Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Mar 2, 2007 05:52
17 yrs ago
Japanese term
幽玄無比
Japanese to English
Other
Materials (Plastics, Ceramics, etc.)
Incense, fragrant wood
Okay, I see that 幽玄 means "mysterious" and 無比 means "one of a kind," but what would be a good way to translate the following sentence? It is talking about jinko, or aloeswood.
その香りは幽玄無比、伽羅とともに、日本の香り文化の基調を成してきた。
その香りは幽玄無比、伽羅とともに、日本の香り文化の基調を成してきた。
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +1 | unique and alluring |
Troy Fowler
|
| 4 +1 | A fragrance that beguiles and captivates like no other... |
Joyce A
|
| 4 | (the fragrance or scent is) immense and peeless |
humbird
|
Proposed translations
+1
20 mins
Selected
unique and alluring
その香りは幽玄無比、伽羅とともに、日本の香り文化の基調を成してきた。
With its wonderfully unique and alluring scent, both aloeswood and agilawood made fundamental contributions to the development of Japanese cultural elements related to scent and fragrance.
...where do you find this stuff?
I'm guessing agilawood as the name of 伽羅...that's what アルク had anyways. The other tough part is 日本の香り文化の基調を成してきた。
日本の香り文化.
Hmmm...the best I could do is 'Japanese cultural elements related to scent and fragrance'
Maybe just 'Japanese scents' or 'culture of scent in Japan' would work...
Good luck
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Note added at 25 mins (2007-03-02 06:18:34 GMT)
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Oh yeah...I took the liberty of adding 'wonderful'...I felt this better matched the tone.
With its wonderfully unique and alluring scent, both aloeswood and agilawood made fundamental contributions to the development of Japanese cultural elements related to scent and fragrance.
...where do you find this stuff?
I'm guessing agilawood as the name of 伽羅...that's what アルク had anyways. The other tough part is 日本の香り文化の基調を成してきた。
日本の香り文化.
Hmmm...the best I could do is 'Japanese cultural elements related to scent and fragrance'
Maybe just 'Japanese scents' or 'culture of scent in Japan' would work...
Good luck
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2007-03-02 06:18:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Oh yeah...I took the liberty of adding 'wonderful'...I felt this better matched the tone.
Note from asker:
| Ha, ha. Where do I find this stuff? This one actually comes from a friend who works at an incense shop. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, everybody. Lots of good stuff to choose from, but Troy's fits in best with the rest of the brochure (at least how I have translated it...:))"
1 hr
(the fragrance or scent is) immense and peeless
幽玄 is more than just "mysterious". I know this is one of the toughest concept to transfer to English. According to 大辞泉, the word means “ものごとの趣が奥深くはかりしれないこと”. Thus "immense", and for 無比, first word that comes to my mind is "peeless".
Also 香り文化 should not be translated literally. It is obvious that they are talking about 香道. What is this? According to the same dictionary it is "香木をたいて香りを賞玩する芸道", so easiest translation would be the "Art of Scent" just like "Art of Tea" or whatever.
HTH
Also 香り文化 should not be translated literally. It is obvious that they are talking about 香道. What is this? According to the same dictionary it is "香木をたいて香りを賞玩する芸道", so easiest translation would be the "Art of Scent" just like "Art of Tea" or whatever.
HTH
+1
2 hrs
A fragrance that beguiles and captivates like no other...
幽玄 = mystery or the occult so I chose "beguiles + captivates." (Just what that fragrance is capable of doing.)
無比 = like no other
A good friend once presented me with a little sliver. The scent is truly heavenly.
無比 = like no other
A good friend once presented me with a little sliver. The scent is truly heavenly.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
KathyT
: Also very nice!
4 mins
|
|
Oh, thank you Kathy T! (I hope this is where I'm supposed to answer your comment.)
|
Discussion
the subtle and profound
幽玄な
subtle and profound〔深遠な能の美を示す能用語〕
シンセサイザー音楽には、幽玄な響きを持つものが多い
Synthesizer music often sounds ethereal
(Source: Glova)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandalwood
See "Religous use."