Talk:Wayang

Translation issues

In the original German was a sentence, "Vor dem Dalang liegt auch kein Bananenstrunk, der die Puppen aufnimmt, sondern ein Plangkan (eine Art Tisch mit Löchern in der Tischplatte), auf dem die benötigten Puppen bereit gestellt werden."

I am changing this to simply , "In front of the Dalang is a Plangkan (a type of table with holes punched in its surface), on which the necessary puppets sit ready for use.

I think (but am not certain) that the that the untranslated part is more or less a joke: roughly, that there what is on the table is not a foo foo drink for the puppets. If anyone with better German than me thinks I'm wrong and there is something more substantial here, please restore the appropriate phrase. Thanks.

Jmabel 05:54, 31 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Another sentence with which I had trouble: Die Figuren dieser Schattenspiele waren Wayang Golek (normale Kopfgestalt durch einen da-mit verbundenen Stab auf dem Rumpf drehbar. Arme durch je ein Stab, der an der Hand befestigt ist beweglich) , geschnitzte, bemalte und bekleidete Figuren, die an Fäden gezogen wurden, Malereien auf Schautafeln oder geweihte und verkleidete Menschen.

I've rendered this "The figures in these puppet plays were wayang golek (normally a head assembly connected by a straight stick to a trunk, allowing the head to swivel. Arms were attached to a separate staff, allowing hand motions), carved, painted and dressed figures, manipulated via threads or strings, painted dioramas or sanctified and dressed humans," but that may not be quite right. If you know better, please correct the article (and make a note here that you've done so). -- Jmabel 18:03, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Your translation seems OK. Geweihte could also mean "horned", which would make sense in the case of demons. "Sanctified", as in "blessed", makes less sense in the context. Cat 12:44, 5 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Another tricky one: Wayang-Klitik-Figuren meist erheblich beschädigt, sehr zum Gaudium der Zuschauer..." I haven't even ventured a translation for this, it has several words I don't properly know. Is Gaudium perhaps the Latin word, as in "gaudeamus igitur"? -- Jmabel 18:03, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC) This has now been satisfactorily rendered. -- Jmabel 05:40, Jun 5, 2004 (UTC)

Another problematic sentence: Aus diesem Grunde haben Wayang-Klitik-Figuren, die zu Spielen herangezogen werden und dort Kampfszenen zu durchstehen haben, Arme aus Leder. I currently have this partially translated as "On this basis the wayang klitik figures have, die zu Spielen herangezogen werden and where battle scenes zu durchstehen haben, leather arms." I know that durchstehen is to stand one's ground, but I still can't fully translate the sentence. -- Jmabel 18:17, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC) This has now been satisfactorily rendered. -- Jmabel 05:40, Jun 5, 2004 (UTC)

And another: Aus Jenggala und Kediri stammen die Geschichten von Raden Panji und Cindelaras, die ein paar Dorfjungen mit ihren Kampfhähnen erleben. The first part is "From Jenggala and Kediri come the stories of Raden Panji and Cindelara," I'm not at all clear on the latter part. My dictionary says Kampfhähnen are literally fighting cocks, but can just be pugnacious people. -- Jmabel 19:46, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Someone else has now simply rendered this as fighting cocks, but I'd consider that suspect (since one can't tell from the original German). I'd like to find a more primary source before considering this necessarily correct. -- Jmabel 05:40, Jun 5, 2004 (UTC)

I translated it as I did, because it explicitly says "the boys with their X", and not somthing like "the two x-like boys". Cat 12:44, 5 Jun 2004 (UTC)

An interesting link: [1]

Wooden puppet is performed almost the same way as the wayang kulit, but there is no screen in front of the puppeteer, and no banana trunk to stuck the wayang. In stead a 'Plangkan' (permanent wooden table with holes) to support the wooden puppets is used.

Cat 12:52, 5 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Hmm. Looks like we could have a copyvio on our hands. That would really be a pain after so much work went into a translation. I'm not sure quite what to do with this... -- Jmabel 02:30, Jun 6, 2004 (UTC)

I'm moving the article

I love the article, but it is in the wrong place. It should be named just "wayang" as it is a good overview of all the different types of wayang. Wayang -- meaning puppet is the term for ALL Indonesian puppets. Wayang Kulit is just one type of wayang traditionally made from leather hides and used in shadow plays. Kulit means skin or hide. Each genre of Indonesian wayang deserves its own article. --Samuel Wantman 03:03, 2 Jul 2004 (UTC)

I moved it and the talk page, (which must be obvious) --Samuel Wantman 06:46, 2 Jul 2004 (UTC)