JAPANESE POP CULTURE & LANGUAGE LEARNING
'EI ,,,,, l::s&
$4.50
M A N G A J I N
S PE C I AL
No. 20
FEATURE
So you want to learn Japanese
BRAND NEWS A slick slogan and a c lever name from the Post Office
31Tl:ifl Sangyo Kakumei A revolutionary slogan: sangyo kakumei written ~ ~ (sangyo, "industry") + 1(i ~ (kakumei, " revolutio n") refers to the Industrial Revolution, but the people at Toshiba changed .tangyo to 3 fT (sangyo, "three lines") and used this as a slogan for their "revolutio nary" new word processor that prims three lines simultaneously. This printer can turn out 230 characters/second as opposed to 70/second for their standard printer.
v ~'J7.A
Retakkusu Not a great pun, but it's note worthy that even the Post Office uses clever names for their services. The word retakkusu is a combination of " letter" (transcribed into katakaoa as v 5' - retli) and "fax" ( 7 7 -;; ~ .A ,Jakkusu). The main advantage o f the retakkusu is speed. ff you apply at the post office by 3 PM, your message can generally be delivered that same day. The basic charge is ¥510 fo r one page up to size 84 (approx. I O"x 14"), and ¥310 per page a fter that. You can a lso send money or fl owers along with your retakkusu, or, for those who want that special touch, the retakkusu can be put on a card with an origami crane that spreads its wings and plays an appropriate me lody when opened (for an additional c harge of only ¥1 ,100).
Thanx to: D.C. Palter and Matt Durbin
Send us your examples of creative product names or slogans (with some kind of documentation). If we publish your example, we'll send you a MANGAJIN T-shirt to wear on your next shopping trip. In case of duplicate entries, earlie~t postmark gets the shirt. BRAND NEWS, P.O. Box 6668, Marietta, GA 30065
MA NGAJIN 5
MAD*AD
Mad Amano is well known in Japan for his satire and political parodies. A former planning manager with Hitachi, he left the corporate life in 1974 when he won the cartoon prize o f Bungei Shunju, a leading Japanese journal o f political and social commentary. Although he works almost exclusively for the Japanese press, he now lives in the U.S., and he targets the politics and happenings of other countries as much as he docs those of Japan. Mad Amano makes full use of the punning potential inhe rent in the many homonyms found in Japanese.
•111x: :1: .:·•m, Buckingumtape ~~..-:J~:/jlh7-7o 6
M AN GA JI N
~
lJij
'*
~ r.~
~ ' 1:.'i ~ I') I:
Bekkyo no sai
no
I f. "/ .:f / if]_, 7 - -.10 Bakkingamu Tepu.
nizukuri ni
separation of occasion Cs)
packing
(purpose) Ruckingum
tape
When packing for your separation - Buckingum Tape.
<,
rJ: ~ tv?T"' a
<-=>-:::> ~ ~-t Kuttsuki-yasuku
hanare-yasui.
sticks e.asily-and
separates/comes off easily
1G1r
JP>IIJW: Goes on easy comes off easy. + Easily joined/united, easily sepa rated.
• bekkyo is litera ll y ··separate living," and refers specifically to marital separations. • the partic le ni indicates purpose in this case. so it could literally he trans lated as "for the purpose of ' • "for." • ;<:-;; =f /if J... Bakkingamu is how " Buckingham" trans literates into Japanese, and because "-gham" and "gum" come out the same in katakana, it sets up a pun with 7! J... 7--! gamu tepu. literally "gum tape," which is the name for "gummed tape" in Japanese. The fu ll Rakkingamu Tepu is also a ncar pun on an alternate name for the tape, "J =f / 7 7 - -! pakkingu ti!pu, from English "packing tape." • kullsuki is from kull.l'llku ("[something I sticks") and -yasuku is the continuing form of -ya.l'lli, a verb suffix meaning the action is "easy to do/easily occurs." hunart! is from lranarem r ·come apart/separate/leave").
1'
GJ
~U h'f
O)li n',
Bekkyo 110 hoka
~~~~, -fX~.Pf,
,'HJi.f!PqJ(
0)
{.:im IJ r:
t I&~ o
riko11, yonige,
shorui f1shii
no
ni::.ukuri 11i
mo saireki
separation in addition to divorce escape by night sciLure of documents of/for pacl.ing
(purpo;,c) al;,o moM/especially suitable
Besides se arations, it's ideall suited to packing for divorce, escape by night, and document seizures. Mata
saruR IIt.wwa ni
again/also gag
ga
mo kalntreru shinpai
(purpose)
al~o
have a rash
nai
no d e anshin desu
worry/fear (subj.) not exist because is safe
Also safe to usc as a gag since there is no fear of rashes. • hoka ="other," and ,,. 1w lwka =''othe r than/besides/i n addition to'' • yoni~:e combi nes the words for "night" and " night/escape." for a noun meaning "night/escape by night/under cover of darkness." The word was o nce a largely military term. but today is mostly used to refer to givi ng one's spouse. creditor~. etc. the slip by si mply leavi ng without notice - no t nece~sari ly at night. • shorui ="paperwork/documents/files:· and rl.1'/u7 ="seizure/confiscation." • kaburem can mean "break out in a rash" or "cau~c a rash" • shinpai is a noun meaning "worry/concern/fear," and whe n it comes directly after a verb it refers to the worry/fear that such an ac tion/occurrence will take place • " fear/worry of ..." or "fear/worry that ..." • an.~hin is a noun meaning "one's heart is at ease/free of anxiety," so an.l'hin de.\'11 means " there is no cause for anx iety" • "[it] is safe."
Semere niz:ukuri gu rai :u
lca~t
packing
(j: wa
go-issho ni
about thai much a,-ror (hon.)-togcther
"At the ver y least, you should do_y_ourpacking together ." (PL3-4 implied.) • gurai (or kurai) essentially refers to an approximate amount, "about -:· lt occurs mo~t commonly after numbers indicating quantity, size, etc., but it can also occur with actions to mean " do at least that much." In this case semete further emphasizes the feeling of " at least" • "at the very least." • go- is an honorific prefix just like o- (in fact it's o ften written with the same kanji, IJIU), but the two are not generally interchangeable. The o - vs. go- differentiation must he learned on a word-by-word basis.
0
~~
±12
Eikoku iJshirsu
~·I:JlL
;<.·:;.::f/7fL7 - -.I
go-aiyo
Bakkinganw
England royal hou'c (hon.)-favoritc Buckingum
Tepu Tape
The British ro al family's fa vorite: BuckingumTal!e. • in speech, one is more like ly to hear Eng land referred to as 1 .:¥ •J 7.. lgirisu, but in print, £ikok11 occurs frequently, perhaps even more frequently than the katakana name. The kanj i name has a more formal feel than the katakana name. • rlshitsu, combining the kanji for "king" and ··room," means "royal family/household." • aiyo combines the kanji for " love" and "use," to make a word that literally implies '' lsomeone] lovcs using [something!." When the word is used to modify another noun (aiyo 110 Bakkingamu tifpu is implied here), it means " regularly used/favorite/trusty." The verb form would be aiy ll sum, ''use !something] regularly/as a favorite."
M ANGAJIN
7
Sugiura Hinako and the Roots of Japanese Comics by Frederik L. Schodt
The story is set in Edo period Japan, and the style of drawing is reminiscent of that era. but this work is done with the frames and balloons of modem-day manga.
