Comparative Study Of Chinese And Japanese Onomatopoeia

Japanese onomatopoeic and mimetic expressions are frequently used in the language and are considered one of the most difficult challenges for translators and those learning Japanese. Japanese comics (Manga), which have become popular all over the world in recent years, contain a lot of onomatopoeia and many mimetic words. These words are used both in conversation bubbles and in the background as sound effects. The present study aims to identify and analyze the methods used to translate Japanese onomatopoeia and mimetic words into Chinese, focusing on two series of comics for youth as the study material. First, basic information about onomatopoeic and mimetic expressions in both Japanese and Chinese will be provided. As part of the analysis, this study aims to identify the validity of the methods already proposed for translating Japanese onomatopoeic and mimetic words in comics into Chinese. Two popular Japanese comics, Bakuman and Detective Conan, are used as the data source. Almost 250 cases are extracted and nine methods (the use of adverbs, adjectives, verbs, nouns, idioms, onomatopoeia in the target language, explicative phrases, combinations of words, and omission) are identified. The extracted data on onomatopoeia and mimetic expressions from both the Japanese and Chinese versions are tested for whether they apply the six approaches of translation formulated by Young (2008). Three approaches for translating onomatopoeic and mimetic words in conversation bubbles are as follows:Translating onomatopoeia into corresponding onomatopoeia, translating onomatopoeia into non-onomatopoeic expressions, and translating onomatopoeic words into "created" onomatopoeic words. For translating onomatopoeia and mimetic words in the background, Young formulates the following three patterns:Translating onomatopoeic and mimetic words into corresponding onomatopoeic and mimetic expressions, translating mimetic words into non-mimetic words with lively images, and translating onomatopoeia into words with greater force to represent a certain effect. The validity of applying these six approaches to different types of comics is examined. In addition, some common kinds of onomatopoeia and mimetic words from comics, such as laughter and electronic sounds, are categorized and considered.