France was the first country to unveil their Eurovision song for the 2024 contest, selecting Slimane with “Mon Amour.”
Slimane delivers a heartfelt ballad, showcasing his exceptional talent with each and every performance. Now, he is poised to shine on the grand Eurovision stage, ready to enchant audiences with his remarkable presence and soul-stirring performance.
Scroll down to read the “Mon Amour” lyrics
France at Eurovision 2024: Slimane with “Mon Amour”
Slimane Nebchi, known simply as Slimane, emerged as a notable figure in the French music scene after clinching victory in the fifth season of The Voice: la plus belle voix. Born in Chelles, Seine-et-Marne, France, Slimane’s Algerian heritage through his grandparents adds a rich cultural dimension to his artistry. He honed his musical skills while attending Lycée Jehan de Chelles before venturing into the vibrant music landscape of Les Lilas, a Parisian suburb. Prior to his breakthrough on The Voice, Slimane showcased his talent through various online platforms and participated in several music competitions, demonstrating his unwavering passion and dedication to his craft.
Since his triumph on The Voice, Slimane has solidified his position as a prominent singer-songwriter in France, amassing over twenty-five chart entries on the French Singles Chart. His solo career boasts an impressive track record, including a chart-topping single as a featured artist with the song “Bella ciao.” Slimane’s success extends to the album charts as well, with three of his studio albums reaching the coveted number-one spot on the French Albums Charts. His musical journey is characterised by a blend of soulful performances, heartfelt lyrics, and a magnetic stage presence that continues to captivate audiences nationwide.
In addition to his musical endeavours, Slimane has ventured into acting, securing a secondary role in Didier Barbelivien’s French musical “Marie-Antoinette et le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge.”
What do the “Mon Amour” lyrics mean?
Slimane’s song expertly delves into themes of love, particularly longing and the complexities that accompany it. Love isn’t always a source of joy; it can also bring uncertainty and heartache. Despite these challenges, Slimane’s unwavering devotion to his loved one shines through. The song reads like an open letter to his beloved, addressed with the endearing term “mon amour” (my love). There’s a palpable sense of despair over a love that has gone awry, yet the feelings of love persist, even when the reasons behind the turmoil seem unjustified.
I love you I don’t know why I play the scene again But its always the same ending that keeps repeating
To maintain the French ambiance, Slimane chooses Paris as the setting for his reconciliation efforts. The city of love becomes the symbolic meeting point where he hopes to reignite the flame with his beloved. Through his lyrics, Slimane acknowledges past mistakes and expresses a readiness to wholeheartedly commit to making things right this time. However, beneath the surface of their professed love and dedication lies a sense of frustration and desperation, as doubts about the sincerity of their relationship linger in the air.
Oh my love Please come back to Paris Do it for us, I am begging you I promise, I’ve learned my lesson
In essence, the song encapsulates the tumultuous journey of love, portraying the highs and lows experienced in relationships fraught with uncertainty and doubt. Slimane’s unwavering commitment is palpable as he expresses a willingness to wait indefinitely for the love that has deeply impacted his heart. Despite the challenges and setbacks, he remains steadfast in his hope, keeping his spirits high and believing in the possibility of a brighter future. The emotional depth and resilience depicted in the song resonate with listeners, capturing the universal experience of navigating the complexities of love with unwavering optimism and determination.
Tell me the place, I’ll wait for you And if you don’t come, I’ll still wait for you I know it’s silly, but that’s what I’ll do Filled with hope, I’ll will wait for you
“Mon Amour” lyrics — Slimane (France Eurovision 2024)
Songwriters:Meïr Salah, Slimane,Yaacov Salah
Original French text
Mon amour
Dis-moi à quoi tu penses
Si tout ça a un sens
Désolé si je te dérange
Mon amour
Te souviens-tu de nous ?
Du premier rendez-vous ?