8
MANGAJIN
I am frequently asked why Japanese people read so many manga. There is, ofcourse, no single answer. Munga fans wiII simply say it is because they are "interesting." Others will say it's because modem Japanese urbanites spend so much time in environments like trains and coffee shops. where manga arc an ideal form of entertainment- portable, quiet, and not too serious. Yet others will claim there's a link between the visual-semantic clement in kanji ideograms and comic drawings, that both are a forn1 of hieroglyphics. All these arguments are to some extent true, but I think the best explanation may he found in history. The modern Japanese manga. with its sequential illustrated panels and word balloons. is a twentieth-century phenomenon, and did not fu lly develop until after the war. It is essentially a fusion of Western forms with a long tradition of narrative art that is humorous, fantastic, erotic, and often violent. The fi rst Japanese manga, in fact, is often said to have been Clujjt7giga, or the ''Animal Scrolls," a hilarious parody of twelfth-century society. reportedly executed by the artist-priest Toba ( 1053- 11 40). Monkeys, frogs. and hares costumed as priests and nobles cavort across yards of a paper roll to tell a story. The spi rit of the drawings is remarkably like that of the early twentieth-century animal animation so popular in the United States. Until the end of the Meiji period. Toha-e. or''Toba-pictures," was the main Japanese term for cartoons and comics. So much of early Japanese art is humorous, entertaining, and fantastic that one occasionally wonders if there has not been a worldwide conspiracy on the part of museum directors to deliberately ignore it. In addition to scrolls which flourished in Japan's early feudal period, there were monochrome Zenp,a ("Zen pictures"), originally executed as a meditative aid, which became a type of cartoon. and Ot.w-e, or "Otsu-picturcs," drawings for travelers near Kyoto that started out as Buddhist amulets and also became a massproduced type of color cartoon. Almost all art in the early feudal period was created in some sort of superficial religious context, but in the Edo period ( 1600-1867) as the Japanese feudal system began to change and a money economy emerged among the urban merchant class, art as entertainment came into fu ll bloom. With woodblock printing technology. it could be mass-produced and made avai Iable at low cost to the ordinary citizen. Manga, the current Japanese word for comics (and cartoons and animation), comes from the famous woodblock master Hokusai Katsushika ( 1760-1849), who created a fi fteen-volumc collection of his drawings and sketches called Hokusai Manfw Townspeople in the Edo period were crazy about humorous woodblock illustrations and illustrated humor books. Many of these, although they did not have sequential picture panels and word
St r alght • Schodt
"balloons." bore striking resemblance to modem comics. They usually consisted of twenty or more pages, with or wi thout text. which were bound with thread or opened accordion-sty le. In the Osaka area. Tohtle books. featuring pictures of long, spindly-limbed characters in amusing antics, were the rage. I n the early nineteenth century, J.ihyoshi. or "yellow-cover" booklets. prol iferated by the thousands. L ike modern comics. they grew out of illustrated tales for children and gradually cncompa~sed more and more sophisticated. adult material. Often each page consisted of a drawing. with the text in a hlock above it. forming an illustrated. running story. Like comics todny. kibyi5shi were frequently published as a seri es. When European. and later American. styles of cartooning were eventually adopted in Japan. the traditional forms of humorous art died out. hut the love of entertaining. narrative art remained. Most modern manga bear little re~emblance to their Edo-period cousins in terms of urt. style, hut there are some direc t links hetween the old and new. With the explosion of manga that has occurred in Japan in
recent years. ar1ists have steadily vied to find new and original means of expressing themselves. Several have begun drawing in "retro" styles. Sugiura llinako is a premier example of a young manga arti t who has delved into the Edo period for inspiration. In school she studied visual communication and design. and dreamed of one day becoming an art director for commercials. But at the same time she also became increasingly fascinated by feudal Japan. This led her to become a disciple of Seishi Jnagaki. one o f Japan's most respected scholars of the Edo period. In 1980, she made her debut in the ex peri mental manga maga.tine Garo with a hort story et in the Edo period, and ever since then she has heen a chronicler of life in old Tokyo, e pecially the Yoshiwara entertainment district. Descended from a fami ly of kimono makers in Tokyo, she grew up wi th a rich sense o f tradition. and in her own work she ha!. been more than a historian: she has been a virtual apostle of a revived Edo aesthetic. Her Edo period is alive, and thri ving. even today . Something of a media celebrity recently (she occa~ ionall y
appears on television dressed in a kimono). he also has been called a modem ukiyn-e artist. Sugiura often draws in a pseudo ukiyoe fashion. imitating thestyleofwoodblock masters two hundred years ago. She claim . moreover. that the Edo-period kihyiJshi illustrated books have been one of the biggest influences on her artwork. Her hort story 1/anageshiki Kir.wne Kiidan ('Ta les of Foxes at !Jiower Viewing Time"), puhlished in the early eighties. directly reflects this influence. for in it she not only reconstructs an old fable with careful anention to period clothing and tradition, but she executes it in the old kihyli.~hi fom1at as well. She abandons the drawing pens, sequential panels, word balloons, and typeset text of modern manga for a brush and a tradi tional narrative lay out. Text is hand-leuered in calligraphic style. Her main concession to modern times is to adapt the language- few Japanese would be able to read Edo-period Japanese withou t a dictionary! Frederik L. Schodt, aurhor. rranslaror. and regular contnhutor to MAM;AJI'~. operates out of San Franci~co.
A scene from Hanageshlki Kitsune Kodan of Foxe~ at rtowcr Viewing Time"). This work. publi~hcd in the early 1 980~. is done in the old kihyii.rhi style. with hand-lcucred text surrounding the illustrations. ('Tale~
MAN GAJ IN
9
Calvin and Hobbes
I F\N\) T\-\1\T
'IER"''
DISnJR.BI~<;!
Hobbes: "It says
here
(rrc:ttll,;;: Ft-?
-+ ,:.
(!)
Kono this
that
by the age of six ..."
c.
s~i"t'l: ...
~(. $ ': J: J.> C: 6mt ~ -r·l: .. . klji ni yoru to roku-.wi made ni . . . article according to 6 years old by (the time)
c
• It IJ, ~c $ (7) .: o • by the age of ... ~, 1iiJ f.&. i ~ 1:
[2]
Hobbes: "... most children have seen a million murders on television." 1Hivt'G'>T1Jt ~t..:::tn 1 6?~ 10075i"IG'>>W:A 7'1.-l::"t' -+ t:. tt' -r: v' (!) r~ lj: 7 v 1:: "'(' 1 oo H @I ~ (f) Taitei no most
kodomo wa terebi children as-for TV
-r: -r:
~A :,; - :.--- ~ ~ ~ tt ' satsujin shiin o mite kite iru murder ~cene (obj.) have seen • on television (TV) 1.: (;t 1Cf B~ (;t ~ t?
Calvin: "I find thru C. .~&~. ? (~$1Jf{.T; X.~ .: t
de hyakuman-kai mo no on I million times (emph.) of
J.J A.J!.
'?
-r: o
n da. 11e (explan.) (quote)
v
~ 'o
very disturbing!" )
t -r (> $i'U : 1J: ~
~ -?"1? ~-?tJ: o to komatchau na. when am disturbed
-+ -f-?flfl< C So kiku hear that
Calvin: "It means I've been watching all the wron channels." ~P~ T ~ .t;- :i "t' ~ '( e t..: ~'( G'>rJJ~ ·:d..: -T "\' / ~-iv -+ 0 ~ I? , ';r < if' t rd1 j4 ":) t:. -r "' : . - ;f, )v ~ Tsumari, boku In effect I
• Calvin !± 7
-r ":)
ga zutto machigatte (subj.) all along mistaken
channeru channel
v ~"t" 100 7J@
n' ? t::. t .Ffl, -::>t::. o u- t IJ t.: rt ~ (7) L. -r "' ;., .:. t 1:
Ji -r: t::.
o mite-ta koto ni naru (obj) was watching turns out that
* IJ i!HL
1tl!G0r~(7)~
t.: n';,., r. o
)a nai ka. does it not?
-r v' 1.> -r 1' :;,--;f. Jll ~ ~ "Cv' 7j:
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes. copyright© 1988 Universal Press Syndicate. The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes, copyright © 1990, Universal Press Syndicate. All rights reserved. Reprinted/translated by permission of Editors Press Service, N.Y.
10
M ANGAJIN
Calvin and Hobbes
Calvi n: ul've been reading up on paleonto!Qgy,_ It's amazing stuff." ~.ve ~ t..: i!i~~q:1.: ·:n• 'C .11 < ~ i!< (, Q)
-+ 1i ~ ~ q,:
(/)
~Hi
~
l 't' ", ~ !v t!. o i" :::: ", lv t!. J: o
Koseibutsu-gaku 110 benky~ o .~hite- iru paleontology of study (obj.) doing
n da. Sugoi n da yo. (explan.) amazing (explan.)(emph.)
• read up 't', Ml~!i!(liJf:fE)T .0, ni'cJ,.t..:i6 .o, ~1Uv't' .t3 < (on = ~: ·-::n,,·q • paleontology [peiliantaledzi I paeliontol- ] rti~!lt~ • stuff ~;1:, f.t - ~~ 1: f b 0') J 0') .'!J:P~ o
<
Calvin: "Scientists can tell how old something is just b~ analyzing n~.t.· u: b n• 7.> -t ttn( e-n < e; ~.-, r'i ~.- • n· ~.jfi-t 7.> t.: lt"t' the layers of dirt it's in." I·.Q)Ir$
-t-tti.Jf.A. --:> --r~.o •J.,
Kagakusha wa, mono ga umatte-iru chiso o shirabem dake de, scientist(s) as-for thing(s) (subj.) is/are buried in din- layer (obj.) investigate only by
t· tt < I? "\ ?1 "'
-t- tt -IJ< sore
f.:O
that
(subj.) how much
• how+ adj.+ it Is 't',
[Ol__
-IJ' b -IJ' ~ lv t!. 0 fu rui ka wakaru n da.
dore kurai
old
('?) know
c.' lv ~ 1: -t ;h..1Jf1uJ 4
(expl an.)
n'(~~ ~~J), O)~l*o
"H_e_y_!"--------------------------------------------------------------~
j:; "\ ! C_a-lv-in_:__ Oi!
