Lost in Translation: Teams Names translated to Japanese (Darn you google translation)

[Gaikoku-hito 2,132]

Lost in Translation

Here I am looking at something to either write or create and some reason I have decided to look at Google translation for all the teams at least in the VHL for their actually horrible translation. Will they be correct? Heck if I know just because I live in the country doesn`t mean I actually understand the language in written form or fully in the spoken form. Either way I have nothing else better so let’s see what we end up with:

 

 

 Also think; Yeah, I know; I am doing these based on the current league standing as they are written in the portal so North American conference followed by the European conference so yeah, they are basically in random order:

 

 

North Americans Conference (VHLNA)

 

 

Seattle Bears - シアトル・ベアーズ

Well, that went as well as expected as it took the form of katakana meaning it was directly translating the roman alphabet into Japanese so it actually 
says Seattle Bears in weird Japaneseas they say most English words. Somehow, I was expecting the cut wording for Bears  (クマ-Kuma) but not 
surprised that it never came. 

シアトル                    ベアーズ                         

Shiatoru                       beāzu

Seattle                         Bears

 

 

 

New York Americans - ニューヨーク・アメリカンズ

After the first one I know how this is actually going to playout for all the team so I am a bit disappointed but will push on at least to finish the article 
but I was surprised when breaking down the team that it did give the proper term of person or people rather than simple the team’s name. 
(アメリカ人- Amerika-hito)

ニューヨーク アメリカンズ

Nyūyōku amerikanzu

New York Americans 

 

Chicago Phoenix - シカゴ・フェニックス

Considering the local basketball team here where I live is known as the Phoenix; mind you always changing the first part of their names; I should have 
had an idea what Phoenix actually is in Japanese but nope sorry I am simple just not a big fan of the Phoenix so I actually have no idea what to expect here. 
Well, I just learned it is nothing special. 

シカゴ フェニックス               

Shikago Fenikkusu

Chicago Phoenix 

 

Los Angeles Stars - ロサンゼルス・スターズ

Not sure why my brain; actually yes I am sure but that not the topic; didn`t realize that the Japanese cannot pronounce the Letter L as they mix it up 
with the letter R so this translation I think is one of the better ones to date but it is also funny that Los Angles isn`t divided into two separate names
 but is consider one singular name. (Rosanzerusu rather than Ros Anzerusu)

ロサンゼルス スターズ

Rosanzerusu sutāzu

Los Angles Stars

 

D.C. Dragons - DCドラゴンズ

Not surprised by the DC being said or staying the same as no matter what language I am sure that D C would be stated as the Alphabet. Now if we 
changed it to the full name then we get a more interesting result with コロンビア特別区ドラゴンズ - Koronbia tokubetsu-ku doragonzu but that isn`t
 the way the team name is stated; sadly!! 

DCドラゴンズ                    

DC doragonzu

D.C. Dragons

 

Calgary Wranglers - カルガリー・ラングラーズ

This one I thought was going to be interesting since most of the Japanese that I know don`t actually known or I think don`t even have a name for Wranglers. 
I am actually not even sure how many English speakers understand what a Wrangler is so cannot fault the Japanese; right? Either way they once again 
defaulted to katakana so nothing special after having high expectations simply due to the unknown. Actually I just realized that they think of Wrangler as the Jeep 

カルガリー ラングラーズ

Karugarī rangurāzu

Calgary   Wranglers

 

Toronto Legion -トロント軍団
Similar to Wranglers; I don`t think the Japanese have a word of Legion so this one could be interesting and I wasn`t disappointed as it came up with 
something completely unexpected. Gundan is the word used for Legion and depending on how you take this word it has two very different meaning; 
from my understanding. In Chinese it means “beat it” or “Get out of here” while the Japanese translation means something less interesting in 
“Army corp” but 軍 can also be translated to “Battle” or “War”. This means Legion could be read as Toronto Battle Corp or Toronto War Corp. 

トロント ト軍団

Toronto gundan

Toronto  Legion

 

Vancouver Wolves - バンクーバーウルブズ

I wasn`t sure what to expect with the great Vancouver name but it seems that Japanese slur the two words together; which seems a bit unnatural 
but I guess it is what it is!! This also surprised me a bit since I was think we would get the straight translation but similar to the Bears; it gave the 
Katakana when I expected バンクーバー  オオカミ- Okami as the actual translation. 

バンクーバーウルブズ

Bankūbāurubuzu

Vancouver Wolves

 

Well, we made it this far as we are at the halfway mark of today’s article 
that majority of people will skim over to what interest them instead of reading the whole large article that is most 
like way to long for even the average joe to read. 
So let take a break and hear from today’s sponsor. 

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

 

European Conference (VHLE)

 

Helsinki Titans - ヘルシンキ タイタンズ

Another one where I am expecting something interesting since I am not sure the word for Titans in Japanese but once again the Katakana was used and

also slurred together in an unnatural manner.

