The Japanese language has a small number of verb tenses, but in place of those are various combinations of words that can be tricky to understand and translate. In this article I’d like to go over the phrase 疲れにくくなる(tsukare nikuku naru) that combines three words to create one idea. First I’d like to review the… Read More »
When learning a foreign language, there are words you can guess from the context and others that can be figured out with a quick trip to the dictionary. However, once in a while you discover a word that remains perplexing even after you read about what it’s supposed to mean. This article is about one… Read More »
In this post I illustrate 50+ sentence patterns in Japanese using example sentences and English translations. The examples are minimal and the focus is on how small changes (especially involving particles) can lead to very different meanings.
Because of the unfortunate situation in the world at this time, many people are turning to online options to continue their learning, social interactions, or even exercise. Blogs like this one already take advantage of the internet, and if anything I have seen a rise in hits over the last few weeks. But I’ve been… Read More »
I’m happy to be able to announce my next book, “Downfall and Other Stories”. This contains English translations of a few pieces of fiction from Hayashi Fumiko (林芙美子), an important Japanese author from the early 20th century. They range from a lighthearted comedy to a poignant post-war tale.
For everyone out there doing translations––whether you’re an experienced career translator or a student just getting your feet wet––producing translations with a minimum of mistakes is surely high on your list of priorities. Notice I didn’t use the word “correct”. That’s because nearly all translations have a strong element of subjectivity and style in them.… Read More »
In this post I’d like to talk a little bit about how to deal with translating terms that are unique to a certain culture, in the sense that they are not everyday items that exist in other cultures. An example of a term that is likely to be present in most cultures is “plate”, although… Read More »
In this episode I go over and translate the first few lines of 人間豹 (Ningen Hyou) by 江戸川乱歩 (Edogawa Rampo).
In this episode I refine my translation of an excerpt of the famous story 檸檬 (“Lemon”) from 梶井基次郎 (Motojiro Kajii).
In this episode I refine my translation of an excerpt of the famous story 檸檬 (“Lemon”) from 梶井基次郎 (Motojiro Kajii).