Hobbes: "Why, you must be
siuears old."
4HJ: ... l.::i!i\ ~.o,~~.o· slit
(~~)
-+ b-? tJ,
~-
1;!:
6.i;l
1: i:, -/){It'~ v' 0
Fiimu, kimi wa roku-sai ni chigai nai. (exclam.) you as-for 6 years old must be • Why li, flfltl:~ ·!~P!J!~•J"t". B~ (~~) . Jj:~ ~:. ~ i --:> -r .0 t: ~ ~ ~'n', >b t, 7:> lv ( LJ ~0)-:. t ~ t')o • rmT-O)""f l:t~:a-~--:>;btr-.: t ~: J:--:> 1:', Calvin ~:-?v•"( v'o "layer of dirt"= f~ t ~-? t..: t/veJ :a-?Jq"" -c v' .o b ~t(ffH& 0) ::1? 1: Hobbes O)fli;t; n{~ <~ ? -r v' .o ).
Cal vin: "Oh,
you're a scream."
(~ill) ~ ~ t.: IH:> 1)• L.~.o• A.
-+ .1:> -IJ' l
<'t'
t.:. i I? ~ "' A
t!.
:i' 0
Okashikute tamaranai hito da ne. amusing/funny past e ndurance person is/are isn' t it • scream li ::\'- i'
'J ::\'-
-v "J ~-) .: t
't' you're a scream = (it?~ t.:. !±)i:l-IJ• L.
< -r t::. i
~ ~ v' A 0
MAN GAJIN
1 1
So you want to learn
by Ginny Skord Late I y it seems as if the stud y of Japanese is the onl y industry that's booming in the United States. High schools that never before ventured beyond Spanish and French have now added Japanese to their curric ula; a dizzying array of Japanese language texts are selling like sushi over the counter; Japanese dominates bi-lingual help-wanted listings. and consulting firms and translation services are enjoying a new prosperity. Having somehow she lved their traditiona l distaste for learning foreign languages, Americans are lining up in droves to study Japanese. while the Japanese are still a little puzzled as to why anyone would wantto bother. After all, it's not the easiest of lang uages to learn, it's not widely spoken outside of Japan, and the Japanese themselves have tried to spare us considerable pain and effort by learning English instead. Those who do bother stud ying this som etimes sweetly logical but often exasperating language find that it has its own rewards, ranging from the gratifying ability to deciphe r restaurant menus and Japanese comics to a whole new way of looking at the world and oneself as well. Language ability alone, however, does not necessarily translate into a high-powered career. Japanese media personalities like 12
MANGAJIN
Kent Gilbert or Dave Spector notwithstanding, there are precious few openings for g lib but otherwise unskilled gaijin. Even Gilbert and Specto r are not w ithout considerable tale nts -inc luding keen instincts for marketing and unabashed selfpromotion. Neither American nor Japanese firn1s hire merely on the basis of linguistic proficiency; unless your dream career is hostessing, Japanese should functio n as the final clincher on a solid resume. Once you have committed yourself to learning Japanese, settle in for a long seige. True ability is not woneasily, certainly not overnight, or even in several years. A few guide lines and ground rules can help you avoid wasted time, and maximize the return on that investment.
Where to begin (see OPTIONS ... on the facing page) . Prospecti ve students of Japanese now have a plethora of learning options. many of which hardly ex isted even ten years ago. At o ne point or another, I've experienced all of the options listed, either as student or instructor, and can ne ithe r wholly endorse nor utterly dismiss any oneofthem. Yourchoiceshouldbeguided by your own learning style, schedule, and budget.
Dealing with your instructor. Most people teaching Japanese in the United States fall into one of three categories: w ives of Japanese employees on a 3to 5-year assignment; students or assorted mavericks for whom teaching is a lucrati ve way to subsidize their main avocation; and trained professionals, including both native and non-native speakers. Effective teaching is as much a function of personality and common sense as of credentials, so if your instructor is lively, bright, and knows how to c rack a whip when necessary, don't worry too much about academic credentials. In fact, the most problcominued on pa~e /4 )
CONTENTS •
So You Want To Learn Japanese .......... p. 12
• Choosing the Right Textbook ..................... p. 16 •
Mini-reviews of Texts .. p. 16
•
Review of Kana Learning Software ..... p. 24
•
Case Study/Review of Kanji-Flash .............. p. 32
F e a t u r e • S t o r y
OPTIONS for Learning Japanese Option 1 : Go to Japan . Go to Japan and try to ''pick it up'' on your own. Some people actually achieve passable results this way, particularly if they're young and linguistically talented. If you put yourselfintoa situation in which you either speak or starve, you're Iikely 10 make some progress. This method tends to produce practical, if fractured and ungrammatical, Japanese ability. Once ingrained. however. bad habits thus acquired are extraordinarily difficult to break, so you 'rc beuer off combining your on-site learning with a more systematic approach. Option 2 : Take a class. Whether in Japan or abroad, joining a class is standard procedure. Classes vary tremendously in size, ability of instructor, cost, and composition: you should investigate before commiuing. If possible. observe a class. Do you hear any English spoken? Bad sign. Does the instructor dominate the c lass? If the instruc tor speaks more than 30% of the time, you're not going to get in much practice of your own. How many students in the class? Class size can vary from intimate groups of three or four to mobs of thirty to forty. Arc there separate smaller drill sessions? If groups larger than ten or twelve comprise the bulk of class time, you' re wasting time unless your only goal is to become skilled in passive listening. How are responses elicited? Students should be called on at random, after a question is posed. so that everyone is equally likely to be called upon. Get a feel for the pace- it should be brisk but not overwhelming. What kind of atmosphere predominates? A cenain amount of tens ion is unavoidable. butthroat-sliuing competition is counterproductive. The more mutually supportive and enjoyable the class. the more you'llleam. The most obvious place to start looking is a local college or university, which is the most likely to have trained instructors and an established program. Tuition at private institutions can be high-from 200 10 over 400 dollars a credit hour. If you don't need the college credit. you might be able to lowerthe cost by registering as a non-credit student. Tuition at state and community colleges
tends to be less expensive, but it's harder to predict class size. Once enrolled, if you sense that a class isn't for you, most places will refund the bulk of your tuition if you drop within a week or two after class starts. Some colleges offer special language immersion weekends. but don' t expect to get very far if you're a beginner. Steer clear unless they offer a grad uated series of such weekends. These programs are best for polishing up rusty skills, not for forming new skills from scratch. Local adult education program~ arc another good source. Here you 'II find courses like ··conversational Japanese" or "Japanese for the Tourist. .. These are usually one-shot dealshowever good the course. attrition rates are high among adults with only a casual interest. and there probably won't be enough Mudcnts to justify a equel. Still, the programs offer an inexpensive way 10 commence your study and find out if you want to continue in a more serious vein. Most major c ities now have JapanAmerica societies or like organizations. most of which offer some form of language instruction. or. if not. can point you in the right direction. In ew York City. for example. the Japan Society runs a staggering array of classes at fairly modest rates. For specifics. check with the local Japanese consulate or businesses that cater to a Japan-oriented cliente le. And then there are the commercial language schools. Tuition may be steep. but class size tends to be small. Be warned. however. that in many cases the instructors seem to be hired merely because they arc native speakers. The re arc a number of such schools in Japan, and the only advice I can offer is to visit before you plunk down your hard-earned tuition. If none of the classes you investigate seems to suit your needs, you can create your own class by gathering other like-minded individuals and hiring a private instructor (see option 3 below). The biggest problem here is that your fellow stude nts may soon become disenchanted with the entire project. leaving you stuck with the instructor and the bill. Japanese affiliated companies or those that have significant dealings with Japan arc usually willing. if not eager. to sponsor classes by providing meeting space and possibly tuition, so it's worthwhile checking with your personnel de-
panmcnt to see what can be arranged.
