The Grimoire of Marisa Translation and Analysis

[Helepolis]

I just finished reading your Shiki Eiki translation and I so far it is the most interesting analysis (both you and marisa) I have read. (Sorry if Koishi is more based on psychology) but philosophy is more like my kind. It drives me nuts once I start talking about such cases. It is a shame I cannot hold such conversations with people around me except my sister.

However I am not an ordinary philosopher, I hate the ones who try to cram their own ideas into others and believe what is right for them. I don't know if it is correctly explained ( donmai my english )

Also Marisa saying: Anyone other than me doing that is cheating. I seriously laughed. She is crazy afterall. Very her-ish as ZUN probably says.

[Hieda no Aya]

Hmm, you just need people to keep talking, huh? Unfortunately I really don't like getting much into philosophy in public and/or with people I don't know well. I suppose third-hand fictionalized philosophy doesn't count... This is fun!

Really, I figured this would be more insightful than we usually give Marisa credit for, but who knew it would be this philosophical? Though it's around as blasphemous as expected. However, I don't understand "Then I can't be judged. 'cause I'm an only one."

Let's see... Agni's some sort of Vedic deity associated with fire, if Megaten's taught me anything. レイジィトリリトン the wiki has down as Rage Trilithon, and they may have a point because Patchy also has a トリリトンシェイク. And Kromlek is Cromlech.

[Alfred F. Jones]

Shikieiki's section is as interesting as Koishi's, if not more so. This is making for awesome reading.

If I can request another character whose spellcards I'd love to see... Hmm, can I? Oh well. Even if I can't, I would love to see Sanae's spellcards next. Power of miracles gogogo

[nintendonut888]

レイジィトリリトン Regit Liliton? Regi Triliton? It could be anything.

Rage Trilithon.

[Drake]

[Agni Shine] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agni
[Princess Undine] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondine_(mythology)
[Sylphi Horn] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylph (Odd, as it's usually either Sylph or Sylphid)
[Metal Fatigue]
[Rage Trilithon] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilithon
[Silent Selene] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selene
[Royal Flare]
[Lava Cromlech] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromlech
[Forest Blaze]
[Water Elf]
[Emerald Megalith] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalith
[Satellite Himawari]

おk？

[Fujiwara no Mokou]

Wow Lucarius. You're doing a very good job at this. Quadruple Kudos for you, because you translated well and it was well worth the read.  Its contributions like this that make this community.

I'll be looking forward to reading Mokou Fujiwara?s Spellcards, if you have the time. I like your little touch... adding your own analysis for each spellcard. Once again, nice work.  I'll be looking forward to reading more.

[shinyjam]

Yes, Katakana is a translator hell.

If it just a title or name, I think it's fine if you leave it as it is. Someone in the future will figure it out...or compare note with me when it's translated to Chinese.

[Gpop]

I always find Lucarius to be a very interesting person.

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

I'm here to express my verbal support of this project (and so it'll show up in my "show new replies to your posts" list).

Also I might help with the editing, if I'm not too drained by my other projects.

[N-Forza]

"What a frightening judgement that was. No, danmaku that was." might be better phrased as "What a frightening judgement... no, danmaku, that was." although it probably sounds better when spoken than when read. It seems that pattern shows up a lot in Japanese for some reason.

But it's interested how Japanese refers to particles as grains. It makes sense, and might even be indicative about how important rice is to their culture, since it's the same kanji.

[Lucarius]

However I am not an ordinary philosopher, I hate the ones who try to cram their own ideas into others and believe what is right for them. I don't know if it is correctly explained ( donmai my english )

An ordinary philosopher doesn't try to cram their own ideas into others. Those are just zealous and annoying INTJs. I was one before, until I reached the point several years ago where I understood what ZUN said about youkai in this book (the thought came from, why are youkai strong and humans weak). Weird thing is, it's hard to find the line between keeping these ideas to yourself to satisfy your superego, and telling the idea to as many people as possible to satisfy your id. Simply put, hi religion, society. Society as a whole tends to naturally force people into it's own ideals, because people naturally want to be like others. Youkai don't naturally need to, nor do they want to be. Difference in spiritual level.

I like to emphasize the observer and the world as two different entities making up existence, only when it comes to Touhou. In the real world, I believe existence is nothing more than a phenomenon within the world itself. However, that philosophy doesn't make for good fictional material, so I keep it at the back of my head.

If I can request another character whose spellcards I'd love to see... Hmm, can I? Oh well. Even if I can't, I would love to see Sanae's spellcards next. Power of miracles gogogo

Sanae added.

