that, Japanese utilizes four writing systems; kanji, katakana, hiragana, and romaji. Each can slightly twist meanings or add further context to what is going on in a sentence. A person speaking in katakana probably has a foreign accent. Or single words can change writing systems for emphasis, like how English use italics or bold. You can even write a word in kanji, like “teacher,” and then superscript it with hiragana to say “warlord” for additional meaning. On top of that, Japanese makes heavy use of set phrases and repetition. Navigating the complex world of Japanese politeness levels can be dangerous even for those born and raised in the culture. They often take the path of least resistance and use and reuse socially appropriate phraseology, relying on cultural context to give the true meaning. English is comparatively straight forward—most of the time people say what they mean. Japanese is “Shaka; when the walls fell.”Role of a Translator. I’ve found out on Twitter than not many people know what a manga translator does. Twitter was actually the genesis of this article. I thought a little education was in order.) People get caught up in industry terms like “translation” and “localization,” which are different in theory, but less so in practice. Many assume the editor does the heavy lifting, and all the translator does is provide a rough breakdown of vocabulary. But that’s not my experience. The main role of the editor is to chose the translator, manage the project, and then tidy up the finished comic. Never underestimate the importance of that first part. It’s probably the single most important decision that will be made once a comic is licensed. When they chose the translator, editors are choosing what kind of comic will eventually be made. Many readers don’t realize the amount of influence translators have over the finished comic. It’s true that some companies hire adapters to assist in the dialog. And there’s nothing wrong with that; Kelly Sue Deconnick got her start as a manga adaptor. But I don’t think it’s a common practice. I’ve only personally used an adaptor once, and most translators I know deliver a finished script that goes straight onto the page. My job as a translator is to take all that context and language and reshape it into something that reads as if it was originally written in English. The Japanese script is my raw material. Along with translating the words on the page, I add context and create bridge sentences that might not have been in the original. I fill in gaps that would have been apparent to Japanese readers. And sometimes I rewrite things entirely. That’s the Rule of Rubin in action. How I Do What I Do. To be honest, I don’t know how other manga translators get to their finished script. I only know what I do. What I am going to tell you about how I do things might be completely opposite of how someone else does it. Or it might be the same. It will be interesting to find out. To tell the truth, I am a little nervous to hear what people like Matt Smith, Fred Schodt, and Matt Alt will say about this article. Or Jay Rubin himself; will he nod his head knowingly? Or scoff? We’ll see. I didn’t go to school to do this, or take any training, so if my process is a little wonky that’s entirely my fault. Like any artist I worked out my own method through practice and experience—and make no mistake, manga translation is an art form, as much as writing, drawing, coloring, lettering, or any of the other myriad jobs that add up to a published comic. There’s a reason why computer aided translation (CAT) is useless in manga. We’re not technicians. I’m not entirely self- taught; I have my Master’s degree in Japanese, and did literary translation as part of my coursework. But that’s different from manga. I learned through practice. I took an already translated series (Dr. Slump, in my case), and translated it book- by- book, comparing my translation to the published version. I figured the closer I got to the published version, the better I was doing. That also taught me what choices were made, where the differences were—and why those decisions were made. My process is simple. I prop the comic next to my computer and start to read—and write. And feel. That’s important, because that’s what I am trying to replicate, a feeling. I never read the comic ahead of time. I want to capture the exact moment of when I read a page, and then use English to make readers experience that same emotion. I get deeply involved in the comics while I am working on them. I laugh out loud. Cry. Of course, I will go back later and adjust, but if I read the whole comic first I miss the immediacy. Each character gets their own voice. The best free painting software 2. Painting software has come a long way in recent years, and there are now superb programs available completely free that offer a realistic simulation of watercolors, oils, pastels, charcoal, and more. These free tools work well with a mouse, but are even better with a stylus or touchscreen for direct control over your virtual brushes and pens. Some of the latest painting software also lets you work in three dimensions, creating your own models and then applying your own textures and paint effects. You can combine these with 2. D sketched elements to create scenes, and even print them in 3. D. Here, we’ve picked out the very best drawing software for Windows. Some of these tools are designed for serious illustrators, while others are better for keeping children occupied without the mess of real painting. There’s something for everyone – the only limits are your imagination and skill. Krita is painting software designed with comic book artists in mind and offers a huge set of professional quality features. Top- quality free painting software