Here is a pretty nice Honda commercial that is getting a unprecedented youtube welcome (half a million views is Honda's highest ever in Japan); Click to "watch in youtube" for high-res versions up to 1080p if you'd like to.
The title could be translated as something like:
- "I'm not going to lose", or
- "There is no way I will lose"
(the one supposedly saying that is a Honda engineer, or "Honda engineers all together")
I think you can get the overall idea from the images, but its beauty can only be grasped if you understand the narration. Here is a quick shot (sorry if not accurate but this is full of vocabulary that I'm far from mastering...; any help from a native Japanese???):
- If one makes one's best, one will be rewarded at some point,
if one keeps persisting, dreams can be reached.
- Those are only illusions
- Usually effort is not rewarded,
usually justice doesn't win,
usually dreams aren't reached.
- That is how the real world goes most often.
- But, why is it like that?
- That is nothing but the starting point.
If one tries something new, for sure he/she will fail (blunder),
get angry about it,
therefore, one shortens bedtime, shortens eating time, and does it again and again.
- Well, let’s surpass the oneself of yesterday.
- Let’s surpass the Honda of yesterday.
And right after that is when the new NSX concept drives away
PS: I think this commercial is a strong statement on the direction Honda has steered since the Lehmann crisis. Again, I understand perfectly that is not of the likes of many people, but the commercial remains not only a beautiful declaration, but also a powerful display of the values that have always made Honda, well, Honda.
Well, I just made a versión adding english subtitles, so that you can watch it the way it's meant to be watched.
PS: Corrections to my translation are more than welcome; I can edit the captions anytime so just let me know !
danielgr wrote: Here is a pretty nice Honda commercial that is getting a unprecedented youtube welcome (half a million views is Honda's highest ever in Japan); Click to "watch in youtube" for high-res versions up to 1080p if you'd like to.
The title could be translated as something like:
- "I'm not going to lose", or
- "There is no way I will lose"
(the one supposedly saying that is a Honda engineer, or "Honda engineers all together")
I think you can get the overall idea from the images, but its beauty can only be grasped if you understand the narration. Here is a quick shot (sorry if not accurate but this is full of vocabulary that I'm far from mastering...; any help from a native Japanese???):
- If one makes one's best, one will be rewarded at some point,
if one keeps persisting, dreams can be reached.
- Those are only illusions
- Usually effort is not rewarded,
usually justice doesn't win,
usually dreams aren't reached.
- That is how the real world goes most often.
- But, why is it like that?
- That is nothing but the starting point.
If one tries something new, for sure he/she will fail (blunder),
get angry about it,
therefore, one shortens bedtime, shortens eating time, and does it again and again.
- Well, let’s surpass the oneself of yesterday.
- Let’s surpass the Honda of yesterday.
And right after that is when the new NSX concept drives away
PS: I think this commercial is a strong statement on the direction Honda has steered since the Lehmann crisis. Again, I understand perfectly that is not of the likes of many people, but the commercial remains not only a beautiful declaration, but also a powerful display of the values that have always made Honda, well, Honda.
FiSH-Chan wrote: I didn't see the subtitles, I think it may be the wrong video or my settings don't show it, but I'm more interested in the NSX concept, it MOVES!!!
To enable captions (subtitles) you have to clic on the "CC" mark just next to the quality settings.
That goes for any video in YouTube supporting captions...
danielgr wrote: Well, I just made a versión adding english subtitles, so that you can watch it the way it's meant to be watched.
Thanks! Much appreciated.
That sentence about one tries something new, made a blunder and gets angry is hilarious, kind of what's happening here at TOV.
