{"id":105,"date":"2016-08-16T22:45:00","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T02:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp\/2016\/08\/16\/words-and-%e8%a8%80%e8%91%89-by-jim-davis-2\/"},"modified":"2016-08-16T22:45:00","modified_gmt":"2016-08-17T02:45:00","slug":"words-and-%e8%a8%80%e8%91%89-by-jim-davis-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/2016\/08\/16\/words-and-%e8%a8%80%e8%91%89-by-jim-davis-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Words and \u8a00\u8449 by Jim Davis"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
\u201cTwo Roads Diverged …\u201d: <\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Making Good Choices in Japanese-into-English Translation<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
(Part 3)<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
This is the third of four parts of a paper based on the standing-room-only presentation Jim gave at the 2015 ATA Conference in Miami entitled “Two Roads Diverged …”: Making Good Choices in Japanese-into-English Translation.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

Example 6<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
The following three short sentences form the concluding paragraph in the same article:<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u504f\u5dee\u5024\u3092\u7af6\u3046<\/span>\u3044\u307e\u306e\u6559\u80b2\u3082\u3001\u3069\u3053\u304b\u4f3c\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3002\u5049\u624d\u306e\u7570\u7aef\u5150<\/u>\u304c\u73fe\u308c\u3001\u6d3b\u8e8d\u3059\u308b\u793e\u4f1a\u306b\u5909\u308f\u308c\u308b\u304b\u3002\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u6226\u306f\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u306b\u3053\u3093\u306a\u6311\u6226\u3092\u7a81\u304d\u3064\u3051\u3066\u3044\u308b<\/u>\u3002<\/span>                                    <\/span>(6)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The phrase <\/span>\u504f\u5dee\u5024<\/span> literally refers to a \u201cdeviation value\u201d in the context of statistics. However, the context in this paragraph is modern Japanese education. If we think about the ways in which students in modern Japan compete, test scores and entrance exams come to mind. In an earlier paragraph the writer disparaged the education received by Japanese officers at the Army War College before WWII because of a lack of creativity\u2014those officers were trained using problems that had already been solved. By pointing out the similarity between that specific example of prewar education and modern education the writer seems to be applying the same critique to modern education. From that standpoint the first sentence could be translated like this:<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Modern Japanese education, which stresses test scores above all else<\/b>, is similar in some respects.                                                                                    <\/span>                                                <\/span>     <\/span>(6a)<\/span><\/div>\n
Modern Japanese education, with its excessive focus on exams<\/b>, is similar in some respects.  <\/span>(6b)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The key phrase in the second sentence, which represents a rhetorical question, is <\/span>\u5049\u624d\u306e\u7570\u7aef\u5150<\/span>. In order to combine both attributes (<\/span>\u5049\u624d<\/span> and <\/span>\u7570\u7aef<\/span>) for these children, the sentence could read as follows:<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Can Japan become a society that allows<\/span><\/div>\n
      <\/span>extremely talented children who don\u2019t fit the typical pattern<\/u> to emerge and thrive?           <\/span>    <\/span>(6c)<\/span><\/div>\n
      <\/span>brilliant children who don\u2019t conform to expectations<\/u> to emerge and thrive?                      <\/span>    <\/span>(6d)<\/span><\/div>\n
      <\/span>unusually capable children who don\u2019t fit the mold<\/u> to emerge and thrive?              <\/span>    <\/span>(6e)<\/span><\/div>\n
