On Translation a Short Introduction to the Japanese Language Will
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Title Classical Japanese in Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Perspective Sub
Title Classical Japanese in linguistic and cross-cultural perspective Sub Title Author De Wolf, Charles Publisher 慶應義塾大学日吉紀要刊行委員会 Publication 2020 year Jtitle 慶應義塾大学日吉紀要. 英語英米文学 (The Keio University Hiyoshi review of English studies). Vol.73, No.2020 (9. ) ,p.69- 87 Abstract Notes Genre Departmental Bulletin Paper URL https://koara.lib.keio.ac.jp/xoonips/modules/xoonips/detail.php?ko ara_id=AN10030060-20200930-0069 慶應義塾大学学術情報リポジトリ(KOARA)に掲載されているコンテンツの著作権は、それぞれの著作者、学会または 出版社/発行者に帰属し、その権利は著作権法によって保護されています。引用にあたっては、著作権法を遵守して ご利用ください。 The copyrights of content available on the KeiO Associated Repository of Academic resources (KOARA) belong to the respective authors, academic societies, or publishers/issuers, and these rights are protected by the Japanese Copyright Act. When quoting the content, please follow the Japanese copyright act. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Classical Japanese in Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Perspective1) Charles De Wolf In the preface to his famous A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), Samuel Johnson notes: “When we see men grow old and die at a certain time one after another, from century to century, we laugh at the elixir that promises to prolong life to a thousand years; and with equal justice may the lexicographer be derided, who being able to produce no example of a nation that has preserved their words and phrases from mutability, shall imagine that his dictionary can embalm his language, and secure it from corruption and decay, that it is in his power to change sublunary nature, or clear the world at once from folly, vanity, and affectation.” I cite this not only to show that, though no modern linguist, Johnson was quite aware that “mutability” applies to human language as well as all else that is “sublunary,” but also to note that, as learned as he was, Johnson knew far less about the history of the English language than anyone with curiosity and access to Wikipedia can learn, in a matter of minutes or at most hours. -
Source-Based Translation and Foreignization: a Japanese Case
Source-Based Translation and Foreignization Source-Based Translation and Foreignization: A Japanese Case Yukari Fukuchi Meldrum Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, University of Alberta Introduction Foreignization, as currently understood in Translation Studies, is a concept that is charged with “more emphasis on the ideological pressure against the target-language culture than on the faithfulness to the original text” (Tamaki, 2005: 239). In other words, it is a conscious operation of bringing a foreign flavor into translations in order to counteract the effects of domestication, claimed by Venuti (1995) to be the cause of invisibility of translation and translators. Tamaki, in her 2005 paper, also cautions that the concept of foreignization should not be confused with a literal method of translation. Literal translation does not involve ideological intentions and is a mere translation method. In this paper, I will attempt to provide a supporting view that source-based translation, often seen in Japanese translation, needs to be understood outside of foreignization in the above sense. Specifically, I will illustrate that Japanese readers, in premodern times, had to gain specific knowledge and adapt to what was required in order to read and interpret texts in a satisfactory manner. This could have been a factor for the source-orientedness of Japanese translations still observed in a certain form today. By examining this background of Japanese text culture, the more source-based translation is shown to be merely a translation carried out by a literal method without any political or ideological intentions. Therefore, the concept of foreignization does not have a place in Japanese translation. -
Characteristics of Developmental Dyslexia in Japanese Kana: From
