{"id":108,"date":"2016-01-30T21:52:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-31T02:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp\/2016\/01\/30\/words-and-%e8%a8%80%e8%91%89-by-jim-davis-4\/"},"modified":"2016-01-30T21:52:00","modified_gmt":"2016-01-31T02:52:00","slug":"words-and-%e8%a8%80%e8%91%89-by-jim-davis-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/2016\/01\/30\/words-and-%e8%a8%80%e8%91%89-by-jim-davis-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Words and \u8a00\u8449 by Jim Davis"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo Roads Diverged …\u201d:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Making Good Choices in Japanese-into-English Translation<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
(Part 1)<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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

<\/div>\n
<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
This is the first 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

<\/span><\/b>
<\/a><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Introduction<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Every translator faces choices while working on a document. Some choices have serious consequences for the quality of the resulting translation. A \u201cgood\u201d translation results from a series of \u201cgood\u201d choices, but how does the translator know which choice is the \u201cright\u201d choice, the \u201cbest available\u201d choice, or even a \u201cgood\u201d choice? In order to make good choices the translator must have an understanding of individual words and phrases in both the source language and the target language, and the translator must have field-specific knowledge related to the content of the document. When a given word or phrase in the source language has multiple meanings in the target language, the translator must think carefully about context before choosing a particular meaning. The translator must also keep in mind the overall flow of information throughout the document. The content in different portions of the document must be mutually consistent, and word usage in later portions of the document should build upon information presented earlier in the document. In some cases the translator must combine information from multiple places in the source text; in other cases the translator must include information that is not present in the source text at all. The result of many good choices is a translation that is characterized by consistency in usage, content, and style; a translation that is an integrated whole; and a translation that conveys the intended meaning as accurately and in as natural a manner as possible. In this paper I will present guidelines for making good choices in Japanese-into-English translation, and I will discuss examples from a variety of fields to illustrate the use of those guidelines.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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      <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Example 1<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The following headline appeared in a Japanese newspaper:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u5bfe\u7b56<\/span><\/u>\u3001\u30ab\u30ae\u63e1\u308b\u300c\u5584\u7389\u30cf\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc<\/span>\u300d<\/span>    <\/span><\/span>(1)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The word <\/span>\u5584\u7389<\/span> appears in a number of widely used terms, such as <\/span>\u5584\u7389\u8b66\u5b98<\/span> (\u201cgood cop,\u201d in the sense of \u201cgood cop-bad cop\u201d), <\/span>\u5584\u7389\u30b3\u30ec\u30b9\u30c6\u30ed\u30fc\u30eb<\/span> (\u201cgood cholesterol\u201d), and <\/span>\u5584\u7389\u83cc<\/span> (\u201cgood bacteria\u201d). For this reason many translators would instinctively render <\/span>\u5584\u7389\u30cf\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc<\/span> as \u201cgood hacker.\u201d Although \u201cgood hacker\u201d is perfectly understandable and is used on some occasions, the dominant term in the cyber world is \u201cwhite-hat hacker.\u201d The opposite of <\/span>\u5584\u7389\u30cf\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc<\/span> is <\/span>\u60aa\u7389\u30cf\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc<\/span>, which refers to a \u201cblack-hat hacker.\u201d There is even an annual information security conference known as \u201cBlack Hat USA.\u201d (The association of \u201cwhite hats\u201d with \u201cgood guys\u201d and and the association of \u201cblack hats\u201d with \u201cbad guys\u201d survive from their origin in American cowboy movies.) The term <\/span>\u5bfe\u7b56<\/span> normally refers to \u201cmeasures\u201d that are taken either to achieve a desirable outcome (e.g., <\/span>\u5b89\u5168\u5bfe\u7b56<\/span> are \u201csafety measures\u201d) or to prevent an undesirable  <\/span>outcome (e.g., <\/span>\u516c\u5bb3\u5bfe\u7b56<\/span> are \u201canti-pollution measures\u201d) or more generally to \u201ccountermeasures.\u201d In this particular instance we could consider <\/span>\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u5bfe\u7b56<\/span> to be \u201ccountermeasures against cyber attacks\u201d or simply \u201ccyber countermeasures.\u201d If we consider the intended meaning of the entire headline, the following translations could be considered:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cWhite-Hat Hackers<\/b>\u201d Hold the Key to Countermeasures against Cyber Attacks<\/u>  <\/span>(1a)<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Cyber Countermeasures<\/span><\/u>: \u201cWhite-Hat Hackers<\/b>\u201d Hold the Key  <\/span>(1b)<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/span>\u201cWhite-Hat Hackers<\/b>\u201d are Key Players for Cybersecurity<\/u> <\/span>   <\/span>(1c)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Option 1a incorporates all of the necessary information, but it is a bit long. Because this is a headline for a newspaper article, space may be limited, and brevity is desirable. Option 1b incorporates a colon and more closely matches the rhythm of the source text. Option 1c varies from the literal wording in two respects: the phrase <\/span>\u30ab\u30ae\u63e1\u308b<\/span> (\u201chold the key\u201d) has become \u201care key players\u201d and the term <\/span>\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u5bfe\u7b56<\/span> (\u201ccyber countermeasures\u201d) has become \u201ccybersecurity.