      <\/span>brilliant children who stand out from the crowd<\/u> to emerge and thrive?                  <\/span>            <\/span>    <\/span>(6f)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Strictly speaking, the source text does not contain a word that corresponds to \u201callow.\u201d However, the emphasis on the negative impact of conformity is clear from the preceding sentences. For this reason the phrase \u201ca society that allows … to emerge and thrive\u201d is consistent with the intended meaning of the paragraph. The final sentence adds urgency to the questions raised throughout the article. We encountered the verb <\/span>\u7a81\u304f<\/span> in Example 2. In that instance the verb meant \u201cto attack\u201d or \u201cto take aim at\u201d the vulnerabilities of the Internet. In this instance the verb is <\/span>\u7a81\u304d\u3064\u3051\u308b<\/span>, which means \u201cto thrust (something) before (someone)\u201d or \u201cto thrust (something) at (someone).\u201d In this instance the direct object of the verb is <\/span>\u6311\u6226<\/span> (\u201cchallenge\u201d). The final sentence could read <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Cyberwars <\/span>confront Japan with just such a challenge<\/span><\/u>.                                                 <\/span>    <\/span>(6g)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It is also possible to combine the noun <\/span>\u6311\u6226<\/span> and the verb <\/span>\u7a81\u304d\u3064\u3051\u308b<\/span> in this way:<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Cyberwars <\/span>challenge Japan in exactly this way<\/span><\/u>.          <\/span><\/b>                                                            <\/span>    <\/span>(6h)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Because the noun \u201cchallenge\u201d has become the verb \u201cchallenge,\u201d the adjective <\/span>\u3053\u3093\u306a<\/span> (\u201cjust such a …\u201d) has morphed into a prepositional phrase (\u201cin exactly this way\u201d). Option 6h is more concise, but it lacks some of the sense of urgency of option 6g.<\/span><\/div>\n
      <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Example 7<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
The following headline and opening sentence appeared in a different newspaper article:<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u85e4\u7530\u6c0f\u3001\u518d\u3073<\/span>\u5927\u52dd\u8ca0<\/span>\u3000<\/span>\u3000<\/span>\u5927\u91cf\u914d\u7f6e\u8ee2\u63db\u306e\u52dd\u7b97<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u30a8\u30fc\u30b8\u30a7\u30f3\u30c8\u304c\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\u3084\u30b2\u30fc\u30e0\u306a\u3069\u306e\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u30b5\u30fc\u30d3\u30b9\u3092\u624b\u639b\u3051\u308b<\/u>\u300c<\/span>Ameba <\/span>\uff08\u30a2\u30e1\u30fc\u30d0\uff09\u300d\u4e8b\u696d\u306e\u4eba\u54e1\u3092\u3001\uff11\uff16\uff10\uff10\u4eba\u304b\u3089\uff18\uff10\uff10\u4eba\u306b\u534a\u6e1b\u3059\u308b\u69cb\u9020\u6539\u9769<\/u>\u3092\uff11\u65e5\u4ed8\u3051\u3067\u5b9f\u65bd\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/span>                                                                                                                <\/span>(7)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The initial portion of the headline (<\/span>\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u85e4\u7530\u6c0f<\/span>) may seem confusing. However, the subject of the opening sentence is <\/span>\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u30a8\u30fc\u30b8\u30a7\u30f3\u30c8<\/span> (\u201cCyberAgent,\u201d), which is the name of an Internet company in Japan. The CEO of <\/span>\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u30a8\u30fc\u30b8\u30a7\u30f3\u30c8<\/span> is <\/span>\u85e4\u7530\u664b<\/span>. This name appears in the second sentence, which will be used as Example 8. This simple example illustrates the importance of reading\u2014or at least scanning\u2014a document to gain a good sense of the content before beginning to translate the document. We now understand that the phrase <\/span>\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u85e4\u7530\u6c0f<\/span> actually refers to \u201cFujita of CyberAgent\u201d or \u201cCyberAgent\u2019s Fujita.\u201d The spacing within the headline indicates that there are two components: <\/span>\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u85e4\u7530\u6c0f\u3001\u518d\u3073<\/span>\u5927\u52dd\u8ca0<\/span> and<\/span>\u5927\u91cf\u914d\u7f6e\u8ee2\u63db\u306e\u52dd\u7b97<\/span><\/u>. This suggests that a colon will be needed in the translation to separate the two distinct thoughts. The term <\/span>\u5927\u52dd\u8ca0<\/span> refers to a \u201cdo-or-die game\u201d or a \u201ccritical contest.\u201d The term <\/span>\u914d\u7f6e\u8ee2\u63db<\/span> is the combination of <\/span>\u914d\u7f6e<\/span> (\u201carrangement\u201d or \u201cdeployment\u201d of people or resources) and <\/span>\u8ee2\u63db<\/span> (\u201cconversion\u201d or \u201cchange\u201d). The opening sentence of the article indicates precisely what this <\/span>\u5927\u91cf\u914d\u7f6e\u8ee2\u63db<\/span> <\/span>involves. The term <\/span>\u52dd\u7b97<\/span> often refers to a \u201cchance of winning (a contest)\u201d or \u201cthe odds (of success)\u201d. Newspaper headlines are often difficult to translate because a great deal of information must be conveyed in a limited amount of space. If we put together the information we have, the headline could read:<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