C’était beau, c’était fou
Je t’aime
J’sais pas pourquoi
Je rejoue la scène
Mais c’est toujours la même fin qui
recommence
Tu n’entends pas
Ma peine, on en fait quoi ?
Est-ce que tu m’aimes ou pas ?
Mon amour
Je ferai tout ce que je peux
Un océan dans le feu
L’impossible si tu le veux
Oh Mon amour
Allez reviens à Paris
Fais-le pour nous je t’en supplie
Je le promets j’ai compris
Je t’aime
J’sais pas pourquoi
Je rejoue la scène
Mais c’est toujours la même fin qui
recommence
Tu n’entends pas
Ma peine, on en fait quoi ?
Est-ce que tu m’aimes ou pas ?
Dis-moi l’endroit, je t’attendrai
Et si tu ne viens pas, je t’attendrai
C’est bête je sais, je le ferai
Rempli d’espoir je t’attendrai
Je t’aime
J’sais pas pourquoi
Je rejoue la scène
Mais c’est toujours la même fin qui
recommence
Tu n’entends pas
Ma peine, on en fait quoi ?
Est-ce que tu m’aimes
Est-ce que tu m’aimes ?
Est-ce que tu m’aimes ?
Est-ce que tu m’aimes ?
Ou pаѕ ?
English translation
My love
Tell me what’s on your mind
If all of this makes sense
Sorry if I disturb you
My love
Do you remember us?
Our first meeting?
It was beautiful, It was insane
I love you
I don’t know why
I play the scene again
But it’s always the same ending that keeps repeating
You don’t hear anything
What do we do about my pain?
Do you love me or not?
My love
I’ll do all that I can
Create an ocean in the fire
The impossible if you want me to
Oh my love
Please come back to Paris
Do it for us, I am begging you
I promise, I’ve learned my lesson
I love you
I don’t know why
I play the scene again
But it’s always the same ending that keeps repeating
You don’t hear anything
What do we do about my pain?
Do you love me or not?
Tell me the place, I’ll wait for you
And if you don’t come, I’ll still wait for you
I know it’s silly, but that’s what I’ll do
Filled with hope, I’ll will wait for you
I love you
I don’t know why
I play the scene again
But its always the same ending that keepѕ repeating
You don’t hear anything
What do we do about my pаin?
Do you love me?
Do you love me?
Do you love me?
Do you love me?
Or not?
What do you think of the “Mon Amour” lyrics from Slimane? Will France qualify for the final? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
“That morro I met at the pachanga is really fresa!”
Does that Spanglish sentence mean anything to you?
What about this one?
“Me enchilé cabrón at the taco stand near my chamba.”
If your answers are no and no, and you’re interested in learning colloquial Mexican Spanish — or increasing your current repertoire — “The Mexican Slang Dictionary” is the book for you.
Compiled by Mexico-based British journalist Alasdair Baverstock, the pocket-sized dictionary contains hundreds of Mexican slang (and swear) words and colloquial phrases along with their equivalents in English.
The Mexico City-based Baverstock has compiled a rich collection of Mexican slang in his dictionary. (Alasdair Baverstock)
It also has a section on albures, a form of (often sexual) word play that involves the humorous use of double entendres.
Here are a few of the entries:
Chulada
A beautiful, or high quality, thing or action.
e.g. “Su gol era una chulada.”
He scored a beautiful goal.
¿Jalas?
Informal and colloquial way of asking if a person will join you in your plans.
e.g. “Vamos al bar. ¿Jalas?”
We’re going to the bar. Are you coming?
Nini
A person who is lazy or work-shy. Comes from the phrase “Ni trabaja, ni estudia” — Neither works, nor studies.
Alasdair, a video journalist for Chinese broadcaster CGTN and erstwhile contributor to Mexico News Daily, explains in the forward to his dictionary that his Mexican slang compilation began as a “whimsical addition” to his professional website.
In January 2020, “half-way through a reporting trip to Oaxaca’s Istmo de Tehuantepec I found my notebook filled with phrases from interviews I could not understand,” he writes.
