dallacuna

[dallacuna]

*Author’s note: they are not, and have never been, romantically engaged.

[dallacuna]

TFA Pharma: Smoke

[dallacuna]

I love the “starscream was a scientist” backstory because it informs absolutely none of his current character? Like yeah I used to be a scientist and I was really good at it and now I kill people and those two things are entirely unrelated like he isn’t an evil scientist and he didn’t have some tragedy where he had to Give Up science to fight he just. changed his mind one day out of spite apparently

[dallacuna]

Lost in Translation: "Ruler of my Heart"

For some reason, Tumblr won't let my post show up in the search or tags, so posting this instead…

If you liked my work explaining the translation nuances in "Karma," check out my breakdown of "Ruler of my Heart" too!

Here's a preview:

cont.

[dallacuna]

When Tumblr doesn't deem your latest translation post significant enough to show up in Search :(

[dallacuna]

Lost in Translation: "Ruler of my Heart"

This one has been a long time coming. I initially made this only for close friends, but the response to my "Karma" translation analysis has been so kind, I wanted to share this one as well.

I'm a bilingual, bicultural, hobbyist KOR to EN translator, and I wanted to offer some insights into nuances that the official translation of "Ruler of my Heart" sacrificed in localizing to English.

1: You can turn away from the light

빛을 등져도 돼 넌 빛나는 the light, you can turn your back to it, [to] the shining[…]

Korean as a language takes fewer syllables than English to convey more meaning. As a result, whereas the English translation only has room for one sentence, the Korean here actually has one and a half. You can see above how the literal translation includes reference to "the shining [sun]" present in Line 2.

Focusing on the first sentence, however, the decision to translate the phrase "[해]도 돼" into "You can" is an interesting one. Technically speaking, it is an accurate translation, but to me, the English gives more of a permitting or conditional sense—either, "You're allowed to turn away," or "You may turn away from the light, but…"

The implication in the Korean, in turn, is more reassuring or coaxing: "It's okay—you can turn your back to the light," Luka sings. "Even then, you'll still eclipse the sun."

An interesting note is that "Ruler of my Heart" has different English translations between the MV and it's page on Fandom. Between the two, I believe the latter better conveys the nuance:

<You can turn your back to the light.>

(For visibility, I will color what I consider the most accurate translation in purple. Crucial mistranslations will be marked by an ❗emoji. These translations are, of course, biased by my interpretations and preferences, but I will try to be as objective + have had my opinions peer-reviewed by a friend who is also bilingual/bicultural and translates professionally.)

2: You even outburn the sun, my star

태양도 잠식시켜 MY STAR [the shining sun], you outshine/eclipse it, my star

The term "outburn" is a localization of the Korean word "잠식" (jamshik). This word, most commonly translated to 'encroach,' actually consists of the the hanja  蠶 'silkworm' and 食 'consume,' and is used to describe something getting 'eaten away' how a silkworm steadily eats away at a leaf.

In Korean, 食 was also historically sometimes eclipses. As such, like referenced above, <You eclipse the sun, my star> is a fair translation. However, personally, I wanted to retain that sense of 'eating away,' so the translation I'm offering is:

<You even swallow up the sun, my star>

3: You're the perfect subject with the whole world in your sad eyes

슬픈 눈빛 속에 세상을 다 가진 완벽한 피사체 sad gaze, within it, the whole world, possessing it, [you're] the perfect subject

This line is a perfectly suitable translation, but I wonder if the specificity of the Korean gets lost in the English. The word being translated to "subject" here specifically means the subject of a piece of visual art—of a photo, of a painting.

Additionally, although 눈빛 (nunbit) is frequently translated into 'eyes' in English, the Korean actually is a combination of the word nun, "eye," and bit, "light," and most accurately refers to the quality or tone of of one's gaze.

And then, of course, Korean loves to imply its subjects and objects rather than saying it outright, so technically, Luka never says that "you" are the perfect subject—he merely implies it. As such, a slightly more literal translation would be:

<The perfect subject with the whole world within your sad gaze>

4: ❗My savior, beautiful soul❗

MY SAVIOR, 가련한 영혼이여 My savior, [oh you] pitiful/[frail beauty of a] soul

The official translation, which says "beautiful soul," isn't quite accurate. The term used here is 가련하다 (garyeonhada) "pitiful," often used in the context of "that poor thing." It is sometimes used to refer to a someone who is beautiful in a meek or frail sort of way, but between the two words in the context of the song, I believe "pitiful" is the closer reading.

