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Translation between any two languages is always a challenge. But rendering Japanese into English can be particularly difficult.
It's not that Japanese is peculiarly "vague," as some have suggested. The folks at Sony and Hitachi didn't create world-class corporations by using a fuzzy-wuzzy language. No, it's that Japanese society – even (perhaps especially) in its 21st century form – has so many facets that are so distinctive. Underpinning all Japanese writing are cultural traditions, customs, and assumptions that need to be understood and considered in any translation.
Admittedly, these burdens are less onerous for the business translator, where globalization and technology have produced much standardized terminology. Nevertheless, a broad knowledge of the cultural components of Japanese society is still essential for successful business translation. My awareness of the exceptional in Japanese life has been sharpened by the thousands of hours I have spent translating Japanese into English; editing J-E translations; and writing articles about Japanese culture. |
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