al Ab gic no lo rm o a h l i c t y i e s s Ogawa et al., J Psychol Abnorm Child 2014, 3:3 P i Journal of Psychological Abnormalities n f o C l DOI: 10.4172/2329-9525.1000126 h a i n l d ISSN:r 2329-9525 r u e o n J in Children Research Article Open Access Characteristics of Developmental Dyslexia in Japanese Kana: from the Viewpoint of the Japanese Feature Shino Ogawa1*, Miwa Fukushima-Murata2, Namiko Kubo-Kawai3, Tomoko Asai4, Hiroko Taniai5 and Nobuo Masataka6 1Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan 2Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan 3Faculty of Psychology, Aichi Shukutoku University, Aichi, Japan 4Nagoya City Child Welfare Center, Aichi, Japan 5Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya Central Care Center for Disabled Children, Aichi, Japan 6Section of Cognition and Learning, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Aichi, Japan Abstract This study identified the individual differences in the effects of Japanese Dyslexia. The participants consisted of 12 Japanese children who had difficulties in reading and writing Japanese and were suspected of having developmental disorders. A test battery was created on the basis of the characteristics of the Japanese language to examine Kana’s orthography-to-phonology mapping and target four cognitive skills: analysis of phonological structure, letter-to-sound conversion, visual information processing, and eye–hand coordination. An examination of the individual ability levels for these four elements revealed that reading and writing difficulties are not caused by a single disability, but by a combination of factors. -
Japanese Language and Culture
NIHONGO History of Japanese Language Many linguistic experts have found that there is no specific evidence linking Japanese to a single family of language. The most prominent theory says that it stems from the Altaic family(Korean, Mongolian, Tungusic, Turkish) The transition from old Japanese to Modern Japanese took place from about the 12th century to the 16th century. Sentence Structure Japanese: Tanaka-san ga piza o tabemasu. (Subject) (Object) (Verb) 田中さんが ピザを 食べます。 English: Mr. Tanaka eats a pizza. (Subject) (Verb) (Object) Where is the subject? I go to Tokyo. Japanese translation: (私が)東京に行きます。 [Watashi ga] Toukyou ni ikimasu. (Lit. Going to Tokyo.) “I” or “We” are often omitted. Hiragana, Katakana & Kanji Three types of characters are used in Japanese: Hiragana, Katakana & Kanji(Chinese characters). Mr. Tanaka goes to Canada: 田中さんはカナダに行きます [kanji][hiragana][kataka na][hiragana][kanji] [hiragana]b Two Speech Styles Distal-Style: Semi-Polite style, can be used to anyone other than family members/close friends. Direct-Style: Casual & blunt, can be used among family members and friends. In-Group/Out-Group Semi-Polite Style for Out-Group/Strangers I/We Direct-Style for Me/Us Polite Expressions Distal-Style: 1. Regular Speech 2. Ikimasu(he/I go) Honorific Speech 3. Irasshaimasu(he goes) Humble Speech Mairimasu(I/We go) Siblings: Age Matters Older Brother & Older Sister Ani & Ane 兄 と 姉 Younger Brother & Younger Sister Otooto & Imooto 弟 と 妹 My Family/Your Family My father: chichi父 Your father: otoosan My mother: haha母 お父さん My older brother: ani Your mother: okaasan お母さん Your older brother: oniisanお兄 兄 さん My older sister: ane姉 Your older sister: oneesan My younger brother: お姉さ otooto弟 ん Your younger brother: My younger sister: otootosan弟さん imooto妹 Your younger sister: imootosan 妹さん Boy Speech & Girl Speech blunt polite I/Me = watashi, boku, ore, I/Me = watashi, washi watakushi I am going = Boku iku.僕行 I am going = Watashi iku く。 wa. -
Arxiv:1812.01718V1 [Cs.CV] 3 Dec 2018
Deep Learning for Classical Japanese Literature Tarin Clanuwat∗ Mikel Bober-Irizar Center for Open Data in the Humanities Royal Grammar School, Guildford Asanobu Kitamoto Alex Lamb Center for Open Data in the Humanities MILA, Université de Montréal Kazuaki Yamamoto David Ha National Institute of Japanese Literature Google Brain Abstract Much of machine learning research focuses on producing models which perform well on benchmark tasks, in turn improving our understanding of the challenges associated with those tasks. From the perspective of ML researchers, the content of the task itself is largely irrelevant, and thus there have increasingly been calls for benchmark tasks to more heavily focus on problems which are of social or cultural relevance. In this work, we introduce Kuzushiji-MNIST, a dataset which focuses on Kuzushiji (cursive Japanese), as well as two larger, more challenging datasets, Kuzushiji-49 and Kuzushiji-Kanji. Through these datasets, we wish to engage the machine learning community into the world of classical Japanese literature. 1 Introduction Recorded historical documents give us a peek into the past. We are able to glimpse the world before our time; and see its culture, norms, and values to reflect on our own. Japan has very unique historical pathway. Historically, Japan and its culture was relatively isolated from the West, until the Meiji restoration in 1868 where Japanese leaders reformed its education system to modernize its culture. This caused drastic changes in the Japanese language, writing and printing systems. Due to the modernization of Japanese language in this era, cursive Kuzushiji (くずしc) script is no longer taught in the official school curriculum. -
