All translation is a creative act and respect for the original work is likely going to counsel taking some liberties with regards to "literal" translations. He

All translation is a creative act and respect for the original work is likely going to counsel taking some liberties with regards to "literal" translations. Here's a line: > そんなに簡単に使えるものなのか、"魔法"ってヤツは？ > Is this "magic" stuff really that easy to use? That is a literal translation, to a point, but it is a lossy translation. You've substantially lost the characterization of the solider, who is obviously lowborn/uneducated/crude/etc in the original (to a degree that "stuff" does not capture -- the giveaway is ってヤツは？, which is content-free and hence murderously difficult to translate). The shipped translation makes a nod in the direction of that characterization, and (correctly) captures that Solider B is the sophisticated one of the two, by a fair but not impossible margin. Also, to the extent you believe authorial intent is a function of authors rather than of texts, this translation (like many!) is a joint creative endeavor of the author and the translator, and (again, if you believe authorial intent matters) the author's direction trumps your aesthetic preferences. (Disclaimer: comment informed by professional experience as a J->E translator/interpreter.)