Still don't know what the ad meant though... The cars selected are what I considered as Honda's breakthrough products, but after NSX and Beat, it's just random. No S2000 or the Type-Rs, no Insight 2.0 even, after the 1st gen Fit, then boom came the NSX 2.0. The narrative is hella gloom also... "usually justice doesn't win"? Not exactly Sunday morning cartoon advertisement tone and I thought those tokusatsu heroes (did I say that right?) always talks about justice will prevail and what not.
danielgr wrote: Well, I just made a versión adding english subtitles, so that you can watch it the way it's meant to be watched.
Thanks! Much appreciated.
That sentence about one tries something new, made a blunder and gets angry is hilarious, kind of what's happening here at TOV.
Still don't know what the ad meant though... The cars selected are what I considered as Honda's breakthrough products, but after NSX and Beat, it's just random. No S2000 or the Type-Rs, no Insight 2.0 even, after the 1st gen Fit, then boom came the NSX 2.0. The narrative is hella gloom also... "usually justice doesn't win"? Not exactly Sunday morning cartoon advertisement tone and I thought those tokusatsu heroes (did I say that right?) always talks about justice will prevail and what not.
I don't think there are any random choices in there, and everything was well thought. If you think about it:
1)The S2000 as a concept is just a sequel to the previous S series, so it wasn't braking any new ground, simply a modern re-interpretation. The engine, etc. was again simply "pushing the boundaries of what Honda introduced in the NSX", which is their performance DOHC-VTEC stuff. Sure it was the "culmination" of many things Honda (basically the 90's decade), but certainly broke not new ground. The same can be said of every single typeR to date...
2)The 2nd gen Insight was certainly a highlight in Honda history (their first hybrid designed to grab mass-appeal, first ever hybrid to top the sales charts in Japan, etc.) yet again it represented no major breakthrough, simple the culmination of the 1st gen IMA tech which was introduced with the 1st gen Insight.
The logic keeps going, but there is a reason why the RA272 is there (the car that brought Honda's first F1 victory) and not any of the multiple-title winning cars that Senna drove.
The ad is not about engineering excellence, it's not about Honda's greatest products either, the car is about "trying something new", "pushing the boundaries of imagination", it's about pursuing "real dreams", which have to be "about the unthinkable", not simply about "making the same thing better".
And that speaks for Honda's evolution since their first days, and for how much imho most people here misunderstand the company, keep asking for more of the same, again and again, simply because 20 years ago Honda's way of "thinking out of the box" captured their "dreams" at the time they were "young enough to dream about stuff that the usual American maker couldn't offer".
Now they've grown old, like their parents before them, and they just keep asking for their good old formula (the one that made them love Honda 20 years ago) to be refined indefinitely, just like their parents may have wanted their American muscle cars to be refined for ever.
For Honda to be alive, they do not need to keep doing sports-cars like they did in the 90's (but obviously better), they need to rediscover them like they did at the time, they need to fulfill the dreams of the younger guys coming down the pipe.
Personally, during the Fukui era I was very worried, and I wrote it countless times, and I was worried because I could see Honda growing mature, getting old, having stopped trying to challenge themselves and seemingly satisfied with doing the same thing over and over, adhering to the rest of the world good old formulas (like the paradigm of a big V8/V10 engine with an RWD platform), and even like the "Insight 2.0" mirroring the Prius...
The crisis though was a huge wake-up call, ever since Honda is imho fighting back to be Honda again, and I couldn't be happier about it. And yes, right after past year I did buy my first ever stock-shares, they were Honda's and they symbolized both my support during hard times for the one corporation I admire in this world (and the people working there), and my confidence that despite what the market thought they were right on the good path. I'm not planning to sell anytime soon, but I sure hope they don't disappoint me (and I'm not thinking about their stock-price...)
PS: And really, to fully understand what's so exceptional about this ad, and about Honda's way in Japan in general, you have to know Japanese people. You need to feel how extremely difficult it is for Japanese people to "think out of the box", to admit that "failure is a necessary step towards progress", that "no one can get something new right on the first attempt, but that it is still worthy to keep trying".
