Sinnesspiel (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sinnesspiel) wrote2014-10-10 08:17 pm
sinnesspiel) wrote2014-10-10 08:17 pm
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Shiki Novel Translations 3.4.6
6
The dead of night painted its color over the mountains. As it was obvious there would be no signs of people, from time to time the sounds of small animals in the underbrush would lead to it rustling dryly.
The grave at End Mountain was also painted in the color of darkness. Dirt covering a dead body was upturned. At last the man rose up. For a bit he sat as if dazed there in the hole looking into the darkness. The birds sand, the noises resounding through the woods.
The man eventually began to get himself up. He felt above his left ear. There the dried blood and dirt make his hair edgy. The man took a bit of time to stroke his hair, then gingerly rose up. He looked around as if to get a feel for his situation before climbing out of the hoe.
Hazily the man stepped out of the graveyard. Gradually as his legs moved, he went along the forest path along the slope of the western mountain straight towards the northern one.
The man was able to walk well, without knowing fatigue. Even if he broke into a jog, he wouldn't break into hard breathing. Or rather, the man wasn't breathing at all to begin with. Nor did fatigue wear down at his legs. Within the deep dark forests he ascended, the bushes didn't tie up his feet, he went through them as if soaring past them.
Without so much as a single break, the man went on until he reached a small shack about midway along the western mountain. It was an abandoned shack that seemed to be built in an old fashioned style but the holes in the tin roof were patched over, and the holes in the walls were filled with plaster.
The man opened the door, and within that was another heavy set of double doors. Within there wasn't so much as a single lit candle but the man could see that there were the several figures within.
"....Takatoshi?" One of the people within said. Hirosawa Takatoshi nervously entered in.
"I saw some strange kids,' Takatoshi said. "Digging up a grave on End Mountain."
The other person made a low, surprised sound.
"They were digging up the grave stone. Three kids. One seemed to be a boy about high school age, a boy in middle or gradeschool, and a girl about the same age. The one in highschool is the son of the workshop I think. I've seen him before."
"....And?" the voice of the other young man urged.
"When I tried to attack, I got countered. I was hit by a scoop. I was unconscious until now."
"...A high schooler?"
"That's right."
I see, the man said followed by a short silence. "I'm not happy to hear we were noticed here. It may be necessary to take measures to see to it word doesn't get around."
"With all three of them?"
"We should wait on the middle school boy and girl. It would be bad to have any interference here."
"Are we going to leave them be?"
"They will need to be scolded, to be sure they don't say anything unnecessary. Just because it would be best to clear out anything in the way. Do you know who they were and from where?"
"No."
"Finding out that will be our first priority, then. If we watch over the boy from the workshop, they'll probably show up around him but..." That said, the man lightly cut himself short. "A gradeschool or middleschool boy, and a girl about middle school aged you had said, yes? Was that girl, by chance, long haired with her hair in braids?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I see..." He laughed. "It was those kids, was it?"
"Is it somebody you know of, Tatsumi-san?"
Aa, Tatsumi laughed. "They're the siblings in Shimo-Sotoba. They were loitering around the mansions. Aa, and the one who came along after was the son of the workshop, was it?"
"What will we do?"
"Let's kill the son of the workshop." Tatsumi said lowly, looking at the air as if scrutinizing it, and at last finally nodding. "It'd be best to kill him, wouldn't it? He's already in high school. He commutes out of town for school, so I don't think those at the mansion will be against it. I'll take command of the operation. You don't need to worry, Takatoshi."
"The grave was dug up."
"Well that is bad, isn't it? Go ahead and bury it back as it was."
Yes, Takatoshi nodded. As Takatoshi turned to go, Tatsumi called out to him as if remembering something. "Aa---and also."
As he turned about, he saw Tatsumi giving a compassionate smile. "It didn't work out for your mother."
Takatoshi faintly closed his eyes, then lowered them. ".....Is that so."
"It smells of rotting. She won't rise up. ....It's a shame, isn't it?"
"No matter," Takatoshi murmured.
no subject
Great updates! I enjoyed the two previous chapters as well. I often wondered if Ikumi was as batshit insane as she was in the anime...and she is. Now I know.
I was also kind of disappointed that Kaori wasn't dragged into the forest when attacked like she was in the anime, but that would have been awkward to write, wouldn't it? Takatoshi sort of dragged her backward really fast, so it would be more like he was scuttling. He's a Shiki, not a crab! Although, the part where Kaori wards him off with the charm was a nice touch, I wish the novel had that part.
Aaand this is the first chapter where we get a Shiki POV, right? I'm going to use some AP Lit terms and say it had great imagery and limited third person point of view. I liked how we got to see it through Takatoshi's eyes, with him being able to see in the dark and not breathing and all. He still seems like a person, but not quite. It's subtly creepy in the best way.
