With the Tibetans in Tent and Temple

Due to the next project that rachelmanija and I have started Gay Tibetan Martial Artists, I've been mining the library I work in for books that will give some sort of insight into the daily lives and the landscapes of Tibet, Bhutan, and other Himalayan areas. Because of renovations to the ceiling, the quartos (oversized books) are currently wrapped in plastic, so I can't browse through the enormous photography books like I really need, but there's a decent amount of non-photo books available. Most of which are elderly.

I grabbed this With the Tibetans in Tent and Temple by Dr. Susie C. Rijnhart, thinking that it probably wouldn't be that useful. It hasn't been that useful so far, but I've found myself interested in it anyway. It was published in 1901 and is an account of the four years she and her husband, Petrus Rijnhart, spent as missionaries in Tibet from 1895-1899.

You can't quite be sure of the attitude that missionaries will have towards the locals and their lifestyle before reading any account, but was pleasantly surprised to realize that she was as open-minded to the Tibetan and Chinese cultures as I think a Victorian American woman could have been.* She adores Chinese food, although she can't bring herslef to like the Tibetan staple of tsamba, does her best to avoid insulting her Tibetan hosts with actions or words, and hides her revulsion at the different standards of cleanliness she encounters. :D

She and her husband offered medical services to the locals, as well as Bible classes and discussion with the lamas they run into. They were pleasantly surprised at the discussion they could get into with many of the lamas, especially Mina Fuyeh, one of the most important lamas in the country, who read the Gospels they gave him and engaged them in theological talk and debate. I think they hadn't realized the extent to which Tibetan Buddhism emphasized learning and discussion.

I'm only about 100 pages in and already they've weathered two Islamic rebellions - the area they were in was settled by a mix of Buddhist and Islamic Chinese and Tibetans, and relations were, to put it mildly, strained. Anyway, I shall keep reading.



* I would think that most successful missionaries would have to be quite sympathetic about local customs and religion, but I've heard accounts otherwise. Admittedly from anthropologists mostly, so there may be some bias there.

(no subject)

I want.

Another Gunlock report

The translation continues at an unfortunately high* quality.



Hakkai, referring to youkai suddenly appearing: They're here. A troupe of customers.

Today's wacky name translation is "Kenichi" for Nii Jienyi.

Kougaiji, to Nii Jienyi Kenichi: Your rascal, what is your point?

I think Kougaiji's entire group got the Language Talk, because Doku just spat out "Rascal!" when it was fairly obvious from context that he wanted to say something stronger.

Doku, to his opponent in a fight scene: You're a hindrance.

Gato's six-shooters are pretty impressive. He does reload a couple of times, but for the most part he can get a good 18-20 shots out of each one before having to do so.


OK, this has nothing to do with the translation and everything to do with the animation: Gato's out of bullets. He grabs Doku, who's attacking him, with one hand. Then he raises the other hand, with his gun in it, and lets the empty shells fall. Then, closeup on the gun while ... he reloads it. Cut away. Cut back. Gato is still holding Doku. Correct me if I'm wrong, but ... he needed at least three hands to do that. Unless Doku's so stupid that he didn't try to run or attack while Gato was standing there reloading.





* In relative terms.

At least I got an icon out of it...

The unfortunately good translation in Gunlock continues apace. Which is sad, because the story is sort of interminable at this point. At any rate, if there's anyone worried about spoilers: don't be. I'm pretty damn sure that they've passed the manga some time ago and taken a left turn deep into WTF?!land.

Kougaiji: Darned! If I don't finish chanting the spell, I can't use the Engokuki!

Goku: Darned! Dokugaku is already in danger!

Hakkai, inexplicably as they're driving: It's OK. That blood has not coagulated yet.

And I got a fairly decent icon of Kou copping a feel on Doku out of it, so all is not lost.

I call this episode the Attack of the Mistranslated Names

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!

THIS episode's Wacky Name Translation is teh WINNAR! As Yaone gasps, in the Japanese, "Dokugaku!", the subtitles proudly display:

"Gyumao!"

(OK, that won't actually mean anything to those of you who don't watch or read Saiyuki. Gyumaoh is the Big Bad Youkai who is dead, and the impetus for this journey is that his wife is trying to revive him, and so Kanzeon Bosatsu sends the four main characters on a journey to the West to stop it.)

HAHAHA! OK, now Hazel's name is "Hansai"

And in telophase's Taken-Out-Of-Context-Theatre today, we ahve Sanzo's line: How disgusting. Don't spit that thing out.

In a flashback to Sanzo's childhood, someone calls "Kouryou!", but it's transklated as "Jianriu".

ROFL. Gato's name is now "Carte". And Lirin is "Lili," although that's not too far off the pronunciation.

Gato Carte looks at Lirin chowing down on a pineapple bun, then looks at Hazel Hansai and says: Chinese Race.

OMFG, later that evening Lirin is in Hazel and Gato's hotel room and is playing ... Go Fish, of all things, with them. And triumphantly says: I've caught a ghost!

*ROFLMAO* Hazel's new name: Blcak Zelle. No, that's not one of my typoes.

And now he's back to Hansai again.

Hazel: I ... Need Mr Saznao.

Hazel's changed genders now, as Hakkai says: She hates demons so much... And suddenly she is treating Lili so nicely.

( You think I'm kidding about the Go Fish? )

And another ep under my belt...

Another one with half-way decent translation, no obvious mistakes other than dull grammar mixups, as instead I present a few choice tidbits from telophase's Taken-Out-Of-Context Theatre:

Hazel, to Sanzo: Together with love, hug them tightly in your arms. Leave those monsters and come away with me.

HAZEL, YOU PERV! Hazel, to Lirin: Hey, you. I want to play an interesting game with Mr. Sanzo today. Do you want to join in?

( You wanna see what his little 'game' is? )

Hazel, to the Sanzo-ikkou: She did it with her friends that came looking for her.

Sanzo, some time later: Is using a kid as demonstration your style?

Goku, some time later: Hey, I'm easy.

The last one for tonight...

...was really dull, with hardly anything worth pointing out. Well, ok, Gato told his origin story to Sanzo, but it was confusing and weird, and I think that's partly due to trasnlation and partly due to bad writing.

Other than that, they're calling Kougaiji "Red boy" in this one, but I'm not hearing his name in the Japanese, so I'm thinking that it might be a direct translation of a nickname they're using for him.

*snerk* OK, for Stupid Plot Reasons, Sanzo stomped off from the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou in a bad temper, and they've split up. Hazel and Gato are following him (don't worry, if you havne't read my earlier report: we're way the hell off from manga continuity, so these are not spoilers unless you actually care about the godawful anime). Sanzo is, of course, tripping over rocks, cursing, and chain-smoking. He throws down his cigarettes when he's finished, and Gato carefully picks each one up and stubs it out in a can he's carrying. XD

*snerk* As Sanzo is walking a long, a voice calls out "Genjo Sanzo" but the subtitles read "Gojyo Sanzo." (I bet that pisses him off no end.)

And in order to make up for the lack of funny subtitles, ( here's Sanzo's yucky face. )