Chapter 6: The Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters
| Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China) | ||
| 从９3/4 站台开始的旅程 Cóng jiǔ yòu sì-fēn-zhī-sān zhàntái kāishǐ de lǚchéng |
从
cóng = 'from'. ９ jiǔ = '9'. yòu (not written) = 'and' (with fractions). 3/4 sì-fēn-zhī-sān = '3/4'. (Literally 'of four parts three'.) 站台 zhàntái = 'platform'. 开始 kāishǐ = 'start'. 的 de = connecting particle 旅程 lǚchéng = 'journey'. |
The Journey Starting from Platform 9 and 3/4 |
| Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan) | ||
| 自九又四分之三月台出發的旅程 Zì jiǔ yòu sì-fēn-zhī-sān yuètái chūfā de lǚchéng |
自 zì = 'from' (formal). 九 jiǔ = '9'. 又 yòu = 'and' (with fractions). 四分之三 sì-fēn-zhī-sān = '3/4'. (Literally 'of four parts three'.) 月台 yuètái = 'platform'. 出發 chūfā = 'depart'. 的 de = connecting particle 旅程 lǚchéng = 'journey'. |
The Journey Departing from Platform 9 and 3/4 |
| Japanese | ||
| ９と３／４番線からの旅 Kyū to yonbun no san bansen kara no tabi |
９ kyū = '9'. と to = 'and'. ３／４ yonbun no san = '3/4'. (Literally 'of four parts three'.) 番 ban = 'number'. 線 sen = 'track'. から kara = 'from', i.e., 'from track number'. の no = connecting particle 旅 tabi = 'journey'. |
The Journey from Track no. 9 and 3/4 |
| Korean | ||
| 9와 4분의 3번 승강장 Gu-wa sa-bun-ui sam-beon seunggang-jang |
9 gu = '9'. 와 wa = 'and'. 4분의 3번 sa-bun-ui sam '3/4'. (Literally 'of four parts three'.) 번 (番) beon = 'number'. 승강장 (乘降場) seunggang-jang = 'platform'. |
Platform no. 9 and 3/4 |
| Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology) | ||
| Hành trình từ sân ga chín-ba-phần-tư | hành trình
(行程) = 'journey'. từ (自) = 'from'. sân ga = 'platform'. chín = '9'. ba-phần-tư = '3/4'. (Literally 'three part four') |
The Journey from Platform 9 and 3/4 |
| Mongolian (previous) | ||
| 9 3/4 Тавцангаас эхэлсэн аялал Yösön bükhel dörövnii gyrav-dugaar tavtsangaas ekhelsen aylal |
9 3/4 yösön bükhel dörövnii gurav = 'nine and three quarters'.
(бүхэл bukhel = 'integer', dörövnii gurav = 'of four, three'.) дугаар -dugaar = 'number'. тавцан tavtsan = 'platform' (-(г)аас -(g)aas is Ablative case, meaning 'from'.) эхлэх ekhlekh = 'begin' (-сэн -sen Past tense.) аялал aylal = 'journey'. |
The Journey that Started from Platform no. 9 3/4 |
| Mongolian (new) | ||
| Есөн бүхэл дөрөвний гуравдугаар тавцангаас эхэлсэн аялал Yösön bükhel dörövnii gyrav-dugaar tavtsangaas ekhelsen aylal |
есөн бүхэл дөрөвний гурав yösön bükhel dörövnii gurav = 'nine and three quarters'.
(бүхэл bukhel = 'integer', дөрөвний гурав dörövnii gurav = 'of four, three'.) дугаар -dugaar = 'number'. тавцан tavtsan = 'platform' (-(г)аас -(g)aas is Ablative case, meaning 'from'.) эхлэх ekhlekh = 'begin' (-сэн -sen Past tense). аялал aylal = 'journey'. |
The Journey that Started from Platform no. Nine and three quarters |
The fictitious platform Nine and Three Quarters is now undoubtedly the most famous platform at Kings Cross Station in London.
How is 'platform' translated?
Britain has a tradition of naming the place of departure of trains in terms of 'platforms'. The U.S. uses 'track'.
- The Chinese (Mainland) translation uses 站台 zhàntái 'station platform', the standard word in Mainland China.
- The Chinese (Taiwan) translation uses 月台 yuètái, literally 'moon platform', a term still used in Taiwan but now rare on the
Mainland.
- The Japanese translator uses 線 sen 'track'. In Japan, it is more usual to use ホーム hōmu 'platform' to refer to the place of departure. This is an abbreviation of プラットホーム purattohōmu, from English 'platform'.
- Korean uses 승강장 seunggangjang 'boarding and alighting place', written 乘降場 in Chinese characters. This is an old Japanese term dating from the colonial period in Korea and Taiwan. (Although it appears to be from Japanese, this word is quite Chinese in form and could easily have been coined in China or even Korea. Another word of this ilk is Japanese 昇降機 shōkōki, literally 'climb-descend machine', in actuality 'lift, elevator', which is still a (rarely-used word) for a lift or elevator in Chinese-speaking areas (升降机 / 升降機 shēngjiàngjī) and Korea (승강기 seunggang-gi).)
- Vietnamese uses the term sân ga, which appears to be derived from sân meaning 'court, ground, course', and ga, from French gare 'station'.