“… Henceforth, I noted down every piece of slang and jargon I came across and added them [to my online dictionary] alongside my own wording for their definitions. … In my trips across the country, and in speaking to Mexicans of all backgrounds, the dictionary quickly grew,” Alasdair says.
“… It has been thanks to the generosity, good humor and national pride of the Mexican people that the dictionary exists at all.”
“The Mexican Slang Dictionary” can be purchased on Amazon for 149 pesos. It is also available at Under the Volcano Books, located in the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City.
A word of warning: the dictionary includes some extremely colorful — read potentially offensive — words or phrases.
Finally, in case you were wondering, the two sentences at the top of this article could read as follows in colloquial English.
That guy I met at the shindig is really snobby.
I burned my mouth big time at the taco stand near my work.
As you probably know, salsas — like Mexican Spanish — can be very picante (spicy/risqué) indeed.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has launched a new online dictionary that allows users to search for words and phrases in Lingít (Tlingit language), X̱aad Kíl (Haida language), Shm’algyack (Tsimshian language) and English. Users can browse words and phrases, and listen to heritage language speakers pronouncing the entries.
Notably, users may search the database using English or Native terms to reveal all related content, said SHI President Rosita Worl.
The platform denotes a previously missing language tool that is meant to stand alone or to complement existing materials to help perpetuate Southeast Alaska’s ancient Indigenous languages, she said.
“As a people, we have documented our languages and developed the orthographies for the words that describe our oral histories. We have produced materials to revitalize our languages and apps that allow people to browse categories and hear audio. Now we have a database that offers all of that and includes a search function,” Worl said.
“It’s a game changer.”
The dictionary content mirrors the vocabulary and phrases available on SHI’s Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian learning apps that were released in recent years.
The Tlingit section includes more than 50 categories for words relating to action, adjectives, animal body parts, beach, birds, birth, buildings and structures, clothing, cold blooded animals, colors, commands, communication, conditions, cultural, direction, fish, food, games, geography, grammar, home, human body, human family, insects and invertebrates, kitchen, land animals, location, mammals, marine animals, marriage, material, matter, minerals, names, numbers, nursery, occupations, people, plants, pronouns, quantity, recreation, relationships, school, sea creatures, sky, sports, stage of life, time, tools, transportation, water and weather.
The Haida section includes nearly 40 categories for words relating to the alphabet, animals, art, bathroom, beach, birds, body parts, buildings and structures, clothing, colors, commands, cultural art, culture, fishing and hunting, home, insects and invertebrates, jewelry, kitchen, location, mammals, numbers, nursery, occupations, ocean, outside, plants, recreation, school, sea creatures, sea vessels, sky, time, tools, transportation, verbs, water, weaving and wellness and health.
The Tsimshian section includes 30 categories for words relating to adjectives, alphabet, bathroom, beach, birds, body, buildings and structures, clothing, colors, culture, days of the week, fish, food, home, insects and invertebrates, kitchen, mammals, months of the year, numbers, nursery, occupations, ocean, plants, pronouns, recreation, school, sea creatures, sky, tools and transportation.
All sections also include audio of phrases listed by category. The dictionary is available free of charge on SHI’s website, along with its other language resources. Staff will continue to expand the dictionary’s words, phrases and associated audio.
SHI has worked on language documentation and perpetuation since the nonprofit’s inception 44 years ago. The institute initially focused on helping to create the orthographies for the languages and worked with heritage language speakers and linguists to develop dictionaries and other books for Lingít, X̱aad Kíl and Shm’algyack.
In the 1990s, SHI’s Board of Trustees made language revitalization a priority. The institute then began to sponsor teaching activities, such as language immersion camps, in which students would live in a habitat of a Native language over a period of days. SHI also poured many resources into developing lessons, videos, flash cards, apps, podcasts and games to enhance the learning experience.
In recent years, SHI has sponsored university classes and scholarships for language learners, and many language teachers today are of a generation who grew up without hearing their Native tongue at home.
