language matters in Japan

As soon as I got up, I went out to buy the Japan Times. It's Sunday. Help Wanted Ads was on the paper. That's what most English-speaking jobseekers in Tokyo do. There was nothing interesting. But, it is not unusual. Today, the things are worse. The paper announced that the price of the Japan Times will be 180 yen (1.50$) per copy from the current 150 yen on October 1st and later, which let me down a bit.

Today's issue was good, though. There's some articles about language.

Japanese: A language in a state of flux

...one may use loanwords just to show off -- despite there being plenty of Japanese expressions to convey the same meaning -- the other may not understand a word rooted in another language. In other words, communication is being lost -- not in translation, but because of no translation.

This is very true.

...Unlike kanji, which are ideograms whose combinations can convey intricate nuances of meaning, katakana characters are phonograms, meaning they convey only the sound of a word -- though their Japanized pronunciations often bear little resemblance to those of the English originals. It's also not unusual for imported words to take on different meanings in Japanese, such as ridusu (derived from "reduce"), which in Japanese refers only to "reducing"-- in other words, cutting down-- the amount of garbage we create.

I just didn't know that to "reduce" means to "cut down" in Japanese. Probably, my Japanese isn't that good.

But, the best part of the article is this:

Perhaps the next prime minister of Japan can demonstrate linguistic, as well as political, leadership. Whoever that person is, he would have to do better than his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, who, despite his nationalist policies and his "Beautiful Japan" slogan, often sprinkled his speeches with katakana jargon.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070923x1.html

The same page contained a different article by the same author:

"The English alphabet seems to be preferred because katakana phrases are ubiquitous and so they no longer sound fresh," Ito said. "When you consider the size of English-language school chains, and the fact that so many Japanese are studying English, few people find it odd to find English around them any more."

As a result, some movie titles and newspaper headlines today include "the" and "in" between Japanese words, although the grammatical concept of articles and prepositions has never existed in Japanese, Ito said. "It is quite a big deal (if everybody starts using those words), because it means Japanese grammar is changing as well."

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070923x3.html

I have to admit that the current Japanese is influenced by English. However, that change has never contributed to Japanese people's English language skills.

Surprisingly, today's issue had another article about the Japanese language. The article below explains Japanese idioms that contain "stomach," referring to Takashi Saito's book. He is well-known, but he hasn't reached the level of being called a popular linguist, such as William Safire or Deborah Tannen, I think.

Linguists gutted by body-talk blight
Traditional expressions are dying out as thought patterns change


On this point, Saito says: " 'Hara ga dekite iru' refers to having a calm mind even in times of urgency ? meaning someone who is able to deal with any situation calmly." To put this in its cultural context, he explained: "In the past in Japan, training in Zen or the martial arts strengthened your spirit and allowed you to keep your presence of mind even in the face of death."

It seems like he wants to connect expressions with "stomach" with Japan's traditions. I suspect that few old Japanese had the spirits of Zen or the other martial arts. Also, there's still many phrases that contain "stomach" in modern Japanese.

For example, "hara ga suwatteiru" literally means "stomach is sitting." It means "emotionally stable."

Also, some English idioms contain the word "stomach" in them:

turn sb's stomach: to make sb upset or sick

have butterflies in my stomach: to get nervous

This point is said in this article too.

...However, Japanese do not own the copyright on this line of thinking. In English, too, there are various phrases that make use of this central part of
the body.

...In Japanese, many other terms using hara still exist. There is, for example, hara wo kimeru, literally meaning "decide in your stomach," which denotes that you have made a firm resolution. Then there's hara-guroi, literally meaning "black stomach," an adjectival phrase for someone who is evil-minded.

Be aware of the atmosphre? Who cares?

I never support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who announced his resignation on Wednesday. However, I don't like to hear people use the term "Be aware of the atmosphere," to describe how little he understands what Japanese people really want.

I believe that you should be assertive in public. To make others understand what you feel, you've got to tell them that. It's not fair to say "that's not what I want" without stating your intention.

The Japanese society requires its nations to acquire the skills to be aware of the atmosphere more often than the other societies are. Although some may say this is the virtue of Japan, I believe that this rediculous custom is making our life uncomfortable. It seems that Japan will be better if we are able to state our opinions freely.

