[A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: In the process of writing this
piece, I discovered that I would have to make rather peculiar
use of the Japanese word "ryuu" which means "dragon" in
English. Fortunately, Japanese has a handy synonym for
"ryuu." It is "tatsu." Unlike the English terms sometimes
used in lieu of the word "dragon," such as "worm" or
actually the other english term you're referring to is "wyrm" and it
refers to a larger class of mythical creatures including dragons.
occasionally, "leviathan," tatsu means dragon and nothing
else. You will understand all of this as soon as you run
across my usage of it in the story.
but what of the difference between the european concept of a 'dragon'
and the asian concept?
One of Ukyou's favorite epithets is "aho." Other
characters use this as well, including Ranma, but Ukyou uses
it more often than the rest. "Aho" is generally translated as
stupid, but it carries some connotations that are rather
stronger than "stupid." It falls more into the category of
the English, "dumbass."
the common (Viz) translation is "jackass"
Pantyhose Tarou uses the word "okama" as an epithet
for Ranma. I have seen this translated as "cross-dresser" and
"fem-boy." Neither translation does this epithet justice.
Rather than use a false translation, or commit the sin of
political error, I have opted to simply use the Japanese word
without explication, thus allowing readers to infer for
themselves what the term means.
the Ranma 1/2 project translates it as "transgender bitch" but i see no
reason not to leave it as-is.
One final note. Unless you really can do the Kachuu
Amaguri-ken, don't try any of this stuff at your local
tavern. Such an experiment could have a singularly adverse
effect on your health.]
lol!
okay just c+c-ing the author's notes...