An example of difficulty in translation

[hisashi]

Considerably many posters here seem to believe that a Japanese can read anything written in Japanese. It is far from reality.

In 1996 Niwa Motoji (1919-2006) issued a three-volume publication 'Grand Dictionary of Japanese Family Names' containing over 290,000 family names. This publication costs 346,500 JPY.

http://www.houbunkan.jp/shopping/20201/index.shtml

Another publication by Morioka Hiroshi, 'Grand Dictionary of hard-to-read and rare family names' contains 14,000 family names.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4490107137

The situation is similar on ship name and location name. Combination of characters and exceptional reading rule create numerous possible pronunciations. For foreign location name, the difficulty would be much imaginable for non-Japanese members. Siebenbuerger refers to people from Transylvania.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Eu ... tive_names

Old literal Japanese, common in prewar publications. For example, article 2 of infantry drill regulations (1940) reads

歩兵は、本操典に拠り指揮官以下を訓練して諸制式及び諸法則に習熟せしむると同時に、軍紀厳正にして精神強固なる軍隊を練成し、以って戦闘百般の要求に応ずべし。特に戦時に在りては実戦の経験に鑑み、将来の変化を洞察し、克く本操典を活用し、且つ教え且つ戦い、以って戦捷の獲得に遺憾なからしむるを要す

I paraphrased it in modern Japanese,

歩兵は、この操典に基いて指揮官以下を訓練して様々な制式及び法則に習熟させると同時に、軍紀が厳正で強固な精神を持つ軍隊を練成し、それによって戦闘の様々な側面の要求に応じなければならない。特に戦時には実戦の経験に鑑み、将来の変化を洞察し、努力してこの操典を活用し、教えながら戦い、それによって戦いの勝利獲得に至らざる点を残さないようにしなければならない。

The second, through translation on Yahoo Babel fish,

The infantry, being based on this drill book, training below the commander, when you become skillful to the various regulations and law, being simultaneously, military discipline exact, trains the troop which has firm mind and must respond to the demand for the various sides of battle with that. Especially, while considering to the experience of encounter in wartime, discerning future change, endeavoring and utilizing this drill book, teaching it fights and it must try not to leave the point which does not reach to the victory acquisition of fight with that.

Pretty good, except that

military discipline exact-> (trains the troop) which is well disciplined
teaching it fights and -> (Infantries) must both teach and fight ( on this drill book)

A little poorer translation on Google Toolbar;

Infantry is like to train commanders based on the following this 操典 to people familiar with at the same time and officially adopted a law, 練 constitute a strong army with a spirit in the strict military discipline, like the battle by the requirements of various aspects of it must comply with. Especially in light of the experience of wartime combat, and insight into the changes in the future, in an effort to take advantage of this 操典 battle but I shall not leave a 至Razaru points to win the battle by winning it.

The first cannot be translated by babel fish. Through Google toolbar,

Infantry, while officially adopted Muru Seshi familiar with the laws of various countries to train and less 操典 commanders can count on this accomplished and the spirit 強固Naru 練 a strict military discipline, combat 応Zubeshi What 以 百般 requests . ~ Is a war that, especially in view of combat experience, and insight into the changes in the future, taking advantage of this Ku 操典 Katsu battle I 且Tsu advance, and Muru 要Su to be desired from the acquisition 以 What's Signal Victory

I see you often cannot get any good result from online translation. Any try of question is welcome but please realize that even for Japaneses this translation is time-consuming, error-containing and often totally impossible.

[Zaf1]

Thanks hishashi. I asked a Japanese person here to translate some wartime Japanese texts and the result was nearly the same as you mentioned especially on pronouncing Japanese names which sound totally different for example it cab be spelled Tabi or Takumi.

Regards

Zaf

[hisashi]

Another common difficulty, little known to non-Asian people is that fonts and readings for a character are different among Japan, Mainland China, ROC Taiwan and Korea. On organizing unicode, I heard that some non-Asian working group members suggested that codes for the same Chinese character should be sole but Asian participants contradicted it is simply impossible. A standard computer system in Japan deals with more than 6,000 characters while we mainly use 2,000 'regular use' characters. Reshiffling character code would upset all databases.
For example, even myself cannot tell who is Chiang Kai-shek if I read only this name without any hints. If stated as 蒋介石, I see he is Sho Kai-seki in Japanese pronunciation. I can barely guess 山东省 (Shandong Province) corresponds to 山東省 (Santosho), but I must consult to Wikipedia or any auto-translate system to translate 山東省 to non-Japanese expression. Sometimes questions here contains minor location names, written in non-Japanese language, and I have no way to process it.

[Zaf1]

I think the effect of making a wrong translation of Japanese weapons could even be damaging. Many US soldiers had their knees broken when the used the captured grenade discharger as a 'knee mortar'