【Anime】The talent that blooms and bears fruit: Talk about Toru Oikawa and his famous quote

Saw Volleyball Boys! ! (hereinafter referred to as volleyball) there are many translations of the classic lines of "The King" and Kawatoru "Celebrity は花させるもの, センスはgrinding くもの" from different animations and comics, but I always feel that the translation is not in place. Common ones are "talents can blossom, ball sense can be honed" or "talents are made to blossom, ball sense is tempered", and various variants of similar semantics, but this way , Compared with the original text, it always seems to lack a little strength.

Because Toru Oikawa was my favorite character in the early days of volleyball youth, it was a pity to see this situation, and I wrote this article to try to explain this line with the hope that more people can get the charm of Oikawa.

First, let me introduce the background of the story. In the plot of volleyball, Oikawa Toru made his debut as the protagonist Kageyama's senior in high school and the big boss ("The King" in Hinata's mouth), as the captain of the protagonist Wuye High School's opponent Aoba Castle West was recognized by the audience. Compared with Kageyama, the protagonist who is called a genius and possesses "overwhelming talent", the title of the episode of the first match between Wuye and Aoba Seonishi tells us directly: "Toru Oikawa is not a genius."

As the battle on the court heats up, Toru Oikawa's past is revealed: When Oikawa was in middle school, he was frustrated when faced with the genius Ushimaru Joli who couldn't beat him no matter how hard he tried. At this time, the newly added player Kageyama was another fast-growing player. He was a genius, and even replaced the official member Oikawa in a practice match as the team's setter/player-there was a high wall in front of him, and a back wave that caught up behind him. This is exactly Oikawa's inner demon.

Oikawa's training intensity became more and more obsessive, and his childhood sweetheart Iwaizumi finally couldn't stand it, and persuaded him with violence : Why do you always think that you want to beat Niu Dao and Ying Shan by yourself? Maybe one person can't win a genius, but six people together is volleyball ! Oikawa Toru has an epiphany since then, and found his belief in "playing 100% of the team's strength" as a lifter. However, Oikawa was still skeptical about whether he really had a way to surpass the "genius" until he consulted the coach and was enlightened:

"No matter how hard I try, I can't win against a genius." It's not too late to sigh after you've tried your best. Although it is a more difficult road than stopping because I feel that I am different from a genius, I believe that my ability is not only so, but moving forward wholeheartedly will be a more difficult road, but I have not tried to the limit, but I already feel that I will lose and give up. Of course you can't win!

Motivated by this, Toru Oikawa concentrated on his own training, and not only won by one person, but the style of "volleyball when six people add up", gradually let go of his inferiority complex.

When Aoba Castle West played against the protagonist Karasuma High School for the last time, Oikawa himself was finally able to say, "Seize the opportunity to let talents blossom and bear fruit, maybe today. Or tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next year... Maybe we have to wait until After the age of 30; but if you think that you have no talent, (this opportunity) will probably never come in your life." It was also in this game, at the climax moment, that Oikawa said this classic quote - " Talent is blooming, センスはgrinding くもの!"

Back to the lines. "Talents can blossom and balls can be honed" is a mistranslation of grammar. In Japanese verb conjugations, there are "possible" and "causal" forms. The "possible form" is probably the English can, and the causal form is the meaning of "let it..." and "make it...". For example, "I can eat eggplant" is translated into Japanese using the possible form (食べられる). Note that in the causative form, there is always a causative subject (I) and a causal object (he).

In the Japanese original text, "資は花させるもの" is a sentence in the form of a servant, that is to say, talent is made bloom rather than can bloom. Although the made bloom by whom does not appear, the presence is brought out in the grammar. Since this line uses the obligatory form, the sense of language behind it should be "the talent is "someone" and "let it" blossom and bear fruit"; in the current situation of the game, there will also be "Oikawa Toru's talent is Oikawa this." The impression that people (through hard work) let it blossom and bear fruit”; and the latter sentence “the feeling of the ball comes from grinding”, which deepens the feeling of “the result of the accumulation of time”.

Translating it into "talents can blossom, and ball sense can be honed" here will weaken Oikawa's "hard work and success" aspect, make the presence of the subject disappear, and make this line look like universal rule— —Very honest, but a little less warm-blooded. However, if it is translated into "talent is what makes it blossom, and the sense of ball is honed", the first sentence is very inconsistent with Chinese grammar. My favorite translation I've seen is probably "It takes effort to make it bloom, and the sense of the ball needs to be honed" (from the genuine second season on Bilibili).

In my own heart, I will help him to make it "I made it bloom, and the sense of the ball is honed by me." Oikawa, who emphasized "not a genius", has already become a genius in the face of demons. Grow into a challenger who can believe in yourself, seize the initiative, and truly - on an equal footing.

In fan works, Oikawa is often reduced to frivolous and annoying characters, and I feel a little sad every time I see it. Oikawa was the first volleyball character I liked, and it was his character of sticking to his own path, finding the goal, and achieving it with the most appropriate means, which deeply moved me.

I hope everyone likes Toru Oikawa who is not a genius, but finally stood in front of everyone and fulfilled the promise of "I will defeat all of you"!