Yoko Hasegawa University of California, Berkeley

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1 Applying Latent Rhetorical Differences to Japanese > English Translation
Yoko Hasegawa University of California, Berkeley ATA 60th Annual Conference Oct , 2019 Palm Springs, California

2 This talk is about … A significant, yet little-known, difference in rhetorical preference between English and Japanese. Viz. the contrast between verbal vs. nominal constructions. If you fail to pay on time, there will be a penalty. (Verbal) Late payment will be penalized. (Nominal)

3 Manipulation of verbal and nominal constructions enhances the translator’s rhetorical versatility and efficacy.

4 These PPT slides will be posted on:
Applying latent rhetorical differences to Japanese > English translation ATA 60th Annual Conference These PPT slides will be posted on:

5 The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation, London: Routledge, 2011.

6 Table of Contents Ch. 1 Introduction Ch. 2 Kinds of Meaning I Ch. 3 Kinds of Meaning II Ch. 4 Discourse Genre Ch. 5 Understanding the Source Text Ch. 6 Translation Techniques Ch. 7 Translation Studies Ch. 8 Translation Projects

7 Abstract Nouns

8 The noun primarily represents a human, animal, or a thing.
Abstract Nouns The noun primarily represents a human, animal, or a thing. Abstract nouns represent an event or a characteristic of an entity. Obedience is important. That people obey is important. It is important that people obey. 「美しい花がある. 花の美しさという様なものはない.」 小林秀雄 Abstract nouns emerge much later in child language acquisition.

9 Abstract Nouns An abstract noun can be paraphrased with a verb, adjective, or adverb: Love is patient. People who love are patient. He persuaded her by kindness. He persuaded her by being a kind person. Quickness is necessary. It is necessary that people act quickly.

10 Abstract Nouns Statements with a verb, adjective, or adverb bring the grammar closer to the structure of reality than those with an abstract noun.

11 Abstract Nouns English is equipped with a rich repertoire of abstract nouns. They are frequently used, most notably as the subjects of sentences. Japanese has far fewer abstract nouns. Even abstract nouns for such basic concepts as right and wrong did not exist in Old Japanese. So when 善 and 悪 were borrowed from Chinese, there were no 訓読み for these kanji.

12 Verbal vs. Nominal Constructions

13 Verbal vs. Nominal Constructions
In the 1930s, a silent movie entitled「何が彼女をさうさせたか」 created a sensation and achieved a box-office success. This success was due in great part to its linguistically eccentric title. The juxtaposition of an abstract subject (何) to the causative predicate (させた) just did not happen in normal Japanese. なぜ、彼女はそうしたのか。 Even today, this type of sentence continues to sound odd　 (座りが悪い, 翻訳調) to Japanese ears.

14 Verbal vs. Nominal Constructions
Translating a VC in Japanese with a NC in English makes the rendering more sophisticated and objective. これが分かれば、問題はずっと解決しやすくなる。 If we recognize this, the problem will become more manageable. (Verbal construction) Recognition of this will help us resolve the problem. (Nominal construction)

15 Verbal vs. Nominal Constructions
Expressions with a NC are more abstract and thus can be more detached emotionally than those with a VC. Public humiliation is a surprisingly effective and low-cost way of deterring criminals and expressing the moral order of a community. 公の場で屈辱的行為を科すことは、犯罪の防止や地域社会の倫理 観の表現として非常に効果的、かつ低コストな手段である。

16 Verbal vs. Nominal Constructions
Public humiliation is a surprisingly effective and low-cost way of deterring criminals and expressing the moral order of a community. 公の場で屈辱的行為を科すことは、犯罪の防止や地域社会の倫理観の表現とし て非常に効果的、かつ低コストな手段である。 The English original does not carry a negative impact. The Japanese translation implies that the community is barbaric enough to select such a punishment as an expression of its moral values. The NC creates emotional detachment, whereas the VC depicts an actual event—which is deemed as inappropriate as a means of a societal moral expression.

17 Examples Bangladesh has caused a food shortage.

18 Examples ? バングラデシュでは人口が急激に増えて、食糧不足が起こってい る。 The population of Bangladesh has grown rapidly, causing a food shortage. The exploding population growth in Bangladesh has caused a food shortage.

19 Examples ? バングラデシュでは人口が急激に増えて、食糧不足が起こってい る。 The population of Bangladesh has grown rapidly, causing a food shortage. The exploding population growth in Bangladesh has caused a food shortage.

20 Examples ? 意見が一致しなかったので、法案は可決されなかった。 Because a consensus was not achieved, the bill was not passed. Failure to achieve a consensus prevented the bill from being passed.

21 Examples ? 意見が一致しなかったので、法案は可決されなかった。 Because a consensus was not achieved, the bill was not passed. Failure to achieve a consensus prevented the bill from being passed.

