LOS GALOS DE ASTÉRIX Y OBÉLIX EN SUECO

 ¡Cómo no olvidar a los cómics de galos y romanos de René Goscinny, protagonizados por los galos del norte del país Astérix y Obélix y su simpática mascota Idéafix! En todo el planeta, los nombres del pequeño rubio, del forzudo pelirrojo y del perrito blanco no cambian, puesto que están basados en dos signos de puntuación, el asterisco y el obelisco (* y †, respectivamente, ¡huelga ver la diferencia de tamaño!), y en el concepto de idea fija. Pero en cada país los nombres de los personajes secundarios, con excepción de los históricos (por ejemplo, Cleopatra o Cayo Julio César), se localizaron, no así en España y la Hispanidad, que los tomaron directamente del francés (oh là là!). Pero al veranear en Suecia y pedir cómics de galos en la biblioteca, me di cuenta de que en Suecia traducen los nombres de los demás habitantes del poblado, con resultados muy divertidos:

El druida Panorámix (a la vez narco y cura, como decía Thérèse, mi profe de francés, que viene de Burdeos) se convierte en Miraculix, Milagrósix. Sus pociones hacen milagros de verdad.

El gran jefe Abraracúrcix (siempre llevado por sus guardias en su escudo) se vuelve Majestix, Majestuósix. Un nombre que hace justicia a un porte tan imponente.

El bardo (que desafina y siempre termina atado a un árbol y amordazado) Asegurancetúrix es rebautizado como Trubadix, Trovadórix. Un nombre mucho más lírico y más breve que Seguroatodorriésguix.

El pescadero y marisquero (cuyos productos nunca están frescos), de cuyo nombre no me acuerdo, se llama en sueco Krabbofix, Cangrejipescádix, de “krabba och fisk”, cangrejo y pescado, su mercancía.

El herrero, rubio y muy musculoso (suele ser el que peor se toma las canciones del bardo y el que le ata al árbol y le amordaza), Esautomátix o Cetautomátix en francés, se llama Smidefix, Forjarréglix, de “herrero que arregla cosas”, en sueco. Como tantas cosas en un poblado galo son de metal y pueden oxidarse o romperse, el herrero está allí para repararlas.

El habitante más anciano y más cascarrabias de la aldea, Edadepiédrix o Âgecanonix en francés (“l’âge canonique” parece ser un sinónimo de “el año de la polca” o “los tiempos de Maricastaña”) en sueco fue bautizado como Senilix. No hace falta saber sueco para entender ese nombre, que viene de “senex” y de “senectud”.

Por cierto, un estudio fundado por René Goscinny hace las películas animadas de Astérix y Obélix. Su logotipo de inicio parodia el famoso león de la Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, pero con Idéafix ladrando y, en vez de ARS GRATIA ARTIS, en las cintas de película se puede leer DELIRANT ISTI ROMANI, o “están locos estos romanos”. En italiano, las iniciales de esta frase, Sono Pazzi Questi Romani, son casualmente las mismas que el lema del imperio: Senatus Populus Que Romanus, SPQR.

KERMIT APPLE

KERMIT APPLE
Rana Gustavo/René de Manzana

WHEN YOU FANGIRL OVER A NAMESAKE...

Let's face the facts, Rei Asagiri's Castilian dub name is Sandra.
And Rei Asagiri is a badass.

The already famous performer Rei Asagiri. 

Rei is the Dark Feminine since she's an Ice Queen with Hotter and Sexier looks, quite a bit more of singing/performing experience under her belt and a Dark and Troubled Past.

• The Rival: Rei Asagiri, Tamura Productions' established star.

All I'm missing is the purple hair. And makeup to erase all those freckles.

When I say badass in this scenario, I am referring to a badass in, the kind of spotlight-stealing rival character who keeps you rooting for the Empire.

Yes, her Castilian name is Sandra. 

And she's also got a badass character song to rival Let it Go! Elsa, eat your heart out...

Larvae of all stages, adolescents of every gender, Rei/Sandra (/Susi/Aurèle) Asagiri performing Unchained Heart!

I mean, if I was named Susi and lived in Italy, or Aurèle and lived in France, I would be equally honoured to be namesakes with such a Privileged Rival Hot and Sexy Badass with Tsurime Eyes...

