"歌う部隊*"

English translation: "Singing Company"

19:25 Aug 8, 2020
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Japanese term or phrase: "歌う部隊*"
This is a easy to read narration of "The Burmese harp" . The full sentence is
長い間練習をして歌で評判の"歌う部隊"です.
Juan Angola
Local time: 05:38
English translation:"Singing Company"
Explanation:
I think "military unit" or "troops" might be more technically accurate translations for 部隊, but "company"—which is a specific kind of military unit—is the term that is used in Howard Hibbett's English translation of the original book. In my opinion, it works especially well because it has the same linguistic origin as "companionship" (in the original sense of the word where it means something similar to fellowship, amity, etc.), and the camaraderie of the soldiers in the story was one thing that really made an impression on me.
Selected response from:

Michael Lind
United States
Local time: 06:38
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3"Singing Company"
Michael Lind
4"singing soldier(s)" or "singing troops"
Randi Simons (X)


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
"Singing Company"


Explanation:
I think "military unit" or "troops" might be more technically accurate translations for 部隊, but "company"—which is a specific kind of military unit—is the term that is used in Howard Hibbett's English translation of the original book. In my opinion, it works especially well because it has the same linguistic origin as "companionship" (in the original sense of the word where it means something similar to fellowship, amity, etc.), and the camaraderie of the soldiers in the story was one thing that really made an impression on me.


    https://archive.org/details/harpofburma00take/page/22/mode/2up?q=singing+company
    https://www.britannica.com/topic/company-military-unit
Michael Lind
United States
Local time: 06:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much for your professional opinion. I am not a native speaker of English . In japanese this 歌う部隊 seem to be the title of a well known military march but I cannot find the translation of the title of this march yet.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hitoshi Taniguchi
54 mins

agree  Randi Simons (X): Yes, I like the use of "company" here for the reasons you state.
3 hrs

agree  AnitaByrnes
2 days 15 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
"singing soldier(s)" or "singing troops"


Explanation:
The wiki page for The Burmese Harp mentions singing by English and Indian soldiers early in a description of the plot. It sounds as though the Japanese troops also sing when they realize the war is over? (I've seen this movie, but not for 40 years or so). The Japanese reference I am posting here also refers, in the final paragraph, to the protagonist Mizushima as 歌う部隊 ("この小説の主人公である「歌う部隊 」は3つの役割を持っている”).

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Note added at 5 hrs (2020-08-09 00:41:23 GMT)
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Taking more time to look at the Japanese source I cited, I take back my comment that it to refers to the protagonist Mizushima as 歌う部隊. It's a bit more complicated than that, and I leave it to others to interpret the meaning.

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Note added at 4 days (2020-08-13 15:26:04 GMT)
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I cannot find any reference to 歌う舞台 that does not specifically relate to The Burmese Harp. The story appears to be that Japanese troops who enjoyed singing together were singing 埴生の宿 (Japanese version of Home Sweet Home) when they heard English and Indian troops singing the same song in response, in English, and this is how they learned that the war was over. So 歌う舞台 seems to refer specifically to this troop or company of Japanese soldiers in Burma who habitually sang.
http://uno1973.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-349.html?sp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIojz4g6Mjs


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burmese_Harp_(1956_film)
    https://s-opac.sap.hokkyodai.ac.jp/library/sites/default/files/sakuhinH.pdf
Randi Simons (X)
United States
Local time: 06:38
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much for your professional opinion. I am not a native speaker of English . In japanese this 歌う部隊 seem to be the title of a well known military march but I cannot find the translation of the title of this march yet.

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