Imho what makes Honda such an special company is that they ally two seemingly irreconcilable qualities: Japanese passion for perfection and craftsmanship with western appetite for risk and innovation. That is probably the reason why no competitor (either in the same field or in a different one) likes Honda, neither in Japan nor abroad, why they form no alliances, and why they'll never get any favor from anyone. They simply can't fit anywhere, and that makes everyone else feel uncomfortable.
Now, I've personally come a long way from my early attraction to the company based on a car like the NSX and their victories powering my youth hero (a young Brazilian called A. Senna), and it may all be a fairy-tale story I made up (everyone needs to find his own heroes), but I'm still pretty glad my tale keeps going on.
Once again Daniel, many thanks from me personally for your great work. Again you have done something very worthwhile for the TOV community. Of course I don't agree with many of your points in the post. But that is the way of life. We each have our own personal point of views and most important is we respect each other's POV.
Thanks again.
danielgr wrote: ...I don't think there are any random choices in there, and everything was well thought. If you think about it:
1)The S2000 as a concept is just a sequel to the previous S series, so it wasn't braking any new ground, simply a modern re-interpretation. The engine, etc. was again simply "pushing the boundaries of what Honda introduced in the NSX", which is their performance DOHC-VTEC stuff. Sure it was the "culmination" of many things Honda (basically the 90's decade), but certainly broke not new ground. The same can be said of every single typeR to date...
Chocs wrote: Judging from his tone and dialogue, doesn't "sore ga doushita" sound more like him saying "so what"?
I'm not a native speaker, but it sounds like a subtle defiance (of the world's hardships), rather than a literal query..
First post. Go easy on me :D
What you say kind of makes sense to me, I always find that expression to be very difficult to translate or understand, since it depends on context and I rarely end up satisfied…
I'll wait though for one of the few Japanese guys around TOV to give his take on it before changing it.
Thanks for your contribution either way. I may be an ass many more times than I should, but I do always appreciate when someone brings something to the community.
WongKN wrote: Once again Daniel, many thanks from me personally for your great work. Again you have done something very worthwhile for the TOV community. Of course I don't agree with many of your points in the post. But that is the way of life. We each have our own personal point of views and most important is we respect each other's POV.
Thanks again.
[...]
You are welcome Wong, as usual.
That is to begin with why I try to post first the simple news/facts, then write my own opinion on a different post.
As you said, we each have our own personal points of view, and personally they are all welcome for as long as they are honest and stay aside from personal disqualifications.
I always find that expression to be very difficult to translate or understand, since it depends on context and I rarely end up satisfied…
So do I. That's why I usually don't reread what I did.
You're getting really good with Japanese. i hate that when Gaijin do well in Japanese.
When my wife and I were walking passed a hotel at night in NewYork City. 3~4 limousine drivers were all talking in Japanese in front of the Hotel. They probably were waiting for their clients to come out or something.
When I glanced I saw one of them was a freaking 'Gaijin". What irked me was I didn't know until i saw him talking. Well, technically he might not have been a 'Gaijin' since it was in New York City. And it was more than 30 years ago. Things change.
May I try? I'm changing it just because I'd like to change it for change's sake, like Honda or Citroen.
Won't be beaten
doing your best, you'll be rewarded
hold on to your dreams, the dreams come true
that's an illusion
probably, your efforts would not reward you
probably, justice would not prevail
probably, dreams would not come true
that's what often happens in real world
but, so what
that is the begining
try new things you fail, you get angry
forgetting time or hunger you try and try again
go beyond yourself of you have been until yesterday
go beyond Honda of us have been until yesterday
Great stuff. Only (-) comment I have is that the typography should not have been atop the NSX at the end 'cause it reduced the time allowed to take it all in a savor the moment before it pulled away.