As you know, Mr. Abe's case doesn't apply to "Be aware of the atomosphere" situations. Simply, he didn't listen to people around him and Japanese citizens.

Stereotypes don't fade away.

Most Westerners still seem to believe that the Japanese have characteristics some Japanologists such as Ruth Benedict referred to. I doubt that many Japanese youngsters have a national sense of patience or self-control.

According to International Herald Tribune (9/11/07):

Some say that a national sense of gaman (that suffering in silence is a virtue) and a feeling of guilt by World War II survivors contribute to the resistance to using morphine to help ease suffering.

Get real!

I was asked to translate "shikkarishiro（しっかりしろ）" into English on the other day. The person who asked me that seemed to belive the phrase wouldn't exist in the English language. However, you can't easily say that a word in one language can't be translated into another language unless you have a real bilingual. I have already stated that "setsunai（せつない，切ない）" can be translated into English with ease. Anyway, what is a good translation for "shikkarishiro"?

Get real!

Stay cool!

According to Dictionary of Modern Colloquialisms (by Francis J. Kurdyla 1996, Asahi Shuppan-sha), "heardheaded" is the translation of "shikkatishita." Therefore, the phrases below would be okay too:

Be heardhearded!

Be realistic!

By the way, my translation at that time was "be assertive," which freaked out another person at the place. As I said before, "be assertive" means "to respect yourself and others." What's the problem? I have no idea.

Disparate grasshoppers. Merge chipmunks and squirrels.

日本語では，バッタとキリギリスはまったく違った単語だが，英語では両方 grasshopper という．じゃあいつも日本語の方が細かいのかというとそんなことはない．chipmunk も squirrel も日本語では単に「りす」という．これは，mouse と rat と「ねずみ」に対する単語がふたつあるのと同じだ．そういえば，「はち」も wasp と bee がある．

In Japanese, they use different words for grasshoppers who sing and those who don't. Conversely, they use the same word for chipmunks and squirrels, mice and rats, or bees and wasps.

Don't pull my leg!

To "pull sb's leg" may be hard for English learners in Japan to understand. Because it has a false friend in the Japanese language. The phrase "ashi wo hipparu　（足をひっぱる）" will be the literal translation but it means "to interrupt."

How's your life?

I just got an email from a friend of mine, and she told me that she had gone to Italy. Since my life is pretty much occupied with nasty work, I really envy her.

Well, let's talk about something good. I started out tutoring. Although the second job doesn't give me a lot of money, it's much better than my first job. I'm teaching Japanese to an American lady, and it gives me some new insights about language, which I have wanted. I'm trying to find some hope in my cluttered life.

Today I learned the English word for kusuguttai （くすぐったい）, which is ticklish. Although I knew "tickle," I didn't know its adjective form.

Has Kumiko Aso become a comedian?

Kumiko Aso, one of my favorite female actors, appears in a drama, which doesn't seem to be that which I expected her to be in.

Since I have so many things to do during the holidays, I was engaged in channel-surfing in front of the TV. After the Lupin (See below) was finished, I just found Kumiko Aso purforming in a drama.

Gee, she looked as stupid as Yukie Nakama in "Trick." I thought that she intended to appear in romantic movies. But, she was a comedian in "Jikou Keisatsu (Police for Precription)." She sang a stupid song, she behaved like a whore, and she became crazy many times...

Well, I don't know whether or not she can be like Yukie Nakama, who is one of the best actors in Japan in a way. I think her character is less strong than Nakama.

How to motivate language learners

I often say that English or/and Japanese is/are difficult. According to one of my students, though, I shouldn't say such a thing. She told me that I should say you-can-do-it things all the time, otherwise she would feel that learning a language is really really really difficult.

Let me excuse a little bit. When I said that English or/and Japanese is/are difficult, I am not trying to scare my students, I am trying not to boast about myself as somebody who can speak both language to some extent. Well, this explanaiton didn't satisfy her.

Anyway, people can boost their abilities or skills according to enviroment, so motivating students are important.

balsam apple, Jew's-ear

One of my students asked me, "What is 'nigauri（にがうり，ゴーヤ）' in English?" Of course, I didn't know the word "balsam apple."