Option 3: Engage a private tutor. Your most likely candidates are moonlighting instructors from established programs. Universities with applied linguistics programs usually have more than a few Japanese students: post a sign at the department office. Signs in stores and locations frequented by Japanese will yield at least a few re~ponses. In major metropolitan areas, expect to pay $30-60 an hour. In addition. you might want to pay a certain amount of "earnest money" up front. just to seal the deal. although in this country most Japanese wouldn't expect it.lffinances penn it. schedule your sessions to meet at least twice a week: less than that o nl y allows you to forget more between meetings Option 4: Join a language exchange. This extremel.Y inefficient method is almost guaranteed to create sore feel111gs for at least one party. " You teach tne Japanese and l'llteach you English'' kind~ of set-ups either end up lopsided and completely unfair. or collapse in no time at all. leaving a messy puddle of unfulfilled promises and expectations. Still, the method has one compelling feature: it's usually free. if you don' t count the cost of broken relationships. Proceed with caution. Set up guidelines before you begin. and establish the amount of time to be devoted to each language. Stick to your schedule and be profuse in expressing your appreciation. Option 5: Self-study. This tennis used to refer to two different kinds of activities: an arrangment whereby you work on your own with tapes and text~. periodically checking in with someone who evaluates your progress. and true. solitary, unguided learning. The former is often practiced by colleges that don't offer Japanese: in essence. you become a long-dbtance student. In such endeavors, success correlates directly with your level of sclf-di~cipline and the amount of actual contact with your tutor. For beginners outside of Japan, the latter makes no sense at all. Return to option one and begin again.
MA NGAJtN
13
Feature · Story (cominuedfrom pap,e 12)
lematic are those originally trained to teach English or kokugo (the Japanese language curric ulum of the Japanese educational system). These types tend to adhere to the same grammar and blackboard-centered pedagogy still practiced in Japanese public schools. You don' t want to learn Japanese the way most Japanese learn Eng I ish. It may be tough going at first, but there are advantages to learning from an instructor who isn' t very comfortable with English. Skilled English speakers or those who have resided abroad for more than a few years usually switch to automatic English pilot when speaking with nonJapanese. Yo u must take the lead and he lp them to break this habit by strenuously resisting the urge to use English: otherwise lessons wi ll deteriorate into speaking about Japanese rather than in Japanese. Read the grammar explanations before you begin a lesson, and don' t interrupt the flow with a two-bit question or comment
thai is best reserved for after class. Since most native Japanese language teachers are female, it's likely that you will be exposed to predominently female speech patterns, including pitch and mannerisms. This is fine for female students, but males producing marked feminine speech can give off signals utterly at odds with what they intend. The natural human te ndency for voice pitch to rise when feeling tentative only exacerbates this problem. Of course, good teachers are a lert to this, but they can ' t always swoop down on every nuance, so males in particular need to be vigilant in establishing and maintaining appropriate speech behavior. The same ho lds true for women studying with male instructors. If you harbor a resistance to these requisite gender distinctions in the Japanese language, squelch your feel ings for now. You have to know it before you can subvert it. Don't panic if your instructor turns
out to be a gaijin, but do try to ascertain his or her actual ability. lfhe sounds close to a native speaker sight unseen (on the telephone, for example, where such features as blue eyes don' t act as a dead giveaway), you' ll get as much, if not more, from a non-native as from a native speaker. Otherwise, use him for information about the language and get your actual verbal training from someone e l e; learning from a gaijin/Japanese team of teachers is one of the best ways to go.
Class clowns Native Japane e teachers don 't always ride herd on a c lassful of pote ntially rambunctious Americans as assertive ly as they might, which can lead to some pretty disorganized classes. Compulsive English speakers, habitual late-comers, and the chronically unprepared are sabote urs who deserve the full force of other students' collective disapproval. Gently voice your
FAST, EFFECTIVE &AFFORDABLE
spealc japanese or english lor just $275* Now you can learn to speak Japanese or English with confidence, using the world-famous Berlitz Conversational Method. • Small groups of 6 to 8 students • Price includes 30 lessons, book and fees
• Native-fluent teachers ensure proper pronunciation • Meet conveniently -days or evenings
• Price based on group of 6 students. Groups of 4 to 5 are only $329. Private and Semi-Private programs are also available. In Japan, Group programs are not available. Call today for the phone number of the Berlitz Language Center nearest you.
Berlitz Japan 81·3·3589·3525
Berlitz USA 800-528-7929
-1JERLITZ 14
MANGA JIN
requires
Macintosh®Plus or higher and CD·AOM drive
developed by professor K. Nakajima University of Toronto
CD-ROM based KanjiCard combines graphics, sounds and animations to create an effectiye and fun to use program for learning Kanji. • 300 KanjiCharacters • over 5,000 digitized words and sentences • over 1,200 self testing questions • utility program to create Flashcards included.
CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION
Hahn Computer Institute TEL: (416) 633-8600 FAX: (416) 633-2000
F e a t u r e • S t o r y
objections; smilingly cut off their English mid-sentence; glare at them menacingly: kick them under the table-employ whatever means fair or foul necessary to mend their errant ways. Just don ' t allow them to waste your time and tuition, or to reinforce the Japanese perception of Americans as rude and unruly.
Pitfalls and caveats Accent and intonation are of fundamental importance. The deceptive simplicity of the Japanese sound system tends to lead students to assume otherwise. and instructors themselves tend to be less than rigorous in enforcing an authentic accent. A long as a response is grammatically or contextually correct, they'll usually let it pa , so you "ll have to police yourself. ever settle for ··good enough for a gaijin.·· Your mouth should ache after a good session in Japanese-if not, you've probably been lazy.
Take extra care with long and short vowels (e.g .. slwjin vs. shiijin. to quote my personal favorite), double consonants (e.g., kaki vs. kakki) and Joan-words (gairaigo) derived from English. which you'll be tempted to pronounce as if they were still English. which they aren't. Many pronunciation mistakes with the above can be traced to over-reliance on the Japanese transcribed in English letters used by many beginning text . Wean yourself from this treacherous crutch early on by mastering the Japanese sy llabary (katakana and hiragana) a soon as possible. If close vocal mimicry doesn't seem to help your accent, you' II at lea t get a sense of the syllabic sound value by reading aloud material written in hiragana or katakana. In every class there's a kanji kingthe one who thinks that Japanese ability is measured by the number of Chinese characters one knows. Don' t be fooled. You'll learn, forget, and relearn a character only
to forget again-that's why the kanji dictionary (kan· ei or kanwa jiten) was invented. Instead of laboriously tracing out intricate and arcane characters that you' ll only run across once or twice a year. devote a few hours to mastering the use of your kanji dictionary of choice. Keep in mind too that unless you're an aspiring calligrapher. recognition is far more important than reproduction. Learn to use a Japanese word processor and you 'II never have to reproduce a kanji again. (Because the Japanese usually prefer the personal touch, I draft correspondence on the word processor. which supplies the appropriate kanji in response to kana cues. print it out, then copy it by hand.) The Japanese have recently come up with a hand-held computer that functions as a dictionary: these gadgets can supply a kanji for just about any word you're likely to know. Prices are still somewhat steep (¥30,000-60.000) but (COIIIillti Cd OIIJ>O/(C
/9)
For Teachers of Japanese ... Japanese WordBook, YukoGreen Two hundred words and plu11scs, illusrratcd and captioned using romanized spellings, Kanji, Kana and English. Book $11.95 Book & cassette tape $16.95
Your source for
Nih ongo: Introductory Japanese YuUJka. Saco & Margaret Y. Yamash1UJ A beginning high school curriculum designed
to meet ACTFL Oral Proficiency Guidelines. Textbook $ 19.95 Workbook $9.95 Teacher's edition $24.95
Nihongo Daisuki! Japanese Through Games & Songs Susan H. Hirate & Noriko Kawaura Oral/aural beginning Japanese language activities for children in elementary school. 208 pages $19.95
BOOKS ON JAPAN • Thousands of titles in both English and japanese covering history, culture, literature, art, architecture, business, and much more. • Scores of japanese language textbooks• and comics. • Extensive selection of Japanese magazines. •free catalog available.