I didn’t even need to read the actual article to know what the message would be. The tell here was the term ‘veteran forecaster’.
In finance-speak, veteran forecaster can be translated to mean someone who is supremely confident in their predictions but almost always wrong.
It has to be this way because forecasters are so unreliable. Yet the financial media loves certainty so they keep bringing them back on again and again. Certainty sells better than nuance.
That’s the game.
There are plenty of other Wall Street terms that have their own translations.
Here are some of my favorites (as translated by the team at A Wealth of Common Sense):
I’m cautiously optimistic.
Translation: I have no idea what’s going to happen.
We’re constructive on the stock market.
Translation: I wanted to say bullish but this is a way to both sound smart and hedge at the same time just in case I’m wrong.
It’s trading at fair value.
Translation: I have no idea what this thing is worth so hopefully the market does.
We’re a boutique investment firm.
Translation: We’re small and don’t manage very much money but we’d like to be bigger. Please give us money.
It’s a proprietary trading system.
Translation: Everyone else on Wall Street uses this same model but calls it something different.
This is a bubble.
Translation: I’m not invested in that asset that went up a lot.
We’re the smart money.
Translation: We pay ridiculously high fees for “sophisticated” investment products.
You’re being paid to wait in this stock.
Translation: The dividend yield is high for a reason. The stock stinks.
This asset has an asymmetric risk payoff.
Translation: I’ve read The Big Short two-and-a-half times…okay I watched the movie once.
The easy money has been made.
Translation: I didn’t make any of it.
We’ll give you all of the upside without any of the downside.
Translation: This strategy is either going to blow up in spectacular fashion or get smoked during the next bull market.
Sell in May and go away.
Translation: My research process relies exclusively on rhyming. I also buy when prices are high.
Wall Street guru.
Translation: This guy wears a bow tie.
We prefer to gauge performance over a full market cycle.
Translation: We are massively underperforming.
I’m not wrong, just early.
Translation: I’m wrong but don’t think I won’t move the goalposts if I stay wrong.
It’s a Ponzi scheme.
Translation: I disagree with that thing but don’t actually know what a Ponzi scheme really is.
They predicted the 2008 financial crisis. Here’s why they say the next one will be even bigger!
Translation: They also predicted a crisis in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, etc. They got lucky, were “right” once, and have lived off that call ever since.
I’m a contrarian.
Translation: Just like everyone else in finance.
We’re waiting for the dust to settle.
Translation: We get fearful when others are fearful.
Michael and I spoke about Wall Street translations and much more on this week’s Animal Spirits video:
Subscribe to The Compound so you never miss an episode.
Further Reading:
Unfortunate Realities of the Investment Business
I didn’t even need to read the actual article to know what the message would be. The tell here was the term ‘veteran forecaster’.
In finance-speak, veteran forecaster can be translated to mean someone who is supremely confident in their predictions but almost always wrong.
It has to be this way because forecasters are so unreliable. Yet the financial media loves certainty so they keep bringing them back on again and again. Certainty sells better than nuance.
That’s the game.
There are plenty of other Wall Street terms that have their own translations.
Here are some of my favorites (as translated by the team at A Wealth of Common Sense):
I’m cautiously optimistic.
Translation: I have no idea what’s going to happen.
We’re constructive on the stock market.
Translation: I wanted to say bullish but this is a way to both sound smart and hedge at the same time just in case I’m wrong.
It’s trading at fair value.
Translation: I have no idea what this thing is worth so hopefully the market does.
We’re a boutique investment firm.
Translation: We’re small and don’t manage very much money but we’d like to be bigger. Please give us money.
It’s a proprietary trading system.
Translation: Everyone else on Wall Street uses this same model but calls it something different.
This is a bubble.
Translation: I’m not invested in that asset that went up a lot.
We’re the smart money.
Translation: We pay ridiculously high fees for “sophisticated” investment products.
You’re being paid to wait in this stock.
