結局遅くまでかかった…（前回失敗してこの混乱を招いた責任を感じて…まあ、いずれ来るべきものであったかもしれないが、PJに知ってもらおうと焦るあまり、再度個人を説得しようとする文のままになってしまった。掲載に使ってもらえるならこの文章、と別提示すべきだった。という反省から、できるだけの推敲はしたつもりですが。後にEvenstar 様が控えていてくださるのだから、お許し下さいね、皆様。）

--------------------------

Dear Tehanu,

It was natural for you to take the notice as a good news, as it was
the way the Japanese distributor did intend it to be, but the reactions
of Japanese fans it has brought was to the contrary.
Let me explain.

I'm not saying they lie: they are just not telling you the whole story.
I don't wish to be lengthy but every defense they are trying to make is
and has already been easily disproved.

a) Another translator, Akiko Tanaka who knows and loves Tolkien
"was asked to do a complete translation and Ms. Natsuko Toda was asked
to create the subtitle copy from this translation."

This is the very reason fans are angry at the announcement.
Toda did CREATE such bad subtitles for the trailer in spite of
all the help she was offered. She CUTS AND EDITS, PUTTING QUESTION
MARKS where none exists, no matter what the original script or the
'complete translation' really says.
And the end product is, for example, while you hear 'It's the ring.
It has taken hold of him.' you have to read: 'Because of the ring?'

The subtitles on the trailer for TTT was what aroused the fans to
start a petition once again. The great difference between the
impressions given by the dubbed version and the subtitled one was
too obvious, and sadly, too familiar.
And now they tell us that both the dubbing script and the subtitle
script were equally based on the same 'complete translation'.
What then, I ask, has parted them afar?

To us this is a proof that even with the help of Tolkien scholars,
Toda will never do a standard job anymore, much less a job to fans'
satisfaction.

b)
"It seems to me that Peter Jackson merely misunderstood the situation.
The translator wasn't being replaced per se (at least, officially),
but Akiko Tanaka is now doing the translation."

If they told PJ merely about Akiko Tanaka (she is held high among
the fans) and chose not to mention that Toda is given the upper hand,
it would make sense to me.

What Akiko Tanaka was asked to do is what is usually called
'pre-translation', like a graduate student working under his professor.
Some fans believe that the distributor wanted her name to soothe
our criticisms.
But it worked completely the other way around. Now we know who is really
responsible for the lines that are not at all like the original script.
Not until this time, we thought we needed to accuse the translator
by name. But we are doing it now because we cannot afford the courtesy
anymore.

c)
And as for Toda being widely acknowledged as THE best movie translator
in Japan, well, she used to be the best, years ago. Even if she is
still best-known, that does not excuse her for 'translating' SAURON
INTO SOLOMON, does it?
(Old Biblical names are known in Japan, too.)

I called her shameless and I understand it was unwise. But I do not
mean to take it back. So many have pointed out her numerous mistakes
in FotR, asking her politely to respect the great masterpiece, and
the way she has been rejecting them---I wish you knew---has always
added fuel to the flames.

Thank you again for your interest, kindness and patience,

Herbalist
--------------------------------------

(Supplement)
For your convinience, let me add a chronicle:

March, 2002: As soon as FotR was released in Japan, fans started pointing out mistranslations. The movement for better subtitles began.
May 30th: A petition on FotR mistranslations was sent to the distributor.

June 7th: The first annoucement, or a notice, was put up on the Japanese official site, saying in DVD/VHS the subtitles will be revised with the help of Akiko Tanaka and Hyoronsha.

September 21st: DVD/VHS released, subtitles were pretty well repaired.

October 18th: The trailer for TTT was released with bad subtitles again.
Fans worried and started a new petition for fear that TTT should suffer the way FotR did.

December 12nd: PJ confirmed that the Japanese translations would be done by someone else. Fans grateful and relieved.

December 24th: A Japanese weekly magazine, Sunday Mainich took up PJ's comment.
December 25th: The distributor put up the second officilal announcement, which made many fans furious.
December 26th: The distributor shut down their officilal BBS, because of the great rush of angry voices from fans.