Japanese P icture Cards Yutaka Saw & Margaret Yamashita, Illustrated by Yuko Green Over 200 8112" x II" pictures of commonly used words. $29.95
KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORES The largest japanese bookstore chain in the U.S. and Japan
Tl fE BESS PRESS P.O. Box 22388, Honolulu, HI 96823
Ph. (808) 734-7159 Fax (808) 732-3627
For information, call (415) 567-7625
SAN FRANCISCO
LOS ANGELES
SEATTLE
NEW YORK
MANGA JI N
15
F eatu re•Stor y
Choosing the right textbook by Karen Sandness If you enroll in a regular Japanese class. you probably won 't have a say in choosing the textbook (although the book used may be one factor in deciding if a cla~s i s ri ght f or you) . so this section is largely for people w ho are intere!.ted in self-study. V ery simply. the best advice I can g ive concerning teac hing yourself Japanese is. ··Don ' t." but if you arc determined to teach yourself. you need to choose your learning materials carefull y -a m i stake here can lead to much personal frustratio n. A bookstore with a good foreign lang uage section will offer a wide range
o f tex t books. and the cover blurbs of l>Ome o f them announce wonderful new methods that w ill make you nuent in no time wi t h very little effort. Rig ht. and you can lose fifty po unds ly ing on y our couc h eat i ng j unk food all day. The fact i s that achieving professional competence in Japanese- that"s the abi lity to li ve your li fe and carry o ut your business in reasonably correct Japanese witho ut reco urse to English- requires more time than most A mer icans are w illing to devote to anything but l>po n s. Y ou can put in the time over a decade o r two. or you can shorten the calendar time required
by d ropping every thing else and taking a six o r eight ho ur per day intensi ve course for a year or two. but you cannot escape the time requi rement. Anyone w ho tells you di ffe rently is a liar. Period. The most extrav agant c laims come from authors and publ ishers w ho produce g lo ri fied phrasebooks wi th tapes. i f you know absolutely nothi ng abo ut Japanese. this kind o f material can prov ide an inexpensive way to samp le the lang uage. but like all phn"ebooks, they present the material unsystematically and leave you ill -equipped to understand what native speakers mig ht say in response to your phrases. Hav ing narrowed your searc h to real textbooks. you next need to eliminate the obviousl y bad o nes. Y o ur fi rst task is to look at the copy ri ght dates: any thing more than ten or fifteen years old , no matter w hat i ts orig inal merit. is going to present the language and :.ociety of the past. Then. y ou need to sho w the text-
Some textbooks This is a list of the major Japanese language texrhnoks 11011' amilahle. We asked se1·eral experts to ll'rite brief c·omments ahout these hooks, and where po.uihle. we comhined lhese co!lunems info the ""hlurhs"" heloll'. Our panel members were: Wayne Lammers . Jo/111 Meam. Dal'id Mills. Karen Sa/1(/ness. and Chris Thompson. Japanese: The Spoken Language, Eleanor H. Jorden with Mari Noda, Yale Univ. Press, 1987.371 pages, $1 7.95. [tapes; videos; supplement for learning kanji & kana; 2 sequels; Shinkunrei roomazi; no kana or kanji in main text] Generally recognized a\ the mo'>t comprehen~ive and effective ~et of materials for adult. Eng l i~h-~pcak ing Mudent~ of Japane-.e. Highly evaluated for natural/realistic language. In addition to its supplement. Japanese: The Wriu en Language. instructor versions of all volumes arc available with drills. dialog\. etc. wriuen in Japanc-.e. With audio tape' and video. a po~~i ble choice for \elf- in~truction. although grammar explanations can be complex/ tediom•. Not for the casual learner. Beginning Japanese, Eleanor H. Jorden. Yale University Press, 1963. 409 pages. ¥3600. [tapes; supplement Reading Jap anese; sequel; Shinkunrei roomazi; no kana or kanji in main text] Rendered somewhat obsolete by publication of JSL (above). but some prefer the grammar explanation' in this earlier text. Language and situations now out of date. Situational Functional Japanese, Tsukuba Language Group. Bonjinsha, 1991 . 212 pages, ¥3000 (notes). [tapes; videos; CAl; 2 sequels; drill books; modified Hepburn roomaji; kana & kanji used throughout text] Realistic language pre,ented in natural situations; especially good for those studying in Japan. The drill book presents a wide range of exercises for each lesson. from su b~t itution drilb to role-playing; include~ cultural notes and ""conver~ational '>trategie~ ... Combination of audio. video, and computer ~oft ware i' a plus. Japanese for Busy People, Association for Japanese-Language Teaching. Kodansha lnt'l, 1984. 170 pages, $19.95. [tape; CD;
16
MAN GAJ t N
sequel; Hepburn romaji; kana used for dialogs & reading drills) Thb '>eems to be ~omething of a standard for adult education and community college courses; not bad for those waming a ""quick lh"" imroduction. but not 'o suitable for serious ~t udcnts who intend to follow through to advanced levels. Some u\eful content for bu'oine's type'>. but limited in \COpe. Nissan's Business Japanese, Hajime Takamizawa. Passport Books, 1991 . 293 pages, $29.95. (tapes; sequel; modified Hepburn roomaji ( "hune'); kana and kanji used for d ialogs; mini-essays on Japanese business culture) Essays on busincs~ & etiquette are excellent. but the premise that the \tudent can reach the level of conducting business negotiat ion~ in Japanc'>e through an introductory level textbook i' unrealistic. Language/grammar explanation' arc weak; l"eful for ~omeone who already has the ba~ics down and wants to add on business vocabulary. Learn Japanese the Fast and Fun Way, Carol &Nobuo Akiyama. Barron's, 1990. 234 pages, $14.95. (Hepburn romaji; kana introduced in final chapter; text contains activity kit] A ""cule"" book with a functional syllabus. but introduces complicated ~t ructurc'> in the early lesson\ wi th liule explanation and in~u flicicnt excrci~c,. o audio tape is a 'enou-. dra'' bad•. Bunka Shokyu Nihongo, Bunka Institute of Language. Tokyo: Bonjinsha. 119 pages, ¥1 ,600. [tapes; workbook; teacher's manual; OHP for classroom use; sequel) A direct method textbooJ.. wriuen entirely in Japane~c. Excellent content. meaningful situations. amusing illustrations. University and graduate ~tudent level. (umtllllll'tl o11 pag l' /Xi
F e a t u r e •
book to someone who can check the language for accuracy and naturalness. One self-instructional text currently on the market was written by an Englishman whose own command of Japanese is none too steady. But a Japanese author is no guarantee of authenticity. because a few feel obliged to "simplify" the language for the poor gaijin. Next you need to be honest about your own goals. If all you want is basic survival skills, you wi ll find one type of textbook most useful. l fyou want a foundation for professional competence, you will need a di fferent type. The latter usually come in a multi-volume series and move carefully from simple structures and situations to complicated ones. The books for teaching survival skills are usually light on grammar and sentence patterns and heavy on vocabulary. If in doubt, consult the author's preface for his or her own statement of purpose. The battle between those who favor
S
t o r
y
instruction in romaji and those who favor hiragana from the beginning can take on the look of a holy war. Having taught both ways, I believe that the outcome of instruction has more to do with the aptitude and diligence of the Ieamer than with the scri pt used in the textbook. If you are a serious student, you will learn hiragana and kanji eventually, but if you seek no more than survival skills, you need not bother. In real life, almost nothing is written entirely in hiragana without kanji. You are better off learning katakana, which allows you to read coffee shop menus, Shinkansen tickets, and approximately every other word in fashion magazines. Having narrowed your search to a few textbooks. the next step is to look at the format of the lessons. Are the suggested procedures something that you could carry out independently? Do you understand the explanati ons? Is the amount of new material per chapter man-
ageable? Does the author provide lots and l ots of exercises to re-enforce the sentence patterns and conversational routines? Are the dialogues intelligent and believable? If possible, you should li sten to the accompanying tapes. Be wary of tapes where the speakers speak too slow Iy, because then you will learn to understand only Slow Japanese, a language not spoken in Japan. Although not in the category of"textbooks," in order to become truly proficient in Japanese you need to spend time in Japan. This should be under circumstances that force you to talk to a variety of people and allow you to continue tudying. There is no substitute for this tep, and after all. communicating with the Japanese people i s the whole point of your endeavor.
Karen Sandness is an advising editor and regular contributor to M ANGAJIN.
Japanese Software for the Macintosh EasyKana
Kanjimaster
• Tutorials on stroke order • Pronunciation of syllables and words by a native speaker • Flash drills for quick recognition of the kana • Reading drills for word recognition
• Contains 350 kanji and about 200 compounds • 6 modes - browse, pronunciation. English/ Japanese translation, dictation. & stroke drill • Teaches pronunciation & stroke order of characters
Japanese Word Torture • Over 2100 words and translations • Work from English to Japanese or vice-versa.
• User modifiable to allow change to vocabulary list • Allows use of phrases. sentences. idioms, etc
Th• ama:ing •'Oni proc.ssor for IM Appl• Marintosh
The word~ that
speaks your language.