I did jot down some spelling things I found:
Ikumi Chapter:
- Morning -> mourning
- Stationary -> stationery (Tatsu's shop sells stationery, right, like pencils and erasers and all that? Although I'm sure it's stationary too)
- 'The not a one of the old folks who gathered at Takemura understood' The words in the beginning are confusing.
- '...summer was going to be horrif' Horrif.
- Nroth -> north
- Ofte -> often
Natsuno/Kaori/Akira chapter:
- processin -> procession
- protecto -> protect
- hanlf -> half
- suite -> suit
This chapter:
- 'The birds sand' I enjoy listening to bird sand, too.
- 'There the dried blood and dirt make his hair edgy' make -> made?
- 'Climbing out of the hoe' hoe -> hole =v=
- "I saw some strange kids,' It has an apostrophe rather than a quotation mark at the end.
8D
(Anonymous) 2014-10-12 11:14 am (UTC)(link)no subject
8D
(Anonymous) 2014-11-23 11:52 am (UTC)(link)I like the aspect of 'everyone loses, everyone goes downwards' in Shiki. Shiki's main theme is death, and I think at the end of Shiki a part of every character dies. It's fitting. Come to think of it, I've seen someone said how Seishin represents death, and Toshio life. It's based on their job; Toshio a doctor and Seishin a priest whose job includes guiding the death in afterlife. With the way his old self dies at the end of Shiki, it fits. I think there are also other aspects like his suicide attempt (which I think killed a part of him), and also his dampening his real self along the years, which is like killing his own self. His wish for Sotoba's death. Like a figure of death, Seishin is followed by curses (because of him, the Shiki moved to Sotoba. Because of him, his mother dies. There's also his novel Shiki). In Japanese, the word for noun curse is 'noroi'. I think: 'that definitely sounds like Muroi!'.
Our two men probably also think of their surnames as a curse.
Shippers may cheer because life and death are interlinked, but then it's no wonder that Seishin was the one picked as a protagonist, if we see it that way. It's also kind of no wonder that they clash, but given the nature of life and death, they'll probably encounter again in the future, new topics and themes ensue. (thank God that Ono-sensei made an open ending for Shiki) I think it also symbolizes their similarities even when they appear very different. Probably there are more similarities inside, too.
The last two chapters are also so powerful that I have to take a breather. It's also amusing that 'that conversation' of Toshio and Seishin's takes place when they're tired, sweaty and dirty. (An important conversation like that!) I just LOL'd a bit because in the anime and manga Seishin looks regal in his priest attire, compared to the novel. Also, if Seishin flees from Toshio when he's been revealed, Sunako also pretty much does the same thing when Seishin reveals her. Sunako is ten times more graceful about it though.
no subject
But it has inspiring bits. The example that leaps to mind is just how Ozaki rallied the humans and in just a few hours, turned them from a freaked-out village of people in mourning to a horde avenging their loved ones. It really shows what humans can be capable of. I don't really like works where they have another species other than human which is consistently seen as superior to humans. The Shiki had the advantage of surprise, but after that they were quite easily defeated even though they put up a fight. In Shiki vs. humans, both were very determined, since both were fighting for survival, and it also actually makes it hit closer to home that the Shiki are people too; they're not overpowered, supernatural beings. They're just the same as the living, and the only real difference between them, technically, is that they're dead (did I finally manage to see the situation through Seishin's eyes!?) It makes a much better impact than it would if the Shiki could walk through walls and use PK or turn into bats.
Back to inspiration, other inspiring moments are Kaori, Akira, and Natsuno deciding to investigate into the shiki, Natsuno deciding to save the town even though he always wanted to get out, obviously Ritsuko refusing to drink blood... One thing that really sticks out to me is Kanami trying to protect her mom. She could have reacted differently to her mom coming back (Mrs. Tanaka wasn't too happy to see her husband), but instead she recognized it as her mother and decided she would do all she could. Shiki are inherently scary, right; the thought of someone you know as dead coming back and killing you in order to survive is terrifying, and the anime really did a good job because I could see how freaked out Kanami was about her mother. Seishin repeatedly said how Shiki are just how they are as when they were alive, and I don't think anything really defined what he was saying more than Kanami's actions. She knew her mom before she died, and now she knows her as the same woman after she died. She's changed, but who doesn't, really?
Oooh, I really like the statement about Ozaki being life and Seishin being death! Probably less applicable in the novel when they both wear normal clothes, but in the anime when Ozaki is in his WHITE lab coat and Seishin is in his BLACK robe the symbolism is really good.
It also occurred to me how even though Shiki is such a character-driven work, none of the characters really change, though. Seishin becomes more assertive and pure towards the end, but it's more that he finally decided to accept himself rather than really changing on a fundamental level. All of his thoughts were there, he just needed Sunako to help organize them. And Ozaki too, we don't see a lot of him or his monologuing after he exposes the shiki, and he looks horrified at the villagers deciding to kill the people who were bitten by the shiki 'just in case', but in the final scene when he says "I lost", everyone can see that he's still the same as he was from the beginning. He made the fight against the epidemic, then the shiki, personal, and that hadn't changed.
