General Yuzuru Chat

[axelnojutsu]

3 minutes ago, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

...I read this wrong the first time around and had to do a double take.

 

wait, what did you read it as?? 

[Aotoshiro]

2 hours ago, WinForPooh said:

I'll just lurk menacingly in the background until street fighting rules - that is, lack thereof - apply.

I can join you in lurking! I'm thin but tall enough, plus my fingers look like claws most of the time, so we would make for a terryfying lurkers!

 

2 hours ago, Yolo3a said:

I also used to think like this when I was in my teens. Zuzu is still very much a boy who thinks if you laugh a lot, the next day you'll score 0 in a pop quiz. 

I'm sorry but, about this pop quiz comparision-WHAT?!  It's the first time I read comparision like that, can you elaborate please? On the too much laugh-failed pop quiz (otherwise I will feel bad about not laughing enough...)

 

2 hours ago, Floria said:

 

I don't know what he is talking exactly about, but do you remember those articles in Japanese media comparing his jumps to Shoma's? I have no doubt that he read it. And all the speculation about his injury from people who never saw it in person. 

I'm actually quite sure (or hopeful?) the fake data won't bother him-he has TCC at his side and they used recordings, video analysis and all the stuff people only recently incorporate ever since at least 14/15, so I sincerly hope that if Yuzu has seen those data, he went to Briand, and got a good laugh with him over those numbers. As always politely, without belittling Shoma.

The injury...I REALLY hope he shut off any of the speculations, because it had to be ridiculously hard even without them, and his brain (and Kikuchi-san, hopefully) worked double shifts to logically explain that these experts have even less idea of what's wrong than his team.

 

 

9 minutes ago, GoldMedalist said:

 

What do you mean with "racial bias"

Don't you know? "Japanese are emotionless"! "All of them are hikikomori!" "They cannot express because their culture forbid them!" All that shtick, which skaters are fighting starting from the beginning of skating... Same for Chinese, Koreans, even sometimes Kazakchs and other Asian people.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

14 分, axelnojutsuさんが言いました:

wait, what did you read it as?? 

 

Are you not able to guess? >_<

[swanbeau]

30 minutes ago, GoldMedalist said:

 

What do you mean with "racial bias"

in the off season, there were some influential people (or just someone?), i dont remember if it was skater or journalist, that said asians are inferior in artistry/expressing themselves, that caused quite a stir... i think t.koleto (ice dancer) made a thread for that at the time.... but obviously its not only in that one event as well, i think recently j.weir said something about japanese ladies suits the 'wilting flowers' image? or something

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

Uh oh. Guys, Hanyu didn't start a racial debate. He only touched upon a cultural one. If we're going to discuss racial bias,  I think we should leave Hanyu's name out of it, and this probably isnt the best place to do it either.

[monchan]

Anyone got video of Oly medal ceremony with NO COMMENTARY? I think I saw one before but can't find it again. Thx a lot.

[axelsandwich]

2 hours ago, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

When the moderator asked her (the interpreter) if she wanted to translate, she was more like, "Nah, I'll pass," which seemed pretty dismissive to me. If she thought he was going to do it himself, she would've checked with him, I think. She seemed too professional not to. Anyway, I don't have any real problem with it. I only felt sorry for Hanyu, lol. But there was also the part of me that was like, well if that makes you feel that kuyashii and embarrassed, Mr. B2B Oly Champ, better go brush up your English like you keep saying you would, then. >_<

No, I didn't take it as a dismissal, it was more like 'no he explained it clearly enough' (she and others laughed when he said 'I'm alive' so it seems like she definitely got the joke). Just rewatching it, she says 'that's okay, continue' and then 'that's okay [inaudible]', which I think you can also interpret as 'nah he's fine it doesn't need translating' (though sure, you can also make a case for 'oh god idk how I'd translate this'). Actually initially I interpreted the moderator's comments as 'did you want to translate it [more clearly] into English' and was like 'he was clear enough!' (perhaps assuming the interpreter was mostly doing JP -> English bc I assumed most media were foreign). And lol I guess I don't import the same amount of serious kuyashii/cringe to his expression, personally I see him more as just laughing at himself in the way of like 'oh god I could have phrased that better'. YMMV, essentially, which is pretty quintessential of translation.  

 

And no, I suppose I meant cultural bias, though race and culture are pretty intertwined - Yuzu mentioned the history of figure skating originated out of European countries so therefore the difference in the development of Japanese and European traditions of expression means that sometimes Asian skaters aren't perceived as good performers, hence why it was meaningful he won Olympic gold with Seimei music (paraphrasing). I'd wait for gladi and tadaxkid's translation to comment more on this but this is definitely not a new debate when it comes to Asian performance and Asian involvement in the arts in general, not just in FS (I also consider stuff like Weir's 'wilting flowers' comment to be a part of it), but that discussion isn't what he focused on in his response and he was not referring to any wider debate, so I don't think this is the place for it.  

