The ratfox thread

[ratfox]

Huh? Translators are supposed to have a thread? Okay... Here is one.
Post your questions, and I'll answer... When I have the time... And I don't forget...
And I remember to look up this thread... You get the idea

 

[Gold Knight]

Are you a guy or gal? (No offense, always been curious...)

How did you learn Japanese?

Where are you from?

Is Naruto your favorite manga?

 

[ratfox]

I'm a guy. Disappointed?

I've been learning Japanese pretty much on my own for five years,
with a self-help book, a dictionary, and by reading hundreds
of manga in japanese. I'm also taking courses since last year.
I've been in Japan only once, last year, for three weeks, but
I plan on going there next year again

I'm from Lausanne, Switzerland.

Naruto is perhaps not my favorite manga, but it is the one I follow
the most attentively. My favorite manga would be something from
Adachi Mitsuru or Takahashi Rumiko... I've been a Ranma addict
for many years.

 

[Gold Knight]

I'm a guy. Disappointed?

Nah, just curious.

I've been learning Japanese pretty much on my own for five years,
with a self-help book, a dictionary, and by reading hundreds
of manga in japanese. I'm also taking courses since last year.
I've been in Japan only once, last year, for three weeks, but
I plan on going there next year again

Awesome - wow, how do you get your manga in japanese? Via e-bay? How did you get to go to Japan? Do you have family there?

I'm from Lausanne, Switzerland.

Cool! How many languages do you know, then?

Naruto is perhaps not my favorite manga, but it is the one I follow
the most attentively. My favorite manga would be something from
Adachi Mitsuru or Takahashi Rumiko... I've been a Ranma addict
for many years.

Ahh, I read Ranma 1/2 too. It's great. I'm only on the first 12 volumes though I think, planning to read more, though. That explains your panda avatar over at NF though =D

 

[nah-nah]

1. Who is your favorite naruto character?
2. If you were a ninja, what would be your specialty: genjutsu, ninjustu, or taijutsu?
3. What are your hobbies?
4. What made you want to learn Japanese?
5. What's your favorite food?

 

[ratfox]

Awesome - wow, how do you get your manga in japanese? Via e-bay? How did you get to go to Japan? Do you have family there?

I bought most of my manga on amazon.co.jp... Unless it's very old, they have everything.
They also charge a fixed price for delivery, so you can order 200+ mangas cheap.

I went to Japan with a few guys who are also hooked on anime. They have been going there
every two years for like 10 years

Cool! How many languages do you know, then?

Well: Only english and french
Less well: Japanese and german

I'm supposed to have learnt german in school, but...

 

[ratfox]

1. Who is your favorite naruto character?
2. If you were a ninja, what would be your specialty: genjutsu, ninjustu, or taijutsu?
3. What are your hobbies?
4. What made you want to learn Japanese?
5. What's your favorite food?

1. Favorite is... Naruto I guess. I like Shikamaru too, but for different reason. and Kakashi is the coolest, of course
2. Ninjutsu. Something like Sai, but with music instead of drawings
3. Role-playing-games, music and martial arts. Less and less martial arts, I don't have the time any more.
4. The martial arts, and the manga. Also, I think kanji look cool
5. Lots of everything! Especially rice dishes. And italian food. And chinese food, and japanese food, and... lots of everything!

 

[Leen]

Well, I have a few questions for u too. I've ask GK about it and thought u might as well answer it too.

Which moment in Naruto that make u go like this :

--------------------------->

------------------------------>

--------------------------------------->

 

[ratfox]

Well, I have a few questions for u too. I've ask GK about it and thought u might as well answer it too.

Which moment in Naruto that make u go like this :

--------------------------->
Gamabunta transformed into the nine-tails

------------------------------>
Rock Lee fighting Kimimaro

--------------------------------------->
Naruto being even more stupid than usual. Mostly in fillers...

 

[Gold Knight]

What kind of martial arts did you practice?

 

[ratfox]

What kind of martial arts did you practice?

Judo, Karate and Capoeira.
I've got a black belt in Judo and a brown one in Karate.
I haven't done much in Capoeira. I guess I wasn't much suited to it.

 

[Zenith]

Why didn't you try taekwondo? I think it's sorta cooler than karate.