This is the kind of moving, thoughtful stuff i wish we had here. Not Ozzy and Avengers...
doing your best, you'll be rewarded one day
hold on to your dreams, the dreams come true
that's an illusion
probably, your efforts would not reward you
probably, justice would not prevail
probably, dreams would not come true
that's what often happens in real world
but, so what
that is the begining
when you try new things, you fail, you get angry
forgetting time or hunger, you try and try again
go beyond yourself of you have been until yesterday
go beyond Honda of we have been until yesterday
I've paid my dues -
Time after time -
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime -
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face -
But I've come through
We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions - of the world -
Anyway, I decided to borrow some of CR-V9's literal translation (because of the holes in my vocab) and had a go with my interpretation, just for the hell of it...
"If I do my best, I'll be rewarded some day."
"If I hold onto my dreams, they will come true."
Those are nothing but illusions.
Effort might not reward you.
Justice might not prevail.
Those dreams might never come true.
That's often the case in the real world.
But, what of it?
That's where it all begins.
If you try new things, you will fail, get upset,
that's why you lose sleep and forget meals, trying time and again.
Come, let's surpass our selves of yesterday.
Let's surpass the Honda of yesterday.
I only had about 4 years worth of Japanese classes in highschool (which was almost 5 years ago) so take that as you will... but translating Japanese I find is quite fun; since it's usually so vague compared to how precise English is, there's room for multiple interpretations.
This ad is sentimental, yet it's looking into the future. I like it..
As for being an ass, daniel, I'll reserve that sort of judgement until I've met and talked to you face to face. I do think you're quite frank, though :)
Chocs, seriously? Just 4~5 years of studing?
I hate when a gaijin does well in Japanese.
I'm here for decades and a 5 year old can speak better than me. 10 year old can write better than me. WTF.
Thinkgs change. I hate that, too.
CR-V9 wrote: Chocs, seriously? Just 4~5 years of studing?
I hate when a gaijin does well in Japanese.
I'm here for decades and a 5 year old can speak better than me. 10 year old can write better than me. WTF.
Thinkgs change. I hate that, too.
Well, in any case, thanks to both of you (CR-V9 to provide the first much better insight, chocs to polish it in well written english). Here is the final version I made out of both of your inputs and my own personal feel/opinion.
"If I do my best,
I'll be rewarded some day"
"If I hold onto my dreams,
I will reach them"
Those are nothing but illusions
Usually effort is not rewarded,
usually justice doesn't win,
usually dreams can't be reached.
That's often the case in the real world.
But, so what?
That is just the beginning.
If you try something new,
you will fail, get upset...,
therefore, you start losing sleep,
forgetting meals...,
trying time and again.
I must admit I have a strong tendency to keep it as literal as I can. I do understand English people do not talk like that, but that is kind of the point, Japanese people are not English/American, they do not express themselves in the same way, nor feel in the same way about a similar thing. Again, it's just a personal taste, but I do believe we made a great job here guys so, again, thank you !!!
Neal wrote: Great stuff. Only (-) comment I have is that the typography should not have been atop the NSX at the end 'cause it reduced the time allowed to take it all in a savor the moment before it pulled away.
This is the kind of moving, thoughtful stuff i wish we had here. Not Ozzy and Avengers...
I wonder how are TV spots in the US. In Japan there are (I believe) three general formats, 15s, 30s and 60s, and well, they absolutely have to fit within those formats, there is no room for an extra second or two.
Usually the 60s format is reserved for corporate ads, while new models or important MMC get 30s, and promotions/campaigns/trims follow-ups 15s.
In many ways that makes watching JP commercials quite an experience, like being bombarded with subliminal messages you barely have time to grasp...
Btw, translating the title of the ad is an absolute mess, because "MakerumonKa" isn't simply like "we won't be beaten" (or any of the other alternatives we've written here). Japanese is a language full of nuances, and (I believe) that is a relatively familiar yet powerful (showing strong will) form over here.