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

26 分, kaerbさんが言いました:

No, I didn't take it as a dismissal, it was more like 'no he explained it clearly enough' (she and others laughed when he said 'I'm alive' so it seems like she definitely got the joke). Just rewatching it, she says 'that's okay', not 'I'll pass', which I think you can also interpret as 'nah he's fine it doesn't need translating' (though sure, you can also make a case for 'oh god idk how I'd translate this'). And lol I guess I don't import the same amount of serious kuyashii/cringe to his expression, personally I see him more as just laughing at himself in the way of like 'oh god I could have phrased that better'. YMMV, essentially, which is pretty quintessential of translation.  

 

And no, I suppose I meant cultural bias, though race and culture are pretty intertwined - Yuzu mentioned the history of figure skating originated out of European countries so therefore the difference in the development of Japanese and European traditions of expression means that sometimes Asian skaters aren't perceived as good performers, hence why it was meaningful he won Olympic gold with Seimei music (paraphrasing). I'd wait for gladi and tadaxkid's translation to comment more on this but this is definitely not a new debate when it comes to Asian performance and Asian involvement in the arts in general, not just in FS (I also consider stuff like Weir's 'wilting flowers' comment to be a part of it), but that discussion isn't what he focused on in his response so I don't think this is the place for it.  

 

Okay, I get what you're trying to say and don't completely disagree but hear me out. The racial issue also covers a more sensitive area which Hanyu didn't touch upon, like at all. So big difference. I think this is partially what he meant when he was griping about the media misinterpreting him, lol. So lets be careful and try to make proper distinctions where they are due, shall we? Cos things like this have a tendency to escalate. Fast.

 

And I'm guessing we'll have to agree to disagree on the interpreter issue. If she translated every little joke and irrelevant ditty the mod let loose, she could've done the same for Hanyu. And I heard what she said. I wasn't quoting her verbatim. I was quoting her based on my interpretation of her nuance and body language. Clearly we have different views on this so.let's end this here.

 

The racial issue though, I really do hope you agree and understand

 

[axelsandwich]

5 minutes ago, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

 

Yeah but the racial issue covers a more sensitive area which Hanyu didn't touch upon, like at all. So big difference. I think this is partially what he meant when he was griping about the media misinterpreting him, lol. So lets be careful and try to make proper distinctions where they are due, shall we? Cos things like this have a tendency to escalate. Fast.

 

And I'm guessing we'll have to agree to disagree on the interpreter issue. If she translated every little joke and irrelevant ditties the mod let loose, she could've done the same for Hanyu. And I heard what she said. I wasn't quoting her verbatim. I was quoting her based on my interpretation of her nuance and body language.

Hence why I said this isn't where the racial discussion should happen - I've edited my post to clarify what I meant. And sure, YMMV re: interpretation of body language/nuances, like I said

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

13 分, kaerbさんが言いました:

Hence why I said this isn't where the discussion should happen. Oh well, I'll edit my post to clarify that. And sure, YMMV, like I said

 

It happened because you...sigh...never mind. I just needed to make it clear that he didn't mean what he said racially. And that your idea of the lines being blurred between the two concepts do have a clear border somewhere. So yes, it'd be great if you could make the edit. Thanks for understanding.

 

I hope the translators will do a good job delivering this part especially because it can be so easily misconstrued.

 

Wait, the interpreter lady already did good. Are the translators doing this as well? I thought it wouldn't be necessary since the lady already did a stellar job. If they are, though, maybe they could make this part even clearer. Though I thought what the lady translated was plenty clear enough...but apparently not, lol.

[WinForPooh]

5 minutes ago, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

 

It happened because you...sigh...never mind. I just needed to make it clear that he didn't mean what he said racially. And yes, it'd be great if you could make the edit. Thanks for understanding.

 

I hope the translators will do a good job delivering this part especially because it can be so easily misconstrued.

This was at the foreign correspondents' presscon, right? Because I watched that, and if what the translator there said was correct, I'm not sure how you can be so sure that he didn't mean race at all? According to that translator, he mentioned the perception of artistry and expression of Asian skaters as opposed to Europeans. He made it a point to include more than only Japan in that, and Asia has many different cultures with many different cultural perceptions from the outside. He might not have meant it as racial bias, he might have meant it as only cultural bias, but unless the translator was way off base, there was nothing there from which one could declare, with complete clarity and certainty, that he definitely did not mean anything to do with racial bas. It might have been a part of the whole.  

 

Like kaerb said, this might not be the place for the discussion, but you seem very certain of what he meant, so did the translator miss something?

 

 

[axelsandwich]

22 minutes ago, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

 

It happened because you...sigh...never mind. I just needed to make it clear that he didn't mean what he said racially. And yes, it'd be great if you could make the edit. Thanks for understanding.

 

I hope the translators will do a good job delivering this part especially because it can be so easily misconstrued.