Translation: The dividend yield is high for a reason. The stock stinks.
This asset has an asymmetric risk payoff.
Translation: I’ve read The Big Short two-and-a-half times…okay I watched the movie once.
The easy money has been made.
Translation: I didn’t make any of it.
We’ll give you all of the upside without any of the downside.
Translation: This strategy is either going to blow up in spectacular fashion or get smoked during the next bull market.
Sell in May and go away.
Translation: My research process relies exclusively on rhyming. I also buy when prices are high.
Wall Street guru.
Translation: This guy wears a bow tie.
We prefer to gauge performance over a full market cycle.
Translation: We are massively underperforming.
I’m not wrong, just early.
Translation: I’m wrong but don’t think I won’t move the goalposts if I stay wrong.
It’s a Ponzi scheme.
Translation: I disagree with that thing but don’t actually know what a Ponzi scheme really is.
They predicted the 2008 financial crisis. Here’s why they say the next one will be even bigger!
Translation: They also predicted a crisis in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, etc. They got lucky, were “right” once, and have lived off that call ever since.
I’m a contrarian.
Translation: Just like everyone else in finance.
We’re waiting for the dust to settle.
Translation: We get fearful when others are fearful.
Michael and I spoke about Wall Street translations and much more on this week’s Animal Spirits video:
Subscribe to The Compound so you never miss an episode.
Further Reading:
Unfortunate Realities of the Investment Business
Orange Inc., developers of a Japanese-to-English language manga localization tool, announced earlier this week that it secured 2.92 billion yen (approximately $19.4 million USD, based on the current 1 USD = 150 yen exchange rate) in pre-Series A round funding.
This round of funding for this US/Japan-based start-up include investments from Japanese publisher Shogakukan (publisher of Shonen Sunday manga magazine, and part owner of VIZ Media), and investment funds Globis Capital Partners, ANRI, SBI Investment, JIC Venture Growth Investments, Miyako Capital, Chiba Dojo Fund, Mizuho Capital, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, and GFR Fund.
According to Orange’s press release, “The resources will go to increasing the pace of manga localization currently done in Japan roughly fivefold, to 500 titles per month,” and to ultimately, “deliver entertainment through the Japanese manga art form and its rich history to generations to come.”
So what will this cash infusion do for this start-up? According to their announcement, Orange will further develop Factory, their manga localization tool, and launch Emaqi, their website/ebook app for manga in English in Summer 2024.
These funds are also presumably being applied toward the establishment of their US offices, and hiring employees, freelancers, consultants, plus what looks to be an ambitious online marketing plan involving paid ads, manga trailers, onboarding social media influencers, and more.
The centerpiece of Orange’s service offerings is Factory, a “dedicated manga localization tool.” According to Orange, their “world-class machine learning engineers are leveraging deep learning models centered on computer vision and natural language processing to automate much of the time-consuming localization processes required to release foreign language versions.”
You can see a demo of how manga creators and publishers can use Factory in this YouTube demo video, featuring Mr. Orange (turn on closed captions to read the English subtitles)
The other part of Orange’s entry into the English language manga publishing scene is Emaqi, their e-bookstore that will “make it easier (for readers) find favorites while also offering recommendations.” Promising to “allow fans to enjoy manga on the go,” Emaqi is scheduled to launch in Summer 2024 in the US, and “will feature works translated using Orange’s technology, recommendations, curations by manga influencers, and manga trailers.” Emaqi promises to offer “unique titles of all genres,” with the lofty goal to “unite readers with titles that will impact their lives regardless of nationality, age, or gender.”
Orange’s earlier AI-assisted manga translation projects
This isn’t the first time that Orange has announced its intentions to use AI-assisted technologies for Japanese-to-English manga localization.
Earlier this year, the company’s technologies were used to translate for the English lettering on Rugby Rumble by Daisuke Miyata, a sports manga series on Shueisha’s Manga Plus website/app, but was swiftly met with criticism from readers as well as freelance translators and lettering professionals.
