2007/03/16

poorly translatable English to Japanese sensibilities

I'd love to see a collection of observations like these in order to
discern a pattern:

<for a colleague leaving her job> ...we'll miss you
-- in Japanese it is the one leaving that says, "...wasurenai de kudasai"
[please don't forget me]

<for yourself or others> ...he's happy
-- in Japanese one's happiness is instead, "...omoshiroi" or "ureshii"
but very seldom "shiawase"

<posing for camera> ... smile
-- in Japanese there is a word/phrase, but seldom is it used

<referring laughter> ...we laughed a lot
-- in Japanese there is a word, but seldom did I hear it used

<by way of greeting or as a show of interest/concern> ..ogenki desu ka
-- in English, "are you all right" implies a serious condition, not casual
remark; also "genki" is more than physical comfort and includes mental
condition

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