- For a station platform, Mongolian uses the generic word тавцан tavtsan 'platform'. (In Inner Mongolia, the usual term in dictionaries is тайс tais 'platform, stage', which is related to the form тайз taiz 'stage' in Mongolia.)
How is 'platform no.' translated?
In English, a platform or track may be identified either as 'platform no. 1' or, omitting the word 'no.', as 'platform 1'. In the languages covered here, it is more normal to insert a word functioning like English 'no.'.
- For platform and track numbers, Chinese normally uses the suffix 號 (Trad.) / 号 (Simpl.) hào 'no.'. However, both translations omit this in naming Platform Nine and Three Quarters. The suffix 號 / 号 -hào is also used for subway lines (一號線 (Trad.) / 一号线 (Simpl.) yíhào-xiàn 'line no. 1').
- For platform and track numbers, Japanese uses the suffix 番 -ban 'no.'. For subway lines, the normal suffix is 号 -gō 'no.' (1号線 ichi-gō sen 'line no. 1').
- For platform and track numbers, Korean uses the suffix 번 -beon 'no.', written 番 in Chinese characters. For subway lines it uses the suffix 호 -ho 'no.', written 號 in Chinese characters (일호선 il-ho seon 'line no. 1').
- For numbering platforms and tracks, Vietnamese uses số 'no.', but this can be omitted, as in the translation. For subway lines, Vietnamese will also use số 'no.' (tuyến số 1 'line no. 1'), but số can be omitted.
- For numbering, Mongolian uses the general suffix -дугаар -dugaar (or -дүгээр -dügeer, depending on vowel harmony) 'no.'.
How is the fraction '3/4' translated?
In English vulgar fractions, the numerator comes before the denominator. Thus, 'three' (numerator) 'quarters/fourths' (denominator).
- In Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian, the numerator and the denominator
are read in the reverse order of English. The meaning is 'of four (parts) three'. For those not mathematically inclined:
- A. The denominator '4' (sì; yon; sa; döröv) is read first.
- B. In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, this is followed by 分, a word meaning 'part' (-fēn; -fun or -bun; -bun).
- D. A particle or case ending, meaning 'of' is then added (之 zhī, a literary form with the same meaning as 的 de; の no, a connecting particle similar to Chinese 的 de; 의 -ui, the possessive or genitive ending; (н)ий (n)ii, the genitive ending).
- The resulting expression has the meaning 'of four (parts)'.
- D. This is then followed by the numerator '3' (sān; san; sam; gurav).
- Vietnamese stands alone in using the same order as English, possibly under the influence of French as well as native word order. The Vietnamese can be read directly as ba-phần-tư '3-part-4'. Interestingly Vietnamese still uses the word phần, equivalent to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean 分 (-fēn, -bun, -bun).
- To distinguish the integer from the following fraction, English inserts 'and' ('nine and three-quarters'). Similarly, Chinese generally inserts 又 yòu 'and, and in addition' and Japanese inserts と to 'and'. Mongolian optionally inserts бүхэл bükhel 'integer' to indicate where the integer ends.
How is 'journey' translated?
'Journey' is generally used in English for longish trips requiring preparation.
The Korean translation omits the word 'journey'.
- The two Chinese-language translations use 旅程 lǚchéng ‘trip, journey, route, itinerary'.
- The Vietnamese word hành trình 'journey' is related to the Chinese word 行程 xíngchéng. However, Chinese 行程 xíngchéng is used only in the narrow meaning of 'distance or route of a journey'.
- The Japanese uses 旅 tabi, a positive, slightly romantic term for travel. The more mundane term is 旅行 ryokō 'travel'.
- Both Mongolian translations use аялал aylal, a general term for travel or journeys.
How is 'from platform 9 3/4' (prepositional phrase) translated?
The English places the prepositional phrase 'from platform 9 3/4' directly after 'journey'. This a special feature of English that is not necessarily shared with other languages.
Translators adopt two approaches to this (apart from the Korean, which omits the phrase).
- Two translations follow the English by using a phrase modifying the noun 'journey'.
- Vietnamese is rather unusual in that it can follow the English wording exactly (Hành trình từ sân ga chín-ba-phần-tư 'journey from platform 9 3/4').
- In Japanese, ...番線から ...ban-sen kara' 'from platform...' is placed before the noun 'journey'. A connecting particle の no must be added between the phrase and the noun.
- Four translations transform the prepositional phrase into a relative clause, that is, one containing a verb.
- The Mainland Chinese translation inserts the verb 开始 kāishǐ '(which) starts'; the Taiwanese translator uses 出發 chūfā '(which) departs'. To connect the clause to the noun 旅程 lǚchéng 'journey',
Chinese must use the connecting particle 的 de.
- The Mongolian translations also uses ...тавцангаас эхэлсэн аялал ...tavsangaas ekhelsen ayalal 'journey which started from platform...'. Unlike Chinese, Mongolian not only allows the verb to be put in the past tense (эхэлсэн ekhelsen 'started'), the verb is able to directly modify the following noun 'journey'.
(Korean appears thanks to "Hiro".)
(Detailed notes on the chapter can be found at Harry Potter Lexicon)
| ⇚ Chapter 5 |  |