For example, it used to be the title of a (I believe) fairly popular rock song of the 80's:
Midi_Amp wrote: Still don't know what the ad meant though... The cars selected are what I considered as Honda's breakthrough products, but after NSX and Beat, it's just random. No S2000 or the Type-Rs, no Insight 2.0 even, after the 1st gen Fit, then boom came the NSX 2.0.
One thing I keep noticnig and then fail to post about it until now is why the 82 Prelude came before the 76 Accord hatchback. I mean everything else seems to be ordered correctly by timeline (I never really check though) so that bugs me somewhat.
I'm calm, now. I took my medications.
Dany-san, there is one thing I respectly read differently.
On the last two lines, I don't think they mean "you of yesterday" or "Honda of yesterday".
It was the "made" I'm curious. It is not "kinou-no-anata" or "kinou-no-Honda". It was "kinou-made- no-anata" & "kinou-made-no-Honda".
The "made" has a hiden connotation of "yet" or "still', some limited quarity. So I interpreted it as "what you have become" or "what Honda has become till today". I think they're talking about you of today, what you have become, Honda of today, what Honda has come to.
So It is not to surpase Honda of yesterday(in golden years) but rather to do better than today's Honda, to go back to the yesterday's Honda. That was how I understood it first time.
I know, I know, it's minor point but it is defferent, though. I just was not able to come up with a short comparable phrase.
And I think this was an internal CM. It meant to appeal to the employees. Ito wants them to do better(go beyond) themselves and make Honda better to bring back the yesterday Honda. Ito wants them to be angry, passionate. That's how I took it. Maybe I'm wrong. No big deal. Did you ask your wife? Or she is sick of Honda this, Honda that?
Reading from the comments on Youtube, this brought tears to many people.
p.s. I agree that translation should be as close as literal. Akwardness is better if it conveys Japaneseness of the original text. I don't think it should sound normal english. Where is the fun of translation from other language?
MY brain essentially functions in a permanent state of translated-Japanese-awkwardness.
CR-V9 wrote: I'm calm, now. I took my medications.
Dany-san, there is one thing I respectly read differently.
On the last two lines, I don't think they mean "you of yesterday" or "Honda of yesterday".
It was the "made" I'm curious. It is not "kinou-no-anata" or "kinou-no-Honda". It was "kinou-made- no-anata" & "kinou-made-no-Honda".
The "made" has a hiden connotation of "yet" or "still', some limited quarity. So I interpreted it as "what you have become" or "what Honda has become till today". I think they're talking about you of today, what you have become, Honda of today, what Honda has come to.
So It is not to surpase Honda of yesterday(in golden years) but rather to do better than today's Honda, to go back to the yesterday's Honda. That was how I understood it first time.
I know, I know, it's minor point but it is defferent, though. I just was not able to come up with a short comparable phrase.
And I think this was an internal CM. It meant to appeal to the employees. Ito wants them to do better(go beyond) themselves and make Honda better to bring back the yesterday Honda. Ito wants them to be angry, passionate. That's how I took it. Maybe I'm wrong. No big deal. Did you ask your wife? Or she is sick of Honda this, Honda that?
Reading from the comments on Youtube, this brought tears to many people.
p.s. I agree that translation should be as close as literal. Akwardness is better if it conveys Japaneseness of the original text. I don't think it should sound normal english. Where is the fun of translation from other language?
![[home]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/home.gif){kind=small}
![[rumors and news]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/rumors.gif){kind=small}
![[model release matrix]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/newmodelreleasematrix.gif){kind=small}
![[dealer network]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/dealernet.gif){kind=small}
![[desktop calendar]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/calendar.gif){kind=small}
![[exhaust notes]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/exhaust.gif){kind=small}
![[tov forums]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/forums.gif){kind=small}
![[links]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/links.gif){kind=small}
![[search]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/search.gif){kind=small}
![[sponsors]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/sponsors.gif){kind=small}
![[garage]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/garage.gif){kind=small}
![[login]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/login.gif){kind=small}