[Agni Shine] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agni
[Princess Undine] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondine_(mythology)
[Sylphi Horn] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylph (Odd, as it's usually either Sylph or Sylphid)
[Metal Fatigue]
[Rage Trilithon] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilithon
[Silent Selene] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selene
[Royal Flare]
[Lava Cromlech] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromlech
[Forest Blaze]
[Water Elf]
[Emerald Megalith] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalith
[Satellite Himawari]

おk？

Concerning the Sylphi Horn. I think it's supposed to be Sylph, if you could tell that to the people who said it was Sylphi. Why? Because Rage Trilithon is written as Ragei Trilithon in katakana. Don't ask me why. Maybe ZUN started using silent letters. Like that h in tickets. Or maybe it's to make the pronounciation more legato and orthodox.

Wow Lucarius. You're doing a very good job at this. Quadruple Kudos for you, because you translated well and it was well worth the read.  Its contributions like this that make this community.

I'll be looking forward to reading Mokou Fujiwara’s Spellcards, if you have the time. I like your little touch... adding your own analysis for each spellcard. Once again, nice work.  I'll be looking forward to reading more.

I want this community to make something that would make daily rank top10 on nicovideo. Represent the American Touhou community and show them what you all can do. THAT'S what communities are for.

Mokou added. I put the no in her name, but I guess it's not supposed to be there.

"What a frightening judgement that was. No, danmaku that was." might be better phrased as "What a frightening judgement... no, danmaku, that was." although it probably sounds better when spoken than when read. It seems that pattern shows up a lot in Japanese for some reason.

I don't like adding ... when there isn't (...). In this book, all ... are ......, but fixed anyway.

日本人や日本語が適度にできる人募集中。話し相手ちょうだいな。日本語を互いに鍛えましょう。
Or make a Japanese thread.

I woke up at 2:40PM, I got woken up a few times by calls from my mom saying whether I wanted Holic or other things. I'm going to starve today, so I'm probably not going to do an awesome translation. But I edit them many times afterwards anyway.

Does everyone know that Patchouli is spelled Pachery in Sangetsusei 0? I don't know where Patchouli came from in the first place, though I've been using it since I've known her.

[N-Forza]

Well, I guess you don't need the ellipses, just commas would be fine. That kind of phrase is just weird to see in English in written works like this because it's possible to go back and edit to correct yourself. Maybe it's just more common in Japanese or she's dictating.

[Drake]

Patchouli is a type of herb in the mint family. It's used in perfumes and oddly enough are used in some medicinal cures.

[Hieda no Aya]

Does everyone know that Patchouli is spelled Pachery in Sangetsusei 0? I don't know where Patchouli came from in the first place, though I've been using it since I've known her.

Oh, heck, when was she even mentioned in that? Anyway, patchouli is a word and makes some conceivable sense as a name -- gah, beaten! -- and I believe Patchouli was the romanization in Perfect Memento, so eh. (Then again Perfect Memento apparently also had Medicin Melancory. I'm not honestly convinced ZUN is that good at the romanization thing.)

[Lucarius]

Well, I guess you don't need the ellipses, just commas would be fine. That kind of phrase is just weird to see in English in written works like this because it's possible to go back and edit to correct yourself. Maybe it's just more common in Japanese or she's dictating.

Rephrasing. I don't like using ... when the book doesn't say ...... therefore, I used ... there instead of ...... there because the book didn't say ...... There are no parentheses anywhere. I used the parentheses to separate the ... from the period.

Also ... this is probably ...... more (confusing) than ... deciphering (Rage Trilithon)'s ...... Katakana.

Well it isn't for me, but. Wait, what's an ellipse? Ellipse = ...? I never knew that.

ZE~ HA~ ZE~ HA~ done with half of Patchouli's.

This is what I do during breaktime. http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm7902754

Oh also, EWI 20 is out. The Touhou Electric Flute person, WINNsan. http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm7912698

I'm not going to watch it. I have translation to do.

I can't expect any posts this time of day, can I? See, this is what drives me to stay up late.

[SP]

Couple of notes -

"The Border Between Wave and Grain"

I've seen this as the border between wave and particle most everywhere...  Thoughts?

"variegations"

On agni shine.  Probably should be variations?

Keep it up!

[Lucarius]

Finally done with Patchouli Knowledge. 3 hours folks. 2:40 to 6:00PM

I have to go walk 5 miles on an empty stomach now... time to die in the royal flare of Japanese summertime.

I'll change grain and particle. I assumed so.

As for variegations:
Variation defines different types or kinds of a certain thing.
Variegation scientifically defines the different colored zones on a leaf.
Variegation practically defines uneven zones. In this case, zones of space and danmaku.

