Sense-segments rooted in Japanese culture: three strategies for translation.

In varying degrees, all four Japanese texts refer to objects and concepts rooted in Japanese culture. This is not to say that all such items necessarily lie outside the experience of Western readers; the word sushi, for example, has made its way into the lexicon of most native speakers of English. However, the translator cannot hope to capture in one word, or even in several words, every nuance of meaning that a word such as sushi conjures up for a typical Japanese. The best that the translator can hope to do is to capture those meanings and connotations that appear most relevant in the given context. To do this, the translator would appear to have three basic strategies at his disposal: 'borrowing' a word or sense-segment from Japanese, offering a Japanese item together with extra defining text (either within the body of the text of in a footnote), or representing the item entirely in terms rooted in the domestic culture.

a) Borrowings.

Besides the most predictable examples such as kimono, geisha, and sushi, examples of words borrowed from Japanese include the following:

Kiku had prepared sukiyaki, in honour of the guests.

(Shiokari Pass, p.138)

To prevent yellowing of the tatami and to inhibit mold from growing...

(Distant Thunder, p.11)

...its reflection cracked on the surface of the saké he poured into a teacup.

(Distant Thunder, p.56)

"Hey Pa, make carp sashimi for us."

(Distant Thunder, p.74)

...... placing canned food, instant ramen, and other goods into a paper bag.

(Distant Thunder, p.93)

The men settled down and read manga.

(Distant Thunder, p.96)

She was in a happy mood, cooking the family's first real meal in a while. Sukiyaki.

(Distant Thunder, p.118)

...loading tomatoes into a cardboard box normally used to store mikan.

(Distant Thunder, p.205)

That most of these examples appear in Distant Thunder may partly reflect the translator's attempt to capture the novel's underlying theme of a rural community torn between clinging to traditional rural culture and embracing urbanization (and with it Westernization). But it may also reflect the fact that this is the most recently published translation. Knowledge of and interest in Japanese language and culture was certainly more widespread in 1999 than in 1955, or even 1989, hence the translator is perhaps able to be somewhat bolder and include words such as mikan and manga. Italicization, and the acute accent on saké, effectively mark these items as borrowings, and spare readers the extra cognitive effort of noticing this for themselves. Undoubtedly some readers will recognize neither mikan nor manga, but the translator appears to have decided that it will suffice if the reader grasps the fact that manga refers to something which is read and mikan tosomething stored in boxes, probably a kind or fruit or vegetable.

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