Chapter 5: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China)
韦斯莱魔法把戏 Wéisīlái mófǎ bǎxì	韦斯莱 Wéisīlái = 'Weasley'. 魔法 mófǎ = 'magic'. 把戏 bǎxì = 'cheap trick, game'.	Weasley's Magic Tricks
Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan)
衛氏巫師法寶 Wèi-shì wūshī fǎbǎo	衛 Wèi = 'Weasley' (short for 衛斯理 Wèisīlǐ). 氏 shì = 'family, clan'. 巫師 wūshī = 'wizard'. 法寶 fǎbǎo = 'jewel of the law' = 'magic weapon/formula'.	Weasley Family's Wizard Magic Weapons
Japanese
ウィーズリー（W）・ウィザード（W）・ウィーズ（W） Wiizurii Wizādo Wiizu (WWW)	ウィーズリー Wiizurii = 'Weasley'. ウィザード Wizādo = 'Wizard' ウィーズ Wiizu = 'Wheeze'.	Wiizurii Wizaado Wiizu (WWW)
Korean
위즐리 형제 마법사의 기발한 발명품 Wijeulli hyeongje mabeobsa-ui gibalhan balmyeongpum	위즐리 Wijeulli = 'Weasley'. 형제 (兄弟) hyeongje = 'brothers'. 마법사 (魔法師) mabeobsa = 'wizard'. 의 -ui = possessive 기발한 (기발 = 奇拔) gibalhan = 'extraordinary'. 발명품 (發明品) balmyeongpum = 'invention'.	Weasley Brother Wizards' Extraordinary Inventions
Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology)
Mánh phù thủy của nhà Weasley	mánh = 'trick, ruse'. phù thủy = 'sorceror, wizard'. của = 'of'. nhà = 'house'. Weasley (pronunciation: Guýt-li)	Wizard's Tricks of the House of Weasley
Mongolian (new)
Уизлигийн шидэт шоглоомууд Uizligiin shidet shogloomuud	Уизли Uizli = 'Weasley' (-гийн -giin Genitive form). шидэт shidet = 'magic (having magic)'. шоглоом shogloom = 'trick, fun, tomfoolery' (Plural form).	Weasley's Magical Tricks

Weasleys' Wizards Wheezes is a business set up by the Weasley twins, Fred and George, specialising in jokes and trick items like Ton-Tongue Toffee, Extendable Ears, U-No-Poo, Portable Swamp, and many others. 'Weasley's Wizards Wheezes' is a wonderful name in English because of the alliteration -- three words all beginning in 'W'.

Let's look at it word by word.

How is 'Weasleys'' translated?

'Weasley' is a family name. The Weasley family ('the Weasleys') includes Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley (née Prewett) and their children Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. But since the business was set up only by Fred and George, 'Weasleys'' here specifically refers to these two brothers.

• The name 'Weasley' is rendered phonetically (that is, transliterated) in all translations: Chinese (Mainland) 韦斯莱 Wéisīlái, Japanese ウィーズリー Uiizlii, Korean 위즐리 Wijeulli, Vietnamese Weasley, and Mongolian Уизли Uizli. The Chinese translation from Taiwan uses 衛斯理 Wèisīlǐ, but shortens it here to 衛 Wèi.
  
  
• Only the Korean translation indicates that Fred and George are brothers with 형제 (兄弟) hyeongje 'brothers' (literally elder and younger brother, but even twins are classed by age according to which was delivered first).
  
  The translation from Taiwan uses 衛氏 Wèi-shì meaning 'Mr Weasley' (no indication of singular or plural).
  
  The Vietnamese translation speaks of the 'house of Weasley' (nhà Weasley).
  
  The Mainland Chinese, Japanese, and Mongolian translations simply use the name 'Weasley' with no reference to family, brothers, or anything else.

How is 'wheeze' translated?

In slightly old-fashioned British English, a 'wheeze' is a joke or a clever and unusual idea, sometimes bordering on a scam.

• The Mainland Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian translators use words referring to a trick or a prank (Chinese 把戏 bǎxì 'cheap trick, game', Vietnamese mánh 'trick or ruse', Mongolian шоглоомууд shogloomuud 'tricks, fun' (plural)).
  
  
• The Chinese translator from Taiwan uses 法寶 fǎbǎo 'jewel of the law', which actually refers to the Buddhist sutras. By extension (thanks to certain magical powers attributed to Buddhism) it means a 'magic weapon or formula'.
  
  
• The Korean translator translates 'wheeze' in lengthier fashion as 기발한 발명품 gibalhan balmyeongpum 'extraordinary inventions'.
  
  
• The Japanese translator transliterates the English word 'wheeze' as ウィーズ wiizu, which means nothing in Japanese.

How is 'wizards'' translated?

'Wizard' was chosen in English because it starts with the letter 'W', giving rise to alliteration. Translations vary:

• The Vietnamese and Korean translations use words literally meaning 'wizard' (Vietnamese phù thủy, Korean 마법사 (魔法師) mabeobsa).
  
  
• The Mainland Chinese translation uses 魔法 mófǎ 'magic'. Similarly, Mongolian uses шидэт shidet 'magical' (having magic).
  
  
• In the Chinese translation from Taiwan, the sense of 'magical' or 'wizardry' is implied in the word 法寶 fǎbǎo 'jewel of the law'.
  
  
• In the Japanese translation, 'wizard' is transliterated directly from English as ウィザード Wizādo, meaning little to a Japanese speaker who does not know English, although possibly more familiar to Harry Potter fans.

The Japanese translation of 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes'

The Japanese translation stands apart from the other three because:

1. It transliterates the name directly from English into katakana. While 'Weasley' will be familiar to the reader, 'Wizard' will be far less so and 'Wheeze' will not be familiar at all. The name will not mean a great deal to the ordinary Japanese reader.
   
   
2. The translator adds a 'W' above each word using rubi, thus alerting the reader to the alliteration.

For the Japanese reader, understanding of the significance of the name would come only with Ron's explanation half way through the chapter. While not the best method of translation, it does give a good illustration of the great tolerance of the Japanese for katakana vocabulary (i.e., words transliterated from English).

(Korean appears thanks to "Hiro".)

(Detailed notes on the chapter can be found at Harry Potter Lexicon)

⇚ Chapter 4

Chapter 6 ⇛