Additionally, the English is ambiguous as to whether the singer is addressing someone as a "beautiful/pitiful soul" or is describing their savior as a "beautiful/pitiful soul." The Korean is more explicit, with 이여 indicating that he is speaking to the "beautiful/pitiful" soul in question and addressing them as such.

As such, I believe a more accurate translation may be:

<My savior, oh pitiful soul>

5: I don't believe, you are a liar

I DON'T BELIEVE, YOU'RE A LIAR I don't believe [you], you're a liar

Not quite a translation, since this line is in English! However, in audio, I believe this line could seem ambiguous between "I don't believe you're a liar," and "I don't believe. You're a liar."

The official lyrics and the context clues indicate that it's the latter. However, this English doesn't read quite fluently. As such, for both clarity and rhythm, I recommend this be localized to:

<I don't believe you. You're a liar.>

6: When our darknesses overlap

나의 어둠과 너의 어둠이 겹쳐질때 my darkness and your darkness overlap, when [that happens]

I can see why the official translation has simplified this translation—the base, literal meaning doesn't change by simply saying that 'our darknesses' overlap rather than 'yours and mine.'

However, I personally do believe there is a poeticism that is lost in doing so. "You and I" is different than "We," and "your darkness and mine overlapping" is different from "our darknesses overlap." As such, I personally would recommend a slightly more literal translation:

<When my darkness and your darkness overlap>

7: ❗(Let me take it all away)❗

그대로 내게 맡겨 just like that, to me, entrust it

In my opinion, "Let me take it all away" is a major liberty and change in meaning. The Korean does not indicate any sort of burden being whisked away or disappeared or otherwise removed—rather, the Korean implies more a sense of responsibility (albeit coaxing and pressuring as the rest of the song).

The phrase used here can more accurately be translated to "Leave it to me," or "Let me take care of that," without clear indication of what 'it' or 'that' is. However, in the context of the song, I think the phrasing that most accurately conveys the domineering, ominously reassuring tone that saturates the lyrics would be:

<Just leave it all to me>

8: Ruler of my heart, ruler of my heart, ruler of my heart

No notes here, so instead I'll drop a fun fact! A different friend pointed out to me the other day that Sua's version of this song sounds like she interchanges between saying "Ruler of my Heart" and "Fooler of my Heart," and she asked me if this is the case.

I took a look at the waveforms in Pratt and listened more carefully and yes, Sua actually does say "fooler of my heart" multiple times! However, rather than an intentional easter egg, I believe this just comes from the nonfluency of the singer. English is hard! The smooth 'r' noise in English is also notoriously difficult for people who are used to only Korean phonetics.

9: You are forever beautiful

영원히 아름다워 forever beautiful

As mentioned before, in Korean, it is common to drop the subject of a sentence and rely on context clues. Sometimes, that leads to ambiguity. Here, the direct translation is "[something is] forever beautiful." That could be, as the official translation suggest, "you," but perhaps it could also mean "the world" or "our relationship" or "us."

Although it is grammatically more correct to choose a subject, and it would be an appropriate localization, I personally lean towards the camp that thinks that choosing one is also shutting out other potential readings. As such, I personally would recommend the most literal translation:

<Forever beautiful>

10: Repeat Line 8

11: Thе endless walls

끝이 없는 the wall end, [the one without one], the wall

And now we enter the section that's the most confusing in Korean as well… The English translation here is a fine localization. However, because the original lyrics use the singular form "wall" rather than "walls," I personally would choose to preserve that as:

<The wall without an end>

12: ❗A fall with no ground❗

낮이 없는 추락 day, [the one without one], fall

Unless the Korean phrase being used here is one neither me nor my professional translator friend knows, the official translation here seems to take a liberty with the meaning of the line. If so, I don't blame them, because I really didn't get what the Korean was saying here either!

However, after much discussion and contemplation, my friend and I have come to the conclusion that the implication here seems to be that the "fall" mentioned is one into a darkness so complete that there is no daybreak—a fall that no light can penetrate. We think that the lyric is supposed to convey a sense of hopelessness or an implication of futility.

In light of our confusion though, and the possibility of other poetic readings, I personally feel that a most literal translation is the safest:

<A fall without day>

13: In a single momеnt (breaking down)

한순간에 (무너트릴) in a single moment (to be broken down)

Here, the second singer comes in here to point out that "it" can all be broken down in an instant. However, typical of the Korean language, she doesn't make explicit what's being broken. Their delicate reality? Or the aforementioned wall? The impenetrable darkness?