I also like the chapters where we see 'normal' Seishin and Ozaki. It really helps see them not as the doctor and the priest, but as regular people who are just as affected by this as the rest of the village.
I think it's funny too, I'd be reading and then come across something like "Seishin took off his SWEATSHIRT" and I go "...that's a strange way to say 'robe'."
8D
(Anonymous) 2014-12-03 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)I'm mainly an indifferent reader. I vowed that this is my favorite work, but even now my interest is still limited to only a few characters (Seishin and Toshio) and few topics/aspects, while ignoring other characters/aspects almost completely. Technically, I love Shiki, of course. But I haven't managed to truly care and be passionate about the majority of things included in this work. I'm probably not a real fan this way.
Seishin symbolizes the shiki lot, the corpses and bringer of death, while Toshio the humans who wish to keep being alive and for Sotoba to keep being alive. But it's amusing that the corpses strive for a life, while the humans end this effort, to the point of succumbing to murdering fellow humans. They are essentially the same because of a similar nature and only different on the outside. Humans and shikis probably have better chance at coexistence... if one party doesn't provoke the other first, I wonder? Coexistence between both groups can happen, but they don't want to in the first place. But then again the shikis don't give humans many reasons to like them and to want to coexist with them in the first place. The humans have a right to fight and to retaliate, to keep Sotoba be. This actually transcends them being mere corpses and living humans. We could easily get this in real world, when both parties are people. But I wonder that... say, if we apply this in real life. Two groups don't necessarily provoke one another, but they are still different. They may still clash. They may still hate one another. I wonder if humans will still dislike the shikis for being different, even when they don't necessarily provoke humans? And vice versa? Can both really coexist? Can both really accept one another in order to truly coexist peacefully?
I really want to see Seishin wearing outfits that are not his robes. Too bad we don't get to. :(
Re: 8D
Part of the problem rests in that the Shiki just weren't very well organized. They did fine while all they had to do was sneak around and attack villagers, since that was an independent task. Once it became vital for them to work together, they couldn't, and that was their downfall. They're fighting for survival, no doubt, but they're not fighting together. With the humans, they're fighting not only for survival but for revenge for all of their dead family members and a village that won't be the same again. They have strong leaders in Ozaki and Ohkawa, who are both trusted and inspiring. Even aside from that, the village has an old hierarchy so it's easy to work in groups and be organized to effectively comb the village for survivors. On the other hand, the Shiki had been independent from the start, with the threat of Tatsumi looming over them should they step a foot out of line. Their real leader, Sunako, is rarely seen, and her mission to create a utopia for them is only passed down to the Shiki by her servants. I bet if Sunako made speeches to the Shiki as a whole, it would be more effective and they'd be more sure about what they need to do. In comparison, Ozaki and Ohkawa are very public and trusted figures. The villagers have known them for years, but Sunako is an outsider and those who don't know her very well may very well resent her for turning them into vampires.
But my rant about their organization is probably boring to you then, sorry XD But don't say you're not a real fan! There are no requirements to be a real fan. You seem to have a deep appreciation of the work and the author, and that makes you a fan. It doesn't matter what your reasons for being a fan are. Especially in a work like Shiki where the characters are the main focus, you can't be a fan without being a fan of the characters.
I was also thinking about different groups coexisting. If the Shiki and the humans were to make a pact not to attack each other and say the Shiki decided they won't kill any humans at all and drink animal blood instead...there would probably still be tensions. I'm picturing a story taking place about 100 years in the future: "humans and vampires had been at peace for over a century. But now tensions are starting again...will the spark lead to a burning flame that will end the village forever?" There will obviously be Shiki who can't resist but attack some humans. There will be some humans that want to be Shiki and will ask to be transformed (would there be laws against this? I'm guessing yes because the humans would be afraid that everyone will want to become a Shiki). There will be hate crimes (all you have to think about is the situation with Ferguson in the United States, also violence against Muslims). And then the human population may grow, and there will be more humans than Shiki, so the Shiki will have less influence. And the Shiki who are alive would be about 100 years old by now, and would think themselves superior to the short-lived humans and demand more influence. That's such an unstable situation I feel like anything could set off a massacre of the kind we see in the original Shiki. All it would take would be for an outside vampire to come in and, oblivious to Sotoba's laws, attack one of the humans. The humans would think it's the Shiki who decided to break the truce and...yeah.
I love writing hypothetical speculations! (=^.^=)
I bet Seishin resents his obligations to the temple so much that when he's alone, he wears normal clothing. That's a possible headcanon; Seishin hates his robes so much that he doesn't wear them anymore than he has to. I'm not sure if that's consistent with his character, though.