Comeback! and い碁 translation :)

今日は！

Yes, it's been a very long time since I last updated my blog :) Well, after so many tries I'm starting to suspect that blogs and me don't relate too well :D

But enough of that. Last week I've been working on a small translation of a GO text to test my ability as translator and also to learn some GO. Translating is not an increadibly funny task to do, but it was not as painful as I thought. However, it was painful in the complexity. After having studied 2 years of japanese my level is still pretty pathetic. But it's fun, so complaining is not justified here.

So, what I did is try to translate the first page of one of Asahi's articles about the 31th meijin (those articles appear regularly published here) These articles are far too complex and long considering my nihongo ability so I'm more than satisfied with trying to translate one out of all 8 pages!

After my first try I have to confess that the results are not good. More than half of the sentences leave me with questions related to meaning and grammar! But, on the other hand, I guess that these GO texts are as complex as I will find in regular japanese (if not more).

Before starting, here is the structure I used to translate. It's very simple: First I post the original paragraph. Then the translation. Due to the complexity of the task, I need to add many comments. Those are within brackets and follow a 'TN:' sign, which basically means "Translator Notice"

So, let's start with this article. For an sgf of the match this article refers to, clic on this link

Hope someone finds this enjoying
Till next time!

azathoth

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This is a partial translation of the article 四天王対決 which appeared on 04/04/06 in the Asahi Shinbun (igo section) This is only the first page. Original url is: http://www.asahi.com/igo/meijin31/12/

いまの囲碁界の最前線で活躍する四天王同士の一戦。対局前から盤側でワクワクした気分にさせられた

In the World's GO front line there is currently a batlle going on among the big four. Starting even before of the matches, there is a feeling of excitation/nervousness going on in the vicinity.

両対局者に張栩、羽根直樹を加えた四天王というフレーズは、彼らがタイトル戦に登場するたびに浸透した。最近はライバル同士がタイトルをかけて争うことも多い。

Both players (TN: referring to Takao Shinji and Yamashita Keigo) along with Cho U and Hane Naoki, who form the so-called four Devas (TN: or just the big four?), are going to battle for the title (TN: refers to 31th meijin title) (TN: This sentence ends with something about appearance and osmosis which I don't get). (TN: I also don't really get the next sentence. It looks something like: "Recently, the rivals have lacked in titles, but there are many disputes"?? )

日本棋院は今、４人それぞれにふさわしいニックネームを選んでいる最中という。記者はそちらの決着にも興味津々だ。「カミソリ」「殺し屋」「コンピューター」「宇宙流」（誰のことか分かりますか？）のような、ぴったりの愛称を期待しよう。

Now, the Nihon Kiin is said to be in the middle of choosing nicknames respectively for the 4 players (TN: それぞれ is used here in a way I don't understand). The reporters are very interested in the decision. Who is who? (Nicknames follow:) 'Razor' (カミソリ) 'Professional killer' (殺し屋), 'Computer' (コンピューター) and 'Way of the Cosmos' (宇宙流) (TN: all this is so weird :) Did
I get anything right?)

本局は２月中旬、ちょうど山下が棋聖に復位する１週間前に打たれた。うれしいことに、タイトル奪還目前の集中力そのままに、本局に臨んでくれた。開幕２連勝の好調高尾も気合十分だ。

In the main office (TN: the meaning of 本局 translated here as "main office" doesn't make much sense. This meaning comes from wwwjdic. My kanji dictionary doesn't contain this compound), during the second third of February, Yamashita (山下) had restored his Kisei Title, just after having been beaten one week ago. (TN: I don't understand the grammar of the next sentence. Here is a try:) Happily, the title recovery happened with the same ability to concentrate as before. (TN: I don't understand the following, also. A try:) With two promising consecutive victories, Takao (高尾) is also showing plenty of
fighting spirit.

黒７のハサミに高尾の白８は変化球。黒は９とコスんだ。周囲の石の配置は違うが、ここで昨年の名人戦七番勝負第２局 （張名人—小林覚九段）を思い出した読者は相当な通である。似た場面で小林は黒９をＡで応えていた。

To the hasami (pincer) of black at 7, Takao answered at white 8 with a 変化球 (henkakyuu, ie, change of speed). Black at 9 is a cross-over. The arrangement of surrounding stones differs, but this position reminds to last year's seventh game of the second round of the Meijin (Chou-meijin versus Kobayashi Satoru 9-dan) (TN: not sure whether it was the 7th game of 2nd round or the other way round, but anyway). In that game, Kobayashi anwered the cross-over at A.

この進行を記者室で見て、「いろんな打ち方があるんだね」とつぶやいたのは、たばこを吸いに来た小林だった。

In the reporter room, after seeing this advance there was a mutter "varios ways to follow, right?" (TN: this sentence ends with something about kobayashi and smoking tabacco which I don't get)

白１０は２８分の考慮で打たれ、白１２ツケから２０までのワタリをめざす。白１０は結果的に本局の最長考だった。黒１１は、白１２以下を事前に察知してのひと工夫。どうせ固めてくれるのなら、狭い黒Ｂよりもまさる理屈だ。

White 10 came after 28 minutes of consideration. White 12 to 20 aim at a crossing. Because of the result it is aiming at, White 10 deserved the lengthiest consideration. (TN: I have problems with the following sentence. I interprete the following:) Regarding black 11, white 12 has a sense of going below (black 11) early. (TN: There is something about the word "scheme" (工夫) that I didn't understand in the context) (TN: The following sentence is also quite complex. What I extract does not have much meaning:) In case he gets fortified, surpassing theory says that a narrow black B is not better.