Reachmahjong.com

Hey!

We've made a short promotional video for our little unofficial Majhong Club. The are no dialogues so we need to record narrative parts. I have it all covered for Polish and English. But we'd like to go further and do a Japanese version too! Riichi origins in Japan so it'd be a disgrace to ignore the language

I'll take care of the recording process. What I need is the narrator's text translated to Romaji (if that's even possible). I can't (yet) read in Japanese so... Here's the whole part:

"Bielawa - a small picteresque mountainous town somewhere in Lower Silesia is a home to a Mahjong Club. One day, at the club HQ located in Rodos Inn a stranger appears. He's the legendary Mask whose true identity remains hidden. The Mask has traversed the country for years in search of an equally skilled Mahjong player.

To no avail...

This time he wants to challenge the 3 bravest club members to a Mahjong duel. His rivals are: Richard 4th Dan. For unknown reason he despises the Souzu suit and discards them over any other tiles. He specializes in tanki machi. Elvis - 10th Dan. The master of Kans. His Rinshan Kaihou win ratio violates the rules of probability. There's also the third player - The Invisible One. New blood. His skills are no match to the rest so this duel will be a truly humbling experience.
The Mask presents his Magic Tile Set which, according to legends has its own Will. He can be both an ally and an enemy to the owner. The set manipulates players' nagare to create the most thrilling and unpredictible game scenarios.

The players take their seats and set up the game.

The battle begins!

Club members are doing their best, aiming for Yakumans - the only way to defeat The Mask. Richard - Big Three Winds, Elwis Three Big Dragons. Every player is already tenpai.

Decisive turn.

The Mask has no choice. He's got to call Tsumo. This time the Will of his tiles has turned against him.

Certain legends predict a nigh death once a player has collected the 9 Gates.

Unaware of that, the club members are shattered by this ignominious defeat. All those years of experience and thousands of matches played were still not enough to compete with the Mask.


Is Mask's perdition inevitable???

Heh, a man once told me that legends never die..."

A little explanation: Bielawa is the name of our town, I guess it'd be best to leave it in Polish. If you're curious, English pronunciation would go like this: Biehlava. Another thing: Lower Silesia is a region in Poland where we live. I've found a term for 'Silesia' in a Pol-Jap dictionary: シレジア. I don't know how you say 'lower' in geographical context. Rodos is the name of a local restaurant where we usually play Mahjong. It's pronounced exactly as it's written.

I'd be really glad if anyone here could help me with this. Whoever translates this text will be given special thanks at the end of the clip. I'd ask somewhere else, but I don't know anybody who knows Jap well enough to translate this. I also wanted to refer to someone who knows Jap AND Riichi Mahjong to use proper terminology.

Once again, I'd be VEEEEEERY grateful for ANY help. Our little project won't be complete without a Japanese version. BTW: once finished, the vid will go directly to YouTube, my blog, our FB group, Osamuko Mahjong Groups and my friend's local news website so I expect quite a lot of viewers

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I´m on it!

But keep in mind it will take sometime time...

Did you know that Island of Lodoss/Rodos-tô is is a sub contintent in Dungeons and Dragons worlds created by the japanese?

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! No worries. Take your time, we have no deadline specified

Ha! Didn't know that! Never played D&D... Well, it was kinda silly of me to explain Rodos as it is an actual island that most people have heard of

The text will not be perfect, I´m from Spain. An my japanese is so-so. Man, you sure wrote something like an RPG story. It´s hard to translate!

I did not played D & D, except for Baldur´s Gate, Icewind Dale and other pc games oldies. I never played the D & D table RPG. But I know that fact because I watched the old anime of Rodoss.

Heh, I'm sure you'll manage! Thanks again for accepting this challenge ;p

We're planning on recording 2 follow-ups to this video. One sequel and one prequel telling the rest of the story of our Masked Mahjong Master.

I like RPG games. It's not my favorite genre but I used to play Final Fantasy 8 & X, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Valkyrie Profile 2, Shin Megami Tensei and some more... I've always played consoles. I played Diablo and Elder Scrolls series a few times. Fable too.

Rodos(Lodos) is well known in Japan as ロードス島戦記(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_of_Lodoss_War).
Anyway it is interesting. I translated below sentence. I considered Japanese RPG like.