Japanese Major and Minor Revised: 06/2021
Japanese Major and Minor www.DEALL.Pitt.edu/Japanese/Japanese-Major Revised: 06/2021 The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures offers courses in the language, literature, film, linguistics, and culture of China and Japan; the department offers both a major and a minor in Japanese. A full sequence of courses in the modern standard language of Japan and a variety of offerings, ranging from introductory to specialized, illuminate various facets of Japanese civilization. Students whose interests range broadly across the civilization of East Asia may want to take advantage of the Asian Studies certificate program. The departmental curriculum for the Japanese major is composed of three main categories as follows. Courses designed to develop competence in the four skills of the Japanese language, plus courses for advanced study. Courses taught in English and focused on the mainstream of Japanese culture as reflected in literature, drama, and film. Courses for the advanced study of literature and linguistic analysis. Required courses for the Japanese major Capstone course The Japanese major requires the completion of 54 credits JPNSE 1999 Capstone Project (three credits) must be taken distributed as follows. during the student’s last term as an undergraduate. Language courses Non-departmental course requirements JPNSE 0001 First Year Japanese 1 + Students must complete three courses related to Japan offered JPNSE 0002 First Year Japanese 2 + by other Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences departments. Two JPNSE 0003 Second Year Japanese 1 + of these courses must have at least 50% Japan-related content. JPNSE 0004 Second Year Japanese 2 + The Asian Studies Center at the University Center for JPNSE 1020 Third Year Japanese 1 International Studies (UCIS) maintains a list of Asia-related JPNSE 1021 Third Year Japanese 2 classes, which students may use to identify Japan-related + Note: JPNSE 1061 may replace both JPNSE 0001 and JPNSE 0002; JPNSE 1062 courses. -
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Journal of World Languages, 2016 Vol. 3, No. 3, 204–223, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21698252.2017.1308305 “Can you call it Okinawan Japanese?”: World language delineations of an endangered language on YouTube Peter R. Petruccia* and Katsuyuki Miyahirab aSchool of Humanities, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; bFaculty of Law and Letters, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan (Received 10 March 2016; Accepted 15 March 2017) This article addresses a language-versus-dialect discussion that arose out of a series of language lessons on YouTube. Designed to teach Uchinaaguchi, an endangered Ryukyuan language, the video lessons come in two versions, one for Japanese speakers and the other for English speakers. In either version, the video turns to an adroit combination of semiotic modes in an attempt to delineate Uchinaaguchi as a language distinct from Japanese. However, as we demonstrate here, when an endangered language appears on Internet platforms like YouTube, it tends to be framed in one or more world languages, a situation that problematizes the “singularity” of the endan- gered language (Blommaert, J. 1999. “The Debate Is Closed.” In Language Ideological Debates, edited by J. Blommaert, 425–438. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter). In the case of the Uchinaaguchi lessons, this is especially apparent in viewer commentary written primarily in English and/or Japanese. The analysis of this commentary reveals the ideological effects that world languages can bring into the discussion and delineation of endangered languages online. Keywords: language ideology; YouTube; language attitudes; endangered languages 1. Introduction It is in some ways ironic that minority language activists must turn to world languages to promote their cause. -
On the Origins of Gairaigo Bias: English Learners' Attitudes Towards English
