toushindai replied to your post Baccano translator, I might need a moment here...
I mean “the living” is definitely. not meant to mean “those who are alive” so much as “the way people live” slash “the way people make their living” so…
Yes, the change from ‘’Don’t mock the living’’ to ‘’Don’t scoff at how folks lives’’ isn’t that different. The official english translation is indeed probably closer to what Narita meant in the first place with that line.
It doesn’t change much, so little in fact, that I didn’t even notice the difference when I first read this passage. I’m sad that such a badass line like ‘’Don’t mock the living’’ wasn’t kept in the long run, but I can accept it.
In fact what really made me stop was the second line that Keith says : ‘’No different. They’re hoods... just like us.’’ It’s actually that line that made me stop and realize that this exchange was different from what I remembered and say to myself : ‘’Wait, what?’’
I know the difference from ‘’villains’’ to ‘’hoods’’ isn’t that different either, but the word ‘’Villain’’ seemed a lot more effective to me in the fan translation. That’s what made me stop and realize that there was actually a different in the first place. (Also, take note that English is not my first language so when I hear the word ‘’hoods’’, I first think of the clothing piece and not ‘’criminal’’)
I hope this clarifies my feeling on this particular matter! It’s more the second change I mourn because I understand why they would change the first one.