CyberAgent\u2019s Fujita Once Again at Critical Juncture<\/b>: Major Redeployment\/<\/u><\/span><\/div>\n
Realignment\/Reallocation of Personnel Provides Chance of Success<\/span><\/u>                          <\/span>(7a)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The phrase \u201cat critical juncture\u201d seems appropriate for a company that is undergoing a significant transition in a changing market. The choice among \u201credeployment,\u201d \u201crealignment\u201d and \u201creallocation\u201d is a matter of individual preference and writing style.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The opening sentence is a bit long, but it is not difficult. It is included in this example primarily because it provides information that is essential in order to understand the intended meaning of the headline. The verb <\/span>\u624b\u639b\u3051\u308b<\/span> has many meanings (e.g., \u201cto handle,\u201d \u201cto manage,\u201d \u201cto work with\u201d). In the context of a company and Internet-based services the best options would probably be \u201cto provide\u201d or \u201cto host.\u201d The opening sentence could read<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On August 1st CyberAgent implemented\/carried out a restructuring\/reorganization<\/u>in which the workforce in the \u201cAmeba\u201d business unit, which provides\/hosts<\/u> Internet services such as blogs and games, was cut by half from 1,600 people to 800 people.                                                <\/span>(7b)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Before proceeding any further it is worth noting that the spelling of the business unit mentioned in this article is \u201cAmeba.\u201d A word with similar spelling will appear in a subsequent example.<\/span><\/div>\n
      <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Example 8<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
The following sentence appeared in the same article immediately following the sentence that appeared in Example 7.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u30a2\u30e1\u30fc\u30d0\u306f\u85e4\u7530\u664b\u793e\u9577\u304c\u624b\u5869\u306b\u304b\u3051\u3066\u80b2\u3066\u305f\u6ce8\u529b\u4e8b\u696d<\/span>\u3060\u304c\u3001\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u5229\u7528\u306e\u30b9\u30de\u30fc\u30c8\u30d5\u30a9\u30f3\uff08\u30b9\u30de\u30db\uff09\u30b7\u30d5\u30c8\u304c\u9032\u3080\u4e2d\u3001\u6210\u9577\u306b\u9670\u308a\u304c\u898b\u3048\u3066\u3044\u305f<\/u>\u3002<\/span>                                                <\/span>(8)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This sentence contains several figures of speech, which often require extra thought on the part of the translator. The word <\/span>\u624b\u5869<\/span> <\/span>literally means \u201ctable salt\u201d or a \u201csmall plate.\u201d However, the phrase <\/span>\u624b\u5869\u306b\u304b\u3051<\/span>\u308b<\/span> <\/span>indicates that someone is \u201cpersonally involved\u201d in the upbringing of a child, the grooming of a successor, or some kind of selection process. The verb <\/span>\u80b2\u3066\u308b<\/span> is most frequently used in the context of \u201craising\u201d a child. However, in this instance the direct object is <\/span>\u6ce8\u529b\u4e8b\u696d<\/span>. <\/span>The word <\/span>\u6ce8\u529b<\/span> literally means \u201cfocus (of attention)\u201d or \u201ccommitment (to something),\u201d and the word <\/span>\u4e8b\u696d<\/span> refers to a \u201cbusiness\u201d that a company is engaged in or to a \u201cbusiness unit\u201d within a large enterprise. Thus, the <\/span>term <\/span>\u6ce8\u529b\u4e8b\u696d<\/span> describes what many people in the business world refer to as a \u201ccore business\u201d or a \u201cflagship business.\u201d The conjunction <\/span>\u304c<\/span> indicates a contrast of some sort between the first half of this sentence, which consists of a single clause, and the second half of this sentence, which consists of the middle clause and the final clause. The first half could read<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Ameba is the                <\/span>core business (unit)<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