Also, a teacher from New Zealand said, "I ate kikurage" yesterday, and I wondered how they would say it in English. But, he told me that he didn't know the answer.

Some English words to describe Japanese food might not be commonly used, and sometimes native speakers do not know the words.

How about these?

1) dried bonito
2) pickled plum
3) Japanse turnip

Tense

ひさしぶりに日本語で書いてみる．

昨日，アメリカ人女性が，近々松下政経塾生相手に行なう日本語のスピーチ原稿をチェックする機会に恵まれた．彼女の勤務先近くのタイ料理で食事をしながら（高かったけど，奢ってもらいました）というインフォーマルな形で行なわれた．彼女は日本語がわりとうまいけど，ネイティヴレヴェルではないので，しょっちゅう日本語と英語のスウィッチを切り替える変な会話だった．

スピーチ自身は，彼女の日本と日本語への関わりを話したもので，面白かったと思う．ただ，彼女が使う日本語に一定のくせが見られたので，日本人英語学習者に役立つ点について簡単にしるしたい．

"What are you doing tonight?" "Well, I have a date."

もっとも，顕著だったのは，日本語と英語の時制の違いである．日本人もアメリカ人も「・・・ている」（日本語教師は「テイル」形とか云ったりするらしい）というのが，英語の現在進行形（be -ing）とほぼ同じと考えている．ただ，両者はだいぶ違う．

まず，覚えてほしいルールは，「英語の現在進行形は未来を表わす用法があるが，その場合，日本語では普通の現在形を使うことがほとんどである」ということ．

What are you doing tonight?

は，What are you going to do tonight? とほとんど同じ意味である．これを「夜，何しているの？」というのは少しヘンで，「きょうは，夜，何するの？」ぐらいが自然である．

もうひとつ例をあげる．シカゴの地下鉄もドアが閉まる前に，

The doors are closing.

I used a train at Netherlands too. But, I didn't understand its announcement because it was said in Dutch.

というアナウンスがあった．この場合，進行形は極めて近く起こる動作に使われている．これは，日本語ではご存知の通り，「ドアが閉まります」と云わなければならない．これを，「ドアが閉まっています」というと，英語だと，

The doors is closed.

だ．この場合の「・・・ている」は，動作の完了を表わしているような気もするが，英文の方を検討してみればわかるように状態を表わしてもいる．ちなみに，

The doors have (already) closed.

とは，文法的には間違っていないが，たぶん云わないと思うからだ．このように，「・・・ている」は英語の現在進行形，現在完了形，受動形にもなりうるという難しい問題をはらんでいる．

ちなみに，最初，ぼくは，明確に，「日本語の『・・・ている』はまず未来を表わさない」と云いきりたかったのだが，よく考えると，

「来年は，ぼくはハーヴァード（大学）のキャンパスで勉強していると思うけどね」

のように，「未来」がいつかが明示されているときには使えるようである．ちなみに，英語ではこういうときに未来進行形というのか，will be -ing という形を使うことができる．

I will be studying at Harvard next year.

この，will be -ing はどう使うか，実感をともなってわからなかったのだが，ある高校の新人研修会で，新しい学期が始まったら，教える科目を云う時に，

I'll be teaching math.

のように，皆が云うのを聞いたので，「ああそうか，まだ，新学期は始まってないけど，自分が教えているところを想像しているからこういう風に使うんだ」と思ったものである．もちろん，これを「数学を教えています」のように云うのはヘンである．ただ，「新学期には，数学を教えていることになるでしょうね」ぐらいだとそれほどおかしくはない．

というわけで，「・・・ている」という日本語表現はものすごい曲者である．で，いままでの説明はぼくが勝手に書いたもので，文法書などは特に見ていない．英語教師や日本語教師の読者がこの説明を勝手に利用されても結構だが，学問的に裏づけがないとかの責任は負いかねる．また，もっと優れた説明があれば，勉強したいので，メイルをしたり，コメントをつけてくれれば幸いです．

Is "Money talks" a golden word?

I have been unable to update this blog site as often as I used to do because I started out working at a language school. However, I kind of lost interest in working at the school. Why? I have been thinking about whether or not I should tell you this. But, I made up my mind. I'm going to write.
To tell the truth, I am fed up with the school that doesn't have any teaching phylosophy and that always thinking of ripping off students!

