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魔女の宅急便

Witch Express Home Delivery
(Kiki's Delivery Service)

Kiki picture

48k JPG

A young witch girl starts a broomstick-riding delivery service. This is a classic anime movie from Hayao Miyazaki (who also did "My Neighbor Totoro"). I have a color manga book made from the movie that I will be translating here bit-by-bit.

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You may prefer the English-only version.

Note: I am experimenting with "furigana" here - spacing out the words so I can put phonetic readings above the kanji. The readings are my own attempt and may not all be correct. See the phonetic character table if you have trouble reading the furigana characters.

There are two parts to the text. One is Kiki's story in her own words. The other is in the captions on the pictures, which just say what Kiki and others did. I will mark the latter with "*".

Part 1

    なまえ     さい ちい まじょ
わたしの名前はキキ。13歳の 小さな魔女なの。
まじょ  さい    まんげつ よる えら
魔女は13歳になると、満月の  夜を 選んで、
     まち はな          き
ふるさとの町を 離れなかればならないって決ま
       まじょ しゅぎょう
りがあるんだ。魔女の 修行として、どこかの
まち  ねんかん
町で,1年間ひとりでくらすってわけ。

My name is Kiki. I'm a 13-year-old witch girl. When a witch turns 13, the custom is that she must leave her home town on a chosen night with a full moon. For witch training, she must live in another town for one year on her own.

こんや まんげつ つぎ まんげつ ゆる
今夜は 満月。  次の 満月の  夜に
しゅっぱつ おも
出発しようと思ってるの。 でもラジオを
き      こんや は
聴いていたら、今夜は 晴れっていうじゃない。
き       こんや しゅっぱつ
よーし決めた! わたし今夜  出発するわ。
き   いそ
そうと決めたら急がなつちゃ。 ジジ!

Tonight is the full moon. I've been thinking I would leave at the next full moon. But I've been listening to the radio and they didn't say tonight will be clear. I've decided! I'm leaving tonight. I've decided to hurry up and do it. "Gigi!"

さい まじょ おんな こ
ジジも13歳。 魔女に 女の  子が
う     おな にち う
産まれると、同じ 日に 産まれたオス
いっしょ そだ
のくるねこをさがして一緒に  育てると、
まじょ      はなす
魔女とそのねこは、話ができるように
こんや しゅっぱつ
なるのよ。 もちろん今夜の 出発も
いっしょ
ジジと一緒よ。

Gigi is also 13. When a witch girl is born, they look for a male cat born the same day and bring the witch and cat up together so they will become able to speak to each other. Naturally, when I leave tonight Gigi will be with me too.

まどべ     ひるね
窓辺 でのんびり昼寝 をしていたジジは、
こんや たびだ  き
今夜 の旅立 ちと聞いてびっくり。
おお    と
大 あわてで跳びおきた。

* Gigi, taking a nap near the window, had scarcely asked anything about starting tonight's trip. He jumped up in a big hurry.

しんぱい
「どうなることやら心配  だなあ。

決めたらすぐの人だから。
しんちょう おこな
旅立ちはもつと慎重   に行う
せっきょうちょう
ものじゃないの」説教調    のジジだが…。

* "I'm worried about what's going to happen. Because once you make up your mind, you act quickly. A journey should be planned carefully," Gigi said with a preaching tone.

おく もの   あ
「贈 り物のふたを開けるときみたいにワクワクして
にもつ    ねっちゅう
くるわ」キキは荷物 づくりに熱中。

* "I'm feeling as excited as if I were opening presents," Kiki said, packing with enthusiasm.

くすり ちょうごう
おかあさんのコキリ、薬の  調合   も
できる。さすが、魔女。
くすり
ドーラばあさんには、コキリの薬がいちばん!

* Kiki's mother, Kokiri, can even make medicines. She's a good witch!
According to Granny Dori, Kokiri's medicines are the best!

まじょ  だいせんぱい
おかあさんは魔女として大先輩。
たびだ よう くろ ふく
わたしの旅出ち 用の 黒い 服を
つく         にあ
作っておいてくれたの。似合うかな。
まじょ くろ ふく
でも魔女って黒い 服なのかしら。
いろ
せめてコスモス色ならよかったのにね。

Mother's a top-senior witch. She made a black traveling outfit for me. I wonder about the fit. I wonder more about wearing "witch" black clothes. I wish it were at least a pastel color like a cosmos flower.

         まち み     
おとうさんは、いい町が 見つかるといい
   い
ねって言いながら、「うまくいかなかったら
かえ
帰ってきていいんだよ」だって。さんなこと
にはなりませんよーだ!

Father, who has been saying he hopes I will find a good town, said "If you have trouble you can always come home." That's _not_ going to happen!

しゅうまつ   ようぐ か
週末にとキャンプ用具を 借りてきたおとうさん、
 ぜん
あ然!「えー!いなくなっちゃうの」

* Father, who had a weekend's rented camping gear, was discouraged! "Ah! I'm sorry you're leaving."

「いつのまにこんなに大きくなったんだるう」
   いだく      おも
キキを抱くと ずっしりと重い。

* "When did you grow so big without my realizing it?" he said when he lifted Kiki and felt her weight.

「いい町が見つかるといいね」おとうさんは、
とてもやさしい。

* "I hope you'll find a good town." he said very gently.

お楽みに…
More to come...

See also my other translation pages.

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