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Former US President Barak Obama has published a memoir and it is a hot topic around the world. Despite being a “high-priced product” costing around 4,600 yen ($ 45) in Japanese yen, sales of 890,000 copies have been achieved in just 24 hours after its release! Right after the US presidential elections, which attracted world attention, the media in each country reported what Obama was saying in his book.
Also in Japan, English experts pointed out that it was a “translation error” when NHK and some media reported that “Obama described former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama as a ‘symbol of misguided Japanese politics.’ There is a lot of excitement on the web. Is this “Hatoyama rampage” a “bad translation”, or … When I read the media reports of each country, I found a surprising fact.
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Was former US President Obama Yukio Hatoyama “a troublesome colleague”? (Photo taken in 2015)
Was Mr. Hatoyama “a handsome but troublesome colleague”?
Still, it is selling very well. Former US President Barak Obama’s memoir, “A Promised Land,” ranked number one among Amazon’s best sellers as soon as they were published. It sold 890,000 books within 24 hours of its release and set a record for the memoirs of successive US presidents.
By the way, Mr. Bill Clinton’s “My Life” memoir record in second is 400,000, and Mr. George W. Bush’s “Decision Point” record in third place is 220,000, so the 890,000. Mr. Obama’s record is by far the best.
The issue in Japan is where Obama remembers his relationship with Japan at the time. In particular, some excerpts from the media and picked up the part that commented on former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, causing “turbulence.” It’s a bit long, but please see the English text in the middle of the topic.
A nice yet clumsy guy, Hatoyama was Japan’s fourth prime minister in less than three years and the second since I took office, a symptom of the sclerotic and aimless politics that had plagued Japan for much of the decade.
(Mr. Hatoyama, who was an awkward or nice person, was the second Japanese Prime Minister since I took office, and in three years, the fourth Japanese Prime Minister. This is the rigidity that lasted almost 10 years. It was a symbol of Japanese politics that lost its purpose)
If you look at it like this, it is a simple sentence, but first of all, at the beginning.「A nice but clumsy companion」The opinions of the media are divided by the interpretation of.
“He feels good, but he was a troublesome colleague” (Jiji Press)
“It feels good, but it is difficult to do” (Mainichi Shimbun)
“It feels good, but it’s hard to get along” (Kyodo News)
“A clumsy but nice man” (Asahi Shimbun)
Comparing the “Japanese translation” of the media,“Pleasant” (feels good)The interpretation of is consistent,“Clumsy” (clumsy, clumsy, bad shit)It can be clearly seen that the interpretation of is divided.
Assuming the Japanese translation of this English sentence was provided in the test, the person who can get the highest score is probably Asahi Shimbun’s “clumsy but nice man”.
The remaining three companies misinterpreted the grammar prior to the Japanese translation.「A nice but clumsy companion」The essence of“A nice guy” (a nice guy)so,「If it’s uncomfortable」It is“Maybe”It is an “auxiliary” position.
In other words, what Obama wanted to convey in general was “Mr. Hatoyama felt good”, not “Mr. Hatoyama was clumsy.”
Both Putin and Sarkoji “rarely cut!”
Also, if you read from the context“clumsy”TO“Problematic” “Difficult to associate” “Difficult to do”I feel like translating it is a leap forward.“partner”As for, only Jiji Press translates it as “colleague”, but this also feels strange. Mr. Hatoyama is not a colleague of Mr. Obama.
When rating the Japanese translation of each company, the passing score is Asahi Shimbun. The most “disappointing” translation is that of the newsletter’s “feel good but upset colleague”. Is it a place like 30 points when scoring?
The “confusion of mistranslations” about Obama’s memoirs continues. Pundits, mainly on the Internet, noted that some media outlets such as NHK reported “mistranslation,” saying that “Obama described former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama as a” symbol of misguided Japanese politics. “The Asahi Shimbun reported that” NHK, are Obama’s memoirs ‘mistranslated’? “And it has become a hot topic.
Reading the original text, Obama does not describe Hatoyama as “a symbol of misguided Japanese politics.” Until the last, he criticizes “the change of prime ministers one after another in a short period of time”, and it is “too much translation” to say that it is an individual attack on Mr. Hatoyama.
Even so, when I asked myself how the media in other countries reported, I found a surprising fact (!). According to the national media, Obama appears to be quite bold in his memoirs, giving a “personal view” of the leaders of each country. Most are harsh criticism and only German Prime Minister Merkel is reported to have been praised as “serious and sincere”.
Noting the “criticism from the country’s leaders” actually reported by the media about Mr. Sarkozi, the former president of France“Exaggerated rhetoric”A person full of people. In other words, he criticized it saying, “I can’t do anything hitting my big mouth.” Putin of Russia is said to be “a boss surrounded by subordinates and lawyers, and the world is small. A person who regards injustice and bribery as legitimate means.”
Other than that, there has been talk that they have a direct assessment of the leaders of each country they met during their tenure, such as India, Brazil, the United Kingdom and China. it is. Despite dedicating a considerable number of lines to people from other countries when presenting each episode, for Japan only “A nice but clumsy companion” about Mr. Hatoyama. Compared to Putin and Sarkozi’s “harsh assessment”, it is clear that Hatoyama is not “criticized.”
You are translating too much!
What’s even weirder is that, when it comes to media reports, Obama mentions former Prime Minister Taro Aso, who met when he took office, and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who ate top-notch sushi. class together when he came to Japan. It seems that it is not. You may be far from reporting that “Mr. Obama criticized” by picking up only a few references to Mr. Hatoyama.
At least, there were no articles in the foreign media mentioning Obama’s review of Hatoyama.
Well then“This week’s news in English”It is the subject of English“clumsy”It will be assumed.
The atmosphere of the meeting was a bit awkward.
(The meeting was a bit awkward)
I feel very uncomfortable in front of your father
(I am afraid in front of your father)
He’s awkward with girls.
(Not good for dealing with girls)
This “Hatoyama rampage”. Some media have declared that Obama has “distrusted” Hatoyama. No, I am surprised to be able to “translate” from a few lines of text in the memoirs. Relationship with the United States“Uncomfortable” (uncomfortable)I pray that it is not so. (Rinko Izukawa)
