The Problem With "Dao Swords": My love-hate relationship with pleonastic translations
An essay that no one asked for.
A lot of fanfics call Zuko’s broadswords “dao swords.” As a Chinese to English translator, this phrase makes me pause every time. Here is my humble opinion on “dao swords” and other pleonastic translations:
What the heck is a pleonastic translation?
I’m so glad you asked! “Pleonasm” is a fancy term for a redundant phrase, like “black darkness” or “burning fire.”
A pleonastic translation is a phrase that puts the source language and the translation back-to-back. A common example is “chai tea” which literally means “tea tea.”
“Dao swords” is a pleonastic translation. “Dao” 刀 is the Chinese blanket term for blade. The phrase basically means “sword swords.” Sounds pretty silly, right?
Pleonastic translations are bad?
I think it depends on your audience, the text purpose, and how special the word is.
In advertising, pleonastic translations can help increase a product’s searchability. Ex: “Longjing Dragonwell tea” would appear in a Google search for either “longjing” or “dragonwell.”
Tourist destinations often use pleonastic translations to help foreigners navigate. Ex: “Nanzhan South Station” on a map helps foreigners know what the place is, but also gives them the Chinese pronunciation so that they can communicate with their taxi driver.
In literature, a pleonastic translation is a succinct way to introduce a culturally significant term without a footnote or distracting tangent. A lot of translators will sneak in a pleonastic translation the first time the word appears in a text, and then use the untranslated term alone every time after. Ex: "He slouched on the kang bed-stove. His grandmother sighed and took a seat on the kang too.”
Is "dao" a culturally significant word?
No.
Dao is a super mundane word used to describe any kind of single-edged blade, from butter knives to ice skates. It feels weird to keep such a normal word untranslated. Using the Chinese word emphasizes its foreignness. They’re not just swords, they’re special, Chinese swords.
Yes, words take on different meanings as they pass from culture to culture. That’s how language works. But English is also a unique case. Because of imperialism. I think English speakers have an obligation to avoid exotifying every-day words.
Also, English is a global language. Chinese speakers are reading your translation, and…I dunno...“sword swords” feels off putting. Disruptive.
But I want to acknowledge the real-life culture behind the swords
Giving credit to the cultures that you're borrowing from is an A+ idea.
...I don't know how to do this in a fantasy setting.
Zuko’s swords and fighting style is based on oxtail sabers (牛尾刀)and Shaolin dual broadswords (少林双刀). @atlaculture has a very cool post on oxtail sabers. But calling his swords "oxtail sabers" doesn't work because cows don't exist in atla.
Shaolin is a type of martial arts that originates from Shaolin temple in Henan, China (Shaolin itself literally means “young forest”). But you can’t call them “Shaolin broadswords," since Shaolin does not exist in the Fire Nation.
It’s quite a pickle.
Maybe just use a footnote?
So what should I call Zuko’s swords?
I don’t know.
I think you can just call them broadswords. That’s what the TV show calls them.
Dao by itself could work too if you need to differentiate Zuko's dao from Sokka's jian (double-edged blade). Readers can probably figure out what dao means from context.
If it’s not clear from context what dao means? *sigh* ..."Dao swords" it is, I guess.
To end on a happier note, here is a video of Chang Zhizhao busting some sweet moves.
1K notes
·
View notes
Let's Talk About PingXie: Part 3
PingXie Fanfiction Vocabulary
Or "Some Words in PingXie Fanfiction That Can't Be Translated Properly by MTL" XD
Here is a list of words that I found interesting, and occasionally appeared in PingXie fanworks. Some of these words, I couldn't find the exact equivalent in English, so excuse me for the long explanation. My friend helped me but my knowledge is still limited (^~^;)ゞ
It's not a complete list (and kinda random). Please note that they are mostly used in PingXie/DMBJ fandom, I don't know about other fandoms. I may add some more, if I find it again.
【1】 窗户纸 (mtl: window paper) : it's like a trope where they're being so ambiguous and the status of their relationship may not be revealed, but everyone also knows that they are lovers. It's a special connotation of symbolic objects in Chinese culture, refers to two people who have a very deep love but did not confess to each other, their feelings are hidden in the heart. Other people also know that their relationship is similar to lovers but they did not say it. It's like a layer of window paper has not been pierced.
【2】 捅窗户纸 (mtl: pierce the window paper) : it's almost the same as the previous one, but they come to the realization of their feelings and confess to each other. They end up together, become lovers.
