Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions
| Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China) | ||
| 常见魔法病痛 Chángjiàn mófǎ bìngtòng |
常见
chángjiàn
= 'often-seen' = 'common'. 魔法 mófǎ = 'magic'. 病痛 bìngtòng = '(slight) illness, indisposition, ailment'. |
Commonly Seen Magical Ailments |
| Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan) | ||
| 一般魔法疾病與疼痛 Yìbān mófǎ jíbìng yǔ téngtòng |
一般
yìbān
= 'ordinary'. 魔法 mófǎ = 'magic'. 疾病 jíbìng = 'illness'. 與 yǔ = 'and' (written). 疼痛 téngtòng = 'pain, ache, soreness'. |
Ordinary Magical Illnesses and Aches |
| Japanese | ||
| よくある魔法病と傷害 Yoku aru mahō-byō to shōgai |
よく
yoku = 'often, frequently'. ある aru = 'exist, be found'. 魔法病 mahō-byō = 'magical disease'. と to = 'and'. 傷害 shōgai = 'wound, injury'. |
Often-Found Magical Diseases and Injuries |
| Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology) | ||
| Những Đau Đớn Và Phiền Muộn Pháp Thuật Thông Thường | những
plural marker đau đớn = 'grief, mourning, pain, sorrow'. và = 'and'. phiền muộn (煩悶) = 'grief, sorrow, sadness'. pháp thuật (法術) = 'magic'. thông thường (通常) = 'ordinary, common, usual'. |
Common Magical Griefs and Sorrows |
Ailments and Afflictions:
Both 'ailment' and 'affliction' are slightly old-fashioned words for describing illness or disease.
An ailment is a condition that may not be life-threatening but gives the
sufferer chronic discomfort. It may be partly mental in nature and as a result,
the word is sometimes gently ironic.
An affliction is not necessarily an illness at all and may refer to any kind
of suffering, misfortune, and tribulation visited on a victim.
This title uses 'ailment' and 'affliction' mostly for their alliterative effect (Ailments and Afflictions). A household book can be expected to offer medical advice on treating various kinds of illness and discomfort without having to go to the doctor.
The Mainland translation is a masterfully succinct and accurate rendition of the English meaning, a book for treating light illnesses, indispositions, and ailments. The Taiwanese version takes slight liberties by adding aches and pains to the mix, but this is entirely in keeping with the original intent. The Japanese is also within the acceptable bounds of meaning, although the title doesn't sound completely appropriate for a book.
The Vietnamese translator seems to have been misled by the broad range of meanings of the two words and ventures into the territory of mental pain (grief, sorrow, sadness, and depression) rather than physical pain. This is unfortunately not what the original means.
Category: Medical
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