Japanese Translations of Word play in Through the Looking-glass

Jabberwocky
Scores of each translator in translating of word play
Translations available

1. Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky
'Twas brillig, and the slithy tobes
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Many words can be used as translation of one original word, especially in translating of Carroll's words such as portmanteau words. Some translators use same Japanese words. This table shows how many words are used commonly between translators.

Frequency of same Japanese word in translating of *brillig, slithy, tove, gyre, gimble, wabe, mimsy, borogove, mome, rath, outgribe*
Takahashi	Shono	Tada	Talayama	Seriu	Yanase	Takasugi	Ishikawa	Kitamura	Yagawa	Nakayama	Munakata
2	1	5	2	3	1	4	3	2	3	2	0	Okada
	1	2	2	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	0	Takahashi
		1	2	3	1	1	1	1	3	1	0	Shono
			1	3	2	3	1	2	2	1	1	Tada
				4	1	2	3	2	4	2	0	Takahashi
					2	2	3	2	5	2	1	Seriu
						0	0	0	2	0	0	Yanase
							2	1	2	2	0	Takasugi
								2	3	2	0	Ishikawa
									2	2	1	Kitamura
										2	0	Yagawa
											0	Munakata

2. Scores of each translation

45 word plays were sampled. Each translation was tested with counting scores of 45 word plays. Scores are measured under criteria: A. word play is mentioned in translator's note, B. word play is not mentioned even in translator's note, C. word play is translated into Japanese word play, d. translation of word play is given up but translator puts other jokes.

Scores counted

	Okada	Shono	Tada	Takayama	Seriu	Yanase	Takasugi	Ishikawa	Kitamura	Yagawa	Nakayama	Munakata
a	7 15.6	2 4.4	12 26.7	4 8.9	0 0	0 0	17 37.8	5 11.1	12 26.7	0 0	0 0	0 0
b	5 11.1	6 13.3	7 15.6	4 8.9	1 2.2	4 8.9	10 22.2	12 26.7	14 31.1	4 8.9	11 24.4	8 17.8
c	32 71.1	37 82.2	26 57.8	37 82.2	38 84.4	41 91.1	18 40.0	27 60.0	19 42.2	39 86.7	31 68.9	34 75.6
d	1 2.2	0 0	0 0	0 0	6 13.3	0 0	0 0	1 2.2	0 0	2 4.4	3 6.7	3 6.7

(Lower rows: %)
Scores of each word play also can be seen.

3. Translations Available

Tadataka Okada: Kadokawa Bunko (1959)
Kokichi Shono: Fukuinkan (1972)
Kozo Tada: Obunsha (1975)
Hiroshi Takayama: Tokyo Tosho (1980) *Translation of Annotated 'Alice'
(Hiroshi Takayama: Tokyo Tosho (1994) *Translation of More Annotated 'Alice')
Hajime Seriu: Kaiseisha Bunko (1980)
Naoki Yanase: Chikuma Bunko (1988)
Ichiro Takasugi: Kodan-sha Bunko (1988)
(Ichiro Takasugi: Kodansha Aoitori Bunko (1994))
Sumiko Ishikawa: Tokyo Tosho (1989) *with colour Tenniel's Illustrations
Taro Kitamura: Okoku-sha (1990)
Sumiko Yagawa: Shincho-sha (1991)
(Sumiko Yagawa: Shincho Bunko (1996))
Tomoko Nakayama: Four Bunko (1992)
Ayumu Munakata: Kinnohoshi-sha(1995)

If you have some comments send mail to cxj03744@nifty.com
Back to the Page of Lewis Carroll