Japanese Help Questions/Translations

[delacroix01]

Many thanks again as usual, masaegu.

Now if you don't mind, please check my translation for the following scenes. There are some lines that seem to be more appropriate to try translating to find out my mistakes.
http://i.imgur.com/EIdf9.jpg
http://imgur.com/Ioe2R.jpg

- Hey Demon, what's with your bass today?!
- It doesn't have that sound at all.
- Oh, so they are a band.
- Seriously, you've got the Clay album which came out recently, don'tcha?!
- That's exactly why our music is getting nowhere.
- I don't really get what they are saying.
- So this is Harajuku...
- The music we're aiming for doesn't lie there, you know!!!

http://i.imgur.com/WBZn2.jpg

- Originally, this street was the front road to Meiji Shrine which was built just before the end of the war; the area called Harajuku in the beginning was the north area of the shrine a little to the north; and this neighbourhood was called Onden. (I'm assuming that the particles で here are like だ, which is the most possible use I can think of among what I have learnt)
- Also, there's a river running by the side of the promenade. Now, let's try closing your eyes and imagine. The murmuring of the river and the tweets of small birds... Such scenery in those days will be brought back to your mind, right? This is the epitome of strolling in Tokyo. (this one isn't as tough as the previous one, but I think it's still better to try it as well)

[masaegu]

Quote:
- Hey Demon, what's with your bass today?!
- It doesn't have that sound at all.
- Oh, so they are a band.
- Seriously, you've got the Clay album which came out recently, don'tcha?!
- That's exactly why our music is getting nowhere.
- I don't really get what they are saying.
- So this is Harajuku...
- The music we're aiming for doesn't lie there, you know!!!

Quote:
- Originally, this street was the front road to Meiji Shrine which was built just before the end of the war; the area called Harajuku in the beginning was the north area of the shrine a little to the north; and this neighbourhood was called Onden. (I'm assuming that the particles で here are like だ, which is the most possible use I can think of among what I have learnt)
- Also, there's a river running by the side of the promenade. Now, let's try closing your eyes and imagine. The murmuring of the river and the tweets of small birds... Such scenery in those days will be brought back to your mind, right? This is the epitome of strolling in Tokyo. (this one isn't as tough as the previous one, but I think it's still better to try it as well)

I see no "Demon" in the original but you should know what you are talking about.

"It doesn't have that sound at all." >> "It sounded horrible."
__________________

You are right about the 「で」.

「神宮北」 is a proper noun but you tried to translate it.

"Epitome"? Maybe "real charm".

[delacroix01]

Originally Posted by masaegu

I see no "Demon" in the original but you should know what you are talking about.

Oh, I thought アッキー was a nickname, so I tried to translate it. Is there anything else it can be beside that?

"It doesn't have that sound at all." >> "It sounded horrible."

This one sounds much cooler than my version I get what the guy said now. Thank you

「神宮北」 is a proper noun but you tried to translate it.

Such a huge mistake! It seems I really do need to read much more about places in Japan Thanks a ton for correcting me. So how do you put the name in English? Is it Jingu North? Or Jingu Kita?

"Epitome"? Maybe "real charm".

Many thanks again, masaegu. I've just come up with a better way to rephrase my translation.

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by delacroix01

Oh, I thought アッキー was a nickname, so I tried to translate it. Is there anything else it can be beside that?

I am afraid I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.　I think it is a nickname, too, but how do you get "Demon" from 「アッキー」?　

Such a huge mistake! It seems I really do need to read much more about places in Japan Thanks a ton for correcting me. So how do you put the name in English? Is it Jingu North? Or Jingu Kita?

Place names are not translated. We do not call New York 「新ヨーク」. I would use "Jibgu Kita".

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by masaegu

I am afraid I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.　I think it is a nickname, too, but how do you get "Demon" from 「アッキー」?　



Place names are not translated. We do not call New York 「新ヨーク」. I would use "Jibgu Kita".

On the other hand, English does do some sort of translation of place names, as do other languages. For example "New York" is "Nueva York" in Spanish, and "nueva" literally means "new."

All that being said, for a temple name, I think leaving it Jingu-kita in English would probably be best. However, were it 北神宮 instead, translating the "north" would probably be better. See, for example, how 北鳥居 is translated as "North Torii" in English. (but that's probably more because 北 and 鳥居 are not part of the same conceptual thing, i.e., 鳥居 is something, and 北 describes it here).

[delacroix01]

Originally Posted by masaegu

I am afraid I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.　I think it is a nickname, too, but how do you get "Demon" from 「アッキー」?　

So this mean having a longer sound make it a completely different thing, unlike what I was thinking, which was 悪鬼 Anyway, I've just found a person with that nickname, albeit having no relation to the manga I'm reading whatsoever.
アッキー - Wikipedia

I'll go with Akkey then. Thank you for making it clear

Place names are not translated. We do not call New York 「新ヨーク」. I would use "Jibgu Kita".

Actually, there are cases in which names are translated, and I think you do know. I've seen plenty of them in early-modern Vietnamese text books and documents. In old days, even city names like New York, Washington, Paris or Tokyo were translated using Sino-Vietnamese words (like Nữu Ước, Hoa Thịnh Đốn, Ba Lê, Đông Kinh), which sound really weird nowadays. And some western names are translated among European languages like Kyle has just mentioned. I think my question wasn't unnecessary at all.

Edit : Never mind. Problem solved.

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by delacroix01

Actually, there are cases in which names are translated, and I think you do know. I've seen plenty of them in early-modern Vietnamese text books and documents. In old days, even city names like New York, Washington, Paris or Tokyo were translated using Sino-Vietnamese words (like Nữu Ước, Hoa Thịnh Đốn, Ba Lê, Đông Kinh), which sound really weird nowadays. And some western names are translated among European languages like Kyle has just mentioned. I think my question wasn't unnecessary at all.

So, everytime someone posts in English "Can you translate this Japanese sentence/phrase/words", I am supposed to ask him what language he wants it translated into? Where did you even mention Vietnamese or non-English European languages in your question? I thought we always understood mutually that "translation" here meant translation between Japanese and English.

[delacroix01]

Oops, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to offend at all. It's just my bad habit since I'm into linguistics and translations. I really, really appreciate your help, and if I did anything that offended you, can I take my words back? I will make sure I will not let anything like this happen again.

Edit : To tell the truth, I always have a fear when I post my questions on this forum. I know very little about the way Japanese people think, so I fear that I may end up offending them someday. This fear is even more serious than when I ask my teachers questions. I only ask here when I can't find the answer I need elsewhere. I know it's a privilege to be answered by a native speaker, so I always try to preview and edit my post carefully before and after I posted, unlike when I post on other forums. However, there is no guarantee that I don't make any fault. Today I really went overboard and did it, so I sincerely apologize. I only have one goal, and that is to understand the language I learn as much as possible.

[manganimefan227]

Hiya! Just another random pop up by me . . .I have just one check up on grammar . . .

虹があれたら(あれれば?)うさぎになる。^^
(I transform/become a rabbit when there's a rainbow =D)

Help is much appreciated

I have no shame in what I just said.

[KyleGoetz]

If this is a consistent, happens-every-time-like-magic type occurrence,
にじがあると、〜

Otherwise
〜があれば
or
〜があったら

あれたら is nonsense.

Also, I'm not sure if people usually write にじ in kanji.

Edit after masaegu's comment below:
〜が出ると
〜が出れば、
〜が出たら、