The original text is reasonable as Japanese advertising copy, but advertising copy usually shouldn’t be translated. Instead, it should be written anew in each target language, sometimes with different content and graphics.
I worked freelance for twenty years translating Japanese to English, often advertising copy like this. Though I did my best, I was rarely satisfied with the result unless I was able to work closely with the Japanese client and write something original in English that met their needs and was appropriate for the target audience. Most clients didn’t have enough time, money, or awareness of the drawbacks of direct translation to make that possible.
I enjoyed the story behind the bike. I found it engaging and I feel like the photos enhanced the story. As I read through it I was pretty impressed that an article like this, maybe first composed in Japanese, had such a smooth translation into English. I wondered whether it began as an English audience article.
I was amused to find in one of the pictures a misspelled word. I didn't laugh but I did crack a smile. The trash can/ recycle bin in the cartoon encourages the viewer to "Picth In".
Cool bike, great story. I hope they iron out the issues that they find and this bike makes it onto streets everywhere.
I love how the Japanese people in the video linked on one post seem so accustomed to seeing cool stuff like this. I wish the guys at Yamaha all the success.
The original text is reasonable as Japanese advertising copy, but advertising copy usually shouldn’t be translated. Instead, it should be written anew in each target language, sometimes with different content and graphics.
I worked freelance for twenty years translating Japanese to English, often advertising copy like this. Though I did my best, I was rarely satisfied with the result unless I was able to work closely with the Japanese client and write something original in English that met their needs and was appropriate for the target audience. Most clients didn’t have enough time, money, or awareness of the drawbacks of direct translation to make that possible.
[1] https://global.yamaha-motor.com/jp/design_technology/design/...