UPDATE: The English translation for Rugby Rumble on Manga Plus was not done with Orange’s AI translation tools, but it did make use of its lettering capabilities. Mei Amaki is the translator for Rugby Rumble, and a few other series on Manga Plus.
But even after the outcry from their first releases on Manga Plus, Orange’s AI-assisted manga translation technologies have been in use on a smaller scale: to offer simulpubbed chapters of Neko Oji ni Tensei Shita no Ojian (The Guy Who Got Reincarnated as a Cat), a quirky comic strip about a middle-aged office worker who gets reincarnated as a cute kitten.
Yajima, the Japanese manga creator of Neko Oji has been using Orange’s AI manga translation services to simulpub Japanese and English versions of their online comic via their X/Twitter feed at @neko_oji_en for several months now:
From Neko Oji chapter 89 by Yajima
Neko Oji is a quirky, cat-centric twist on the “reincarnation” trope — in this case, the older man/kitten adopted by the president of the company where he once worked. The company president is a stern, no-nonsense executive at the office, but once he’s home, he’s a total softie who absolutely dotes on his new pet, Mr. Pun, never realizing that this curious kitten has an old man’s soul.
Neko Oji turned its online popularity into a book deal, and there are currently two volumes of the series published in Japanese by Kadokawa. However, as of press time, no English language manga publishers, print or digital, have picked up this series for distribution.
Neko Oji ni Tensei Shita no Ojian vol. 1 by Yajima (Kadokawa)
Neko Oji is not the only Japanese manga series that has been serialized to readers worldwide via Twitter/X and Instagram, but it is one of the few that is regularly posting official English and Japanese versions online.
Yajima is also the artist behind the manga featuring Mr. Orange, a large talking citrus(?) that explains what Orange Inc’s technology can do. Yajima proudly announced this collaboration with Orange Inc. on their Twitter/X feed, noting that it’s quite rare to see a press release done in manga format like this.
You can read the entire 12-page “Let’s Go Mr. Orange” manga in English too.
From the presentation deck sent to the media as part of this announcement, Orange describes their company mission: “to create a world where everyone enjoys manga.” The presentation compares Orange’s goal is to be to manga, what Spotify is to music, and Netflix is to movies: to make a lot of content available online to a lot of readers, worldwide, and make it affordable too.
Orange vision statement, from their presentation deck
The problem statement put forth by the company puts numbers to what many in the manga publishing world have known for a long time: that what gets published in English is just a tiny fraction of the manga published in Japanese.
According to their presentation, “As of 2023, only approximately 10,000 volumes of manga have been published in English, representing only 2% of the total volumes published in Japan.”
What keeps more manga from being published in English? According to Orange, one major barrier is the cost of localization, and the time and numerous steps, and people involved (both employees and freelancers) to produce English versions of Japanese manga. The cost quoted in Orange’s presentation? $7,000 per volume of manga.
Mr Bean explains why manga translation takes a lot of time and money, from “Let’s Go Mr. Orange” by Yajima
In the “Let’s Go Mr. Orange” manga, we meet Mr. Orange, a passionate manga fan, finding out from Mr. Bean that it would take “10 billion yen and 10 years” to publish 10,000 manga series in English. Mr. Bean continues, “Translating manga is a massive undertaking that requires a ton of steps,” involving editors, logo designers, translators, translation agencies, proofreaders and “artists for phototypesetting” (a.k.a. lettering)”
Of course, online piracy is another issue identified by Orange as both a reason for its existence, and a major concern of both manga creators and publishers. Their press release / presentation deck mentions that the “damages caused by online piracy, “exceeds $10 billion USD, annually.”
Meanwhile, Orange predicts that the global manga market will continue to grow, with a total addressable market (TAM) of $15 billion USD. But they also added that at best, the percentage of digital manga sales in the US is ~20% of the total manga sales, which lags far behind Japan, where digital manga sales currently make up 66% of the market.