Krabman wrote:"Bielawa - a small picteresque mountainous town somewhere in Lower Silesia is a home to a Mahjong Club. One day, at the club HQ located in Rodos Inn a stranger appears. He's the legendary Mask whose true identity remains hidden. The Mask has traversed the country for years in search of an equally skilled Mahjong player.

To no avail...

This time he wants to challenge the 3 bravest club members to a Mahjong duel. His rivals are: Richard 4th Dan. For unknown reason he despises the Souzu suit and discards them over any other tiles. He specializes in tanki machi. Elvis - 10th Dan. The master of Kans. His Rinshan Kaihou win ratio violates the rules of probability.

"ビエラバ"　ポーランドの南西部下シレジアに位置する、絵にかいたような美しい山岳風景の町。
この町にある一軒の雀荘ロードス。ある日一人男が訪れた。彼こそが伝説の"仮面の雀士"。
素性は一切謎に包まれているが、強者を求めて国々を渡り歩いているらしい。

彼は対局を求めた。相対するのは3人の勇敢なロードスの雀士。
リチャード(4段)。彼が得意とするのは索子を殺した絶一門。また単騎待ちにおいて絶対的な感覚を持つ。
エルビス(10段)。彼の嶺上開花は通常の確率論を無視したアガリ率を誇る。

Wow, I was struggling with it and you did that very fast!

Well, what I have as far as it goes:
"Bielawa - a small picteresque mountainous town somewhere in Lower Silesia is a home to a Mahjong Club. One day, at the club HQ located in Rodos Inn a stranger appears. He's the legendary Mask whose true identity remains hidden. The Mask has traversed the country for years in search of an equally skilled Mahjong player.

To no avail...

This time he wants to challenge the 3 bravest club members to a Mahjong duel. His rivals are: Richard 4th Dan. For unknown reason he despises the Souzu suit and discards them over any other tiles. He specializes in tanki machi. Elvis - 10th Dan. The master of Kans. His Rinshan Kaihou win ratio violates the rules of probability. There's also the third player - The Invisible One. New blood. His skills are no match to the rest so this duel will be a truly humbling experience.

ビエラバ小さくて奇景山村どこかに下のシレシア麻雀部があります。ある日ロドス旅籠屋に余所者が現れました。あの男は真の正体隠れているの伝説仮面です。仮面が数年等しく雀力相手を探して南船北馬この国を横切っていました。

一文にもならない．．．

今回三人の無双部員を麻雀果し合いに挑戦したいです。対戦相手は：リチャード四段。不明の理由で索子を侮って索子は他の牌より索子を捨てます。特殊は単騎待ち。エルヴィス・十段。嶺上巨匠。彼の嶺上開花勝率は確率ルールを越える。三人目もいます。透明人間、ニューブラッド。雀力はだれにも敵わないので、この決闘は本当に細やかな経験になる。

Bieraba chiisakute kikei yamamura dokokani shita no Shireshia maajanbu ga arimasu. Aru hi Rodosu hatagoya ni yosomono ga arawaremashita. Ano otoko (ha) wa Shin no shôtai kakureteiru no Densetsu Kamen desu. Kamen ga suunen hitoshiku janryoku aite wo sagashite nansenhokuba kono kuni wo yokogitteimasita.

Ichimon ni mo naranai…

Konkai sannin no musô buin wo maajan hatashiai ni chôsen shitai desu. Taisen aite wa:
Riichado Yondan. Fumei riyû de sôzu wo anadotte, sôzu wa hoka no pai yori sôzu wo sutemasu. Tokushu wa tankimachi. Elvis - jûdan. Rinshan Kyoshô. Kare no rinshan kaihô shôritsu wa shôritsu rûru wo koeru. Janryoku wa darenimo kanawanai node, kono kettô wa hontô ni sasayakana keiken ni naru.

Mine is a more literal tanslation, also I bet it has some fails.

The full thing. Man I´m beat, I would say broken.

ビエラバ小さくて奇景山村どこかに下のシレシア麻雀部がある。ある日ロドス旅籠屋に余所者が現れた。あの男は真の正体隠れているの伝説仮面だ。仮面が数年等しく雀力相手を探して南船北馬この国を横切っていた。

一文にもならない…

今回三人の無双部員を麻雀果し合いに挑戦したいだ。対戦相手は：リチャード四段。不明の理由で索子を侮って索子は他の牌より索子を捨てる。特殊は単騎待ち。エルヴィス・十段。嶺上巨匠。彼の嶺上開花勝率は確率ルールを越える。三人目もいる。透明人間。新米。他のプレやーには敵わないので、この決闘は本当に細やかな経験になる。仮面は魔法の雀牌を出す、神話によると自由意志がある。持ち主の味方と敵になれる。雀牌は面子の流れを振り回すす、ると痛快と予測不能の競技事態を作るためだ。

面子が腰を掛けてゲームを準備する。

対局開始！

部員は最善を尽くす、役万を狙い、仮面を倒すたった一つ方法。リーチャド：大四喜、エルヴィス：大三元。各面子、もう聴牌。

決順。 (I don´t know if this word even exist.)