When writing in English isn't enough to get your message across, turn to Nisus for completely localized foreign language word processing. Nisus is loaded with powerful features that include easy cross referencing, indexing, macros for repetitive tasks, the ability to integrate graphics & text, and the most sophisticated thesaurus and spelling check available. So for a high end word processor that speaks your language, make it Nisus. English & Japanese in the same document Other languages available:
the ~!f ~q,-._"~ software .,company
• Arabic • Hebrew • Czech • Hungarian • Finnish • Korean • Polish • German • Russian
'(:,\.!0
The most complete line of foreign language software available onywherel Our products ore used extensively in schools, universities and by individuals throughout the world. CaiiS00-726-5087 or write P.O. Box 10746, Knoxville, TN 37939 for our free catalog
l
For mote itrfotmatkJn call: •
1-800-922-2993 Ext.120 MAN G A J IN
17
F ea tur e - S tory (cmllinuedfrom page 15)
will no doubt fall.
is true that young Japanese speakers in-
Honorific (keigo), self-deprecatory (kenji5-go) and polite (leinei) speech codes represent the ultimate minefield for the
creasingly tend toward the highly informal, old habits die hard. Like any living language. Japanese changes over time. but you ·re probably better off letting the Japa-
thumb: simply use the more expedient tongue. You 'II quickly get a sense of your companions' linguistic ability. If their English is much better than your Japanese,
average gregarious and egalitarian American. You have probably been told to stick
nese do the linguistic trail-blazing.
don't insult their intelligence by insisting
to "desu-masu" forms. which do indeed offer a safe haven. At the very worst. these
on peaking in Japanese. but make known your interest. One ploy I've found particu-
Trying out your Japanese
fonns can only give you a reputation for
The thorn y question of how to engage
larly helpful is to compl iment their English while ruefully remarking upon the
reserve, which isn't all that bad in Japanese society. When with potential friends, allow them to set the level of speech; with
the Japanese in Japanese language conversation was rai sed in early issues of M AN-
poor quality of your own Japanese in such a way as to invite their assistance.
GAJIN.
superiors. always err on the side of formality. using keigo if you can manage it. With " inferiors" (the local street-sweeper? stu-
and there are still no easy answers. Your primary purpose in learning the lan-
Once you've steered the conversation into Japanese. one blank look on your part
guage is communication. not linguistic one-upsmanship. You probably won "t want
may be all it takes to throw it back into English. where it may languish forever. So
dents? shop assi stants?). maintain the
to address someone in Japanese unless you
""desu-masu" but drop the keigo. Don "t try to deal with self-deprecatory speech until
are capable of sustaining at least a minimal exchange: greeting every Japanese face you see with konnichi 11'a is no different
when in do ubt. fake it. When groping for a word. sometimes help is no further away than your nati ve language: if there· an
from the Japanese schoolchild's penchant for shrieking "haro. haro" at every passing foreigner. I abide by a simple rule of
accent. Chances are good that either your neo logism i s already in common use. or that your companion will at least under-
you think you can handle the other two. In general , it's best to observe and then adopt forms used by genteel Japanese of rou ghly your own age and social position. While it
English equivalent. try it in a Japanese
(comin11ed 1111 llll!/l' 21 J
ffiM®-COMPATIBLE COMPUTER SOFI'WARE
B/4S:~B~-V~%tr/~1ST tcl1J(J) :~ 7 ~ ry ~ -r To Enhance Your Japanese Language Capability To Help You Learn Japanese $300 $700
$1,200
1-:;- . :; ""J"\.::.- ;( 7 1 -1-
1-:J- .
You can compose Japanese sentences by typing English . The software proVl(les basic translation . You can directly input/edit Japanese sentences. You can use it as a Japanese word processor with a built-in English-to-Japanese dictionary.
Tbe software converts a Japanese sentence with Kanji!Hiragana/Katalama to either a Hiragana/Katakana sentence or Romaji only (Japanese written by Roman alphabet) sentence or both. Also, the software will provide corresponding English words for most of Japanese words.
:J"\·J~::..-;(1)-~
EJ BilioguaLinc,
A Joint Verture by Nippon Texa Co., I.J.d. and Kimihira & Taylor AMOCiaLel, lnc.
2463 Torrance Blvd., Torrance CA 90501 Phone: (310)320-8139 Fax:(310)320-3228
$125
1-:J- .
:J-v;~::..-;("Aii-7J
Tbe software prooouoces Hiragana/Kata kana sentences. You can choose the speaking speed. When used in conjunction with EZ JapaneseReader, you can listen to the spoken. Kanji!Hiragana. The output Japanese soWld is through a SmmdAdapter(comes with the software) connected to parallel printer port.
Call (310) 320-1438 to hear EZ JapaneseSpeaker- Demo (24 hours a day)
EZ JapaneseWriter, EZ JapanescReader and EZ JapaneseSpeaker arc pending trademarlc of EJ Bilingual, Inc. trademark of International Business Machines Corp.
mM• is a registered
MAN GAJIN
19
L ett e r s (continued from pa11e 3)
romaji (Japanese wriuen in English letters). The idea is to practice reading the kana (phonetic symbols) and kanji (Chinese characters) that you know, and to gradually pick up more. At the same time, you are expanding your vocabulary of words, phrases and sentences. For the more difficult mango (like the feature mango in this issue), beginners will probably rely heavily on the English translations to follow the story, but the literal word-for-word translations make it easy to pick out any word or phrase you want to add to your vocabulary. On the flip side, advanced students can read the manga directly. referring to the translation and notes only when stumped by an odd word or phrase. For these readers , we ha1•e simply done some of the legwork. so they can read right through without putfing the story down to pull out the dictionary. We have heard from quite a few trans lators, teachers, and "near-native" speakers who say they learn something new this way from every issue.
Whatever your level. we recom mend that you don' t approach M ANGA· JJN as if it were a textbook in which you have to understand point A before you can go on to point 8 . Our hope is that the manga material makes you wallt to read on, even if you don't entirely understand why the translation comes out the way it does. The more you read. the more things are repeated, and the more you pick up - not only in specific vocabulary but in a "feel" for how Japanese works. If you're a relative beginner, though. you mig/If wam to "work" on one page at a time. This is such a good question we'd like to throw it open to our readers how do you read and learn from M AN·
pretty much self-contained for language learning, it doesn ' t work quite ri ght i n my case, because wi thout resorting to a dictionary it would feel as if (well , not quite, but ... ) I were learning the spelling of E nglish words without caring about the pronunciation. In the "pronunciation guide" you dismiss the intonation as mostl y inessential, and the majority of the kokugo, eiwa or waei dictionaries back up your view by simply ignor ing accent. I don ' t expect you to further complicate the format of the magazi ne to include accent marks. I would just feel vindicated by an acknowledgement that accent , yappari, is an issue.
GAJIN?
Verona, Ital y
Accent marks I've grown acutely accent-sensitive by st.udying (Eleanor) Jorden' s textbook and I miss the marking of accents on M ANGAJIN's romanization.lf the idea of the magazine is to make the material
GIANLUCA G OR 'I
We would not deny that "accent i s an issue." but we think imitating native speakers, whether in rea/life or on the tapes that go with your textbook, is more likely to produce natural-sounding results than attempting to fabricate the sound on your own from a notation or (conti11111'd on page 71)
JAPANESE
S/TL:.tT/0.\:.tL
Fl_ :vCT/Oi\'A l..~
r-1 hi II\ I " ' · I , •• 1 •. l
IJUST
I
COMING
Notes ¥ 3,000 Drills ¥ 2,600 Notes Tapes ¥ 3,200 Drills Tapes ¥ 3,200
~ !aa L:
< Volume Two>
Also available: Kanji Guess 1 .0 with flashcard, multiple guess, Kanji fish, and GojuuOnjun quizzes.
Notes ¥ 2,800 Drills ¥ 2,600 Notes Tapes ¥ 2,400 Drills Tapes ¥ 3,200
0 MOKE 2.1 - $69.95
0 K anji Guess 1.0 - $30.00
\ IN PR EPARATION \ < Teacher's Manual>
Additional $5.00 per copy for shipping and handling in the U.S . (Outside the U.S. and Canada add $10.00 each.)
¥ 2,800
SITUATI ONAL FUNCTIONAL JAPANESE was written for learners with no previous knowledge of Japanese. It has, however, also been shown to be effective as a review text giving language skills useful for life in Japan to those who have studied Japanese outside Japan using noncommunicative approaches such as the structural or grammar-translation methods. • For more information, contact as below.
~ BONJINSHAco.,LTD. f•,.;ft
20
f
t •' • 1
1' '• •
>,'Iff 1
I jll
\ l
MANGAJ I N
• • ' , I
••I
P I
II ,
1 1o
' I', I
~'J
f
~
)
I
o
~
/
''
'1, I
1• •
1 •,
1
11H
I
MOKE 2.1 enables anyone with an IBM PC or compatible computer, a hard drive, and a graphics monitor to enter Japanese. Japanese is entered via romaji. MOKE 2.1 can input hiragana, katakana, kanji, and ASCII. Japanese can be printed on Postscript printers, HP LaserJet II, and 9, 24-pin Epson compatible dot matrix printers.
