Major 1

I don't know if many people are interested in this series, but I just started reading it because some scanlators asked me if I was interested in translating for them. I'm not really interested in translating for one specific group, but I've been finding Major to be quite an interesting read. I like baseball, so reading it is actually helping me build up my Japanese baseball vocabulary. :D

At any rate, I'll be tackling this series for as long as I can. I know that there are TONS of volumes but the series seems interesting enough for me to sit down and translate all of it, time permitting. Any way, here's the first chapter. I'll be translating this regularly, so I hope you guys enjoy it.

Some notes here
- Goro will always call his dad "pops"
- He'll call Hoshino Momoko, "Miss Hoshino"
-

第一話五郎の夢: Chapter 1: Goro's Dream

005
Teacher: Let's see here...
Teacher: Yuka-chan, how about you?
Teacher: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Yuka: hmmm...hmmm! Well...
Yuka: I wanna be like you!
Teacher: Really? You want to be a teacher?
Teacher: Alright, Goro!
Goro: Me? But you already know, don't you?

006
Goro: I always say I wanna be a pro baseball player, like my pops!

007
Note: Badge says "Honda Goro"

008
Teacher: I see, you really love baseball, don't you?
Goro: Of course I do!
Teacher: Heehee, okay, do you like your teacher or baseball better?
SFX: (The Kaa--- here is kind of like "... eep...")
Classmate: Ah! Goro's face is turning red! He really loves you, teacher!
Goro: Be quiet!
Classmate: Ooooowwwwwwww!
Teacher: Hey! Don't do that, Goro! Show some respect!
Goro: But that guy...!
Teacher: Does it hurt? Are you alright?
Goro: I also like the teacher... but she's just like my mom was...

009
Yo-chan: Bye bye teacher!
Teacher: See you tomorrow, Yo-chan!
Student: Bye bye teacher!
Teacher: Bye bye!
Goro: Strike!
Goro: The pitcher winds up for the third pitch....!

010
Goro: And there's the pitch!
Teacher: Strike!
Teacher: You'reeeee out!
Goro: You got it all wrong, that hit the bullseye!
Goro: That was a homerun, just now
Teacher: Really? It's bad to throw it right down the middle?
Goro: My mom told me before, she called it Virtua Training.
Goro: If you can hit the circle on the outside, then it's a strike. But if you want two strikes, you

need to hit the triangles on the corners
Teacher: ....oooh.

011
Teacher: But I don't understand why it's called Virtua Training...
Teacher: Am I mistaking it for Virtual Training?
Teacher: Hey, Goro... your father...
Goro: He's in the big leagues.
Teacher: I see...
Teacher: Ah! Hey, can your teacher try batting?
Goro: What!? Really!?
Goro: Okay, that's fine! I'll blow three strikes past ya, teacher!
Teacher (Now Momoko): Now pinch-hitting, Hoshino Momoko, ace teacher!

012
Goro: Here it comes!
SFX: Crush!
Goro: No... no way!
Momoko: Wh-what? Wow, I really hit it...
Goro: Wow, you're amazing, teacher!
Momoko: Haha, well, let's go home, okay? I'll go with you
Goro: No it's okay, I always go home by myself
Goro: See you!
Teacher: Um... Miss Hoshino...
Momoko: Be careful of the cars!

013
Goro: Dang, I'm still not strong enough
Goro: If even Miss Hoshino can hit my pitch...
Goro: Ack! I forgot my ball!
Goro: What should I do... if I go back and get my ball, the principal will be angry...
Goro: Oh well! I'll do some training in the park and then get my ball!
Goro: I need to be like my pops and get stronger and stronger!
Goro: Whoa, that's so cool!

014
Goro: It's like a camel's hump!
Honda: Haha, yeah, I guess it is!
Honda: If you work at it, you'll be just like me in the future!
Honda: If you wanna be strong you'll have to eat everything, even stuff you don't like. Then you'll have a strong body!
Goro: ....
Honda: Oh yeah, just hitting and throwning the ball is bad.
Honda: You have to run, jump, and do some gymnastics. You can't throw the ball fast, you can't let it just fly off!
Goro: okay, okay, I'll do that!
Honda: But, you're still small so you can't do all of that yet.
Honda: Go at it a little at a time, every day.

