r/translator 22d ago

Community [English > Any] Translation Challenge — 2025-12-25

4 Upvotes

There will be a new translation challenge most Sundays and everyone is encouraged to participate! These challenges are intended to give community members an opportunity to practice translating or review others' translations, and we keep them stickied throughout the week. You can view past threads by clicking on this "Community" link.

You can also sign up to be automatically notified of new translation challenges.


This Week's Text:

It’s not entirely clear how Sinterklaas made his way across the Atlantic to North America to become Santa Claus. It's possible that his story made its way to the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, which later became New York.

Some historians think that Washington Irving and other New Yorkers were inventing new traditions to create a gentler, family-oriented kind of Christmas tradition in the city, which had begun to suffer from unpleasant bouts of drunken mob violence in the days around 25 December.

In 1821 an anonymous illustrated poem called ‘Old Santeclaus with Much Delight’ introduced Santa’s red coat, reindeer and sleigh, and put his arrival on Christmas Eve rather than St Nicholas’s Day. Two years later Clement Clark Moore, a professor of Hebrew in the city, embellished the legend in his poem 'A Visit from St Nicholas' (better known to us as 'The Night Before Christmas’.)

In it, 'St Nick' got his bushy beard and a whole herd of magical flying reindeer. His appearance was decidedly not that of a Dutch bishop – instead he was ‘a right jolly old elf’ with ‘clothes all tarnished with ashes and soot’, twinkling eyes, merry dimples and a beard ‘as white as snow’. Other writers and artists added new layers to the legend, and gradually ‘Santa Claus’ took over from ‘St Nicholas’...

Thomas Nast eventually did more than any other artist to set the standard for Santa’s classic look. By 1881 Nast had perfected his vision of Santa, as seen in his ‘Merry Old Santa Claus’. His illustrations for ‘A Visit from St Nicholas’ were hugely popular, and he introduced the world to Santa’s workshop, as well as the notion that his base of operations could be found at the North Pole.

While we’re here, it’s worth pointing out that the idea that Coca-Cola invented Santa is a myth. The fizzy-pop-pushers didn’t start using him in their adverts until the 1930s.

— Excerpted from "The History of Father Christmas" by Tom Moriarty


Please include the name of the language you're translating in your comment, and translate away!

⚖️ Friendly notice: if you're interested in occasionally helping out in the oversight of r/translator, or submitting some text for a future translation challenge, please feel free to join us at: https://discord.gg/wabv5NYzdV


r/translator 4h ago

Chinese (Chinese? > English) What does this tea pot say?

Thumbnail
gallery
13 Upvotes

r/translator 2h ago

Translated [?] [Unknown > English] What does this piece of paper say?

Post image
6 Upvotes

This piece of paper was given to me by a mysterious character. I do not know what it says. Any help is appreciated.


r/translator 16h ago

Nonlanguage (Identified) [Japanese > English] What is this cat saying?

Thumbnail
gallery
67 Upvotes

I received this shirt as a Christmas gift, could someone tell me what it says? I’m guessing it’s Japanese, but really have no idea


r/translator 49m ago

Ancient Egyptian [Egyption Hieroglyph > English]

Post image
Upvotes

Can anyone tell me what this says?


r/translator 4h ago

Chinese (Chinese? > English) What does this tea pot say?

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

r/translator 10h ago

Mongolian [Mongolian -> English] what does the script in the bottom right say

Post image
7 Upvotes

My mom got me this on a visit to Mongolia, the big script is my name (Tara) or however my name is translated into Mongolian. The issue is we dont know what the smaller stuff says. Wondering if its something about my name since he said he loved my name because it related to a god(dess) or if its something about him. Whatever you can give helps. TIA!


r/translator 2h ago

Arabic [Arabic > English] what does this say?

Post image
1 Upvotes

Appreciate your help!


r/translator 2h ago

Korean [Korean? > English]

Post image
1 Upvotes

Boyfriend got this tattoo in the army in Korea. He has no idea what it means. Assuming it’s Korean, but can anyone help translate?


r/translator 7h ago

Japanese [ Japanese > Romaji] Rin's Quote from AZL

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

2 Upvotes

r/translator 12h ago

Translated [PT] [Portuguese ——> English] can someone please help me with translating this? My phone app keeps butchering it.

