Discussion [SERIOUS] Let's brainstorm a better way to translate "Face"

i think when a 'word' that hard to translate you can just use as it but explain it at side note. it can keep what author want to reader understand or receive.

 

it also work on JP novel' -san, sama, chan. it are how the author build some mood.
it will decrease loot of quality when TL try to delete or change it

 

I dont understand, the chinese concept of face is the same as the english one...

 

First thing that came to mind. Seriouly, let's not

 

well every culture has a term for that. . . and i guess saving face in English is closest. . .
i vote for Face!

 

Was looking at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/face to see if there are any good synonyms, and face can appear in 3 meanings:

1-
good reputation; dignity; prestige.; outward show or pretense.
self-respect, respect, reputation, dignity, standing, authority, image, regard, status, honour, esteem, prestige, self-image, mana
worth in the eyes of others; dignity (esp in the phrases lose or save face)
Value or standing in the eyes of others; prestige: did their best to save face after they were shown to be wrong; did not want to lose face by being unable to live up to his reputation.
lose face, to suffer humiliation.
save face, to escape from humiliation.
status in the eyes of others;

2-
Self-assurance; confidence: The team managed to maintain a firm face even in times of great adversity.

3-
impudent aggressiveness;
Effrontery; impudence: had the face to question my judgment.
(Informal) impudence, front, confidence, audacity, nerve, neck (informal), sauce (informal), cheek (informal), assurance, gall (informal), presumption, boldness, chutzpah (U.S. & Canad. informal), sass (U.S. & Canad. informal), effrontery, brass neck (Brit. informal), sassiness (U.S. informal) I haven't the face to borrow off him.

 

Face is the best.

 

Yeah - I considered expanding on the emotional(social) vs physical aspects of Threat, but decided not to - both are included often enough in the Xianxia / Wuxia genres we read, if not in Real Life, anyway. Given my initial post was already reaching book-report length. I've had to learn to avoid writing thesis' in internet discussions. : )

Interestingly enough with your second example regarding friends or allies: frequently the closer the people are, the more they demand that they NOT 'show face' between them. You can see examples all the time in giving serious gifts and favors, where the one giving will insist that the receiver not decline, and the receiver will accept 'ok, I'll not show you face then' or 'then I'll be rude', etc. That was one of the elements that I took to imply that face was perceived to have some social cost, and was considered a negative in close relationships where trust was paramount over threat/benefit - which led me right back to the initial premise: that Face is equivalent to the Potential Threat.

 

I disagree, I'd definitely read a hip-hop xianxia story. Legendary spirit bling, forbidden breakdance techniques, the MC (pun intended) decimating entire armies with his Nine Phoenixes Jade Turntables, meditating on the dao of funk, entire sects coughing up blood as they hear his heaven-defying rhymes.

 

Hmm .. think. think. think. think ............

what would happened if we changed face to honor or respect?

Spoiler: OMG!!

we will have to live with honorbook or respectbook instead of facebook !!

can't not accept that!!

 

No, I think face is better. I am an Indonesian and in our culture honor and respect can be worded by face some phrase like "Muka Tembok"and "Rai Gedek" in Javanese, in English it is "Wall face" and it means "Shameless". In Asia culture, I think face represents the honor and dignity of people as it is.

 

If it ain't broke.. don't fix it!!!

 

I don't think the Translators themselves should do it though, there should like be editors who make abridged versions of already translated novels imo.

I was actually wondering if there was someone doing that the other day, seems like the thing which is even remotely close are the spoiler / summary documents or whatever.

Sadly there really isn't even a point to read those instead of the actual story, since they completely replace the story with just a bunch of one-line descriptions of what happens in the novel.

Would be cool if I could read BTTH, CSG, and similar without endlessly long monologues, descriptions of how different Qi is fighting in the meridians during breakthrough and so on.

 

Op is retarded, even hong kongers are saying "no face(ie)"....

 

Why are you even bothering to post? You have nothing conductive to add to the discussion and absolutely no business being here in this thread. You are the only person who has insulted someone else.

We are talking about possibly translating face differently. I don't even know why an idiot like you would mention Hong Kong.

In fact, I don't even know why I'm bothering to respond to your obvious troll.