I have three reasons I do not like to work at this school. Let me tell you each of them in a point form.
Sometimes I always wonder what is being "international." The concept of "international" may be as fishy as "national," isn't it?

1) Students aren't much motivated.

Most of the students at our school is international students. They entered our school because they want to go to the universities and they would like to keep the status of their student visas while working. Even if they want to learn at the school, they want to learn Japanese. But, I don't know why they have got to learn English. And then I am an English teacher. It is really really really weird.

Although there are some conditions to enable a learners to learn their new language well (e.g. innate ability, personality, when to start), motivation is also an important element. However, do you think Asian student who came to Japan to learn Japanese want to learn English? I doubt it. I can easily imagine. Say, what if you went to the states to learn English and you would have to learn Spanish? I can't say anything more about it.

2) The school isn't sure what kind of teaching methodology is being used.

I know that there are many language teaching methods in this world. Audio Lingual Method, Grammar Translation Method, Total Physical Response, Suggestpedia, etc. It's hard to tell which one is the best. However, I can tell you one thing. Teachers at the schol should be sure what kind of method they are using and they are trusting the method. But, at our school, I always wonder whether or not the schoo has such a thing. Maybe there used to be, but now absolutely no. That kind of sad.

3) Safe learning (or/and teaching) environment isn't available.

The school do not trust the teachers. And the teachers are always freaked out. And teachers' anxiety are shifting to their students. Definitely worst schenario seems to be coming.

I'm trying to avoid giving you details, but I hope you can understand how frustrated I am now. To tell the truth, I would like to quit immediately. But, some of the cirsumstances around me do not allow me to do so. Life is hard....

All I could do is to pray. I wish things will be better in the future no matter what kind of choise I would make then.

How to lose weight

I am trying to lose my weight now. How? It's very simple. Eat only lunch. Don't eat breakfast and supper. It has worked a couple of times. I have no idea whether it is healthy or not and whether it would work with other people. I gained some weight after coming back from the states in July. Probably the rule that you will gain weight in the states and lose it in Japan doesn't apply to me.

実は，いま体重を少し落とそうと考えてる．どうしているかは極めて簡単である．昼だけ食べる世にして，朝と夜は食べない．飲み物とかはあまり気にしないでいる．この方法で何度かうまくいっているので，自分にとってはベストの方法だが，他の人に聞くかどうかは知らない． 去年の夏にアメリカから帰ってきてから，体重が一気に増えていた．日本食はやせるし，ヘルシーだというのをあまり信じない．他の日本人には，と思う．ぼく自身は，あまり米は好きではないし，寿司も刺身も食べられないので，アメリカの食生活で何も困ることはなかった．日本食はほとんど食べる機会もなければ食べようとも思わなかった．チャイニーズやビスケットとグレイビーばっかり食べていた．英語はあんまりうまくないし，かなり恥ずかしがりやなのでそういった面では自分は日本人だと思うが，食事に関しては，自分は本当に日本人なのかとときどき疑ったりする．

今日は友達と約束があって，昼を一緒にするが，イタリアンだ．これも和食ではない．そろそろでかけないといけないので，この辺にしておく．

What can't be translated must be translated.

Recently I often read the blog site of Mr. Naota Amaki (http://www.amakiblog.com). This blog is bilingual too, although its blog has far better quality than my blog because of his great insights in politics and knowledge of the English language. However, what worries me is his latest comment. He said that something he felt blogging in English might be meaningless when he writes about non-international topics.


This opinion of him is really rational. But, I don't buy it. I'd like to write something about Japan that has never interested anybody so far. Also, I want more Japanese people to know the United States beyond the information they can get only in the Japanese language and I want to write about it.


Probably Mr. Atsurou Watabe, one of the most handsome actors in Japan, can't be popular overseas.

What can be easily translated into another language must be the neutral part of culture, which is called "glabalization," maybe. But, I belive that real intercultural communication must exist beyond it. I know it is difficult, but I don't want to give up right now. I try to be beyond the limit even if my language skills were limited...