22 Examples ? 金利が下がるにつれ、家を買う人が増えている。 As the interest rate went down, more people started to buy homes. A decrease in interest rates encouraged people to buy homes.

23 Examples ? 金利が下がるにつれ、家を買う人が増えている。 As the interest rate went down, more people started to buy homes. A decrease in interest rates has encouraged people to buy homes.

24 ? Examples Because the contract was renewed, everyone felt relieved.
再契約が決まって、全員安堵した。 Because the contract was renewed, everyone felt relieved. The news of the contract renewal relieved everyone.

25 ? Examples Because the contract was renewed, everyone felt relieved.
再契約が決まって、全員安堵した。 Because the contract was renewed, everyone felt relieved. The news of the contract renewal relieved everyone.

26 Examples ? 彼女は交渉が上手なので、部長に抜擢された。 Since she is good at negotiation, she was promoted to be the department manager. Her excellent negotiation skills promoted her to the department manager..

27 Examples ? 彼女は交渉が上手なので、部長に抜擢された。 Since she is good at negotiation, she was promoted to be the department manager. Her excellent negotiation skills promoted her to the department manager.cy of Japanese is certainly rising.

28 Inadequacy

29 Inadequacy The VC vs. NC phenomenon cannot be adequately explained in terms of the presence or absence of abstract nouns alone. 「もはや戦後ではない」と経済白書が宣言したのは1956年である。 　戦前水準への回帰は、図らずも朝鮮特需（1950年）がきっかけとなった。すなわち、日本の産業界はアメリカ軍から毛布、トラック、鋼材などの戦地用資材の大量の発注が舞い込み、輸出も急拡大した。日本経済は、鉱工業生産指数、実質個人消費、民間投資が51年、実質国民総生産、実質賃金（製造業）が52年に戦前水準（35年レベル）に回帰し、戦後の混乱期からの復興をほぼ終え、本格的な高度成長過程に入っていった。（以下略）

30 Inadequacy 戦前水準への回帰 は、図らずも朝鮮特需（1950年）がきっかけとな った。 The reversion to pre-war standards was unexpectedly initiated by “The Korean War Special Procurement” in 1950.

31 Inadequacy すなわち、日本の産業界はアメリカ軍から毛布、トラック、鋼材などの 戦地用資材の大量の 発注 が舞い込み、輸出も急拡大した。 Namely, orders for large quantities of blankets, trucks, steel and other materials used for the war rushed into the Japanese industries from the American military, leading to a sudden expansion in exports.

32 Inadequacy . . . 戦後の混乱期からの 復興 をほぼ終え、本格的な高度成長過程 に入っていった。 . . . revival from the chaotic post-war times was almost completed, and Japan entered a period of full-scale rapid growth.

33 Topic-Worthiness Hierarchy

34 Topic-Worthiness Hierarchy
Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract

35 Topic-Worthiness Hierarchy
Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Grammatical Relation Hierarchy Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique

36 バングラデシュでは人口が急激に増えて、食糧不足が起こっている。
The exploding population growth in Bangladesh has caused a food shortage. バングラデシュでは人口の急増が食糧不足を起こしている。 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique

37 Failure to achieve a consensus prevented the bill from being passed.
意見が一致しなかったので、法案は可決されなかった。 Failure to achieve a consensus prevented the bill from being passed. 意見の不一致が法案の可決を拒んだ。 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique

38 ? A decrease in interest rates encouraged people to buy homes.
金利が下がるにつれ、家を買う人が増えている。 A decrease in interest rates encouraged people to buy homes. 金利の低下が人々に家を買うことを促した。 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique ?

39 ? The news of the contract renewal relieved everyone. 再契約が決まって、全員安堵した。
再契約の決定が全員を安堵させた。 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique ?

40 彼女は交渉が上手なので、部長に抜擢された。
Her excellent negotiation skills promoted her to the department manager. 交渉の巧みさが彼女を部長に昇進させた。 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique ?

41 Summary

42 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Summary Japanese is intolerant of discrepancy between the hierarchies of topic-worthiness and grammatical relations. Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique

43 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Summary The subject of a transitive sentence is normally not lower than other nouns in the Topic-Worthiness Hierarchy. Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique

44 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Summary Thus, transitive sentences with a nominal construction is rare in Japanese texts when a more salient noun is present. Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique

45 English does not have this restriction.
Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Summary English does not have this restriction. Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique

46 Human (1st/2nd person) Human (3rd person) Animate Nonhuman Inanimate Abstract Summary It is worthwhile to translate a Japanese VC sentence into an English NC sentence to see if this conversion improves the textual quality. Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Oblique

47 University of California, Berkeley
Applying Latent Rhetorical Differences to Japanese > English Translation Yoko Hasegawa University of California, Berkeley