(For her Mediaset dub names across countries are Susi in the Italian version and Aurèle in the French)

¿MIGAJA SALAZ?

STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI

Salacious Crumb, the reptilian monkey-monster, crouched by Threepio's head, picking out the golden droid's right eye.  

Acuclillado encima de la cabeza de 3PO, Migaja Salaz el monstruoso y reptilesco mono, intentaba arrancar el ojo derecho del dorado androide.
(Official Spanish translation)

According to Spanish SW fandom authorities, it is wrong to literally translate the name of Salacious Crumb as Migaja Salaz.
Still, the official Spanish novelization of Return of the Jedi translated it that way...

INTERESTING ORIGINAL POKÉMON NAMES

• Umbreon is Blacky in Japanese. That's it, Blacky, as obvious as the Pope is Catholic.
• Aerodactyl is Ptera, which is perfect for a pterosaur... if the Japanese language could not use two consonants together (unless one of them is an N) without a vowel in between. Thus, they pronounce "Ptera" as "Putera", which means "bitchy" in Spanish.
• Oddish, that adorable Prussian blue mandrake I hatched from an egg while borrowing Malin Nilsson's smartphone, is Nazonokusa, literally "Strange Grass/Weed": almost the same as "Strange Fruit."
• Oddish's eldest evolution, Vileplume, is called Rafflesia in Japanese. Just like the reeking tropical flower that inspired the Pokémon. Obvious enough?
• Tentacruel: Dokukurage, i.e. "Poison Jellyfish," another name as obvious as Blacky for Umbreon. Its pre-evolution Tentacool is Menokurage, i.e. "Jellyfish with Eyes." Duh.
• The same can be said of Spearow, AKA Onisuzume, i.e. "Ogre-sparrow." And its evolution Fearow, whose original name is Onidoriru, i.e. "Ogre Avian Drill."
• Mandibuzz is called Vulgina. The "gina" part is for "regina", canonically, but the shape of the feather collar of this avian Pokémon suggests a more sexual meaning...
• The Hitmons are an interesting case: Hitmonlee (for Bruce or Jet Lee in the West) is originally called Sawamular, as in world's first kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura; Hitmonchan (for Jackie Chan) is Ebiwalar, as in flyweight champion Hiroyuki Ebihara; and Hitmontop (for spinning top) is Capoeilar, as in... well, capoeira, that Brazilian dance/martial art.
• Likewise the Abra family, named for several famous mystics: Abra's Japanese name is Caycey for Edgar Cayce; Kadabra's is Ungeller for Uri Geller (which caused a lawsuit from the Israeli esper, not amused that his name was used for a Baphomet-like creature with SS-like wave markings); and Alakazam's is Houdin for both Robert Houdin and Harry Houdini.
• The corresponding Macho family of fighting pokémon become the Ricky family, punning on the nickname of Richard and a Japanese word for strength: Machop is Wanricky (a pun on "One Ricky," "Arm Ricky," and "wanriki" meaning literally the same as "Armstrong"), Machoke is Goricky (a pun on "Go Ricky!" and "góriki", i.e. "Herculean strength"), and Machamp is Kairicky (pun on "Kai Ricky" and "kairiki", i.e. "superhuman strength").
• Farfetch'd is called Kamonegi, literally "Duckscallion." Now this is more than meets the eye. Obviously, we've got a duck carrying a scallion. But, on a side note, this must be quite a twat of a duck to carry its own seasoning all the time. The kill would ensure both roast duck and garnison at one fell swoop. Hence the Japanese expression "kamo negi", "a duck carrying a scallion," which refers to a patsy, the victim of a deception.
• Dunsparce's original name is Nokocchi, an anagram of "tsuchinoko", the cryptid (a thick snake with a pair of tiny wings) that inspired this Pokémon.
• Magmar is Boober. Head looks like a pair of flaming tits, nuff said. Its infant form Magby is called Booby (head full of flameless red spherical protrusions), and its evolution Magmortar is called Booburn (flaming spherical tit shapes for epaulets). Long story short, he whole Mag family is the Boob family in Japanese. Somewhere, Lieutenant Grüber is choking as he laughs. So. Many. Boobs.
• Articuno (Artic1) is Freezer. Not the Freezer in DBZ, but still it surprised a lot of fans, including me. Furthermore, Zapdos (Zap2) is called Thunder and Moltres (Mol3) is called Fire.
• The Clefa line: Cleffa is Pi (as in 3,14); Clefairy is called Pippi (as in Lângstrump); and Clefable is Pixie (as in either the sprite or the haircut).
• And the Jigglypuff line: Igglybuff in Japanese is Pupudding (a stuttering pudding?), Jigglypuff is Pudding (round and soft, so sweet, no bones...), and Wigglytuff is Pukudding ("Pukupuku" means puffed up, so literally "puffy pudding").
• To close the trilogy with the third kawaii pink family: Happiny is called Pinpuku (from "pink" and "pukupuku", ut supra); Chansey is Lucky in Japanese, and Blissey is called Happiness. Audino, the new nurse Pokémon, is originally called Tabunne, from "tabun ne", "maybe."
• To close with more Eeveelutions, since we began this list with Umbreon/Blacky, we finish it with Vaporeon, AKA Showers; Flareon, AKA Booster; Jolteon, AKA Thunders; Leafeon, AKA Leafia; and Glaceon, AKA Glacia. The way all of these names sound.