It's hard to make Westerners understand why "Haikei, Chichiue sama (Dear, my father)" is good. Nobody would be satisfied if you tried to appreciate Kazunari Ninomiya, who is so unsophisticated as to doubt whether he is a member of Johnny's entertainment.

Do you wanna hang out with me?

I saw some highschoolers in a video rental store. They were talking about going to a member's house to watch a movie. I was happy to hear their conversation because their life was like that of European teennagers in a good meaning. When I was in high school, the minds of my classmates were always occupied with going to a better college and they did not think about spending time without doing anything productive. Thinking about that kind of stuff make me come up with the English phrasal verb to "hang out," which has given me some memory.　hang out at a bar

The opening song for "That 70s Show" starts, "hanging out..."

When I was teaching Japanese at a high school in Illinois, a student in my classroom came up to me, and said in Japanese, "Can I play around here?"

I had to think for a while to find what was going on in his head. And finally, I understood. He meant, "Can I hang out here." He had to wait until the next class began.

I said, "Yes, but the verb you used was wrong," mimicking the action of to "fool around." "Okay. Then, I would say,...," he said in Japanese, "Can I stay over tonight?"

"No, you can't." I really appreciated his willingness to speak Japanese. But, helping him create a right sentence was a slightly difficult. Finally, he said the right sentence, whose word-for-word translation would be "Can I be here for a while?"


以前，このブログのどこかに書いたことがあるかもしれないが，hang out という句動詞について書く．hang out とは，「時間を取り立てて何もすることなく過ごす」という意味である．

この単語には，想い出がある．イリノイの高校で日本語を教えていたとき，生徒の一人が，日本語で「ここであそんでもいいですか？」と云ってきた．

ここは教室なんだから，サッカーなんか突然されたらどうしよう，と思ったが，考えてみれば，Can I hang out here for a while?「ちょっとここで時間をつぶしていいですか」と云いたいのだと気付いた．アメリカの学校では，休み時間以外に廊下をうろうろしていることは許されない．ガードマンに尋問される．ベルがなるまでどこかの教室にいないといけないのである．

「いいけど，君の云った日本語だとこういう意味だよ」と，部屋の中で遊びまわるしぐさをしながら説明した．すると，彼は，「ここに止まってもいいですか」と日本語で云った．おいおい，とまる気かよ．でも，彼はCan I stay here?　を直訳したのだ．

やっとのことで，彼は，「ここにいてもいいですか」という正しい日本語にたどり着いた．やれやれ．日本語はむずかしいですな．

で，hang out だが，友達と一緒に hang out するというと，ヴィデオとかを部屋で一緒に観たり，テレビゲーム（英語ではvideo game）をしたりすることを指す．今日たまたま，レンタルヴィデオ屋さんで，高校生が「お前の家でこの映画みようぜ」みたいなことを思った．けっこうほほえましく思った．ぼくが高校生のころは，みんな受験勉強に忙しくて，友達と一緒にゆったりとする（社会学者の宮台真司が「まったりする」とかいう動詞を使ってたが，このニュアンスに近い．ぼくはこの言葉を使わないし，いまの人が使うかどうか知らない）ことはあまりなかった．

これを云うとヨーロッパかぶれと云われそうだが，ヨーロッパ人（特に労働者階級）は，大人になっても，仕事よりも，家族とか友人と hang out することを生きることの第一の価値においている．日本にいる稀有のヨーロッパモデルに範を見る経済学者・森永卓郎氏の主張する「幸せな人生」というのもこのことである．

Milton Friedman, who wrote "Free to Choose" stressed the advantages of the marketplace and the disadvantage of goverment invention. He considered himself as classically liberal.