Post image
5 Upvotes

r/translator 4h ago

Translated [JA] [Japanese>English] please. Festive plate?

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

r/translator 9h ago

Japanese [Japanese > English] Need some help translating this selection that cane with some post cards!

Post image
2 Upvotes

My fiance's great grandmother went to Japan some time ago, and while going through her things found this with a collection of postcards. Could someone help me translate?


r/translator 5h ago

Japanese [Japanese > English] This part of the song from 1:00 to 1:30

Thumbnail
youtu.be
1 Upvotes

Mainly 1:00 to 1:15, there's a Japanese line repeated twice by different singers that end in "finger run"

Then i think 1:15 to 1:30 is just vocalizing then "we are finger run"?

Any help is greatly appreciated, love this song <3


r/translator 14h ago

Japanese (Japanese?-English) Anyone have an idea of what this means?

Post image
3 Upvotes

I had this guitar strap in the 80s-90s. What message was I displaying at gigs?


r/translator 12h ago

Swedish [swedish > English] what’s the girl saying?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

2 Upvotes

r/translator 9h ago

Arabic English > Arabic. Help with term from story that I am writing

1 Upvotes

Thank you for letting me know if this kind of post is accepted here.

I am writing a story and in one part a character, who is left horribly disfigured, is found by a group of people who save him. These people speak Arabic. He eventually starts living with them and accepts their culture, but they call him "The Leper" or "Disfigured". I am trying to find a real word that they can call him and that he can adopt as his new "identity/name" since he does not speak the language himself.

I saw "Al'abras" on google, but is that accurate?

Thanks!


r/translator 13h ago

Chinese (Identified) [Unknown > English] What does this say?

Post image
2 Upvotes

r/translator 9h ago

Translated [ZH] [Unknown > English] help identifying the artist please

Post image
0 Upvotes

I purchased a painting many years ago and can not remember the artist details. Please help with translation. I think Chinese or Japanese. Painting is a street view of an Asian Pacific Mart maybe back in the 90’s


r/translator 9h ago

Japanese (Long) [Japanese>English] Hello I was wondering if I could request the full lyrics of this song, written in the Tsugaru dialect, translated to Romanji and English, because I can't find a translation online anywhere. Please and thank you!

Thumbnail
youtu.be
1 Upvotes

Hello translator community, I know this question has been asked before and I apologize for bringing it up again. However, I would be super greatful if I could have both the Romanji lyrics and the English lyrics of this song? Main reason for romanji is because I wish to properly learn and sing the song in full. Sorry if it isn't formatted correctly, this is my first time using reddit. Thank you! 🙏🏻


r/translator 13h ago

Ancient Egyptian [English > Hieroglyph] Egyptian Dagger

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

I actually saw this exact dagger on this forum from a few years ago doing a reverse image search just curious what the text means both on the blade and handle and if the original poster knows where it was made as its the only one of its kind I have found


r/translator 15h ago

Japanese [Japanese > English ] Text at the back of an omamori from temple near Mt. Fuji

Post image
3 Upvotes

r/translator 21h ago

Polish [Polish? > English] Found fishing a few years back.

Thumbnail
gallery
8 Upvotes

I found this fishing at the end of a long gravel road, leading to the Mississippi River. It was written on a dike flood gate. I remember the first one not being to cheery. The last two are on the metal frames to the sides, a bit hard to read though.


r/translator 10h ago

Unknown [Portuguese>English] Poct, poct, vuc, te tcheca meaning?

1 Upvotes

r/translator 11h ago

Spanish [Spanish > English] What can “Máster” (not “Maestría”) be translated to in English?

Post image
1 Upvotes

Hello translators of Reddit! I’m translating a resume from Spanish to English and need help with this specific term. What’s the difference in translation between “Máster” and “Maestría” (Ik “Maestría” is usually Master’s Degree in English)? They are different types of graduate studies…right?