that's completely free for all artists. Krita is professional- quality painting software created by a team of artists with the noble aim of putting top- notch creative tools within reach of everyone. You can use Krita for any kind of drawing and illustration, but it's particularly great for comics and manga. There are panel templates, halftone filters, and perspective tools in addition to the usual brushes, fills and pens. Each brush is totally customizable, and you can save your bespoke brushes to use again later. Right- clicking anywhere on the canvas in Krita will bring up a selection wheel that lets you pick a new tool and select a colour in seconds – a system that's much easier than trawling through menus and settings. Krita was created by artists for artists, and it shows in the dozens of thoughtful little touches that make it easier to create great paintings. There are handy drawing aids for creating straight lines, vanishing points and smooth shapes. You also get layers, masks, various transform tools, HDR support, and advanced selection functions. Krita is an incredibly powerful painting program, and it's yours to download and use completely free. Download here: Krita. Artweaver Free offers realistic media, with a great choice of brushes, paints and other tools. Realistic traditional media, with a huge selection of brushes and tools. Artweaver Free enables you to create beautifully realistic digital paintings by taking your input – from your mouse, from a stylus, or if you have a touchscreen PC from whatever you feel like tapping the screen with – and applying ultra- realistic brush effects. In addition to familiar brushes such as conte brushes, calligraphy pens and airbrushes you also get a huge range of patterns and pens, enabling you to produce very complex images with the minimum of effort. It’s layer- based too, so you can build up your masterpiece in layers without losing the ability to change anything. Artweaver Free designed for artists of all ages, but we’ve found it particularly useful for children. Kids love experimenting with all the different brushes, and we love not having to clean up any mess afterwards. Download here: Artweaver Free. Microsoft Paint 3. D is great fun for kids, letting them turn doodles into three- dimensional models that can be painted and rotated. Make three- dimensional models with this kid- friendly free painting software – included in the latest Windows 1. Microsoft Paint 3. D was introduced as part of the Windows 1. Creator’s Update, but is also available in the Windows Store. Like the classic version of Microsoft Paint (which was recently saved from an early grave), Paint 3. D offers a small selection of drawing tools for doodling on a flat canvas. However, the real fun happens when you click the 3. D Objects button. Here you can pick a model to import (current choices include people and animals), or better yet, draw your own shape and ‘inflate’ it to turn it into a three- dimensional model that can be rotated and viewed from different angles. You can choose a finish for your shape (options include matte, gloss, dull metal, and polished metal), paint its surface, and apply lighting effects. There’s no way to control the thickness of the 3. D effect, so your object will always resemble something created with Puff Paints, but it’s great fun for kids of all ages. Multiple models can be positioned at different depths and combined to create a scene, and you can even bring doodles into the real world if you have access to a 3. D printer. Download here: Microsoft Paint 3. DFresh Paint works brilliantly on a tablet, where young artists can paint using the fingertips. Another child- friendly app from Microsoft, with realistic brush strokes. Fresh Paint is another art app from Microsoft – this time designed to replicate the feeling of putting brush or pen to paper. The interface really goes to town with skeumorphism, with a plastic palette of colours that splatter when you dip your virtual brush, showing which shade you’re currently using and making a pleasing splat. You can wash the bristles in a cup of water before picking a different color, or use one immediately after another to blend them together on the brush. Fresh Paint can simulate watercolors, gouache, and all kinds of other material. As the name implies, you can interact with your work as though it’s not yet dry, smearing it and mixing colors together on the canvas. Experienced artists will be able to achieve great results with tools that behave like their real- life counterparts, while kids and novices will make an equally realistic mess. Download here: Microsoft Fresh Paint. A professional- level painting program, My. Paint is incredibly flexible. Open source software for artists with the time to master a new tool. My. Paint is the brainchild of artist Martin Renold, who was frustrated by the limitations of his Wacom tablet’s proprietary software and decided to take matters into his own hands. Today, the open source software is an accomplished tool for artists. Its background as a Linux app means My. Paint works a little differently to most Windows apps, and it’ll take a little while to master its interface, but it’s well worth the effort if you’re a hobbyist illustrator and Krita’s focus on comics means it doesn’t quite fit your needs. My. Paint works best when used with a graphics tablet, but you can also use it with any other input device, or a touchscreen. There’s the usual selection of customizable brushes, plus support for layers, and a handy scratchpad for creating sketches. You can also download and install additional brush packages created by other users – a perk of the source code being publicly available. Download here: My.
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