TON AND GUIDA... AND OTHER RENAMES

TRANSLATION NAME CHANGES

In Catalan, Hansel and Gretel are most usually known as Ton and Guida (Tony and Maggie, literally).
These are not the only storybook characters whose given names are changed in canon (not changed to the foreign variant of the names, like Lizzie into Lisa or Isa, or István into Stefano or Étienne, but given completely unrelated names! Note that this refers to canon as a whole, and not to specific translations/adaptations [Kai into Peter in Dumas's Snow Queen, for instance, is not covered here, neither Gerda into Freya in Marie Diaz's version of the same tale]. Neither are translations of speaking names, such as Gilderoy Lockhart into Gyllenroy Lockman, Mad-Eye Moody into Ull-Foll Murri, Granny Weatherwax into Yaya Ceravieja, Kanga and Roo into Kangu and Rito, Merry Brandybuck into M. Brandygamo, Crookshanks into Krummbein and Krumben, etc. The same kind of direct translation is used for high nobility and royalty: Tywin Lannister into Tywin Lennister; Gustavus Adolphus into Gustavo Adolfo, Gustave-Adolphe, Gusztáv Adolf, Kustaa Aadolf; Maria Theresa into Marie-Thérèse, Mária Terézia, etc.: neither do we cover this case.).

Herb, the male lead in Beware of Storybook Wolves, is known as Olmo in Spanish and Hug in Catalan.

Charlie and Lola, also created by Lauren Child, become Juan and Tolola in Spanish, Carles and Laia in Catalan.

Veruca Salt, the spoiled heiress in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was renamed Erika in the Swedish translation (retaining her surname!)

Likewise, Emil from Lönneberga is Michel in German and Miguel in Spanish.

Snusmumriken, the minstrel of Moominland, is Snuffkin in English and Manrico in Spanish. His Finnish name, Nuuskamuikkunen, translates fittingly to "harmonica".
Also in Moomin canon, Mârran, the dreaded personification of the cold, is the Groke in English and the Amú in Spanish. In Finnish, this character is Mörkö (sounds like "mörk," "dark" in Swedish), which is phonetically and semantically the most ominous renaming.
My favourite Moominland characters, Tofslan and Vifslan, were Englished as Thingumy and Bob (what a butchery!) Luckily, they were called, in Spanish, better-sounding Tofelán and Pifelán. It also sounds fine in Finnish, where they are Tiuhti and Viuhti.

Kermit the Frog is Gustavo in Castilian and René in Latin American Spanish.

Bulle (literally, "Bun") in the Doctor Proctor saga by Jo Nesbö becomes Nilly (explained as shorthand for William) in English.

Gilly (named after "gillyflower", which can mean carnation or wallflower) the wildling girl is Elí (from "alhelí", wallflower or violet) in Spanish, and Vère (from "primevère", primrose) in French.