 

[Anax]

I've had Tae-Kwon-Do (ITF) and it's a major brain washing! Everyday you are told how much Karate sucks and how stupid their moves and training methods are!! In the Tae-Kwon-Do (ITF) universe all martial arts are equal except for Karate and Tae-Kwon-Do (WTF)!!

@ ratfox --> I envy you for having at least tried three martial arts! In Tae-Kwon-Do I quit at half-red (half-brown in Karate) because I couldn't stand my sensei (and couldn't kick his lame ass either). You see, he hit on a high school girl (he even entered the sauna when she was inside) and was generally vulgar. He could beat any of his apprentices to a pulp because of his experience and trained reflexes, other than that his technique wasn't much... I'd like to try Ninpo (having read a book on Ninpo history by Shoto Tanemura, presumably the last ninja), as well as Aikido (again, having read a compilation of Morihei Ueashiba's sayings, and a book or two on Ki).

What do you think?

 

[ratfox]

Replying every week... sigh.

I guess Tae Kwon Do does look cool, unfortunately, I prefered the teaching style of the karate instructor.
Anyway, I did Capoeira because it looked cool, and I never got really far...
I've heard lots and lots of discussion on whether this was better or that, and in the end,
everybody likes something different. Usually, it's more important to have a teacher you like than
having this certain martial art, because if you quit after a few months it won't be useful

I even heard somebody saying once, "kyokushinkai karate is better, because it has lots of
turning kicks, and that's more efficient when you're fighting mutiple opponents".
Perhaps he should have tried kage bunshin

 

[Gold Knight]

Don't worry about taking a while to reply, Ratfox. ^_^

But I do have a related question to that. How's life going for you? Busy?

 

[Anax]

Kyokushinkai Karate? Could you translate that? I think that in Kavala Kyokushinkai Karate is taught along with Ninjutsu... well, Ninpo would still be better for me but oh, well. Anyway, I'm searching for a sensei that I can call O-sensei, that I can admire and that I can have as a role model. Preferably said sensei would be teaching a martial art involving "ki". I'm saying all those "can", because sometimes you have to call your sensei something but you can't because they are

 

[ratfox]

Busy... I've got nothing taking me lots of time, I just have lots of little somethings taking all of it.
Not only work, also World of Warcraft, Japanese lessons, and getting drunk [br]Posted at: 2006-01-16, 12:32:41_________________________________________________The translation of Kyoku shin kai (極真会) could be something like "ultime true school".
(These names are oh so modest. The translation for Tai-ji-quan, Tai chi chuan, (太極拳) etc.
is "grand ultimate fist" ) But I'm not sure you're looking for that - it's a bit like full-contact.

I guess if you want a real "sensei", you should be prepared to look up many of them.
Most teachers I know are more like training coaches than "sensei".
I think you could find one like this in about any martial art, but I would rather try
the more "non-violent" of them. Usually, the guys who teach almost-real-fighting like
full-contact, kyokushinkai karate or krav maga tend to be more on the side of boxing coaches,
or even military instructors.

If you want a martial arts involving "ki", I guess Tai chi chuan would be one choice,
or perhaps Aikido. Both are usually rather "non-violent". I guess even in martial arts,
"ki" is rather on the philosphical and intellectual side...

Those are also the martial arts that will take the longest to be efficient. You can fight well after
three months of boxing, six of full-contact, one year of karate, three or more of Aikido.
(I'm making wild assumptions here. Don't take this seriously, it depends on you, the teacher,
and lots of other things.)

 

[Gold Knight]

(These names are oh so modest. The translation for Tai-ji-quan, Tai chi chuan, (太極拳) etc.
is "grand ultimate fist"  ) But I'm not sure you're looking for that - it's a bit like full-contact.

I found Tai Chi Chuan pretty interesting - the idea of "Grand Ultimate Fist" being a relaxed fist is pretty cool. (Took Tai Chi classes in college.) Still think the meaning is a bit too aggressive for a martial art like that, but it's excellent as a self-calming exercise.