015
Goro: Ya!
SFX: Running
Goro: Wwwhhoa!
SFX: Sliding down
Woman on the right: Hey, look at that kid over there.
Woman on the right: He really looks like he wants to scale that hill!
Woman: Doesn't he look like a kindergarten kid?
Woman: He can't climb up that hill just yet...

016
Woman on the right: Hee hee hee.
Woman on the left: How adorable!
Woman: Ah, he's given up and gone for the monkey bars.
Woman: He's such a strange kid, not sliding down from the top of the hill...
Goro: Heh heh heh! Today I got up to the 9th step, and yesterday I made it to the 6th step, so it's an

improvement of 3 steps!
Goro: Alright! Today I'll do two trips on the monkey bars! To the end and then back again!
Boy on the right: Hey Tecchan, here's Kazu's card.
Boy on the left: Oh, I see. Danke.

017
Boy on the right: Hey Tecchan, this park is pretty open, ain't it? I just found it by accident!
Tecchan: Yeah, it is. I never knew of this park because it's surrounded by all these apartments.
Tecchan: Well, let's kick to our heart's content!
Woman: Waah!
Woman: Hey, it's dangerous to play here!
Boys: Oi! Over here! Over here!
Woman: Geez louis, let's go home.
Girl: We oughta go home, let's play some Wii at your house, Miki.
Miki: Okay...

018
Tecchan: Heh, let's have a PK shootout then
Boy: Cool man.
Boy: Ah...
Boy: Hey, over there!
Boy: That fence back there will make a good goal eh?
Goro: Yes! Almost there!
Goro: One more!
Goro: Pops will be surprised once I tell him about this!

019
Goro: Ah...!
Goro: Wuaaaaah!
Goro: Ooow...

020
Tecchan: Hah...well, well.
Boy on the left: Hey brat, why don't you head on home and suck on your momma's tit?
Boy: Hey did you hear me? Scram!
Boy on the left: Don't be a crybaby!
Goro: Just now... did you guys hit me with your soccer ball?
Boy on the right: Haaa?
Tecchan: Yeah we did, why do you care?
Goro: Damnit... and I was so close...

021
Goro: you stupid bastards!
Tecchan: ..ugggh!
Boys: Oi!
Boy: What the hell you brat!

022
Boy: You fucker!
Tecchan: I'm gonna get you for this, brat!
Tecchan: I'm gonna take from you everything!
Momoko: What the hell are you guys doing!?
Boys: Damnit! We gotta get outta here

023
Momoko: Goro!
Announcer: The Marine Star's relief pitcher has come into the game.
Announcer: #44, Honda.

024
Goro: It's pops! Look mom, he's here!
Announcer: On the Yokohama bench, today is the first time Honda will be throwing against big league batters.
Goro's mom: Hey! If you stand, the people behind you can't watch the game!
Announcer: As a counter to turn this game around, they've sent up Matsui-san as a pinch-hitter!
Announcer: A lefty vs. lefty battle... Honda is going to have his hands full here.
Announcer: The count is 3 - 2, in the 6th inning. (ed. note: in the Japanese text they have the numbers reversed.. they say 2 - 3... which confused the fuck out of me when I first read it)

025
Announcer: And Honda gets him to whiff on the third pitch!
Goro/Goro's mom: Yes! He did it!
Goro: You did it, pops! You really did it!

026
Honda: Of course, your pops is the best! Do you give up?
Goro: hahah, yea yea I give up! I give up!
Goro's Mom: Good game, honey.
Honda: Yeah, but I wasn't that hot today.
Goro: I wonder... a pro taking on a whole team is tough!
Goro: The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows.
Honda: Where the heck did you learn such a fancy phrase?
Goro: Mom...
Honda: What's wrong, Chiaki?