それに較べて，英米型モデルというのは多少きつい面があると思う．仕事における明確な目標設定をし，それに向かってもっとも効率的な努力をする，そして，それがうまくいけば，報酬がもたらされる，というのは仕事が好きであれば楽しそうだが，実際，自分の本当にやりたいことを仕事にできる人はおそらく1割，いや1パーセントもいないのではないか．ぼくは，いまでも英米古典派経済学者のミルトン・フリードマンに一目置いてはいるが，人間の生活はなんでも合理主義（rationalism）で割り切れるものではなく，一見意味のないように見える， hang out することに幸せがある，と考えるヨーロッパ文化に一目置く．アメリカでさえも，ぼくが住んでいた田舎にはそういうような考えで生きている人がほとんどだった気がする．

正直云って，たまに友達と会ったりはするが，hang out というようなのんびりした感じまではまだいっていないような気がする．日本だから仕方ないやとも思うが，やはり，ときどき，さみしく感じる．

Suica and Pasmo

JR and other rail companies started out a new service with Suica and Pasmo. Japan is really good at this kind of cool technology. But, the problem is... I still need to have two commute passes even with their sophisticated technology because I need to use three diffrent rail services. Life is strange...

According to Wikipedia:

Suica (Japanese: スイカ) is a rechargeable contactless smart card used as a fare card on train lines in Japan. Launched in November 2001, the card is usable currently in the Kanto region (on JR East, Tokyo Monorail, and Rinkai Line), at JR East stations near Sendai and Niigata, and in the Kinki region on JR West. The card can also be used interchangeably with JR West's ICOCA card in the Kansai region. The card is also increasingly being accepted as a form of electronic money for purchases at stores and kiosks within train stations.

Suica stands for "Super Urban Intelligent CArd", and the pronunciation is also a pun on the Japanese word for watermelon, "suika". In the logo, the "ic" is highlighted, as the initials stand for integrated circuit, the technology inside the smart card, in common Japanese usage. An additional meaning comes from the expression "sui sui", meaning "smooth" and an abbreviation for "card", "ka", intended to highlight the smooth simplicity of using the card compared with traditional train tickets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suica

PASMO (パスモ, Pasumo?) is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport introduced in Tokyo, Japan from March 18, 2007.

PASMO CardPASMO is a development of the Passnet (パスネット, Pasunetto?) system used by many non JR railway lines in the Tokyo region. The system offers interoperability with the JR Suica system, as well as integrate private bus companies into the existing Passnet network.

The technology is based on RFID technology developed by Sony corporation known as FeliCa. PASMO will be available as a credit-card sized card. It is also expected to be available as a service for mobile phone users with handsets equipped with FeliCa chips.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PASMO

A of B!?

日本語にとって格助詞の「の」というのは恐ろしい力を持っているなあ，と最近痛感したことがある．渋谷駅に「東横のれん街」という看板がある．この看板の日本語について数日前までものすごい思い違いをしていた．

昔，母方の田舎が中目黒にあって，幼少期はよく映画に連れて行ってもらうときにこの看板をよく見た．その後も，かなり渋谷に近い世田谷区の学校に通っていたことがあり，数えられないほどこの看板を見ていた．にもかかわらず，大きな思い違いをしていた．

「東横」については，中目黒から渋谷に何度となく行ったので「東急東横線」の略だろうとはわかっていた．しかし，次の「の」を格助詞と思っていたので，「れん街」とは実際いったいなんだろう，とずーっと思っていた．

しかし，「東横／のれん街」だったのだ，さすがのぼくでも「のれん」が何かは知っている．4歳か5歳ごろからの謎がとけたが，それはあっけなかった．自分としてはコナン君も解けないすごい謎と思っていたのに（笑）．

ただ，言い訳をすれば，ぼくの頭は，名詞を見つけたとたん，つぎにつく助詞を探していたのだ，そこに「の」があったから，格助詞の「の」だと思ったんだ．

こんなぼくだから，この格助詞の「の」が含まれる言葉を英語にしようとするとよく間違える．スタインベックの名作のタイトルもよく the Wrath of Grapes と云ってしまう．もちろん，the Grapes of Wrath である．逆に，日本人がよく間違えるとされる，

rob A of B
deprive A of B

などの動詞の用法はあまり難しく感じない．というより，他の人がなんで悩んでいるのかわからない．意味をとるのに困ったこともないし，しゃべって使ったとしても，間違えたことはないと思う．文法のできる受験英語秀才の人に説明されたりするとかえってわからなくなりそうだ．

He robbed me of my watch.
He stole a watch from me.

と目的語の位置が入れかわるかららしい．

"Noren" means a shop curtain.