Enid Nightshade was renamed Isabelle Tromplamor in the French translated Worst Witch novels. Sounds more like a name for a court lady in the bevy of Francis I, or not?
Ethel Hallow, the Alpha Bitch in the Worst Witch books, becomes Esther Edel in German. After such a name change, she seems far less ominous, in fact, like someone you would invite for a drink and/or cakes...

The Beagle Boys Band become Die Panzerknacker in the German Disney comics. Which is the name I would give my own hard rock band. Panzerknacker. Badass.

Strider (Aragorn's nom de guerre) becomes Trancos in Spanish and Grands-Pas in French (both of which allude to his mighty steps), but Vidstige (Of the Wide Path, Well-Travelled), an even further translation, in Swedish. In Russian, it's Brodyaga-shire-shag (Vagrant step-wider), as far a translation as the Swedish one.
Wormtongue in Swedish: Ormstunga. Serpent-tongue. Way cooler.
Wormtail in Swedish: Slingersvans. Slithertail. Also way cooler. (Peter Pettigrew stays with his true name in Swedish, by the way).

Harold in the Captain Underpants novels becomes Berto in Spanish (George is Jorge, but we don't put it here, read above).
In the Italian translation of the book series (his bestie George is Giorgio, ut supra), Harold Hutchins (same character as above) becomes Carlo de Carlis.
In the same books into Spanish, Mr. Krupp, the teacher who becomes the titular superhero, is surnamed Carrasquilla.
In Italian, the same Mr. Krupp becomes signor Grugno. That's Mr. Grump, closely fitting.
Mrs. Ribble becomes signorina Nervetti in Italian and gets surnamed Pichote in Spanish.
Odd-name-out space alien Jennifer's Spanish name is Jeroma. Her Italian name's Giulietta (coincidental?)
Unpopular tattletale nerd turned... well, let's not spoil the plot of the book Melvin Sneedly is Mariolino Atomo in Italian and Gustavo Lumbreras in Spanish.
And Ricky Ricotta is Sito Kesito in Spanish.
General Jackrabbit becomes General Leporini (a reference to Il Duce?), also in Spanish.

Jack and Annie of the Magic Treehouse books become Tom and Léa in French.


Winnie the Pooh is Micimackó in Hungarian, in honour of Mici Karinthy, the translator Frigyes's sister, who was more proficient in English and helped her brother a lot with translating the books. The same Winnie's Polish name, by the way, is Kubuś Puchatek.
And Christopher Robin's Magyar name is Róbert Gida/Gida Róbert, depending of whether you see Róbert as his middle name or surname (Hungarians, like the Japanese, use Eastern name order, surname first).
Eeyore is Füles, "Eared", in Hungarian, and Igor in Spanish.
Roo's Magyar name is Zsebibaba, "Pouchbaby".

Irish stray turned Aristocat Thomas O'Malley was, in the Italian translation, given a Roman accent and turned into Romeo, er mejo der Colosseo!

Moaning Myrtle is Hulkende Hulda in Danish, chiefly to procure the effect of alliteration.
Speaking of Moaning Myrtle, she is called Mimi Geignarde in French. Which is rather strange given that she isn't a ditz in a pink cowgirl dress, or a consumptive Montmartre muse.
The surname Gaunt for the most dysfunctional family in the Potterverse is Barsk, "Harsh", in Danish.
Kingsley Shacklebolt is Kingo Sjaekelbolt in Danish. Pretty interesting since both given names, aside from being similar, are surnames of authors: Thomas Kingo was a Danish seventeenth-century hymn writer, while Charles Kingsley was the author of The Water Babies.

Neville Longbottom's pet toad Trevor is Oscar in the Italian translation (Lady, Lady, Lady Oscar...)