                                    <\/span>flagship business (unit)<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
                                    <\/span>centerpiece of the company<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
and was nurtured<\/span><\/b> by company president Fujita Susumu personally<\/b>.                                 <\/span>(8a)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The term \u201ccenterpiece\u201d accurately describes the place of Ameba within the overall corporation, even if that is not literally what the source text says. The combination of \u201cwas nurtured\u201d and \u201cpersonally\u201d represents the phrase <\/span>\u624b\u5869\u306b\u304b\u3051\u3066\u80b2\u3066<\/span>\u305f<\/span> and describes Fujita\u2019s involvement with (and commitment to) this particular business. <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The word <\/span>\u9670\u308a<\/span> <\/span>normally refers to a \u201cshadow\u201d or \u201ccloud\u201d in the figurative sense (i.e., something that interferes with happiness, peace or tranquility) or to \u201cgloom.\u201d In this instance the <\/span>\u9670\u308a<\/span> is related to the <\/span>\u6210\u9577<\/span> (\u201cgrowth\u201d) of the business. The second half of this sentence could be rendered<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
However, as the shift toward Internet access from smartphones continues, growth prospects for Ameba have dimmed<\/u>.                                                         <\/span>                                                            <\/span>(8b)<\/span><\/div>\n
However, as the shift toward Internet access from smartphones continues, dark clouds threaten Ameba\u2019s growth<\/u>.                                                                <\/span>                                                <\/span>(8c)<\/span><\/div>\n
However, the continuing shift toward Internet access from smartphones has cast a shadow on Ameba\u2019s growth<\/u>.                                                                  <\/span>                                                <\/span>(8d)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Each of these options employs a different image to express the sense of worry or gloom conveyed by <\/span>\u9670\u308a<\/span>. In addition, a different structure is used in each case. Option 8b employs passive voice (\u201cprospects … have dimmed\u201d). In contrast, option 8c employs active voice (\u201cdark clouds threaten\u201d). In the source text the second half of this sentence takes the form of two clauses linked by the conjunction <\/span>\u4e2d<\/span>, which indicates that the action described by the final clause occurs against a background that is described by the middle clause. This two-clause structure is maintained in both option 8b and option 8c. However, in option 8d the action described by the middle clause (<\/span>\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u5229\u7528\u306e\u30b9\u30de\u30fc\u30c8\u30d5\u30a9\u30f3\uff08\u30b9\u30de\u30db\uff09\u30b7\u30d5\u30c8\u304c\u9032\u3080<\/span>) has become the subject of a single clause. To accomplish this, the pattern \u201cas the shift … continues\u201d has been converted to \u201cthe continuing shift ….\u201d and it is this shift that \u201chas cast a shadow.\u201d Each option offers its own advantages.<\/span><\/div>\n
      <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
(to be continued)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Jim Davis is Professor and Director of the Technical Japanese Program in the Dept. of Engineering Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cTwo Roads Diverged …\u201d: Making Good Choices in Japanese-into-English Translation (Part 3) This is the third of four parts of a paper based on the standing-room-only presentation Jim gave at the 2015 ATA Conference in Miami entitled “Two Roads Diverged …”: Making Good Choices in Japanese-into-English Translation. Example 6 The following three short sentences form […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,29,21],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}