The Language Teacher » FeATure ArTicle | 7 On the origins of gairaigo bias: English learners’ attitudes towards English- based loanwords in Japan Keywords Frank E. Daulton loanwords; gairaigo; vocabulary acquisition Ryukoku University Although gairaigo is a resource for Japanese learners of english, atti- tudes in Japan towards English-based uring a presentation on how English-based loanwords loanwords are ambivalent. This paper (LWs) in Japanese—known as gairaigo—can be used to examined university freshmen’s teach English (see Rogers, 2010), a Japanese participant attitudes towards gairaigo through a D questionnaire. Despite their ambiva- commented, “I have never heard such information before; I lence, participants generally felt that had no idea that gairaigo were helpful.” That gairaigo LWs are loanwords did not hinder their English cognates—L1 and L2 words similar in form (e.g., sound) and studies. Yet their opinions were based sometimes meaning (Carroll, 1992)—is recognized interna- on scant information, as teachers had seldom spoken of gairaigo, or had tionally (see Ringbom, 2007). Yet there remains in Japan an spoken of it only disparagingly. incongruous disdain for gairaigo; for simplicity, I will refer to it as “gairaigo bias.” A subtle but striking example of gairaigo 「 外 来 語 」は 日 本 人 が 英 語 を 学 ぶ 際 に 情 報 bias soon followed. Arguing that empirical findings are not 源の1つとなっているが、日本における英語 always applicable to Japanese EFL, a Japanese Ph.D candidate 由来の外来語の捉え方には曖昧なところが ある。本論は、大学1年生の外来語に対する had cited that Japanese has no cognates. When I challenged this 捉え方をアンケート調査したものである。曖 assumption during her dissertation defense, she confessed 昧な部分があるにもかかわらず、アンケート の参加者が全般的に感じていたのは、外来 being unaware of another perspective, which explained why 語が英語学習の弊害にはなっていないとい her claim lacked any supporting evidence. -
ʻscalingʼ the Linguistic Landscape in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università degli Studi di Venezia Ca' Foscari Internationales Asienforum, Vol. 47 (2016), No. 1–2, pp. 315–347 ʻScalingʼ the Linguistic Landscape in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan PATRICK HEINRICH* Abstract This paper discusses four different linguistic landscapes in Okinawa Prefecture1: Naha Airport, Yui Monorail, Heiwadōri Market and Yonaguni Island. In addition to Japanese, Ryukyuan local languages are spoken there – Uchinaaguchi in Okinawa and Dunan in Yonaguni. Okinawan Japanese (Ryukyuan-substrate Japanese) is also used. In the linguistic landscapes these local languages and varieties are rarely represented and, if they are, they exhibit processes of language attrition. The linguistic landscape reproduces language nationalism and monolingual ideology. As a result, efficiency in communication and the actual language repertoires of those using the public space take a back seat. English differs from all languages employed in that it is used generically to address ‘non-Japanese’ and not simply nationals with English as a national language. The public space is not simply filled with language. The languages employed are hierarchically ordered. Due to this, and to the different people using these public spaces, the meaning of public sign(post)s is never stable. The way in which meaning is created is also hierarchically ordered. Difference in meaning is not a question of context but one of scale. Keywords Linguistic landscape, scales, social multilingualism, Okinawa, Japanese, Ryukyuan 1. Introduction Japan’s long-overlooked autochthonous multilingualism has become much more visible in recent years. Upon the publication of the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Extinction (Moseley 2009), Asahi Shinbun * PATRICK HEINRICH, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca’Foscari University of Venice, [email protected]. -
Hiragana and Katakana Worksheets Free
201608 Hiragana and Katakana worksheets ひらがな カタカナ 1. Three types of letters ··········································· 1 _ 2. Roma-ji, Hiragana and Katakana ·························· 2 3. Hiragana worksheets and quizzes ························ 3-9 4. The rules in Hiragana···································· 10-11 5. The rules in Katakana ········································ 12 6. Katakana worksheets and quizzes ··················· 12-22 Japanese Language School, Tokyo, Japan Meguro Language Center TEL.: 03-3493-3727 Email: [email protected] http://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp Meguro Language Center There are three types of letters in Japanese. 1. Hiragana (phonetic sounds) are basically used for particles, words and parts of words. 