Multiple readings are possible in the Korean. However, I believe the actual meaning of the sentence is better localized as:

<To break down in a single moment>

14: I go blind and deaf

눈이 멀어지고 들리지가 않아 eyes grow far, [I] cannot hear

The colloquial Korean words for "going blind" and "deaf" simply translate to "my eyes grow far" and "cannot hear," so "I go blind and deaf" is a completely fine translation. However, I personally felt that it loses a touch of poeticism inherent to the original Korean, so I would recommend:

<My vision blurs and I cannot hear>

15: My world collapsing

부서진 MY WORLD been destroyed, my world

The word that the official lyrics translates to "collapsing" is more accurately translated to "destroyed," "shattered," or "broken down," describing when an object breaks apart into several smaller pieces. As such, I think a fair translation is:

<My world, destroyed>

16: My savior, beautiful lady

MY SAVIOR, 가련한 여인이여 my savior, [oh you] pitiful/[frail beauty of a] lady

Here we again use 가련하다 (garyeonhada) from Line 4, but this time the singer calls the second party a 'lady' instead of a 'soul.'

<My savior, oh pitiful lady.>

17: Make me your god, I can give you everything

MAKE ME YOUR GOD, I CAN GIVE YOU EVERYTHING make me your god, I can give you everything

No notes here! The English is fine.

<Make me your god; I can give you everything>

Repeat lines 6-8.

Conclusion:

I didn't realize how much shorter this was going to be than Karma, so now I'm like, "Oh! It's already done?" Ahahaha. Regardless, I hope this provides some new and interesting insights—such a lovely song.

I intend to upload my usual Literal Translation, Readable Translation, Singable Translyrics later, so keep an eye out for it!

If you're interested in my other ALNST translations, they can be found here, and my asks are open if you have any further questions or requests.

(Under-post replies are, unfortunately, broken—I can see but not send, so if you have questions, send an ask!)

[dallacuna]

Me reading this and abruptly realizing that I never actually posted my Cure translation notes, woops

Musing on why I prefer Till / Ivan as a generally fixed dynamic, with switching being a rare occurrence until they both heal and mature a bit 🤔

For starters, Ivan demonstrably wants to help Till or alleviate his pain—trying to bring him to the resistance base in “Black Sorrow,” nuzzling him in “Cure,” the implication he formed his study habits back in Anakt while imagining himself teaching Till, etc—but considers himself a parasite due to Till’s disinterest and resigns himself to enjoying the pain of unrequited love instead.

Like, yes Ivan is weird and provocative, but it seems he only leaned into that cuz it was the only way to make Till pay attention to him. He also struggles to fit in with other humans and is generally disliked by his peers, but has no issue with the alien society, catering his image so he’s desirable to their oppressors. These things imply that 1) any attention from Till is good attention, even if it’s painful, and 2) he’s familiar with being an “object” that exists only to be used and abused for someone else’s pleasure.

Since the society in ALNST is marked by unequal dominance and submission, where sex (“breeding”) is a vulgar thing, I just think it makes more sense for him to be the submissive party in a relationship w/ Till, and since Till doesn’t seem particularly keen on shoving something up his ass, I had the impression Ivan would bottom by default LMAO

In “The True Face” the blond guy insinuated Mizi was a rotten bitch for “tempting” him and the other male students, and while it’s not a stretch to say Ivan understands this behaviour, given his relationship w/ the aliens, the way he sings about Till is different. Ivan seems like he’d be fine with letting Till hurt him, use him, take what he wants from him—this is just what happens to pets. Being owned by someone he actually likes would just feel good. And if he ever “tempted” Till he’d probably just be happy about it 💀

In contrast, he knows Till hates the aliens and hates being a human pet. It doesn’t really make sense for Ivan to want to dominate him, thus echoing the behaviour of Till’s abusers… From the start he only wanted to be Till’s friend… He chokes him in “Cure” cuz he’s fine with Till thinking he’s a violent freak as long as it means Till lives in his stead, and the forced kiss in “KARMA” seemed to represent Ivan’s guilt / pain more than anything—he considers Till an unwilling victim of his shallow emotions…

(That comic is fun cuz he thinks to himself he shouldn’t have been so harsh with Sua cuz he’s going and doing the same thing, throwing his life away and passing everything on to the survivor—but he also thinks he’s better than her, cuz Till “won’t care much about [him] after all,” so his sacrifice isn’t just going to be a trauma to the Till left behind. Ivan thinks so little of himself…)

