1.
In the
text, the author thinks that English is a linear fashion supported by logical
explanations while Japanese is more of a circular fashion. What do you think?
2.
The author
mentions that when translating academic works she sometimes reorganize or rewrite
the text. Do you think it is appropriate for translators to rewrite or
reorganize? Why?
3.
Other than
“you” there are multiple ways of saying “me” in Japanese as well. When
encountering examples such as 僕, 俺, 私, わたくし, and あたし what will you do if you
are the translator? Will you just simply use “me”? Why?
Here are my thoughts:
1.
In my
opinion, I do agree that Japanese is subtler/circular than English while
constructing sentences. However, I somehow find it disturbing when the author
uses “logic” to define the difference between English and Japanese. English novels
don't always follow the pattern of “introduction to body to conclusion” and
Japanese novels also have logical supports behind them. I think her way of distinguishing
the difference between these two languages are too general.
2.
I don’t
think it is appropriate for translators to rewrite the text. I simply think it
is dangerous for such things to happen. It gives me a feeling that the
translator is no longer translating but acting as a co-writer of the book.
3.
It is
important to explain the differences between different “me”. Sometimes the different
“me” implies a huge difference in the character’s personality. For example, 僕 and 俺 are both “me” used by male.
However, 僕 often is used by male characters who are not as strong while 俺 is
commonly used by more determined and sometimes violent guys (i.e. gangsters). I
will probably put in a footnote to explain rather than letting it go by simply
using “me”.
1. I can understand what the author means by more circular and subtle as Japanese literature tends to have a lot of artsy imagery or symbols that give multiple meanings, but it still has logic and always at least somewhat of a conclusion. I feel like English books can also be pretty open-ended and vague sometimes, as well.
ReplyDelete2. I think that it's impossible to fully translate a book without rewriting or reorganizing at least some of it. The grammar and structure of sentences sometimes just does not make sense when translated directly from Japanese into English, so to better convey what the author is trying to say, changing the sentences a little is necessary.
3. It is true that there are many ways of saying "me" in Japanese that hold either more formal or cutesy connotations, and it seems pretty hard to translate those meanings using one word. I feel like you would have to add words in other parts of someone's dialogue to show the nuances of the way they talk.
1.I haven't read nearly enough Japanese literature to begin to truly answer this question, but it's a broad, sweeping statement that unfairly establishes Japanese and English literature almost as opposites. Both languages are capable of being direct and indirect in inventive ways. Too often Japanese is written off as simply brimming with vagueness due to the frequent omission of subjects and overall sentence structure.
ReplyDelete2.Once again going off of my incredibly limited experience with formal translation, I think that rearranging/combining sentences is sometimes necessary.
3.When it comes to different personal pronouns, which one a person chooses for themself usually says something important about that person's character and/or the formality of the given situation. However, I think that, put into English, these subtleties are better expressed through other words, whether those be part of the narration or the general speech patterns of the character in question. This is very different from the many Japanese words for "you," which I believe can be translated directly to various specific English words, encompassing everything from affectionate monikers to curse words, depending on context.
1. I think it really depends, but I can see why the author would say that Japanese is more of a circular language since it can sometimes sound vague, especially without some knowledge of the culture.
ReplyDelete2. I think it’s very important for the translators to reorganize the text, because being too precise with translating word for word doesn’t necessarily mean that the text was translated well. For explaining different cultural aspects like juku, for example, I think it’s necessary to add an explanation or footnote in the text.
3. I think in general I would use “I” or “me”, but I would try to distinguish each character with the way that they speak.