[Alex]

More on the translation from the press kit (mostly typical PR glurge):

...The filmmakers also needed an English-language version of Miyazaki's script. The job called for someone who would not only understand Miyazaki's vision, but could make it work in English and within the confines of existing animation. "It was a challenge to figure out who shold do the English script," says Kennedy. "Melissa Mathison did the screenplay for 'E.T.,' and the minute she was introduced to Miyazaki's films, she was captivated. She said, 'I absolutely want to do this.'"

"'Miyazaki' was all I needed to hear when asked if I would tackle this adaptation. He is a great artist and any association with him would be an honor," says Mathison. "It was an exciting and unusual assignment - quick, down and dirty - something I had never done before. Definitely an interesting challenge: 'adapt teh Japanese translation to English, fit the words to the mouths, and pelase do it in four days!' And, teh project being handed to me was nothing less than the latest film of an artistic genius.

"I have long been a dbbler in Japanese culture: literature, movie, art relgiions. I am an admireer of the culture," Mathison continues. "I wanted to clarify - crystallize - a Japanese story for a Western audience. I was to adapt while retaining the social touches that make the story particularly Japanese in nature. I did not want to underestimate the power of the original aspiration - a fairy tale told withinth world of a small fishing village in Japan. I wanted the emotions and the humor of the language to match that inherent in the drawings."

Traditionally, when animated films are created, the voices are recorded first, followed by the visuals, so synchronization is achieved during the animation process. When a Japanese animated film like PONYO is prepared for American release, the actors must try to match the "lip flaps" of their characters while giving a convincing reading. The differences in the cadence, word order, sound and grammar of English and Japanese only add to the difficulty of assembling a satisfactory translation.