Sword/Book of Omens

Cartoons ThunderCats (2011)
1

So… I wanted to ask a translation related question about these ThunderCats terms:
If the new series of ThunderCats would be dubbed to another language, how do you think they should deal with these two terms?

Obviously, the book/sword parts would be translated to the target language - but what’s about the “omens” part? should it get a direct translation too to the literal meaning of “omens”? (and if so, can you describe the intended meaning of “omens” in this case?) or should it keep it “omens” just like that in English? (also, in that case, I’m not sure if it’d be better to make it just “omen” or “omens” with s…)

Just give your opinions about this… also, if dubs to other languages already exist to either the new or old series, I’d like to know how these dubs dealt with these terms
I’d also like to know if it was ever explained why the sword/book of omens is called so, either in the old or new series (though I’m mainly talking about the new series, if it matters)

I’m a fresh ThunderCats fan, watched the 13 eps + Snarf short of the new series, and the first few eps of the older series (couldn’t really get into the old series the same way I can with the new one, but I might try to continue the old one too one day)
I’m about to do more with the series than what the average fan gets to do, though I prefer not to say too much right now :slight_smile: you can probably guess it by now anyway… so I just hope to get answers as soon as possible - I have to decide in the upcoming days how to translate these terms… thanks!

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Well the old show directly translated it here in Sweden.

Sword of omens = Omens Svärd

Omens spells the same but you say it in a very different tone. Good thing Swedish and English is not that far from each other.

I think they should just translate it however they wish, and by that i mean all of it. The only thing that probably could work to not translate would be the actual name “Thundercats”. I’m not sure how they work this stuff out but yeah, would be fun to know.

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they never gave a direct reason that the Sword of Omens was called that, but personally I always thought it related to the sword’s “sight beyond sight” ability.

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Agreed, but why would “all the other stuff” be called omens aswell?

That’s one thing i hate and i even mentioned in the chat with the producers (or who ever the hell it was) why is everything called “omens”? I dont mind it really, the problem is just that when i think about it… It sounds so cheap.

Sword of OMENS
Book of OMENS
Tower of OMENS

I’m suprised the tank is not called “The Tank of Omens”.

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Well the book was said to have prophecies inside so Omens works for the book, and the Tower (at least in the NS) was where the book was kept, so it fits there too.

The Armor of Omens though… not too sure about that. lol Maybe because it’s an extension of the sword and shield.

6

LOL:D

Well, in Greece taking into account the Old Cartoon’s translation would tbe called: Sword Of Omens/ Spathi Ton Oionon. To tell you the truth, the word Omens=Oionon translates very accurately in Greece and has a mythological meaning, so it is sounding even more deep and emphatic

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That is good in that case, though for my language it’d be completely different from “omens” XD

I think they should just translate it however they wish, and by that i mean all of it.

I don’t know, it’s just that any possible translation sounds kind of weird… though leaving it “omens” would be weird too…

The only thing that probably could work to not translate would be the actual name “Thundercats”. I’m not sure how they work this stuff out but yeah, would be fun to know.

Actually, I think ThunderCats would actually have to be translated, it’d sound really weird if they’d leave it “ThunderCats” XD
The whole “omens” thing is the only thing giving me trouble…

So with this logic, would it seem right to translate the “omens” part as if it was “prophecy” or “prediction”? (although that would sound weird too XD )

It’s really sad that they (apparently) never explained this… it could help me if there was a case in the show where they explain why it’s called so

It’s going to be really hard to decide what to do… I’d like to hear more opinions (or facts, like if there are more different languages dubs and how they delt with it)
Thanks again!

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In the original series, Spanish dubs referred to it as la Espada del Augurio, or the Sword of Augury, which is pretty much a direct translation of Omens. I’ve also found instances of el Libro del Augurio and la Torre del Augurio, for the Book and Tower.

In Portuguese, at least from what few reference points I have, it was called a Espada Justiceira. To quote myself, “Justiceira does not have a good English translation. It’s a bit stronger than just… more like, strictly observing and promoting justice, like a policeman.” Synonyms, at least on wordreference.com, include just, righteous, severe, impartial, incorruptible, and, in another sense, vigilante.

A little Cosmocats research turns up L’épée des présages, Literally the Sword of omens, or also harbingers or predictions. Sometimes, it’s also just referred to as L’épée d’Omens, even though Omens isn’t a french word. Same for Livre d’Omens (Book of Omens).

As for why things were referred to as the Blah of Omens in the original series, I think each of them had a clear reason, apart from sounding consistently cool.

The Sword for Sight Beyond Sight, the Book for the secrets and prophecies it contained, the Tower because of its proximity to Dark Side as an early warning system and first line of defense against the Lunatacs, and the Screen because it conferred to visuals whatever warnings the Braille Board was picking up.

But the Armor of Omens in the new series remains a mystery.

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Thanks everyone!
I think I finally decided - I’ll translate “Sword/Book of Omens” directly, translating the “Omens” part like “prophecy” - it seems to me that this will be the best possible way to do it in my language

Now I’m not sure though what to do with another term XD
“Third Earth”… I guess I’ll direct translate this too, “Earth” is just that, and “third” meaning it’s the third one, as if there are/were two more before this one?.. (any explanation on why it’s called so would probably help to make it clear for me)

I think everything else would be easy to deal with (like names which I’ll keep same as in the original, which is how they usually do it around here, so character names like “Lion-o” or places names like “Thundera”, will just stay as they are, while things like “ThunderCats” or “Thunder Tank” will get direct translation)

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Third Earth is sort of like it’s the third age of the planet. Mumm-Ra mentions how he’s so old he remembers when it was still First Earth. So First and Second Earth were different time periods of the same planet.

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when did he say that? O.o

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Well he said it in the OS, not the NS. Don’t know what episode offhand.

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Episode 2 The Unholy Alliance :wink: When he first meets the Mutants, he tells them he has known of the Eye of Thundera’s power for a thousand years, at a time when the planet was still ‘first’ Earth :slight_smile:

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Which probably does not have to be the same in the NS then.

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Nope, but since the OP was asking questions about why things are called what they are I think the OS should be taken into consideration since the NS only names things the way they do because of the OS.