仮面はツモ宣言さざるを得ない。今回牌の意志が歯向かった。

ある神話によると”九蓮宝燈を集めた人に万死”。

無自覚、部員は惨敗に破れられた。年々経験と千千の対局なのに仮面を挑むには足りない。


仮面の悲運は避けられないかな…？

へ、男一度言われた伝説はけっして消失しない。

Bieraba chiisakute kikei yamamura dokokani shita no Shireshia maajanbu ga aru. Aru hi Rodosu hatagoya ni yosomono ga arawareta. Ano otoko (wa) ha Shin no shôtai kakureteiru no Densetsu Kamen desu. Kamen ga suunen hitoshiku janryoku aite wo sagashite nansenhokuba kono kuni wo yokogitteita.

Ichimon ni mo naranai…

Konkai sannin no musô buin wo maajan hatashiai ni chôsen shitai da. Taisen aite wa:
Riichado Yondan. Fumei riyû de sôzu wo anadotte, sôzu ha hoka no pai yori sôzu wo suteru. Tokushu ha tankimachi. Elvis - jûdan. Rinshan Kyoshô. Kare no rinshan kaihô shôritsu ha shôritsu rûru wo koeru. sanninme mo iru. Tômei Ningen. Shinmai. Hoka no pureyaa ni ha kanawanai node, kono kettô ha hontô ni sasayakana keiken ni naru. Kamen ha mahô no janpai wo dasu, shinwa ni yoru to jiyûishi ga aru. Mochinushi no mikata to teki ni nareru. Janpai ha mentsu no nagare wo furimawasu, suru to tsûkai to yosokufunô no kyôgi jitai wo tsukuru tame da.

Mentsu ga koshi wo kakete geemu wo junbi suru.

Taikyoku kaishi!

Buin ha saizen wo tsukusu, yakuman wo nerai, Kamen wo taousu tatta hitotsu hôhô. Riichado: Daishûshi, Elvis: Daisangen. Kakumentsu, mô tenpai.

Kejjun. (I don´t know if this word even exist.)

Kamen ha tsumo sengen sazaru wo enai. Konkai pai no ishi ga hamukatta.

Aru shinwa ni yoru to “chûren pôtô wo atsumeta hito ni banshi”.

Mujikaku, buin ha zanpai ni yaburerareta. Nennen keiken to sensen no taikyoku nanoni Kamen wo idomu ni ha tarinai.


Kamen no hiun ha sakerarenai kana…?

He, otoko ichido iwareta densetsu ha shôshitsu shinai.

As told before, I bet it has it´s flaws. But at least, it´s done. I reccomend you to wait to see what other people can help with, correcting things, giving new ideas, and so on. As masa did.

Wow that's brilliant!! Thanks to both of you for taking the time to do that !!!

I'll wait a couple of days to see if any new suggestions/corrections pop up.

You'll both be credited in the video - that's for sure

Let me confirm that The Mask won 9 gates right ? But the magic tile against him ?
I know the person who got 9 gates would die early it is the jinx. The magic tile try to bring the death to the Mask, that's why it against ?

Correct. In a Mahjong hand book which came with my first Mahjong set I read that completing 9 Gates could bring death to the player. So I borrowed this idea for our video

It's meant to be ironic that although he's the Master of Mahjong, his own Tile set turns against him. He wins the game but loses his life. Shit happens ;p

Krabman wrote:Correct. In a Mahjong hand book which came with my first Mahjong set I read that completing 9 Gates could bring death to the player. So I borrowed this idea for our video

It's meant to be ironic that although he's the Master of Mahjong, his own Tile set turns against him. He wins the game but loses his life. Shit happens ;p

Did not know that. The book explains why?

Nope, it only says that there's such a legend.

I think the basic idea of the superstition is that you've used up all your luck in making such a rare and difficult hand - you are literally "out of luck"...