One reason why the percentage of digital manga sales in the US is way lower than Japan is because of another issue identified in Orange’s presentation: compared to Japan, there aren’t as many dedicated apps to provide “cross-publisher manga sales” in English.
They’re not wrong there. In Japan, there are several manga apps/ebook stores and services that publish manga by many publishers, including Line Manga (a division of Naver, owner of WEBTOON), Comic C’moA (owned by NTT Solmare, which runs the Manga Plaza English manga service), Piccoma (a division of Kakao Entertainment, parent company of webtoon app/site Tapas), Manga Bang, Papyless, which has a Japanese Renta ebook site and an English Renta site, and ebook stores like BookWalker, a division of Kadokawa that has both a global site (selling English manga and light novels) and their Japanese site, which has a much larger selection of titles from more publishers.
For the companies mentioned that have English versions of their manga/ebook sites, the selection of titles they offer in English are very different, and offer a limited selection compared to what’s offered on their Japanese counterpart sites/apps. On these Japanese eBook/manga sites/services, the latest ebook volumes and even some single chapters of manga from almost every publisher, big or small, as well as a deep catalog of backlist and mid-list titles that include classic, popular, obscure, and indie manga series of all kinds can be found and purchased instantly. What about the English versions of these company’s ebook sites? Uhmm. Not so much.
In N. America, there’s no single ebook site/platform/app that will allow you to purchase and read the latest manga chapters or graphic novel releases in English from any publisher. For example, I buy a LOT of manga and webtoons, as ebooks and single chapters, in print and digital format. My digital library of manga and webtoons are contained in at least 10 different digital apps/subscription services, which may or may not disappear if any of these companies go under (pours out a 40 oz. for J-Manga).
However, this isn’t a problem that Orange’s technology or Emaqi e-bookstore is likely to solve. This is mostly because it’s up to the individual manga publishers, both US and Japan to decide where the digital versions of their stories will be available. THIS is the main reason why US/Canada manga readers can’t buy all of their digital manga on one site/platform/app. It’s not because there isn’t a unified platform for publishing and distribution for manga in English, and it’s not for lack of trying from various manga ebook apps/platforms to try to get a bigger selection of top titles from more manga publishers on their apps/ebook storefronts. It’s just how it is now, and all the whiz-bang AI technology in the world won’t change that, or at least it won’t fix it quickly.
Given the current state of affairs, it is highly unlikely that Orange’s Emaqi ebook service for manga will magically convince all English manga publishers, big and small, to start offering their titles on their app, when so many other manga websites, ebook platforms and apps (even Amazon Kindle!) have failed to do this before.
We’ll just have to wait and see what Emaqi will have to offer to manga readers, when it’s launched later this summer.
Reactions from readers, translators and lettering pros
After Orange’s announcement, manga translators, readers, and lettering professionals weighed in, with many disputing Orange’s claims of saving time and money for publishers, given that this would come at the expense of readability and would likely result in double work for less pay for translators, localization editors, lettering professionals.
“For everyone commenting that they’re gonna have humans “proofread and check” the translations — just know that these translations always end up having to be redone from scratch because of how much of a mess they are. This is used as a justification to pay translators less because they’re “just checking” and the translation “is basically done” when it’s actually wayyy more work for less pay. It takes more time and effort to fix it than to just have a translator do it from scratch. I’ve been there, and most translators know what it’s like. Both the consumer and those in the industry deserve better. May they crash and burnand they will eventually. And frankly, this generally comes out to be more costly and less efficient. It’s not sustainable. This kind of thing is cannibalizing the industry. You could just pay people and it would be cheaper and more quality in the long run.”
Jan Mitsuko Cash (@jmitsu) – translator and editor
“Market rate is $5~$6/page for translation, let’s say $6/page for basic lettering $19.5 million in USD could pay for the translation and lettering of 1,625,000 pages That’s about 10,000 books they could have paid a fair rate for”
Sara Linsley (@salinsley) – software engineer, font designer, and comic book letterera
“Reminder that all AI relies on underpaid workers. Do not work with this company. This is directly from their website“
So what do you think of Orange’s announcement, their AI-assisted manga translation service, and the upcoming release of their ebook service? Add your comments below.