2. Katakana (phonetic sounds) are basically used for foreign/loan words. 3. Kanji (Chinese characters) are used for the stem of words and convey the meaning as well as sound. Hiragana is basically used to express 46 different sounds used in the Japanese language. We suggest you start learning Hiragana, then Katakana and then Kanji. If you learn Hiragana first, it will be easier to learn Katakana next. Hiragana will help you learn Japanese pronunciation properly, read Japanese beginners' textbooks and write sentences in Japanese. Japanese will become a lot easier to study after having learned Hiragana. Also, as you will be able to write sentences in Japanese, you will be able to write E-mails in Hiragana. Katakana will help you read Japanese menus at restaurants. Hiragana and Katakana will be a good help to your Japanese study and confortable living in Japan. To master Hiragana, it is important to practice writing Hiragana. Revision is also very important - please go over what you have learned several times. -
Orthographic Representation and Variation Within the Japanese Writing System Some Corpus-Based Observations
John Benjamins Publishing Company This is a contribution from Written Language & Literacy 15:2 © 2012. John Benjamins Publishing Company This electronic file may not be altered in any way. The author(s) of this article is/are permitted to use this PDF file to generate printed copies to be used by way of offprints, for their personal use only. Permission is granted by the publishers to post this file on a closed server which is accessible to members (students and staff) only of the author’s/s’ institute, it is not permitted to post this PDF on the open internet. For any other use of this material prior written permission should be obtained from the publishers or through the Copyright Clearance Center (for USA: www.copyright.com). Please contact [email protected] or consult our website: www.benjamins.com Tables of Contents, abstracts and guidelines are available at www.benjamins.com Orthographic representation and variation within the Japanese writing system Some corpus-based observations Terry Joyce, Bor Hodošček & Kikuko Nishina Tama University / Tokyo Institute of Technology / Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan Given its multi-scriptal nature, the Japanese writing system can potentially yield some important insights into the complex relationships that can exist between units of language and units of writing. This paper discusses some of the difficult issues surrounding the notions of orthographic representation and variation within the Japanese writing system, as seen from the perspective of creating word lists based on the Kokuritsu -
Guide to the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
Guide to the Japanese-Language Prociency Test (JLPT) in the United States What is the Japanese-Language Prociency Test? The largest Japanese-language test in the world The JLPT is a test for non-native speakers of Japanese which evaluates and certies their Japanese-language prociency. The test is simultaneously conducted once a year in the United States. The JLPT began in 1984. While at the beginning just 7,000 people applied to take the test in 15 countries and areas worldwide, by 2009 the number of examinees had risen to as many as 770,000 in 54 countries and areas around the world. Currently, it is the largest Japanese-language test in the world. Cities where the JLPT was administered (December test in 2009) Cities where the JLPT was administered Japan: 33 prefectures Korea: 22 cities 206 cities in 54 countries and areas around the world Number of examinees and cities where the JLPT was administered (persons) (cities) 768,113 examinees Number of examinees Number of cities where the JLPT was administered 206 cities (year) Serves a variety of purposes According to the Survey of Overseas Organizations Involved in Japanese-Language Education Number of Japanese-language students overseas conducted by the Japan Foundation every three (persons) years, the number of students studying Japanese outside of Japan grew from 127,000 in 1979 to 3.65 million in 2009. Along with the increase in students, the number of JLPT examinees has increased. Today, people of various ages, from elementary school students to working individuals, take the JLPT. In addition, the JLPT is used not only to measure ability but also for a variety of purposes, including employment screening and evaluation for pay raises and promotions as well (year) as to recognize qualications.