------------

▼関連発言
│
└◆1185:なんですか？これは [ゆっこ] 12/29 15:32
　├◆1188:Japanese Translations Improving? .. [大ガラス] 12/29 16:26
　│├◆1189:これが恐れていたことです [ハーブ] 12/29 16:41
　││└◆1190:よろしくお願いします [ゆっこ] 12/29 17:08
　││　└◆1191:Re:よろしくお願いします [ゆっこ] 12/29 17:13
　│└◆1202:速報−TORN記事要旨（戸田擁護論... [白い都] 12/29 20:46
　├◆1192:日本人じゃないでしょう。 [baldhatter] 12/29 18:12
　│├◆1193:Re:日本人じゃないでしょう。 [あ、クマ犬] 12/29 19:18
　││└◆1196:機械でもない [baldhatter] 12/29 19:55
　│└◆1194:反論書きます [Evenstar] 12/29 19:31
　│　├◆1195:お願いします [ゆっこ] 12/29 19:42
　│　│├◆1203:Re:お願いします [tomtom] 12/29 20:58
　│　│└◆1210:わたしもお願いします [ヘイゼル] 12/30 00:38
　│　├◆1197:反論途中にて（その１） [ハーブ] 12/29 20:23
　│　│└◆1200:反論途中にて（その２） [ハーブ] 12/29 20:35
　│　│　└◆1208:修正稿：投稿予定（長文） [ハーブ] 12/29 23:41
　│　│　　└◆1209:Re:修正稿：投稿予定（長.. [ゆっこ] 12/30 00:15
　│　│　　　└◆1215:投稿しました [ハーブ] 12/30 02:53
　│　│　　　　└◆1273:第一便・和訳の試み [ここのつ] 01/03 17:00<-last
　│　├◆1198:Re:反論書きます [さんちゃん] 12/29 20:25
　│　├◆1201:時系列説明を [ゴンドール国民] 12/29 20:36
　│　│└◆1207:私も頭数にお加えください [鉄の足ダイン] 12/29 23:28
　│　├◆1205:割り込んでごめんなさい [馳久] 12/29 21:36
　│　├◆1211:連名させてください [角笛] 12/30 00:45
　│　├◆1212:よろしくお願い致します [イルフ] 12/30 00:53
　│　├◆1213:連名お願いいたします [ＴＫ] 12/30 01:04
　│　│└◆1254:まだ連名間に合いますか？ [ピピン] 12/31 03:12
　│　│　└◆1258:はい、大丈夫です。 [Evenstar] 12/31 22:27
　│　├◆1217:部分的な反論書いたけど... [baldhatter] 12/30 05:24
　│　│├◆1218:誤植訂正 [baldhatter] 12/30 05:40
　│　││└◆1219:Re:誤植訂正追加　と　新ネ.. [あ、クマ犬（わーぐ）] 12/30 06:17
　│　│├◆1223:【急ぎ】引用を許可していた... [Evenstar] 12/30 11:17
　│　││├◆1224:Re:【急ぎ】引用はさしつか.. [ハーブ] 12/30 11:31
　│　│││└◆1227:もちろんです [baldhatter] 12/30 12:51
　│　││└◆1228:戸田批判の根本 [ゆっこ] 12/30 12:52
　│　│└◆1232:「ローカル星人」の代案 [baldhatter] 12/30 13:29
　│　├◆1220:しばしお待ちください [Evenstar] 12/30 07:36
　│　├◆1237:【暫定案】TORnへの投稿記事 [Evenstar] 12/30 15:13
　│　│├◆1238:私のメール・アドレス [Evenstar] 12/30 15:19
　│　│├◆1248:私の名前はカットしませう [baldhatter] 12/30 21:29
　│　││└◆1250:了解です [Evenstar] 12/30 23:51
　│　│├◆1249:Re:【暫定案】Eowyn＆休暇だ... [ハーブ] 12/30 22:00
　│　││└◆1251:アドバイスに感謝 [Evenstar] 12/31 00:12
　│　││　└◆1253:［余談］「DVDでーた」付.. [白い都] 12/31 02:41
　│　││　　└◆1257:Gladiatorのミススペル.. [baldhatter] 12/31 04:40
　│　│├◆1255:【暫定案】和訳の試み [ここのつ] 12/31 03:19
　│　││└◆1263:感謝＆感激です！ [Evenstar] 01/01 11:27
　│　│└◆1262:【最終稿】TORnへの投稿記事 [Evenstar] 01/01 11:20
　│　│　└◆1264:【最終稿】和訳の試み [ここのつ＠1/18] 01/02 02:22
　│　│　　└◆1270:投稿＆和訳ありがとうご... [白い都] 01/03 00:48
　│　└◆1245:連名させてください [馳ねこ] 12/30 19:55
　├◆1214:戸田氏擁護対策 [トーマス] 12/30 02:18
　│├◆1221:ご存知かもしれないと思いますが [大ガラス] 12/30 08:22
　││└◆1226:戸田誤訳の例 [白い都] 12/30 12:47
　││　└◆1229:無念の「66回」 [baldhatter] 12/30 12:55
　││　　├◆1235:さすが [ハーブ] 12/30 14:59
　││　　└◆1239:Re:無念の「66回」 [微力ながら] 12/30 15:51
　│└◆1222:Re:戸田氏擁護対策 [ゆっこ] 12/30 08:26
　├◆1216:【伺い】NLへの資料送付はどうする... [白い都] 12/30 03:25
　└◆1234:反省と謝罪 [ハーブ] 12/30 14:33
　　└◆1242:【私信】いか〜ん！ [Evenstar] 12/30 16:52
　　　└◆1246:運動目標はTRONに認められるこ... [白い都] 12/30 20:54
　　　　└◆1247:補足・PJとNLあてにも投書を... [白い都] 12/30 21:12
　　　　　└◆1252:「反論」はPJとNLには送り... [Evenstar] 12/31 01:24
　　　　　　└◆1256:Evenstarさまの「反論」... [白い都] 12/31 03:36