I had mistaken the Japanese phrase "Toyoko norengai" for "Toyoko no rengai" for a long time. The reason of my mistake comes from the fact that there is a bunch of "A no B" patterns in Japanese sentences. The particle "no" is very close to the Japanese preposition "of." Then, "A no B" would often mean "B of A" in Japanese. But, I often mistake "B of A" for "A of B" because the word order in Japanese is different than that of English. For example, I often say "the Wrath of Grapes" meaning "The Grapes of Wrath," the title of Steinbeck's great novel.

Instead, I don't think this usage of "of" is difficult. Most Japanese people seem to have difficulty understanding it, though.

1) He robbed me of my watch.
2) He stole a watch from me.

The position "watch" and "me" will switch if another verb is used. But, I don't think it's too difficult. Is it?

Pathetic bilingual people

Yesterday, I saw Yuna Ito, a singer, talking with Ryoko Shinohara, an actress, on TV. In the talk with Shinohara, Ito insisted that the Japanese word "setsunai （せつない）" can't be translated into English. I've had enough of this kind of remark because I'm sure she isn't right. Even with my poor English skills, I can traslate "setsunai" into many Japanese: sad, trying, painful, depressing, melancholy (melancholic), heartbroken.
According to Ms. Yuna, the concept of "setsunai" doesn't exist outside of Japan.
Probably, she wanted to prove that the Japanese have delicate feelings American people would never understand by showing an example. But, her remark comes from her shallow understanding of English and Japanese. The situation in which word-for-word translation from Japanese into English is difficult doesn't mean that Americans do not have the concept Japanese people have, vice versa. What if I said the word "pathetic" cannot be translated into Japanese? Probably some people would insist that it be "mijimena （みじめな）" or "awarena （あわれな）." Although "pathetic" isn't exactly the same as either of the two, you think this word can be translated into Japanese. The same thing should be applied to what Ito said.

The trouble is that most of the Japanese who don't speak English overestimate this type of bilingual people. They just can speak two languages fluently. Nothing more than that. They have never thought of the difference between the two languages seriously. Some of them cannot even read and write in either language. I don't understand why most of them can become TV reporters and be called "intelligent" with "remarkable language skills."
She doesn't look like an American. Isn't she Japanese?

昨日，テレビで伊藤由奈（ゆな）という歌手が，篠原涼子と話しているのをたまたまテレビで見た．「『せつない』と言葉は日本語にしかない言葉で英語に出来ないんですよ」と云っていた．本当かよ，とつっこみたくなってしまった．英語のできないことにかけては人後に落ちないつもりのぼくも，sad, trying, painful, depressing, melancholy (melancholic), heartbroken...　と次々と単語が浮かんでくるからだ．

こういう発言は，日本人は欧米人にはない繊細な感情があって，それがこの美しい日本語にあらわれている，みたいな主張になるが，単に逐語訳が難しいだけのことではないのか．だいたい失礼ながら，この歌手はおそらく英語も日本語も適当におしゃべりできるだけで，読み書き，すなわち，自覚的に思考の道具として言語を使用するということ，ができる人ではないと思う．この人は歌手だからそれ以上云うつもりはないが，ときどきなぜか「語学力を生かして，知的な」アナウンサーになっている人がたくさんいるのにはあいた口がふさがらない．
What if she was a news reporter? Hmm... I can't say anything...

誤解のないように云っておくが，ぼくはすべての英日バイリンガルや帰国子女を批判しているわけではない．それどころか，いまだに，単にネイティヴらしい/r/の発音をしただけで，教室で帰国子女が堂々とクラスメイトや先生からシカト（無視）されているということを聞くと，本当に自分を含めて日本人というのは pathetic （註・これも日本語に訳せないといえば訳せないよね？　「みじめな」と「あわれな」の両方を同時に含むようなニュアンスになるし）だと思う．ただ，たとえ，ニューズを読むだけもアナウンサーになるような人は，英語でも日本語でもどちらでもいいから，読んで理解し，それに対しての自分の考えをコンパクトに云えるぐらいの人がなってほしいと願うだけである．

"Stacy" can be a noun in either the 2nd person or the 3rd person!?

In English, you can't almost communicate if you aren't allowed to use the word "you." However, in Japanese, people seldom use "you." The Japanese language has counterparts of the English word "you" must be "kimi（君）" or "anata（あなた）" However, these words are used only for specific cases, like you are in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with the person.

