Hu Lu Xiong Di - Calabash Brothers

[MaideN-SK]

Hello.

Sorry to intruding your forum, but I'm desperate. I hope you know this great Chinese kids series, in English called "The Calabash Brothers." (original: Hu Lu Xiong Di)

Finally after years I got it, but it's in Chinese language and I can't understand a word. I'm from Slovakia and can't speak Chinese. So I would ask you, if someone can watch the series and translate everything what are they saying, and the most important titles wrote in Chinese.

So then I will be able to translate it into Slovak language and show it to my friends who also loves this series but don't speak Cheinese. Can you help me, please?

You can find all the episodes on YouTube, link to the first one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYol_Z5ROdo

[self-taught-mba]

You have got to be kidding. How about asking where to get the subtitles and then machine-translate them?

At least something reasonable.

[Scoobyqueen]

You did not mention how much you were prepared to pay for this service.

[Lu]

... and if you're going to pay for it anyway, might as well get a direct Chinese-Slovakian translation. That's bound to be more accurate.

[roddy]

Difficult audience in here today. We've had similar requests in the past. These episodes are only 10 minutes long and this first one at least has very little dialogue.

Here's a quick attempt at the English for the first one - anything I wasn't sure about I didn't listen to more than once or twice, and I'm not going to spend time polishing the English if it's just getting translated in. Some checking will probably turn up errors / improvements.

Save me . . .

Save me . . .

Old man, quick, save me . . .

Old man, thanks for rescuing me

What happened?

It was all my fault. I let two demons escape.

Old man, old man, let me explain.

A long long time ago, a snake spirit and a scorpion spirit appeared here.

They had strong magic.

And they turned this place into a wasteland.

The villagers fled from the village.

The gods were angered, and to save the people

they turned lightening into two calabashes and trapped the spirits inside

That was 9,999 years ago

If they were trapped for 10,000 years, they would become powerless.

But i carelessly drilled into the mountain

And the two demons escaped

Oh, so that's what happened.

Another disaster for the villagers . . .

Old man, come with me

In this cave there's a magic calabash seed. If we get that, we can get the demons under control again.

There it is.

Old man, look.

That's it. Demons are terrified of it.

If we can get it, it'll take us out of this cave.

And if we grow calabashes, we can destroy the demons.

Ok

Careful!

How are we meant to get it?

it needs green leaves and earth

That will calm it

but there's only stone here in this cave

where will we find green leaves?

Old man, look!

Good . . .

[self-taught-mba]

Difficult audience in here today. We've had similar requests in the past. These episodes are only 10 minutes long and this first one at least has very little dialogue.

Well the example you gave, he at least tried first and just wanted the remaining phrases.

Maybe it was the fact that we wants us to "translate everything". I don't know, just seemed off-putting. (I think that coupled with the "deperate" - I'm thinking "I swallowed it and now I think its pine sol not listerine please help me read the label!" kind of situation qualifies as desperate )

He could of at least started with asking if anyone knew an existing translation first. And how many episodes are there? Is it like Friends?

I don't suppose he'll be joining the G. 1st espisode project do you?

--typed

[MaideN-SK]

OK, so let's take it step by step:

1.Episodes: my bad, I forgott to tell you there are 13 episodes with not so many sentences (I think). Every one's about 10 minutes long.

2.Existing translation: I tried for a long time to find some. Nobody knows about ANY form of translation so I totally dismissed the idea that someone ever did the translation. If you know about existing English translation, I'll be thankful. ;-)

3.Money - that was a joke? I'm not the professional translator who'll get paid for the translation. I'm not gonna sell the slovak translation to anybody - I would like to spread it for free to everyone in Slovakia and Czech, who don't have the translation. (While looking for the series and then for translation, I found plenty of threads asking for translation but there were no answers. In Slovakia this series was screened as an bedtime story at 7:00 p.m. just once sometimes about 1991 and then nothing, TV doesn't even have the rights for 2nd screening and - believe or not - I wrote to them and they said that they'll never gonna buy the rights again.).

To get to the point: I'm doing this in my free time, not getting paid, so if you want money for translation don't even bother. I need someone who wants to help me or just to exercise his/hers Chinese language skill. No money, no stress, just friendly global help and a good feeling about yourself. It's not so much but if you come over to Banska Bystrica, I'll get you couple of beers ;-) :-D

4.Direct Slovak-Chinese translation - that would be expensive and I don't have money. Besides, I couldn't find anybody who's learning Chinese in my country so I'm trying here.