I've been living in Spain for 12 years. I've stopped dating locals because too much gets lost in translation.
Essay byNicola Prentis
Nicola Prentis doesn't feel like her real personality comes through when she tries to speak in Spanish.Nicola Prentis
Nicola Prentis moved to Spain in 2012 but isn't fully fluent in Spanish.
Prentis is single and finds that when she dates in Spanish, she never feels like herself.
Now, she prefers to date English speakers.
"Say something to me in Spanish," said my date in the small Catalan city where I've lived since 2016. But despite his great English and being interesting and attractive, his question immediately made me both self-conscious and irritated at what I knew was coming next. It's an inevitable part of the first date scenario I've come to hate while dating in Spain.
Unlike in bigger cities like Madrid or Barcelona, most of my local dating pool only speaks Spanish or Catalan, so I'm always grateful when I find someone who speaks English. Navigating the apps with my level of Spanish is easy, and I can even manage whole dates. But it's not just the language barrier that's the challenge
"No tengo nada para que decir," I replied, hoping to get his judgment on my Spanish over with as soon as possible. Plus, it's kind of true. I really don't have much to say in Spanish because I'm not yet (ever?) going to be at the level where my real personality comes through.
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"Terrible," he said.
Whether he meant my accent or the grammar error I'd made, I didn't know. But it wasn't the first time I've been mocked for speaking Spanish in a supposedly romantic context. I still remember the belittling way a Mexican boyfriend laughed at how I pronounced the restaurant name "100 Montaditos" in 2012. All this has very much shaped my attitude toward the language and how I feel speaking it.
I'm overly compliant and naive in Spanish
It's not just unpleasant memories that are to blame for my unwillingness to date in Spanish. There's also research that suggests personalities can change when you're speaking another language. "Environmental cues, such as language use, can lead to adjustments in mood and demeanor. Multilinguals often use different languages for distinct purposes, and those purposes will influence your emotional states," Nate Young, a former Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at the University of Oslo who worked on the study, told Business Insider. Young holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Queen Mary, University of London.
So, as much of my experience in Spain involves frustration with my own language limits, it's shaped how I feel when speaking the language.
The result of this is what some refer to as "nodding dog syndrome." If I'm tired or if the social situation means multiple people are in the conversation, I end up nodding along, "sí, sí" to everything. Debating something complex in Spanish is beyond my language level, but I also know I'll sound rude if I disagree using the blunt language tools I do have.
Added to that is the naivete that comes with dating outside your own cultural context. I can't tell if that guy who said "joder" in front of an 80-year-old priest is crass and disrespectful or not. The swear word is much milder in Spanish than in English (it translates directly as "f**k) but is it mild enough to use in front of a priest? I also couldn't tell if the guy who paid me a million compliments and texted me all the time was enthusiastically open or love bombing, something I'd be fully tuned into in my own culture.
I'm a terrible listener in Spanish
Listening intently in order to understand is tiring to do for a whole date, let alone a relationship. But sometimes I'm not paying attention at all whereas, in English, I have really good active listening skills.
In Spanish, I'll find myself using the break where the other person is speaking to go over whether I made a mistake in what I just said. Then I'll ask them about the related grammar query instead of what they were just telling me. Even worse, because I'm either not truly listening or I'm focusing so hard on how to express myself, my memory of the actual content of these conversations is scant at best. Being more concerned about verb endings than how the date might end isn't exactly conducive to a great date.
I've come to much prefer people who speak English, and who don't make fun of my Spanish, just so they get to know the real me and not this version of me who's sometimes bolshy, sometimes overly agreeable, and often inattentive. After all, I wouldn't date me in Spanish.
Got a personal essay about dating abroad that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor:akarplus@businessinsider.com.