You may wonder why the Japanese can communicate without using "you." The secret lies in the usage of proper nouns refering to people or animals. Let me give you an example.

Does Stacy like tennis?

Question: Change the bolded word into a personal pronoun.

It's a quite easy question, isn't it? Of course, the answer is "she" in ENGLISH. In Japanese, the answer varies. It can be "she" or "you."

ステイシーはテニスが好きなの？
Stacy wa tennis ga suki nano?

The Japanese sentence above can be interpreted as either of them below:

1) Do you like tennis, Stacy?
2) Does Stacy like tennis?

Proper nouns refering to people and animals are used even when you are directly talking to them--This rule might be a tip for English-speaking learners of Japanese who want to speak more naturally.


ぼくは英語のネイティヴ・スピーカーではないけれど，ときどき英語で話すほうが楽に感じるときがある．英語では，２人称の代名詞はいつも you でいいからだ．相手と話している限り，ずーっと you で通していればいい．ところが，日本語ではそうはいかない．

日本語の「君（きみ）」「あなた」は特殊な響きがあって，あまり使われない．「あなた」はテレビが不特定多数の視聴者に呼びかけるときぐらいしか使われないような気がする．これは，英語で
You can't always get what you want. とか云う時の generic use に近い．

「君」はもうちょっと使われるが，これも会社で上司が部下に話しかけるときを除いては，特殊な響きがあるので気をつけたほうがいい．以前，ぼくはこの「君」を多用していたのだが，友人には高圧的に響くらしく，異性には「私に気があるの？」みたいに勘違いをされるという失敗を散々繰り返した挙句，使わないように注意している．

で，いまはどうしているのかというと，２回目以後も，相手の名前を繰り返している．

安住さんは何で結婚しないんですか？
Why don't you get married, Mr. Azumi?

とか
あいちゃんは，最近馬鹿なことを云わなくなったね．
I think you stopped saying silly things, Ai.

のように．日本語学習者は，”２人称の代名詞の「君」「あなた」はほとんど使われないから，何回でも相手の名前を直接言及しなくてはならない” というルールを学んだほうがいいのかもしれない．
"I think, therefore I am" is a very famous phrase, but how about "I think of you, therefore I am" or "You are, therefore I am"?
ちなみに，「君」がもっている特殊なニュアンスを利用したい人は勝手にどんどん使ったらいいと思う．「君がいるから，ぼくがいるんだ」とか「君のこころの扉を開くのはぼくだ」でもいくらでも，勝手にどうぞ．止めないけど，相手に退（ひ）かれてしまった（註・間違っても「惹かれて」しまった，ではない）んだ，とか云われても責任はとりません．
Do you want to hear someone like him saying "It's me who's knocking on your door"?

"This is a pen." What a wonderful sentence it is!

たまたまフジテレビの『熱血！　平成教育学院』を見ていて，関根麻里（関根勤の娘）がアメリカに住んでたらしく，英語ではシャーペンとは云わないんだ，mechanical pencil というとコメントしていた．
The Japanese call it "shaapen" or "sharp pencil."
ところで，アメリカ人は日本人ほど，シャープペンシル自体を使わない．まだ読み書きがままならない小学生のころは，鉛筆（pencil, mechanical pencil もこれに含まれる）を使うが，大きくなると，たいてい黒か青のボールペン（ballpoint pen というのが正式だが，普通は pen という）を使う．個人の趣味と云ってしまえばそれまでだが，日本では高校生・大学生になってまで，シャープペンシルを使って，間違う度に消しゴムで直すのは奇異に感じる．そんなに几帳面にならなくてもいいのに，といい加減な自分は思う．ただ，この几帳面さが日本の科学技術を支えてるんだ，とか云われたら，返す言葉もない．ちなみに，アメリカ人は漢字を書かなくていいから，ボールペンの軸も普通は１．０ミリでこれをミディアム（medium）という．日本人がよく使う０．７ミリのものはファイン（fine）という．
What if an American held one of them and said "This is a pen"? Would you say "This isn't a pen. This is a ballpoint pen"? If so, you haven't understood this sencence which you learned a long time ago.