5.Desperate - I wanted just to describe that I was 3 years looking for this series and now I'm like half a year looking for (at least English) translation. Maybe I'm not desperate, maybe the words like "loosing the hope" are better.

6.RODDY - thanks a lot, at least something. If it's not exactly the words they're saying, doesn't matter. Most important is to get the point of the dialogues, so you can be aware of what's going on and why are they doing what are they doing :-) I'm gonna make the subtitles from that translation asap. Thanks again :-)

I hope I lighten a bit my ideas, hopes and reasons what I need and how I need it. If there's anyone capable and willing to help, you can write me here or to my e-mail address: maidensk@hotmail.com or maiden@post.sk

If noboy, I'll try somewhere else. Anyway thanks for your time to read this thread :-)

[Mexes]

Do you want the translation into English? Why English and not Slovak?

I don't think I'll be up to this, but I just wanted to input that I LOVED this when I was in China, and it's one of the few shows that's really kept with me all these years. I love it so much! I even have the theme tune on tape.

I might have a look and see if I can do any. As it's been said, the episodes are all short...

[YuehanHao]

Good luck, MaideN-SK.

Prepacte, my Chinese is not good enough to be of much help in your quest, even despite the offer of pivo. But if someone is able to help you with the English translation, I would be interested in seeing them posted here (or a link to where they are posted), since I could not follow a good part of the dialog without Roddy's translation. Fun to watch either way though.

Best wishes, dakujem，

约翰好 (yuehanhao)

[Lu]

My irritation was mostly because the OP seemed to see the forums as some kind of free translation service. 'Could you please translate an entire tv series for me' sounds rather different than 'I tried very hard but have some trouble with a few bits'.

Well, good luck to the OP with his project.

[imron]

I hope you know this great Chinese kids series, in English called "The Calabash Brothers

Walking home from work just now, I passed a local cinema (here in Beijing), and there was a poster outside for a Calabash Brothers movie, coming out in July.

[MaideN-SK]

Mexes - I tried to find direct chinese-slovak translation, but there is none. Neither chinese-czech translation. So now as a 2nd step I'm looking for english one. I can't speak any other language so if I don't get it English somehow somewhere, it's finished for me.

YuehanHao - how do you know the words "dakujem, pivo, prepacte"? Have you ever been in Slovakia, or Czech Republic? :-)

Lu - I see what's the problem. Nothing for free, right? :-) The point is I'm willing to help. Sometimes if I meet on internet somebody looking for something, I help him/her if I can. Why not? It's nice. And also lots of people helped me. On my "quest" for these subtitles, I found few people interested in translating, but they were just group of the begginers so they didn't understand clearly what are they talking about in the episodes. If they could, maybe now I'll be having all the subtitles and will not even look over the net for this forum.

And that funny sentence between difference if I want translate just few things.... lol. I said like hundred times that I DON'T SPEAK CHINESE

So - that's why I need EVERYTHING to be translated. Because I don't understand a WORD (I'm just repeating it so you can see my point). Let's ask this way - if you have for example hungarian movie and you don't speak hungarian, would you ask to translate just few sentences? I dare to say you also would like to have the full translation. The difference between me and the fella asking just for few sentences is, that he speaks Chinese (apparently quite good if he's undertaking such a project), so he asked just for ones he's having problem with. I have problem with all sentences :-)

Hope this helped you to get the point.

So. Anyone? ;-)

[roddy]

Here's the second one. Please remember that I'm only watching these once, I'm not spending a lot of time on them and there are places where I'm just guessing, so my translations could probably do with checking. They're good fun though, and there's really not that much dialogue in them anyway.

Incidentally, if you are doing these into Slovak anyway, perhaps you could also put English versions on Youtube? If it's no extra trouble.

Episode Two:

Seven Coloured Calabashes

Quick, wake up. Look, we're home.

Song? It's about calabashes . . .

Old man, old man . . .

Good kids, good kids . . .

This barren valley, it's all rocks, there's no fertilizer or water

But I'll think of something, and get you enough.

So you can grow up quickly.

Thanks old man, thanks old man!

What? Those damned calabashes . . where'd they come from!?

Wh . . wh . . what's going on!

Ah - he's the one causing trouble . . .

Look - the tree's young and the fruit aren't ripe yet - let's move quick!

Don't underestimate the magic calabashes, you know how much pain they caused us

now the pangolin and the old man have taken them out of the mountain . . .

If they ripen, we're done for!

Don't worry - I'll send the wasps! (not sure about this one, but he does send some wasps)

What's happened?

Old man, old man . . .