 

Wait, the interpreter lady already did good. Are the translators doing this as well? I thought it wouldn't be necessary since the lady already did a stellar job. If they are, though, maybe they could make this part even clearer. Though I thought what the lady translated was plenty clear enough...but apparently not, lol.

No, I was referring to my later reply when I clarified what he actually said, the context of the racial/cultural bias discussion and concluded with the fact that this wider debate was not what he was referring to. Maybe you missed it? 

I don't think he talked about the cultural bias in this interview (he did talk about artistry based on foundation/technique but I can't find where he talks about cultural bias and the history of FS' development), I think it was in the Japan Club one actually (I mentioned in my original comment I wasn't sure if it was the JP or Eng presscon where he mentioned it). Anyway, irrelevant - I don't believe the translators are translating the FCCJ one. The interpreter was fine. 

[GoldMedalist]

1 hour ago, Aotoshiro said:

I can join you in lurking! I'm thin but tall enough, plus my fingers look like claws most of the time, so we would make for a terryfying lurkers!

 

I'm sorry but, about this pop quiz comparision-WHAT?!  It's the first time I read comparision like that, can you elaborate please? On the too much laugh-failed pop quiz (otherwise I will feel bad about not laughing enough...)

 

I'm actually quite sure (or hopeful?) the fake data won't bother him-he has TCC at his side and they used recordings, video analysis and all the stuff people only recently incorporate ever since at least 14/15, so I sincerly hope that if Yuzu has seen those data, he went to Briand, and got a good laugh with him over those numbers. As always politely, without belittling Shoma.

The injury...I REALLY hope he shut off any of the speculations, because it had to be ridiculously hard even without them, and his brain (and Kikuchi-san, hopefully) worked double shifts to logically explain that these experts have even less idea of what's wrong than his team.

 

 

Don't you know? "Japanese are emotionless"! "All of them are hikikomori!" "They cannot express because their culture forbid them!" All that shtick, which skaters are fighting starting from the beginning of skating... Same for Chinese, Koreans, even sometimes Kazakchs and other Asian people.

 

"Asians"- people living in Asia

"Europeans"- people living in Europe

"Americans"- people living in America

 

ect. ect.

 

Where is that "racial" part? There are people and nationalities. Nothing else 

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

14 分, kaerbさんが言いました:

No, I was referring to my later reply when I clarified what he actually said, the context of the racial/cultural bias discussion and concluded with the fact that this wider debate was not what he was referring to. Maybe you missed it? 

I don't think he talked about the cultural bias in this interview (he did talk about artistry based on foundation/technique but I can't find where he talks about cultural bias and the history of FS' development), I think it was in the Japan Club one actually (I mentioned in my original comment I wasn't sure if it was the JP or Eng presscon where he mentioned it). Anyway, irrelevant - I don't believe the translators are translating this one. The interpreter was fine. 

 

If I did, that would mean your clarification wasn't very clear at all. But I think we're on the same page now so let's move on.

 

18 分, WinForPoohさんが言いました:

This was at the foreign correspondents' presscon, right? Because I watched that, and if what the translator there said was correct, I'm not sure how you can be so sure that he didn't mean race at all? According to that translator, he mentioned the perception of artistry and expression of Asian skaters as opposed to Europeans. He made it a point to include more than only Japan in that, and Asia has many different cultures with many different cultural perceptions from the outside. He might not have meant it as racial bias, he might have meant it as only cultural bias, but unless the translator was way off base, there was nothing there from which one could declare, with complete clarity and certainty, that he definitely did not mean anything to do with racial bas. It might have been a part of the whole.  

 

Like kaerb said, this might not be the place for the discussion, but you seem very certain of what he meant, so did the translator miss something?

 

 

 

Nope. She didn't miss out anything major. Hanyu said more or less exactly that. But based on the way Hanyu chooses his words in all the interviews I've ever seen of him, he has never been political in his views, or expressed them as such, this much I'm certain of. Figure skating programs are based on culture, which in itself is intertwined with race, or rather, ethnicity. This is the part where I more or less agree with @kaerb . But that's where it stops. Race and culture branch off at some point and figure skating programs cover a part of culture that doesnt necessarily touch upon the race issue in a solid way. Ethnicity, yes. Race, no. I feel by choosing to see this as a racial issue over a cultural one, we are politicizing what he said, which, based on what I gather of who he is, isn't what he wants or meant to do. But if that's what you all want to do, I really can't stop you. Just know that you'd be doing it in his name. And I'd rather not be a part of it more than I already am so I'll be signing off on this issue now.

[Xen]

So putting aside the translation issues, a part of me is super sad that his books are not available in other languages. 

I have Blue Flames II and can't wait to get my paws on the new one...which sadly I bought but have probably no chance of ever understanding. 

There has to be some publisher that would consider translating it right? Or if fans crowd translate it, would they consider publishing it and donating the proceeds to say, any charity or cause that Yuzu chooses?