Okay,
I realize my complaints about the Manga Death & Rebirth DVD translations
were too vague. I was trying to remain tactful and simply point out that
there was one major flaw in the translation that is both incorrect in the
dub and sub script and let others pick it out.
Before I go into the details I must note that this is a SPOILER of sorts for the Evangelion saga. It is an important piece of information that have far reaching implications to the Evangelion plot. And this is why even though I think Manga's D&R disc is very good, I am very critical of this mistake. And it is a mistake. Okay okay - enough build up, right? Just get on with it. Righto. |
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Here's
the translation in the script translated by Bochan Bird, which is hosted
on this website:
SCENE: Misato and Shinji in Misato's
car, driving passed the failed Eva prototypes.
Misato:
And now, the version on the Manga Entertainment DVD: Misato:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So - aside from the different wording of the sentences, did you catch the factual discreprency between the two translations? If not, have no fear! It can be easily missed. And often it is. So here we go. As explained by Bochan Bird himself: INCORRECT: You see Shinji, mankind was spawned from a being called Lilith, just like Adam was. CORRECT: Shinji, we humans were also born from Lillith, who is a source of life just like Adam. Original Japanese (Script Book P. 583): Shinji-kun, watashi-tachi ningen mo ne, Adam to onaji Lillith to yobareru seimei-tai no minamoto kara umareta, 18 ban-me no shito na no yo. Grammar point - Notice that there is no comma after "Adam to onaji". This means that the adjective phrase "just like Adam" applies to "Lillith" instead of to "we humans". (However, if you listen to the video, there is a distinct pause after "Adam to onaji" that sounds like a comma - this is what has thown everybody off. For "just like Adam" to apply to "we humans", it would have to read: "Adam to onaji (you ni),". So - what's the big deal? The big deal is that Manga's translation says that Lilith gave birth to Adam. The real translation says that Lilith and Adam are equal being, each Sources of Life and the progenitors of their respective races (Lilith - Lilim, Adam - Angels). This compounds Lilith as the Second Angel (already stated outright by Gainax) and also furthers the duality of Adam/Lilith and Rei/Kaworu. It's a major revelation that affects the overall story of Evangelion. How accurate is this? Well, in no version of the printed screenplay is this comma present. Not in the version printed in the Story Board Collection, not in the version printed in the Newtype filmbooks, and not in the version included on the Japanese End of Eva DVD. The comma does not exist, even though it sounds like it does on the film. Further, Bochan directly confirmed this with deputy director Kazuya Tsurumaki - and found that the duality of Lilith and Adam was always the intented meaning of their relationship. That they are equal powers in the realm of Evangelion, one gave birth to Lilim - and the other to the Angels. But neither one is the origin of the other. |