Children, what happened?

The demons, the demons . . .

Old man, don't be scared, but they'll be back again in the next three days.

You just stay inside, don't come out whatever happens.

Us brothers know how to deal with them!

Old man . . old man . . . .!

[MaideN-SK]

Great stuff, thank you very much, Roddy :-)

I'm about to finish the 1st episode (now I just have to set the timing of some sentences to be the same time as they speak) and it'll be no problem to make the English subtitles. When I'm finished, I'll post here a link to YouTube. Don't know exactly when (lots of work and I'll be out working this weekend) but someday next week it'll be done. Thanks again :-)

[YuehanHao]

MaideN-SK,

For work last autumn, I traveled to Levice in Slovakia for a week. It was really interesting. I walked for hours through the city one day and past the old castle as it snowed and snowed outside. I didn't learn too much Slovak language, other than those words I mentioned and ano, nie, and dobry. Seems surprising that Hulu Xiongdi could have been on TV in Czechoslovakia in 1991 - wow!

约翰好

[roddy]

Third one, did miss a few lines here. Nobody checking up on my work?

Episode 3: Trapped in a swamp

Brother, brother . . .

Yeah, I'll smash the demons to pieces!

I'll go right now!

Old man, we have no argument with you, so we invited you here . . .

Ha! You call this invited?

Old man, lets not fight (?), can't we be friends? You can live your life in peace . . .

See, it's a sincere offer . . .

Here, I'll drink to you . . .

Get away!

Tired of life, are you?

Leave him. We need him to know the secret of the calabashes - so we can destroy them.

Open the door! Hurry up and open the door!

Let him out!

Let him go!

Of course, of course . . .

Such a loyal kid. He's here, and your mother too. Bow to me!

Ha! No chance!

If you don't let him go, I'll smash this cave to pieces!

Ok, I'll deal with you myself!

Slow down!

if you don't let him go, I'll . . . .

Calabash Boy, you're strong, and I admire your loyalty. It would move anyone.

The old man . . he's in the back, drinking.

If you destroy the cave . . you'll bury him too. You don't want to do that, do you?

Bring him out!

He's had a bit to drink, fast asleep now . . .

But I can take you to see him . . .

Please . . .

Come on.

Old man!

Old man!

Sign: 酥潭 - swamp? not sure.

Even more comfortable than a bed, isn't it . . .

Missed a few lines here when the demons are congratulting themselves. [/i]

Hey, Calabash Boy, how you feeling? Had some nice dreams?

I've sealed up your powers, so don't get any ideas.

I really don't want to kill you. You're so lovely and likeable.

Maybe you could be my son!

You! You!

[/i]

[BaoMiHua]

In case it helps anyone translating thse, here are the episodes with traditional subtitles:

First episode

[moyan]

Surprised to find "Calabash Brothers' here. The series is a beautiful memory of my childhood.

[moyan]

I'm a native of China. This is the Chinese subtitle of episode one. I hope it can help a little bit.

I can try to translate it, but I am not confident enough to make sure that I can translate it into very native English. It may be weird because of some special words.

If we want to do this, let's do it well. Would some English native speakers cooperate with me? As I really don't want to destory the series because of bad translation.

from 04:10

救命啊

救命啊

老爷爷，快救救我

老爷爷，谢谢您救了我

刚才发生了什么事

都怪我不好，让两个妖怪给逃了

老爷爷，老爷爷，您听我说

在很久很久以前，这儿出来一条蛇精和一只蝎子精

他们魔法超强，把这儿糟蹋的一片荒芜

乡民们流离失所，背井离乡

后来天神大怒，为了拯救百姓，将惊雷闪电化作神葫芦

把两个妖精收了进去压在这葫芦山里

至今已经有9999年了

只要满一万年妖精就会化为灰烬

怪我不小心钻破了这葫芦山

让这两个妖怪给跑了

是这样啊

那乡亲们又要遭殃了，怎么办呢

老爷爷，你跟我来

这洞里有个镇妖之宝

得到它就能重新制服妖怪

走

就在这

老爷爷，您看

这就是镇妖的宝葫芦籽，妖怪最害怕了

哦

我们要是能得到它，葫芦籽儿就能帮我们冲出洞去

再中出葫芦来就可以消灭妖怪啦

好

危险

这么烫得葫芦籽儿这么拿呀？

这葫芦籽儿需要绿叶和泥土

有了这两样东西，就能平息它的烈焰

可这山洞里全是石头，到哪儿去找绿叶啊

老爷爷，你看！

好哇！（笑）