But yes this is my submissive bottom Ivan manifesto :margecringe: (I can see him as a submissive top too, but I just can’t see Till as a bottom… Not only is it emasculating, but receiving anal takes so much prep work… He’d only do it in the impossible scenario where Mizi is his girlfriend who wants to try out pegging… And in that case he’d only like it cuz he loves Mizi so much and a Mizi taking charge and lavishing him with attention is even more amazing…)

[dallacuna]

Wow, one IvanTill comic and like 10 different translations come up, huh... Of those 10, I've only seen one that was accurate

[dallacuna]

After scrolling through a few Tumblr posts (mainly transformers confessions), I must ask. Do you think KO/SS counts as pro-shipping? Why or why not?

To start with, “pro-shipping” refers to the stance that 1) everyone is allowed to ship whatever they’d like (in fiction), and 2) harassment based on shipping is not OK. The “pro” is from the Latin word taken to mean “in favour of” (eg. pro-choice, pro-equality, etc). Basically “ship and let ship,” with the understanding fans should be responsible for curating their own experiences (eg. when you encounter your NOTP, you block and move on rather than sending the artist / writer hate).

It’s generally understood to have come about on Tumblr or Dreamwidth in the mid-2010s in response to anti-shippers (people who were opposed to ships they disliked and would harass people over them—for example, MakoHaru and RinHaru fans from the Free! anime often clashed), and goes hand in hand with the YKINMKATO stance: “your kink is not my kink, and that’s okay.” Being pro-shipping doesn’t mean you like or agree with every ship, it just means you think harassment based on someone drawing a picture or writing a story you dislike is wrong.

So with that in mind, like, KOSS can’t “count” as pro-shipping cuz pro-shipping isn’t a category of ship? Ahaha. It’s just a fandom etiquette stance. People who are pro-shipping can like KOSS just as much as anti-shippers who say “if you like MegaStar you’re an evil person and deserve to die in real life” with their whole chest do.

That said, I do think both Starscream and Knock Out would be anti-shippers (ie. vehemently opposed to certain ships). Starscream seems like he’d hate stories that are romance-forward and hate when fans fixate on imagined romantic plotlines instead of more “serious” things, whereas Knock Out seems like he’d have strong opinions over which relationships he likes to see in his media and which he doesn’t (he is disgusted by the thought of humans interfacing, after all…). Neither of them are nice enough to keep their rude opinions to themselves and they WOULD get into arguments over media with the rest of the gang, believing their takes to be the “correct” ones LMAOOO

[dallacuna]

Speaking of lost in translation, still disproportionately upset about Maybe Happy Ending getting accolades when the original Korean was, in my humble opinion, a better story better performed—mourn some of the nuances lost in translation, both lyrically and directing-wise… Maybe someday I'll do a series on 어쩌면 해피엔딩…

[dallacuna]

[dallacuna]

English has different words for mouse and rat but in Chinese they're both the same creature (laoshu) so I asked my mom well how do you differentiate between mice and rats. She, clearly having never felt the need to do so, was like uhh big laoshu and little laoshu I guess. Then I went online to see how the difference between (the English words) "mouse" and "rat" was being explained to CN->EN learners and there are numerous articles delving deep into the analysis. Bigger vs smaller, indoors vs outdoors, cute and favorable connotations vs evil and ugly, tail length, fear factor, emphasis on the fact that you cannot call it a "computer rat." Much thought is being expended on this little mystery of the English language

[dallacuna]

;w;

[dallacuna]

[dallacuna]

widehead

[dallacuna]

In case you didn't know (since I was shadowbanned when I posted it), I have an alternate translation of "The True Face" available here!

As a native bilingual, bicultural hobbyist translator, I made quite a few changes from the official, like the following:

[dallacuna]

[Image 1]

KO: Ah.. Damn it!! KO: I'm too handsome… SS: (That lunatic…)

[Image 2]

KO: Breakdown~ I don't wanna change seats! I liked this one because it was next to yours… BD: Yeah… BD: See you later! KO: -sullen- (T/N: This is a joke made by creating a new portmanteau… Kind of like taking 'glum face' and making it 'glum KO') ! txt: Haah… [sigh]

[Image 3]

KO: Screamer, let's go to the school kiosk SS: Can't be bothered. SS: Hey, let's go to the convenience store. KO: To buy me something? SS: Are you crazy

[Image 4]

KO: (I better send Breakdown a katalk~) SS: -snicker- txt: During Class MG: Be quiet.

트랜스포머학교 ~_~  TFP school