Level 1 - A Small Village
"You think we built a village three-hundred, twenty-three meters underground just for fun? Actually it was quite fun..." - Shumi Final Fantasy VIII
My name is Savannah Mikus. I was born in a small German village to a United States Air Force Officer. My father spoke German and taught me some when I was very little. My mother would play foreign lullabies to lull me to sleep. I have always been surrounded by cultures and languages that were not my own. I decided that these cultures had to be shared with an otherwise culturally isolated America.
I found myself being excluded from my peers when it came to pop culture. I was enthralled by Japanese games, Chinese dramas, and Korean music. My middle school days were the most important for me. I received a subscription to a video game rental service. I consumed as many Japanese games as I possibly could. On the bus I would play Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded or listen to SHINee and Big Bang. When I got home, I would run to my room to do my homework, so I could feel the controller in my hand once more. Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess and Super Smash Brothers Brawl became my after school games of choice. Before bed, I would play Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass, resting peacefully in a sea of dreams when done.
I was fortunate enough to have a Chinese program at my high school where I studied diligently for four years. I am continuing my study of Chinese and finally, professionally, studying Japanese at University.
Level 2 - The Spoony Bard
"I'm a general, not some opera floozy!" - Celes Final Fantasy VI
Growing up, my interests have been somewhat unconventional. I started my career in the arts with Musical Theater. For many years as a child I held complex, starring roles. Unfortunately I had to move to another Air Force Installation, so my years of theater were cut short.
I picked up voice lessons at the age of 12, there I honed my skills as a classical opera soprano. I have studied the contemporary works of Vaughn Williams, but prefer my role as Susanna in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. I began to sing Asian music, from classics like Teresa Teng to the ever popular Vocaloid originals. When I entered my first year of University I learned to play the most popular instrument in Asia, the Gu Zheng (古筝). I could not take my piano with me to University, so I find the Gu Zheng to be the extension of myself that my piano once was. I have become determined to translate music as I once did and share classical Asian music with others.
I was fortunate enough to see the Distant Worlds: Music of Final Fantasy Symphony Orchestra for the second time in St. Petersburg. There I spoke to Director Arnie Roth about auditioning to sing with his Symphony Chorale. In order to better prepare myself for the opportunity, I plan to join the Tallahassee Community Symphony Chorale.
Level 3 - The Beginning of the End
"Is it true that one of the guys in Class Zero actually fights with playing cards? Yeah, I bet you can really trump your opponents with weapons like that... Seriously, those Class Zero cadets are a weird bunch." - Class First Cadet Final Fantasy Type-0
The year was 2011 (7th grade), there I set foot on my new school's mat. How could I have known my life would change forever? I studied Taekwondo for two years at the previous Air Force Installation. Moving to a new school was nerve racking. The woman who would train me and help me achieve my second degree black belt changed me for good.
Miho's son was 17, and by then he had grown out of his teen interests. I, with my Nintendo DS in hand, happily accepted a motley crew bag full of his old possessions. Anime action figures, DVD's, and CD's poured onto my floor. I was obsessed. A whole new world was opened up to me. I distinctly remember being shocked that I could hear Japanese audio on a "cartoon".
I decided in my early high school years that I would translate media, especially the video games I loved so dearly. I was bullied and called a nerd, but I held my head high. I became the president of the Anime Club at school; it would go on to be the most populous club weekly other than KEY Club. Asian media made me happy, but it never would have been possible without the unnamed translators behind each and every subtitled word. They are the foundation, and so too shall I be.
Level 4 - Simple and Clean Translations
"Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all."
- Utada Hikaru Simple and Clean, Kingdom Hearts
Translation is simple; one sees a word in Japanese and relays the English equivalent. However, localization is drastically different. After translation, one must decide if the English translation is a: culturally, dialectical, and era appropriate translation.
For example, if a character in an animation speaks with an Edo dialect, one must ensure they give that character the proper English dialect equivalent, such as a British accent. Furthermore, the verbiage used may be more casual than a textbook translation. I believe it would be a devastating error for a translator to translate "ええ" as "Yes" rather than the casual "Yeah".
There is also complexity in translations such as the difference between わたしたち and 我々. I believe these are important differences in translation and need to be shown. I want to use my passion for both the Chinese and Japanese language to improve the quality of translations and create a better experience for people. I want to link the Japanese culture to an English or Chinese speaking culture.