【3】 论坛体/直播体 (mtl: forum body/live broadcast body) : something like Social Media AU, but it's often on the forum instead or written in forum style.
【4】 竹马 (mtl: bamboo horse) : a male childhood friend
【5】 校草 (mtl: school grass/school bully) : the most handsome boy in the school
【6】 沙雕 (mtl: sand sculpture) : funny and silly
【7】 骨科 (mtl: orthopedics) : incest
【8】 伪骨科 (mtl: pseudo-orthopedics) : they are brothers but not real siblings
【9】 清水 (mtl: clear water) : no description of s*xual activities
【10】 破镜重圆 (reunited after a broken mirror) : they meet again after separation which is usually not in a good way/unreconciled
【11】 本传 (mtl: biography) : refers to the main story of DMBJ
【12】 杭州名木/杭州著名木头 or 吴邪,杭州一块有名的木头 (mtl: Wu Xie, a famous piece of wood in Hangzhou) : it's like comparing Wu Xie to the wood, because he is being oblivious and insensitive, he doesn't notice that Zhang Qiling loves him haha. There is a meme based on this lol.
Meme source: I forgot where I got it, but there's a watermark in it. The picture on the right is translated using mtl with some corrections, sorry for my poor translation (๑•﹏•)
【13】 铁木真/铁・木・真 (tiě mù zhēn/temujin) : it's not Genghis Khan here, it's a pun or a joke about Wu Xie. It's like the previous one, but added one more element.
"铁" (tl: steel/iron) for "钢铁直男" means he is a straight man of steel
"木" (tl: wood) for "杭州著名木头" means he is the famous wood in Hangzhou
"真" for "天真" Wu Xie's "Tiānzhēn"
【14】白月光 "bái yuèguāng" (mtl: white moonlight) : the first love that can't be forgotten
【15】 吴山四美 "wúshān sì měi" : four beauties of Wushan(ju)—Wu Xie, Zhang Qiling, Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi
【16】 嫩牛五方 "nèn niú wǔ fāng" : a group of five people—Wu Xie, Zhang Qiling, Pangzi, Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi
【17】 挨千刀 (mtl: suffer a thousand cuts) : it is used to scold someone, but it is not insulting them. Its tone is more into worried rather than being angry. For example, Wu Xie complains "挨千刀的闷油瓶" in his heart, it sounds like he uses a spoiled tone to show his annoyance.
【18】 醋[瓶] (mtl: vinegar) : jealous [Zhang Qiling]
【19】 墨水[瓶] (mtl: ink) : a slight dark [Zhang Qiling]
【20】 排雷 (mtl: demining) : a setting that you should pay attention before reading, usually it is unacceptable for most people.
【21】 黑金古刀 (mtl: black gold ancient sword/black gold ancient knife) : Xiaoge's sword
【22】 大白狗腿 (mtl: big white dog legs) : Wu Xie's dagger
【23】 发丘指 (mtl: hair mound finger/Faqiu finger) : Zhang Qiling's two long fingers
【24】 哥嫂 : brother and sister-in-law, refers to Zhang Qiling (哥) and Wu Xie (嫂)
【25】 吃软饭 "chī ruǎn fàn" (mtl: eat soft rice) : a slang that means men rely on women to survive
【26】 吃豆腐 (mtl: eating tofu) : something like taking advantage of others, teasing or flirting, etc.
【27】 PA : parody
⚠️ NSFW Terms ⚠️
【28】 脐橙 (mtl: navel orange) : a wordplay of "骑乘" which means r*ding
【29】 水煎 (mtl: boiled water/water decoction) : a word play for "睡奸" which means somn*philia
【30】 Doi : same as ML (from English "do" and "i" from Chinese "Love" (爱 "ài")
【31】 双龙 (mtl: double dragon) : a man gets r*ped by two other men at the same time, in this case, it has the same meaning as "两瓶一邪" (both of the 2 Zhang Qiling, 1 Wu Xie).
【32】 爆炒/炒 (mtl: stir-fry/fried) : erotic content/explicit s*xual content
【33】 QJ : r*pe
【34】 XP : s*xual fetish
【35】 SP : sp*nking
Some of them courtesy of 小粉蛇 (PinkSnake). Thank you for all the help!🌹
🔗 Other related links: Part 1 | Part 2
45 notes
·
View notes