[hyperbolic colin]

Well, I guess you don't need the ellipses, just commas would be fine.

Wait, what's an ellipse? Ellipse = ...? I never knew that.

A "..." is an ellipsis.  The plural of "ellipsis" is ellipses, with the last syllable pronounced "eez".  That helps distinguish the word from the one for squished circles.   

By the way, though this is a bit late, the English Touhou wiki might actually be helpful when you get stuck on nasty katakana spellcard names, since it seems a number of people have refined the name translations for those.

[N-Forza]

That's true, I guess a shorter string of dots would indicate a shorter pause, which makes sense here, assuming anything in this book does.  :V

I don't know about the Touhou Wiki for English names though. I mean on the whole it's reliable but they translated "Rising Game" in katakana as "Game Of Rising". I know it was probably to keep it consistent with "Game of Life" which was "Life Game", but "Rising Game" sounds less awkward. Oh well, semantics.

[hyperbolic colin]

I don't know about the Touhou Wiki for English names though. I mean on the whole it's reliable but they translated "Rising Game" in katakana as "Game Of Rising". I know it was probably to keep it consistent with "Game of Life" which was "Life Game", but "Rising Game" sounds less awkward. Oh well, semantics.

True, "Game of Rising" does sound odd, but it actually feels more appropriate to me.  Since it's a higher level than "Game of Life", I assumed that "rising" referred to "rising from the dead", so it's a game about that.  "Rising Game" simply makes me think of a levitating game box. 

But yeah, one has to treat the wiki contents with caution.  Still, it beats blundering about in the dark.

[N-Forza]

Read through your Patchouli comments, and saw a couple of things. In Marisa's Princess Undine's description, "That's probably what the lasers are shot." should probably read "why" instead of "what". I almost want it to say "fired" instead of "shot" too, but saying "fired" in a water-themed attack seems a little odd. Also in Metal Fatigue's remark, "the book nothing happens" sounds weird. Maybe just "nothing happens to the book" or "the book is unaffected" if you want to keep the same format.

But with her knowledge of so many elements, it's a shame how the only thing holding her back is her asthma.

[Lucarius]

Read through your Patchouli comments, and saw a couple of things. In Marisa's Princess Undine's description, "That's probably what the lasers are shot." should probably read "why" instead of "what". I almost want it to say "fired" instead of "shot" too, but saying "fired" in a water-themed attack seems a little odd. Also in Metal Fatigue's remark, "the book nothing happens" sounds weird. Maybe just "nothing happens to the book" or "the book is unaffected" if you want to keep the same format.

But with her knowledge of so many elements, it's a shame how the only thing holding her back is her asthma.

Undine: that's probably what the lasers are for + that's probably why the lasers are shot = my mistake, fixed. i'll go with shot. To me, lasers are shot. Muskets are fired. Lousy freeters are also fired.

Metal Fatigue: Analysis states why it's grammatically incorrect.

Asthma: 500 years from now, she'll be in a large tank filled with red liquid barring a large doorway to Flandre's room below the library. In my story anyway. Not that that means anything.

Entertaining nicovideo for people who don't understand Japanese. (2nd most popular commentary playthrough video, Super Mario 3 played 4.2x normal speed part 13.)
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm7917274
ZUN was talking about commentary playthrough videos, so I figured why not introduce some. I know a lot. No doubt.

Reimu was next? That's a breeze compared to this one. Her names are straightforward. BUT, I'm not doing til tomorrow. Another 7-pager...

For some reason, Reimu has a ponytail that goes down to her knees on the picture on page 15. No idea why, but it doesn't seem right. I wonder what date Marisa was imagining when she drew this.

なーんかかったるいからやめようかな～

Hmm. I think I'll quit if I get defeated by Comiket on the 15th. Yup. I don't know left vs right in that place.

It's because of people like those who become "concerned" about the "violence and content" of mangas like X and Tsubasa Chronicles, that I cannot come to favor society. I find such books to be no different in value from this grimoire.

[Hieda no Aya]

Haha, that video was fun. And sadistic. As bad as some ROM hacks. I wonder what it is that makes watching people throw themselves at those things so compelling. I'm sure it says something very deep about us as humans.

I didn't have much to say about the Patchouli section since the commentary seemed a lot simpler than the others. Realistically, it should be because she has so many spellcards represented, so each one needs to be shorter to take up less space in the book. But I have the feeling it's also because it's a kind of magic Marisa understands much better. For her it's just talking shop. I wonder how she approaches Alice.

[Lucarius]

I didn't have much to say about the Patchouli section since the commentary seemed a lot simpler than the others.

