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01:33 Apr 18, 2009
English to Japanese translations [Non-PRO] Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase:Wanderer
Hey, I'm getting a piece of custom Jewelry done, and theres room enough for a symbol, or a couple of symbols.
I want to ask them to engrave a Kanji character, but I don't want to pick the wrong one, or one with the wrong context.
I want it to be something that translates as "Wanderer", or "Traveller", and I'm hoping you good people might be able to help me out.
Is there a symbol or a couple of symbols that represent a meaning along those lines? Also, I may come into contact with Japanese native speakers sometime in the future, so could you also include the other meanings the symbol(s) may infer?
Explanation: 放浪者 = wanderer, vagabond, person with wanderlust, person who roams (sometimes used of homeless persons)
This is read "HOH ROH SHA" (long "O"s) and is a standard term.
流離い人(流離人) = wanderer, person who roams (sometimes on a quest or in exile, with the connotation that he has no place to call home)
This is read "SASURAI-BITO", with "SASURAI" being an old-fashioned and more literary (poetic) term for "wandering". The い may be abbreviated. Not many young people today would be able to read the first two Kanji, as they are not pronounced as expected.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2009-04-18 02:45:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Oh, and here's the breakdown of the individual characters (had to grab my Character Dictionary by Jack Halpern to be sure there were no obscure hidden meanings):
放 = to let go, release, make free (sometimes emit or radiate)
浪 = to wander, roam, ramble, drift about; a wave or billow (also the same "ROH" as in "ROH NIN" of movie fame)
者 = person
流 = flow, current; to circulate, to spread (as in fads or styles)
離 = to separate, make distant; to alienate or estrange
人 = human being, person
I would actually recommend the latter if you're going for something more poetic, even though it IS a bit obscure...
I'd forgotten about "彷徨人" which may also work, but it has the connotation of being lost, with no bearings.
The Kanji characters should be arranged either left to right, or (more traditionally) top to bottom. Either is acceptable.
I'd make it sound more creative as to fit the taste of the custom jewelry, assuming it has a personal quality. First. there is also an alternative for the word "wander": 流浪. This, largely meaning the same thing as already translated words in posted answers, is pragmaticlly separate from them, as being rid of negative impressions (or, nostalgically far distant in time). In addition, I'd add "家" to this word, which in translation has the meaning of a doer, and should amount to the target word. The reason I would add this is it connotes a sense that the person who wanders prides in that status of being a wanderer. Thus, it tastes a little more creative than when with "人" as in 流浪人. In sum, 流浪家 would translate as "proudly wanderer." Kind of same thing as 喫煙家 for smokers. How does this sound?
Explanation: 放浪者 = wanderer, vagabond, person with wanderlust, person who roams (sometimes used of homeless persons)
This is read "HOH ROH SHA" (long "O"s) and is a standard term.
流離い人(流離人) = wanderer, person who roams (sometimes on a quest or in exile, with the connotation that he has no place to call home)
This is read "SASURAI-BITO", with "SASURAI" being an old-fashioned and more literary (poetic) term for "wandering". The い may be abbreviated. Not many young people today would be able to read the first two Kanji, as they are not pronounced as expected.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2009-04-18 02:45:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Oh, and here's the breakdown of the individual characters (had to grab my Character Dictionary by Jack Halpern to be sure there were no obscure hidden meanings):
放 = to let go, release, make free (sometimes emit or radiate)
浪 = to wander, roam, ramble, drift about; a wave or billow (also the same "ROH" as in "ROH NIN" of movie fame)
者 = person
流 = flow, current; to circulate, to spread (as in fads or styles)
離 = to separate, make distant; to alienate or estrange
人 = human being, person
I would actually recommend the latter if you're going for something more poetic, even though it IS a bit obscure...
I'd forgotten about "彷徨人" which may also work, but it has the connotation of being lost, with no bearings.
The Kanji characters should be arranged either left to right, or (more traditionally) top to bottom. Either is acceptable.
Tina Wooden United States Local time: 15:19 Native speaker of: English, Japanese
Grading comment
Brilliant, thank you both!
Which way should they be presented to be properly read? Left to right, right to left or top down?
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