 

[Anax]

GK and Ratfox --> I think Ki is by far underestimated... then again, that's just me So, Kyokushinkai means Ultimate True School... hah, I've always laughed with Japanese and Chinese names for anything, they are so... grandiose! Really now, I don't see me looking for a sensei at a gym, especially not one that says: "Pay 30 euros a month and you can train in our gym, take Ninjutsu lessons and Kyokushinkai Karate, all in one" Right now I just want to lose some weight without it actually being muscle, rather than fat... If the martial arts endeavor fails (might since I just had a fight with the frined with whom I'd be joining, over a /spit he got from another friend who played an Alliance Night Elf Rogue named Haris) then I'll just keep the teachings I've come across and accepted close to my heart and train in what little things I've picked up in Tae-Kwon-Do or just simply... walk for miles! Ninpo even included various different styles of walking that had different effects on your body (training) and could also be used in the battlefield (to confuse the opponent about your distance and speed or to walk silently among other things).

Does "shin" mean something along the lines of "divine"? I'm getting that mostly from anime and manga. Does the word retain any of it's meaning when in compound words, such as "Kyokushinkai"? What would be the translation (if any) of the name "Shingo" that has me thinking of it all the time lately? Since you play WoW, what would be a fitting name for a Warlock and Hunter involving Kage? (note that I'm playing Horde). Also, what would be an accurate name for a Paladin, making immediately clear his downright unnatural obssesion with light and Holy, and also utter disgust for anything dark or out of "The Way"? A name that is a grandiose as they come and depicts the Paladin's rigid nature and fanatism if possible... Lastly, I named my Undead Rogue in Genjuros (now lv46) Kagekiri, hoping that Kage means "shadow" and "kiri" means "edge", "blade", "knife, making the compound something like "shadowblade"... I hope I'm not too liberal with my word mixes, especially since I practically know nothing about japanese (and can only write a,i,e,u,o,ka,ku by memory in Hiragana)...

 

[ratfox]

Does "shin" mean something along the lines of "divine"? I'm getting that mostly from anime and manga. Does the word retain any of it's meaning when in compound words, such as "Kyokushinkai"? What would be the translation (if any) of the name "Shingo" that has me thinking of it all the time lately?

There are different ways to read shin, one is divine [神], on is new [新], one is true [真] as in Kyoku shin kai.
Apparently, in Street Fighter, the shin of Shin Shouryuuken (Ryu) means "true", and the shin from Shinryuuken (ken)
means "divine"... For Kyoku Shin Kai it really means true and not divine.

(Actually there are many other readings for shin, including forest, heart, parents, pregnancy, whatever )

As for Shingo, there are 43 different ways of writing the name in Japanese according to my dictionary, but there are certainly
more of them. For instance, Shingo in KOF is 真吾, which would mean "true self". But Shingo, little brother of Sailor Mercury
would be 進悟, not in my dictionary, and would mean something like "progress in understanding". But none that I have see
actually use the "divine" character. Perhaps it would look too self-important...

Since you play WoW, what would be a fitting name for a Warlock and Hunter involving Kage? (note that I'm playing Horde). Also, what would be an accurate name for a Paladin, making immediately clear his downright unnatural obssesion with light and Holy, and also utter disgust for anything dark or out of "The Way"? A name that is a grandiose as they come and depicts the Paladin's rigid nature and fanatism if possible... Lastly, I named my Undead Rogue in Genjuros (now lv46) Kagekiri, hoping that Kage means "shadow" and "kiri" means "edge", "blade", "knife, making the compound something like "shadowblade"... I hope I'm not too liberal with my word mixes, especially since I practically know nothing about japanese (and can only write a,i,e,u,o,ka,ku by memory in Hiragana)...

For a hunter, perhaps Kageyumi (陰弓) would be good, as it means shadow-bow, but it sounds rather elvish
Perhaps you would prefer Inkyuu, same kanji, but with chinese reading. The "In" part is the same as "yin", as in the
negative of "yin and yang". So I guess it would be okay for the horde... For the warlock, perhaps Kagema (陰魔)
the "ma" part meaning witchcraft as well as demon (same as akuMA in Street fighter). It mixes japanese and Chinese reading,
but hey...

Kagekiri would perhaps mean cutting the shadow, like raikiri, the other name for Kakashi's Chidori, means cutting the lightning.
( By the way, Raikiri is a bit weird, because it mixes a chinese reading (rai) with a japanese reading (kiri)... Kagekiri is japanese
reading only, though )