The Invisible Book of Invisibility
| Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China) | ||
| 隐形术的隐形书 Yǐnxíng-shù de yǐnxíng-shū |
隐形
yǐnxíng = 'hide form' = 'invisible'. 术 -shù = 'art, skill, technique'. 的 de = connecting particle 隐形 yǐnxíng = 'hide form' = 'invisible'. 书 shū = 'book'. |
The Invisible Book of the Art of Invisibility |
| Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan) | ||
| 隱形的隱形書 Yǐnxíng de yǐnxíng-shū |
隱形
yǐnxíng = 'hide form' = 'invisible'. 的 de = connecting particle 隱形 yǐnxíng = 'hide form' = 'invisible'. 書 shū = 'book'. |
The Invisible Invisible Book (or 'Invisible Invisibility Book') |
| Japanese | ||
| 透明術の透明本 Tōmei-jutsu no tōmei-bon |
透明
tōmei = 'transparent, clear'. 術 -jutsu = 'art, skill, technique'. の no = connecting particle 透明 tōmei = 'transparent, clear'. 本 hon (-bon) = 'book'. |
The Invisible Book of the Art of Invisibility |
| Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology) | ||
| Ẩn Thư Về Tàng Hình | ẩn thư
(隱書) =
'concealed book'. về = 'concerning'. tàng hình (藏形) = 'hide form' = 'making oneself invisible'. |
The Concealed Book About Becoming Invisible |
One of Rowling's more humorous names. Where else but in Harry's world would a book on invisibility be itself invisible? And of course, nobody, least of all the bookseller, could ever find them!
'Invisibility':
The word for 'invisibility' is rather interesting here. Both Chinese and Vietnamese use concepts related to hiding or concealment rather than simple 'invisibility'.
- In Chinese, the term used is 隱形 / 隐形 yǐnxíng, literally meaning 'hide form/shape'. This particular word is also used in expressions such as 隱形眼睛 / 隐形眼镜 yǐnxíng yǎnjìng 'invisible glasses' (that is, contact lenses) and 隱形飛機 / 隐形飞机 yǐnxíng fēijī 'invisible plane', the Chinese name for the 'stealth plane', a type of plane developed by the U.S. to avoid detection by radar.
- For the concept of invisibility, the Vietnamese translator uses tàng hình, meaning 'hide form'. For the book itself, she uses ẩn thư, where ẩn means 'hide, conceal' (related to Chinese 隐 yǐn above).
Japanese is the exception: 'invisible' is rendered as 透明 tōmei, which means 'transparent', 'clear', or 'see-through'.
'The Invisible Man':
The Chinese and Japanese translators have followed the lead of the famous 'Invisible Man' of H. G. Wells (later made into a movie). The Invisible Man is known as 隱形人 / 隐形人 yǐnxíng-rén 'conceal-shape person' in Chinese and 透明人間 tōmei ningen 'transparent person' in Japanese.
(In fact, the 'Invisible Man' is more commonly translated as 隐身人 yǐnshēn-rén 'conceal-body person' on the Mainland, referring to a similar concept of stealth and concealment, but 隐形人 yǐnxíng-rén is also used.)
However, the Vietnamese book title is not modelled on the 'Invisible Man', which is usually Người Vô Hình in Vietnam. The term vô hình literally means 'without form' and can be translated as 'invisible, immaterial, intangible, formless, amorphous'. (Vô hình is related to the Chinese word 無形 / 无形 wúxíng 'no form', also meaning 'invisible').
(See also the Invisibility Cloak)
Category: Transfiguration and Invisibility
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