I wonder how she approaches Alice.

Perhaps it's because my consistency isn't so consistent. Nah, pride, my strongest sin, won't let me post something I believe is unworthy of what it should be, unless if I'm being delirious, which I very well may have been.

Alice added, though I don't know whether I'll continue doing this much longer. It doesn't seem like there was much demand any way. Some of it is definitely my laziness, but some of it also may be attributed to the reason why the other books are incomplete too (if they are incomplete, that is. I haven't checked) , which is not enough demand.

Also, that video is a series. Good for a 15 minute laughter break. He does both Mario Bros and Mario Bros 3.

[Hieda no Aya]

It doesn't seem like there was much demand any way.

Alas. There's demand, but mainly from the same few people, it seems. I don't know if the Japanese Touhou fandom is different, but the English-speaking one always seems ready to overlook Touhou's written works. That's my one big frustration with it. Everyone likes the games -- when the UFO demo came out, the whole script was up and translated on the wiki within a weekend, but there are still untranslated sections of books published years ago, and a good fifteen chapters of manga waiting in line, and so many ardent fans who just never get around to reading what there is. I don't really understand it, for all that the Touhou fandom's known for its love of fanon. But then I'm a relatively recent fan, and there was enough translated stuff when I got here to fall in love with, so it's always been part of the series to me.

It's self-fulfilling, though. Stuff doesn't get translated, so nobody knows what's in it, so nobody cares about it, so nobody cares to translate it. And much as I'd love to learn Japanese proper (instead of the kana and tiny handful of words and basic concepts I've picked up), it's not a very practical plan, at least right now. In the end, I'm pretty useless myself.

Oh yes, as for the video, I noticed that there was more afterwards. It's on my list of things to check out.

[Nine West]

I have been watching your progress since the beginning, and all I have to say is, kudos to you, good sir. Everything that you have done up until now is more than anyone has asked of you. I have never done a translation project myself, but based on researches that you have to do, I could say that it takes a well-dedicated effort to do this. Due to my level of awesome being significantly lower than yours, I could not give a proper constructive advice, and for that, I apologize. It's up to you whether or not you want to continue doing this; you have my approval either way. Just... don't be too stressful about this. Also...

Alice added, though I don't know whether I'll continue doing this much longer. It doesn't seem like there was much demand any way. Some of it is definitely my laziness, but some of it also may be attributed to the reason why the other books are incomplete too (if they are incomplete, that is. I haven't checked) , which is not enough demand.

If requests for more characters would help you motivate yourself to continue, then by all means, I request Remilia and/or Flandre Scarlet (both or whichever one you feel like doing, if any, at all).

[Lucarius]

lol

I'll being doing Reimu on the train, as far as I can go without the internet. I'll be reading the new Fullmetal Alchemist first though.

I'm not an awesome person. Rating this translation on the Japanese scale as a work done by a civil human being  would give it a 3 out of 10. No set schedule, many typos, inconsistent work, etc. As a Japanese-oriented person, my work-ethic is disgusted. Unfortunately, however, I was raised in America, so I do not have the complete work ethic that a university student in Japan would have at this age. There's really no point in talking about my work ethic as it is, but I hope you would understand that this is mostly an internal struggle between my American background and the Japanese person I want to be.

Of course, that's my id speaking there.

I'm not associated, and never have been associated with the Japanese community of Touhou. I have never been on 2ch or 4ch or any of those BBS. Therefore, I would not know. However, I do know that the stuff that goes up on nicovideo, as a representation of what Japanese people our age have done, is something that is far more than what I've seen Americans our age do, but is something that can be reached by Americans as well. I see the possibility of that happening within this community, but see no action done towards achieving it, which leads me to the question of the worth of contributing to this community.

That's my ego talking. My superego doesn't care.

The term "fandom" reminds me of that terrible Tales game. lol


Anyways, Scarlets added.

[Drake]

We pretty much do stuff for the western fandom, which is kind of disappointing yes, as far as translations and etcetc go. We leave most to the japanese.

But be reminded that the japanese fandom is much, much larger than the western fandom and as such we aren't able to gather the people necessary to do awesome things. A few things get through, but there's not much attention paid to them anyways.

But yeah I wish we could. It's not like I just ripped all the japanese images and other data files for nothing.

[LHCling]

Should get around to reading through this actually. Been busy throughout the week (no time between my regular gaming sessions to keep myself sane).

Oh yes, thanks for translating.

[N-Forza]

It is kind of sad how the print works are passed over for stuff, but for me, I've always been more of a video game fan, which is why I'm working on translating fan games. If there were fewer games, I probably would focus more on the books/comics.