027
Honda: Chiaki!
Goro: Mom!
Goro: Mom!
Mom: Hang on, mom!
Goro: mom!
Momoko: Ah, you've come around?
Goro: Mom..!?

028
Momoko: Ah, what a relief.
Goro: Miss Hoshino...
Momoko: Are you alright? Where does it hurt?
Momoko: I'm surprised, I went to bring back your ball and I saw those bigger kids teasing you.
Goro: They weren't teasing me!
Goro: It was a fight!
Momoko: You know fighting is bad, right?
Goro: Whatever, Miss Hoshino! I hate violent kids!
Goro: ....
Momoko: Are you hungry?
Momoko: I'll make you some curry and we'll eat together
Goro: !
Goro: Yaaaaay!

029
Goro: Miss Hoshino... from her hair to her figure... she's like mom was...
Momoko: How is it?
Goro: It's great! It's so good!
Momoko: Heehee, I'd come here every day if it's really that good.
Momoko: But I'm your teacher, so I can't be your personal cook, sorry!
Goro: That's okay.
Goro: Usually every night I buy something from the store,
Goro: because my dad always says to eat milk and fish.

030
Momoko: Oh, I see
Momoko: Today your father is playing against the Shiants, so couldn't you see him on TV?
Momoko: You're not watching it?
Goro: Nope, not watching it. My dad isn't going to be playing, that's why.
Momoko: What? But he's a relief pitcher so it's possible tha...
Goro: Yeah but right now, he's a second-string player! Even if I say he's in the big leagues, he's

actually on the second string team...
Momoko: ....
Momoko: I... I'm sorry. I don't really know all about baseball, but when you say the big leagues...
Goro: But...

031
Goro: But... My pops is gonna be in the big leagues soon!
Goro: Right now he's not healthy, but he'll definitely be a big leaguer and he'll strike out that Matsui

guy again!
Goro: Pops...
Goro: One year ago, mom died and pops has been lonely since...

032
Goro: Then he started saying a lot of strange things...
Goro: On that day, he started practicing every day, and every night.
Goro: And then he got a hernia and pain around his waist...
Goro: And right now.. he can't play... *sob* *sob*
Momoko: .....
Goro: Sorry... you don't have to worry about it, Miss Hoshino, but...
Momoko: It's okay, I'm happy that you talked to me about it.
Momoko: From now on, whenever you have any trouble, just talk to me, okay?

033
Goro: You got it!
Goro: Wanna watch TV? I haven't watched TV for a while!
Momoko: Okay
Goro: You're going down, Yokohama!
Momoko: Hee, it's so nice to see how much he likes his father...
Momoko: Alright, Miss Hoshino is leaving now.
Momoko: I filled the bath for you, so take a bath and then brush your teeth before going to bed!

034
Momoko: Oh, and don't forget to lock the front door!
Goro: Alright, alright, Miss Hoshino!
Goro: I've been alone for a long time so don't worry about me!
Momoko: Well, have a good night then!
Goro: See you tomorrow, Miss Hoshino!
Goro: It's strange...
Goro: Pops always calls when he's playing an away game, but...
Goro: I wanted to tell him I crossed the monkey bars, but...
Goro: ... I... give.. up...

036
Goro: W...W-Who is it?
Goro: Miss Hoshino!?
Goro: It's a bad guy!
Goro: Crap..
Goro: Waaaaaaa!

037
Nothing

038
Goro: P...
Goro: Pops!
Goro: What's wrong!? Aren't you at an away game until tomorrow!?
Honda: Watch it!
Goro: He's been drinking...!

039
Goro: ....
Goro: Wh...What's wrong, pops..!?
Goro: Aren't you supposed to stop drinking because of your hernia!?
Honda: It's such a pain in the ass... they even said I can't make it into the big leagues...!!
Honda: Hee hee hee.....
Goro: WHY!?
Honda: That's why it's okay for me to drink...
Honda: I can't play baseball anymore!

040
Honda: Goro... you... stop playing baseball!
Goro: W..WHY!?
Honda: Do you want to be a guy like me, who turns 30 and loses his job and his wife!?