\u201d<\/span> The choice between \u201chold the key\u201d and \u201care key players\u201d is a matter of individual style, but the use of \u201ccybersecurity\u201d offers several advantages over \u201ccyber countermeasures.\u201d Not only is \u201ccybersecurity\u201d more concise, it is much less clumsy and is far more widely used. The process of considering and rejecting various options has led us to the following two choices, either of which could be used with confidence:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cWhite-Hat Hackers<\/b>\u201d are Key Players for Cybersecurity<\/u> <\/span><\/span> <\/span>(1c)                                             <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cWhite-Hat Hackers<\/b>\u201d Hold the Key to Cybersecurity<\/u> <\/span><\/span>  <\/span>(1d)                                                   <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
   <\/span>   <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Example 2<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The following paragraph appeared in the article under the headline that was used as Example 1:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u306e\u653b\u6483\u8005\u304c\u99c6\u4f7f\u3059\u308b<\/u>\u306e\u306f\u3001\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u306e\u3082\u308d\u3055\u3092\u7a81\u304f<\/span>\u30cf\u30c3\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0\u6280\u8853\u3002\u3053\u308c\u306b\u5bfe\u6297\u3059\u308b<\/u>\u306b\u306f\u3001\u5584\u7389\u306e\u30cf\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc\u306e\u624b<\/u>\u304c\u5fc5\u8981\u3060\u3002<\/span>  <\/span>(2)    <\/span>                                                        <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Generally speaking, the term <\/span>\u3082\u308d\u3055<\/span> refers to the \u201cfrailty,\u201d \u201cfragility,\u201d \u201cbrittleness,\u201d or \u201cvulnerability\u201d of something. In the context of the Internet, \u201cvulnerability\u201d is certainly the best choice. (The phrase \u201csecurity vulnerability\u201d produced over 750,000 hits on a recent Internet search.) The verb <\/span>\u7a81\u304f<\/span> has many meanings, but in this context \u201cto attack (something)\u201d or \u201cto take aim at (something)\u201d seems most reasonable. The noun <\/span>\u6280\u8853<\/span> could mean either \u201ctechnology\u201d or \u201ctechnique.\u201d In this context \u201ctechnique\u201d is the better option. For the first sentence we could say,<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Cyber attackers <\/span>make good use of <\/u>hacking techniques that attack\/take aim at the vulnerabilities of the Internet<\/b>.   <\/span><\/span>  <\/span>(2a)    <\/span>                                                <\/span>                           <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Cyber attackers are well versed in<\/u> hacking techniques that exploit\/target the weaknesses of the Internet<\/b>.     <\/span><\/span>  <\/span>(2b)                                                        <\/span>                                              <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The pronoun <\/span>\u3053\u308c<\/span> certainly means \u201cthis.\u201d However, as with any pronoun, in order to produce a good translation it is necessary to determine what noun is the antecedent. Because the text says we will <\/span>\u5bfe\u6297\u3059\u308b<\/span> (\u201cfight back against,\u201d \u201cdefend against,\u201d \u201ccounter\u201d) this <\/span>\u3053\u308c<\/span>, we recognize that <\/span>\u3053\u308c<\/span> must be related to the attacks that were mentioned in the first sentence. In the hacker world the piece of software that is used in such an attack is known as an \u201cexploit.\u201d This is another alternative for <\/span>\u3053\u308c<\/span>. Yet another option for <\/span>\u3053\u308c<\/span> would be \u201cintrusion,\u201d which occurs each time an attack is mounted. The noun <\/span>\u624b<\/span> literally means \u201chand,\u201d but in this context <\/span>\u624b<\/span> refers to the effort or the ability of someone to do something. If we put everything together, the second sentence could be translated as follows:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The assistance of white-hat hackers<\/u> is necessary in order to fight back\/defend against such attacks\/exploits.<\/u>  <\/span><\/span>(2c)                                                                  <\/span>                                   <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The skills<\/u>of white-hat hackers<\/u> are essential in order to counter\/resist such intrusions.<\/u><\/span>   <\/span>(2d)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
