Jinxes for the Jinxed
| Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China) | ||
| 以毒攻毒集 Yǐ-dú-gòng-dú jí |
以毒攻毒
yǐ-dú-gòng-dú = 'fight poison with poison'. 集 -jí = 'collection'. |
'Fight poison with poison' anthology |
| Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan) | ||
| 以咒制咒 Yǐ-zhòu-zhì-zhòu |
以咒制咒 Yǐ-zhòu-zhì-zhòu = 'with curse control curse''. | Control curses with curses |
| Japanese | ||
| 呪われた人のための呪い Norowareta hito no tame no noroi |
呪う norou = 'curse'
(passive 呪われる norowareru 'be cursed', past tense with た -ta) 人 hito = 'person'. の no = connecting particle ための tame no = 'for the benefit of'. 呪い noroi = 'curse, jinx'. |
Curses for People Who have been Cursed |
| Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology) | ||
| Bùa Ếm Dành Cho Kẻ Bị Ếm Bùa | bùa ếm = 'charm, bewitchment' dành cho = 'specially for'. kẻ = 'they, persons'. bị = passive particle (adverse meaning) ếm bùa = 'to cast a spell on'. |
Charms for Those Who have had a Spell Cast on Them |
A 'jinx' is a curse, hex, or spell that is designed to bring bad luck. No matter what the jinxed person does, nothing turns out right. A sportsman who suffers a string of defeats for no discernible reason might say that he or she is 'jinxed'. The book Jinxes for the Jinxed could thus possibly contain jinxes designed for someone who is having incredibly bad luck.
However, all the translators tend to go for a narrower meaning, that is, a book of jinxes for the benefit of someone who is under an actual curse of some kind. Under this interpretation, the jinxes found in the book would be jinxes designed to fight curses and jinxes.
The Japanese and Vietnamese translations are quite literal renditions of the English: charms and curses for those under a curse.
The Mainland and Taiwanese translators go a bit further, interpreting the meaning as 'fight jinxes with jinxes'. The Mainland translator uses a colourful Chinese phrase 'fight poison with poison', which is similar in meaning and usage to English 'fight fire with fire'. The Taiwanese translator gives this a slight twist: 'control curses with curses'.
Neither Chinese translation is quite the same in meaning as the English, but both are quite effective as book titles.
Category: Spells and Charms (Popular)
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