ヘルシンキ タイタンズ

Herushinki taitanzu

Helsinki Titans

 

Prague Phantoms - プラハの怪人

This is the first one that I think the translation is messed up badly as Kaijin (怪人) means mysterious person rather then what I was expecting in
 おばけ – Obake (ghost)  or 死神 – Shinigami (Grim Reaper) But once again I think this is down to the fact that Phantom isn`t a commonly known 
or used word in Japanese but even saying that I would have expected the katakana wording instead ファントム – Fantomu rather then mysterious person. 

プラハの怪人

Puraha no kaijin

Prague Phantoms

 

HC Davos Dynamo – HC ダボス ダイナモ
Before I translate this name, I have high hopes that this one will be close to correct since Dynamo should translate over fairly smoothly so we will 
soon find out? Katakana was used once again rather then 発電機 meaning great power. All I can say right now is google translate isn`t the greatest 
for translating Japanese as it is translating the easy way rather than the expected way. 

HC ダボス ダイナモ

HC Dabosu dainamo

HC Davos Dynamo

 

London United – ロンドン・ユナイテッド

Again commenting before the translation is completed; I am losing faith in the translator so I am going to say I am going to see katakana again 
and won`t get the expected 団結した. Once again, I am correct but at least this one look cooler than some of the other teams’ translations. 

ロンドン・ユナイテッド

Rondon Yunaiteddo

London United

Warsaw Predators – ワルシャワの捕食者

This one could either be very funny or come up as a very boring translation as I would consider using 変態 – Hentai but I am guessing it 
going safe again with katakana but 捕食者 - Hoshoku-sha should be the more likely translation. Surprising it actually translated as expected 
and actually didn`t use the katakana; sadly missing out on a chance of the joke being used. 

ワルシャワの捕食者

Warushawa no hoshoku-sha

Warsaw Predators

Moscow Menace – モスクワ・メナス

Again, another word that I am not sure is used that often in Japan; while they do have Dennis the Menace in Japan. 
I am not sure how this will translate.It should use 脅威 – Kyoi as it is general term used but they could also use 
威嚇 (threat) or 猛威 (power). Once again it went the easy route of katakana. Yeah, google translate!! 

モスクワ・メナス

Mosukuwa menasu

Moscow Menace

Malmo Nighthawks – マルメ・ナイトホークス

Past translation has taught me this one is going to be a mess; while I think it is one of the cooler names in the VHL; I am just not sure 
Japanese has anything like a nighthawk but I could be wrong. If I was translating myself I would us 夜 – Yoru (Night) and 鷹 – Taka (Hawk)
but I think katakana at the worse is going to be used here. It didn`t even give me the option of 夜鷹 (nightwalker or sleep walking) as I was 
write it went the easy way again. 

マルメ・ナイトホークス

Marume naitohōkusu

Malmo Nighthawks

 

Riga Reign – リガ統治

Let me start the last one by saying I am a bit shocked that Riga is this far down in the standings only more shocking the Vancouver. So my

translation as I have learned not to trust google would be 治世 – Chisei (regime or rule) or 君臨 (dictate or control) but I can trust that I can

assume that we will once again get katakana translation? Nope, It went off the board for 統治 -Tōchi meaning government or governing.

At least it`s interesting, right!!

リガ統治

Riga tōchi

Riga Reign

Well, that was an interesting but very time-consuming article in which google translation taught me a few different things; first that it likes katakana or the easy route when translating showing that it isn`t translating word by word but rather by the whole phrase means some if not all the translation is very accurate but second thing, I learned is expect the unexpected as every time I started thinking it would give me katakana it gave me a different unexpected translation. Lastly, google translator also has no sense of humor but it cannot be faulted since majority of people would be stretched to even have humor while working.

 

If I was actually going to try this again or if anyone else is think to do this in a different language; I would suggest self-translating as I prefer the translations that I would have used as the Malmo Yoru Taka sounds a heck of a lot better then Marume naitohōkusu or even my preferred team Vancouver Wolves should have been better served as translated as Vancouver Okami, instead of the slurred horrible Japanese English translation that was given.

 

Either way, I think I have written enough to deserve a beer or two but sadly that will need to wait since I am actually very busy at work right now; as most can see from a 2000 word document that I just wrote. At least it took just under four hours and I have been actually paid around $120 just to claim my TPE this week!!

 

2006 words (Apr 16th, Apr 23rd, Apr 30th & May 7th) 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Gaikoku-hito

[Gaikoku-hito 2,132]

April 23rd

Edited April 17, 2023 by Gaikoku-hito

[Gaikoku-hito 2,132]

Apr 30th 

[Gaikoku-hito 2,132]

Last claim May 7th