Please check one format: KiCum11Wurc
Payment made by :
0 5 l/4 (360K)
0 3 1/2 (720K)
0 Check or money order
0 MasterCard 0 VISA TOTAL $ _ _ _ Acct.#_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Exp. Date _ _ _ Signature: - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - Send to:
KiCompWare, 181 2 N. E rb St., '!f 414-832-1222
Appleton, WI 5491 1
y
F e a t u r e • S t o r
(continued from page /9)
stand it. (After all. many Japanese have
pretended to understand. A~sumi ng that your diligence has pro-
learned English from instructors who mistakenly pronounce English words much
duced a certain level of proficiency. you
the same way.) A substantial portion of Japanese communicative competence lies
Japane~e.
in easily memorized fonnu laic expressions; hesitation sounds (ano, eto instead of the English "uh'' or ··urn'') and non-verbal behavior like proper bowing and body language also ensure a smooth now. Not only will you sound more authentic. but it
The better you get. the more it seems to work against you. Long years of foreignen, 'linguistic ineptitude have led theJapane~e to equate speaking Japanese with
should also be aware when not to u e For example. strong emotions
being Japanese. so your very existence is seen as a logical impossi bil ity. I n parts of
are often impossible to express in any language other than your own. so don't get
Japan. particularly in Tokyo. increasing numbers of gaijin speaking passable Japanese have reduced the jaw-dropping con-
into a shouting match unless you're very. very good. If you use Japanese for business purposes. it's probably better to limit
siderably. The phenomenon hits harder outside of Japan, where few indeed speak
it to the pleasurable end of forming bonds and creating allies. M ost high- level nego-
wi ll be easier to think i n Japanese. You'll find that nantlwdo (''of course/! see"uttered at appropriate intervals) is a handy
tiations are carried our through interpreters for each party. While this can make for
the language and fewer sti ll can be said to speak with any degree of competence. As greater numbers of non-Japanese demon-
way to indicate attentiveness and agreement without actually having to put your-
some rather crowded conference rooms. it's the only professional way to go.
strate that they can both learn and function in Japanese. the law of diminishing returns
self on the line. If you remain attenti ve. pretty soon you 'II be able to piece together
As your ability improves, be prepared to confront the Law of D iminishing Re-
will gradually reverse course, and you will have played a part in the process.
what's being said. Obviously. this latter :-tratagem should be employed with dis-
turns. according to which fledg l ing attempts (a mangled greeting. etc.) are met
cretion. It can back fire when you really need the very information you've only
with copious nattery. while true facility is viewed with suspicion or incredulousness.
Ginny Skord is a prorc~~or or Japanese language and literature and a rcgularcomributorto M " G \JI'.
W.•-.11 f l • " " " VI I tel ~....._ .-.-,1 U~ s-f'--"-• 19!1 • ..,.._ ef "Oc._llfM: • • tedoltlul , .,.._._....,, . , .
........ -
c...,.ter t ""•l41r c......... CNptw
c........ CNpt.r CNpt•r
CIWipt.r
Cllept«•
l . . . . . . "M$K llXMofiOIIIl
... .,, · "·"''........ "
J ' ""•".... J4 r•c.-...
- ~"''
? I •
211 h i\JI 'll lr•f\JI
l11l
~· l-JI · · "''
>!1~ 6"'
~
a••.Y•
l!f tt.6
c..,,. . . . . . . ."'.
"'~
e~
•; ru.~ ~
:c"···
tt
' "' . /.1 1.16 tf :;
I? & lt•li\JI II l'!l lt•I!JI t t.,tw• l l l l l l lltt.OUI
C...,,.,
Jltr..... l . . .""1
IS
Ct.,tw o.,,,.,.
c...,,.,.
II
a.•••
c.,..,,_.
211tr..ll,jl
II
C!W.pt.o
I I I -I • ,.__
c..,.t.•• . . ." ' C""rt-11141 1S tt.I\JI
I t l • l•I\JI
CIWip \M"
c....,....
.--...:u:• • •
c:...,\.,..IJ
II
• .
~h'\11
"
k• I!JI
mK•._J I
..,_..I• C
IJS«•-.11
.....""'
. ...,...,.,.....,..
YIC•OUI
a..lc ltl.t \JI
~··~ ·
..
._..,
• • c - t l.. cl_,.,,._
,}...,..._._
.........,... ..,.......... _ , ........ UMf. .lt
~l•lf-.r.WI . . .~
u.u.... . s
. . . . . . . . , . , _ . . c . 't't d -
Easy-to-use, colmful, complete ...
· ..
... with 1000 single KANJI words ...
Scientists & Engineers ! ! ! Learn the 500 most common KANJI used in physics, chemistry, biology, and related engineering disciplines.
Equivalent to 4302 flashcards !! Combines the proven errectiveness of flashcards with the seduction of a video display and a computer's flexibility. O ptions allow • Full testing • Pronunciation or meaning testing only • Viewing only • Adjustable retest frequency on missed words • Meanings tested by multiple choice or explicit entry • Saving missed words to disk for later retesting
'
~
.....,'!.:"
;:::
~ ~· ·
'A l
,• • I~ • • '
t
• l ~~'
I '
•·• ·' ''· .r• •· I , • ·, 1 • 11• l't ., .. / '~
••
-7:-
For PC ·com patibles with VG NEGA graphics Both 5'1." & 3'1!" diskettes supplied Uses ordinary DOS system
HRJI-Flash/BTJ .;.::: ~
~r~~
·'lft;Jt..jviNWAt.!'vv~;.t/'vlvvVtf~\t~ '
A Flashcard Companion to the UW Press Textbook
In U.S., only
T h Basic , ec nical Japanese
Kanji-Flash Sottworks
$79 (+$2.50 S&H)
fo r software
Or $99 (+$4.50 S&H)
for software and textbook Quantity discounts available
In Japan: Brainy Institute
P.O. Box 3119, G aithersburg, MD 20885-3119 Tachibanadai 1-5-51, Midori-ku, Yo ko hama 227 1r 301-279-2678 FAX: 301-279-2598 Quality Software 1r & F AX 045-962-3240 e-mail: [email protected] at Reasonable Prices e-mail: [email protected] M ANGAJIN
21
-If 7 ')
~~
• Sarari-kun
~
Sarari-kun: M $
Nani-goro mo whatever
also
k.yoso·shin
ga
competitive spirit (subj)
ft'Thlf
f.! -t'/ o
-$";!-
nak.ereba
da
if there is not
is
~o!.
(cmph)
otto have a Son:
1\1 o
Hai.
" Yes sir." (PL3) • nani·goro is a combination of nani ('"what") and koro ("thing," changed to goro for euphony) -> "whatever." • kyiiso = "race" and -shin means "heart/spirit." so kyoso-shin means "competitive spirit." • nak.ereba is a conditional "if/when" form of nai ("there is not/not have") "if there is not/if you don't have." • dame means "(is) no good," so nak.ereba dame means "it's no good if you don't have" • "you must have.'' • zo is a relati vely rough emphatic particle used mostly by men, but also occasionally by women to show strong determination. • the child may look like a girl, but actually this is a boy.
0
Sound FX: 7" - 7"Gii gii (effect of sleeping soundly) ~'7ft'-'
-t'!
Yoshi.
Mak.enai
zo!
(exclam.)
won'tlose
(emph.)
Son: J: - L o
" All right! I won' t be out-done." (PL2) •
yoshi, especially with a long yo, suggests he is gathering his strength for an all-out effort • "okay!lall right!/here goes!" • makenai is the plain negati ve form of makeru (''lose/be defeated").
0
Sound FX: 7"-7"-t 7"-7"Gil gtl I Gii gil (effect of sleeping soundl y)
© ishimura So, All rights reserved. First published in Japan in 1991 by Nishimura So. Englbh rights arranged through ishimura So.
tran~lation
22
M ANGAJIN
fJ" 7 ')
[iJ
.n • Sarari-kun Wife:
~
~
1: J: •
Nani yo.
sono himo.
what (emph.) that
" What_is it? Sarari-kun: 1-' 0 ;f. '7 IJ{ Dorobo
ga
string
that strin " (PL2) I: koko de
robber
(subj.) here
at
J.E. ~ ashi o
U' ·:>IJ' t t 1.> hikkakeru
"?
-c
'7 'T t!. wake da.
ue
leg (obj.) hook/catch
(quote)
is
" It's so robbers will tri (PL2)
here."