                                                                                                                                  <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Example 3<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The following paragraph appeared later in the same article:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u300c\u81ea\u5206\u306f\u9ad8\u6821\u6642\u4ee3\u306b\u30d1\u30bd\u30b3\u30f3\u306b\u8208\u5473\u3092\u3082\u3063\u305f\u3053\u3068\u304c\u304d\u3063\u304b\u3051<\/u><\/span>\u3067<\/span><\/u>\u3001\u624b\u5f53\u305f\u308a\u6b21\u7b2c<\/span>\u3001\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u306e\u60c5\u5831\u3092\u3042\u3055\u308a<\/u>\u3001\u72ec\u5b66\u3057\u305f<\/u>\u3002\u30cf\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc\u306a\u3069\u306e\u6280\u8853<\/u>\u306b\u6559\u79d1\u66f8\u306f\u306a\u3044\u3002\u300d<\/span>   <\/span>(3)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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This quote came from someone who is (or was) a hacker. The word <\/span>\u304d\u3063\u304b\u3051<\/span> typically indicates a starting point. The first half of the first sentence could read, <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cFor me the starting poin<\/u><\/span>t was<\/span><\/u>becoming interested in computers when I was in high school.  <\/span>(3a)<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cFor me the first st<\/u><\/span>ep was<\/span><\/u>developing an interest in computers when I was in high school.   <\/span>(3b)<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cFor me it all starte<\/u><\/span>d when<\/span><\/u> I developed an interest in computers during high school.    <\/span>  <\/span>(3c)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The first two options follow the structure of the original Japanese sentence. In the third option the combination of a noun phrase (\u201cthe starting point\u201d or \u201cthe first step\u201d) and the verb  <\/span>\u201cwas\u201d has been replaced by a clause. This type of substitution can be useful in order to vary sentence structure or to produce a shorter, more natural translation.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The phrase <\/span>\u624b\u5f53\u305f\u308a\u6b21\u7b2c<\/span> suggests that some action is carried out in a random or haphazard fashion, rather than being conducted in a well-planned or well-organized manner. Key words that come to mind include \u201cwhatever,\u201d \u201chowever,\u201d and \u201cwherever.\u201d In this example the action is described by the verb <\/span>\u3042\u3055\u308b<\/span>, which usually means \u201cto search for (something),\u201d \u201cto scavenge for (something),\u201d or \u201cto scrounge for (something).\u201d In this instance that \u201csomething\u201d is <\/span>\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u306e\u60c5\u5831<\/span> (cyber-related information). If we combine these three units of meaning, the remainder of the first sentence could be translated like this:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
I poked around for<\/u> information related to cyber wherever I could find it<\/b>, and I studied on my own<\/u>.  <\/span><\/span>(3d)                                                                              <\/span>                                                           <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
I dug up<\/u> whatever<\/b> cyber-related information I could put my hands on<\/b>, and I <\/b>learned on my own<\/u>.  <\/span><\/span>(3e)                                                                             <\/span>                                                           <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
I scrounged around for<\/u> cyber-related information any way I could<\/b>, and I taught myself<\/u>.   <\/span>(3f)<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Any of these options would be acceptable, but the phrase \u201cI taught myself\u201d in option 3f suggests a greater focus on the self than would be the case with \u201cI studied on my own\u201d or \u201cI learned on my own.\u201d Keeping in mind the personality of someone who might become a hacker, this emphasis on self\u2014rather than the recognition of some external source of instruction\u2014might be more consistent with the \u201cvoice\u201d of the person who made the quote.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The final sentence in this paragraph includes the word <\/span>\u306a\u3069<\/span>. When a sentence contains <\/span>\u306a\u3069<\/span>, the translator needs to consider whether it is really necessary to translate the word (\u201c… and so on,\u201d \u201csuch as …\u201d) or whether the word can simply be ignored. In this instance we may ignore the word, but there are still a number of ways to express the relationship between <\/span>\u30cf\u30c3\u30ab\u30fc<\/span> (\u201chacker\u201d) and <\/span>\u6280\u8853<\/span> (\u201ctechniques\u201d):<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
There are no textbooks for <\/span>the techniques a hacker uses<\/u>.\u201d     <\/span>(3g)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
                <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
… <\/span><\/span><\/span>the skills a hacker needs<\/span><\/u>.\u201d  <\/span>(3h)<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
… <\/span>becoming a hacker<\/u>.\u201d      <\/span>(3i)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Option 3i does not contain the word \u201ctechniques\u201d or a substitute, but the intended meaning of the source text is retained. It is worth remembering that we do not need to translate every word in order to remain faithful to the meaning of the source text.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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      <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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(to be continued)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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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
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cTwo Roads Diverged …\u201d: Making Good Choices in Japanese-into-English Translation (Part 1) This is the first 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. Introduction Every translator faces choices while working on […]<\/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\/108"}],"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=108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}