The Titles of Magical Books in Harry Potter

 

Unfogging the Future

 

Chinese (Mainland)	预言未来 Yùyán wèilái 拨开迷雾看未来 Bō-kāi mìwù kàn wèilái	预言 yùyán = 'predict, foretell'. 未来 wèilái = 'future'. 拨开 bōkāi = 'to clear, dispel'. 迷雾 mìwù = 'fog'. 看 kàn = 'see'. 未来 wèilái = 'future'.	Predict the future Dispel the fog and see the future
Chinese (Taiwan)	撥開未來的迷霧 Bōkāi wèilái de mìwù	撥開 bōkāi = 'to clear, dispel'. 未來 wèilái = 'future'. 的 de = connecting particle 迷霧 mìwù = 'fog'.	Dispel the fog of the future
Japanese	未来の霧を晴らす Mirai no kiri o harasu	未来 mirai = 'future'. の no = connecting particle 霧 kiri = 'fog'. を o = object particle 晴らす harasu = 'to clear, dispel'.	Dispel the fog of the future
Vietnamese	Soi Rọi Tương Lai Vén Màn Tương Lai	soi rọi = 'to illuminate, to light up'. tương lai (將來) = 'future'. vén màn = 'to lift the curtain on, to lift the secret veil on'. tương lai (將來) = 'future'.	Illuminate the future Lift the veil on the future

Unfog:

'Unfog' is a creative example of the flexibility of English, using the prefix 'un' in the meaning of remove or undo some condition. (A similar effect is achieved by the construction 'demist', with rather more mundane connotations).

The translations embody two approaches to translating this title.

One is to use an expression meaning 'to clear the fog' (Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese translations).

The other is less imaginative and involves substituting an expression meaning 'to foretell the future' or 'unveil the future' (Mainland and Vietnamese translations).

Both the Vietnamese and Mainland versions uses different translations at different places in the book, hence the multiple translations.

Future:

Note that all three languages have two words for the future. One is 將來 / 将来 jiànglái - 将来 shōrai - tương lai; the other is 未來 / 未来 wèilái - 未来 mirai - vị lai. Literally, the first means 'that which is to come'; the second means 'that which has not yet come'. The meaning of the two overlaps, but 將來 suggests 'the foreseeable future'; 未來 suggests the 'unforeseeable future'. Only the Vietnamese translator uses the first.

Category: Divination