This was a very interesting read especially compared to last week as Hirano is a translator herself. Her comparison of the differences between English and Japanese as languages were very precise and it was exactly what I had struggled with during my translation of “Korokke”. These include the vast difference in grammar, the more subtle and roundabout way that Japanese is written in, instances of humor, levels of politeness in the language, and difference in culture. I really appreciated all the examples she gave of what a direct translation would be and how she worked to make them more natural in English. One specific parallel was Hirano’s example of juku, which would translate to cram school, but it’s hard for readers to understand all the nuances of cram school for Japanese children. This was what I felt about the word oseibo, I ended up translating it as “year-end gift”, but I felt like it left out a lot of cultural implications. I wonder how she would translate that? I also really resonated with what she said about being an arrogant translator. I struggled for quite a while reading my translation back and forth trying to make it better, but I realized that at some point I needed to just trust in myself at the moment and finish it up. One question I had reading this was I wonder how she chose to do translation after reading and gathering all the background information and talking to the authors. I had been to a translation seminar before where the translator talked about their style of translating which is to translate on the first read without knowing anything so they have a fresh perspective.
Celine Yuan
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