Category Archives: Translation

Built upon the sacrifices

Posted on 2014/08/16 by fmu

Prime Minister Abe’s prepared remarks at the annual August 15 Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead included:「戦没者の皆様の、貴い犠牲の上に、いま、私たちが享受する平和と、繁栄があります。そのことを、片時たりとも忘れません。」 I wonder how people would translate this. The provisional translation on the Kantei site has “The peace and prosperity that we now enjoy … Continue reading →

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Phrase dictionary

Posted on 2012/09/29 by fmu

Picked up an interesting book yesterday: できる大人のモノの言い方大全 It is basically a collection of tips about how to say things without looking stupid or giving offense. Written for young Japanese who want to be perceived as adults and succeed in the … Continue reading →

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軌道修正

Posted on 2012/09/26 by fmu

Was in a discussion the other day in which the other side seemed to seriously walk back a position. This was what could be called 軌道修正, or revising course. Except that if you call it 軌道修正, there is no real … Continue reading →

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Who’s it really for?

Posted on 2011/06/19 by fmu

When we write – and by extension, when we translate – we constantly have to keep the “what’s it for?” question in mind. Is this a manual for maintenance technicians or a user’s guide for lay people? (Look at how … Continue reading →

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Not Word Substitution

Posted on 2011/06/12 by fmu

People who do not do translation tend to think of it as a pretty mechanical process. You have a word in one language. You look it up in the bilingual dictionary. And you replace it with whatever the dictionary says … Continue reading →

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