Albus Dumbledore's Italian surname is Silente, Silent. (First time I heard it, I was like :O)
And Severus Snape became Severus Piton... Python. Pythons are not venomous, but constrictors.
In Russian, Severus Snape's name is even more beautifully translated: as Severus Snegg: mind that "sever" means "north" in Russian (a bilingual pun!), and "Snegg" is "snow" (just like in Jon Snegg, to quote the most famous example from Westeros!).
Draco's henchboy Vincent Crabbe was surnamed Tiger in the Italian translation. Which sounds even more badass. I mean, a crab can only pinch you...
Mrs. Norris became Mrs. Purr, also "nel bel paese". Sounds purr-fect, doesn't it?
Penelope Clearwater's surname was changed to Light in the Italian translation. That makes only half the sense.
Then there's Sybil Trelawney, who became Sibilla Cooman in Italian. Not after the local squire in Treasure Island (who, by the way, lent his surname to the Enlightened surgeon in The Cloven Viscount), but after the Cuman sibyl, the most famous soothsayer in Roman lore. These Italians sure know about their classical heritage. There's a translated name that outranks the original! I mean, why didn't Jo Rowling call her Sibyl Cooman (or Sibyl Cuman)? Food for thought.
Minerva McGonagall became Minerva McGranitt, also in Italian. And once more, I take for granite, I mean, for granted, that Rowling could have used the translation surname.
To add a coda to this Potterverse digression, my favourite character Luna Lovegood's given name is changed in Russian into Polumna, which sounds like the Russian word for "halfwit" ("polumnaya", the translation for her bully-name "Loony"). At least it can refer to Pollyanna and to the muse Polyhymnia, which is a great thing for us Luna-tics. It could have been worse (Suka Lovegood? [shudders]).

The Cheshire Cat is Gato Risón in Spanish, Vigyor kandúr in Hungarian, and Grinsekatze in German. All three translated names refer to his ironic grin.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel become Vado, Vedo, and Prendo in Italian. There is the expression "vado, vedo e prendo", which obviously is tripartite but not synonymous with "lock, stock, and barrel" ("vado, vedo e prendo": I come, I see, I take: modelled, in turn, upon "veni, vidi, vinci").

Wunschpunsch, by Ende: Hold on to your hats! Dastardly villainous aunt-nephew team Tyrannia Vamperl and Beelzebub Irrwitzer become: Tyrannia Vampirella and Beelzebub Preposteror (English), Tirannia Vampiria and Belzebù Malospirito (Italian), Vampíria Tyrannia and Belzebub Lidérczy (Hungarian, rendered in Western name order), Tyrannia Vampyrén and Belzebub Kvackman (Quackman!) (Swedish), Tyranya Vampyr and Demonius Dwaalspoor (Dutch)...
The wishing punch, a character in its own right, was called Grog di Magog in Italian.

Caillou is Ruca in Portuguese.

Honor Harrington was renamed Victoria for the Russian translations, keeping her original surname.

Professor Tournesol/Tornasol ("Sunflower" but also "Litmus") in the Tintin graphic novels is surnamed Calculus in English and Kalkyl in Swedish. And Bienlein in German.
In German, also, Tintin becomes Tim and Milou becomes Struppi. Not to mention that the same Milou is Snowy in English canon.
The Dupondts (Dupont/Dupond) are the Thom(p)sons (Thomson/Thompson) in English, the Fhernández (Fernández/Hernández) in Spanish, and the Schul(t)zes (Schultze/Schulze) in German.

From Astérix and Obélix: druid Panoramix becomes Getafix in English, Miraculix in Swedish and German.
Local chieftain Abraracourcix becomes Vitalstatistix in English, Majestix in Swedish and German.
Tone-deaf bard Assurancetourix is called Cacophonix in English, Trubadix in Swedish and German.
The heroes' pet, Idéfix, becomes Dogmatix in English.
The perhaps oldest person in the village, septuagenarian Âgecanonix, becomes Edadepiédrix (Stoneageix) in Spanish.
The rival architect in Mission Cleopatra, Amonbofis (À mon beau fils, "To my son-in-law"), becomes Paletabis in Spanish and Catalan, Pyradonis in German and Swedish, and Artifis in English.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. As if the two titular characters were the only ones in the 'verse to keep their names unchanged across languages, which they are, in fact.

Jack Skellington's Magyar name is Izsák Csontvázy (in Western name order). Not only is he renamed from Jack to Isaac (Izsák), but also surnamed in honour of Hungarian avant-garde artist Tivadar Csontváry!

Giroflée (Wallflower), the heroine in Le Prince Caniche by Laboulaye, becomes Reseda in the German translation of the fairytale.