• normal word order would be sono himo (wa) nani yo, "What's that string?" In sentences with question words, yo can replace the final desu ka to make an informal question. This generally has a feminine feel, though in certain circumstances the structure can be used quite forcefully by men as well. • ashi = " leg/foot,'' and hikkakeru ="hang/hook," so ashi o hikkakeru means "hook a leg on" • "trip (on)." • ue is a colloquial equivalent of to iu, which marks the preceding phrase as the content of wake ("reason/explanation"). • da is the informal/abrupt (PL2) equivalent of desu ("is/are").
Wife: ~lv~l:? i Sonna ni so much
< "' < b
umaku
smoothly
i:T
n'o
iku mono desu ka. go
thing
is (?)
71\1\l\
Aha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha
" Is it a thing that will work so well?" • "It~
never work. (la~h}_" (PL2) • sonna ="such/that kind or· • sonna ni ="that much/so much." • umaku is the adverb form of wnai (''good/skillful/successful'') and iku means ''go," so umaku iku literally means "go well/successfully" • "(something) works." Sonna ni umaku iku ="works so well." • mono desu ka is literally "Is it a thing?" so the whole sentence means "Is it a thing that will work so well?"- with the implied answer "It' II never work."
0
Sarari-kun:
~hfJf ~~c ~:~fJTl.>
blv t!
seiko suru mon da succeed
thing
J: o yo.
is (emph.)
risin I effective." (PL2) Wife: il? 1?, Ara.
~??
so?
" Oh. is that so?" (PL2) • sore ga can be used as a sentence opener meaning "But/but actually." • igai to= "surprisingly/unexpectedly." • mon(o) dais literally " It is a thing (that)" but can often be thought of simply as emphasis. Yo is also emphatic. • ara is a feminine "oh." • so is an informal/abrupt (PL2) equivalent of so desu ka ("is that so?").
GJl____o_n_B_o_u_Ie_:_i_~----------------------------~ .
Sake
M ANGAJIN
23
I Computer
REVIEWS Kana Assisted Instruction
Learning Programs The Japanese phonetic alphabets, hiragana and katakana, are collectively known as kana. Here are six computer programs that can help you learn these basic elements of written Japanese. by Fred Lorish Most students of Japanese, at some point in their study . want to learn to read and w rite Japanese. Although some begin tackling kanji right along with kana. the convent ional approach is to learn kana first. Which forn1 of kana- hiragana or katakana- is another issue. though a strong argument can be made for starting with katakana because of the number of foreign loan words (which arc wri tten i n katakana) that ex ist in the language. The kana programs reviewed below all attempt something they shouldn't: phonology. We need to remember that when Japanese children learn kana, they already have a firm grasp of the spoken language. There j ust aren't enough " tools" available in kana (or in these computer programs) to teach the non-native speaker the intricacies of the phonological system. There is one other point that should be made clear: being able to write Japanese does not mean one can speak the language. Spoken Japanese and written Japanese are two entirely different things. It should be clear to all students that unless they learn to speak Japanese. their study of written Japanese w ill be of limited value. With those caveats in mind. here are some of the commercial software programs that can help you in the first steps to learning wriucn Japanese.
EasyKana from HyperGio t is a graphically " Japanese-looking'' package for the M acintosh that combines most of the fea-
24
MAN GAJI N
tures one would want in a kana program: sound. stroke-order, and drills. The interface is intuitive and easy to usc; there is excellent control over what you study, review. and drill. There are no mnemonic aids. Romaji is evident. but not intrusive. The study program works well: at any point you can sec the stroke order and hear the pronunciation. There i s a set of word cards that incorporate a graphi c with the pronunciation of the word. You can also hear the pronunciation of the individual kana in the word. The list is not particul arl y long, but does include some useful word s.
JapanEase: Katakana, a M acintosh program from Ayumi Software. is easily the most graphically sophisticated o f the group. The folks at Ayumi have in many ways outdone themselves with the visuals and the design. High points include a marvelous little busine s card maker (which would be of great interest in the classroom). an album o f scenes (baseball, a kitchen. a street intersection. etc.) which displays all the ~airaigo ("imported words") at a click of the mouse. and a "notebook" of gairaigo in which you can toggle off the word as well as the pronunciation (in kana or romaji). The central part of the program. however, falters. The pronunciations given are in a few. important cases. suspect. parti cularly for ra, ri. I'll , re, and ro. The visual mnemonics are often pushing the edges of crediblity, giv-
ing rise to some strange cues: sa uses "sign:''ji1uses ''hook:'' so uses ··saw.'' The entire ra-column is connected to L -based cues: log, leaf, loop, leg, and loaf. The romaji forthiscolumn uses initial L 's w ith the customary Hepburn initial R 's in parentheses. Even though L 's are used on these introductory charts (and al so /111), the nonnal Hepburn system is used throughout the rest of the program. It i s an odd and confusing choice. The animated stroke orders fall v ictim to a limitation in H yperCard's graphic capabilities. Thus, when there is a sharp angle in a single stroke (as in, for example, ya), the initial stroke looks like it is two strokes. Ayumi has added stroke numbers. but do students pay close attention to details like that? There are a number of other cute features-a speaking clock and calendar, for example-and the program has included much spoken material. This has great promise, but there are problems with the execution. Sentences have unnatural pauses and cadences. Though I can understand some of the reasons this happens, I personally find it poor pedagogy. Ayumi So ft ware has recently released volume two in their series. This one covers hiragana and grammar. The graphics are, as usual, fantastic. They have dropped the use of visual mnemonics, which is a nice change. Everything else in the hiragana module is the same format as volume one. T hey have al so added a grammar section (which does not fit into the
Software•Supplement
criteria for this review), which seems interesting and innovative. Since I had only the demo, it is difficult to evaluate; however, even there one finds the wide use of anata as an equivalent of the English ''you." This is a result of the misconception that every English word must have a Japanese counterpart. T his kind of usage of anara makes for "Japlish"-a form of Japanese spoken only by foreigners.
completed, and the program will keep track of progress. The program suffers from two deficiencies: first, it is visually unattractive; and second, it has no sound. Consequently, the student must depend on English words that approximate the Japanese. This can be useful up to a point (as mentione d in m y commen ts a bout JapanEase, above).
Hiragana/Katakana Exercises from Japanese in a Breeze: Hiragana & Katakana is an IBM program from Eastword Software. This program is as pedagogically sound as they come. The mate rial is presented in a typical manner: you start with the 46 basic kana, and conti nue, step by step, through the variations (dakuon) and combinations (yoon). This program relies on verbal mnemonics: thus for shi you have " take a hook to fish in the ·shi'" There is also an editor that permits students to add the ir own mnemonics. The review/testing procedure is thorough; the student can mark lessons when they are
e
Anonae Software is a straightforward Macintosh program that uses a syllabary chart as its core. At the chart level, the student can listen to the pronunciation of a column, or go to individual kana. The screen for the individual kana shows the stroke order in an animated sequence, and also provides a digitized pronunciation. The screens are graphically simple and easy to manipulate. As in other kana programs, this one anempts to use mnemonic devices to assist in learning the pronunciation. The results are disastrous. For example, here is a par-
Learning Japanese can be fun!
d
e n
s, le al ni ts
t? aor !d :at he ·a! ! f-
;, I
Whether you are planning a trip to Japan or want to speak the language for business or pleasure, this book and cassette package offers a practical approach to quick Japanese. Before you know it. you'll be speaking, listening to. and understanding the Japanese you'll find most useful to know.
Japanese for Fun Book & Cassette $15.95 Save 20%
reme )hIVe
ICS, !
in
t as
1mthe
Send $12.75 plus $1.50 postage and handling in check of money order today to: Charles E. Tuttle Company P.O. Box 410, Rutland VT 05702 or call 1-800-526-2778 Offer expires 12131192 • Allow 4·6 weeks delivery CA residents add 8.25% sales tax • MA and VT residents add 5%
I
tial list list of problematic mnemonics: u - push ku - cook si- ship ni-> nimble hu - fulcrum mi > mineral wa - ward gi- g immick gu--> good There are other problems. The sound is often garbled. With the sound level at the highest setting on my LC, the output was often difficult to hear clearly. When I added amplified speakers, there was some improvement, but it became apparent that in digitizing the sound, the beginnings of many sounds were truncated, giving a somewhat unnatural feel. I fear that some of the HyperCard links were incorrect: the hya series sounded like kya, and the sya series like cha. T wo dri II programs are provided. The first, for practicing writing, simply gives an English word. The student uses a chart to "cl ick" the appropriate kana to "spe ll" the word. When done, the student can compare the result with the correct "spell-
Sex, suds, and sake... Asia Book Club is your one source for books (and more) on Japan: • Butterflies of the Night: Mama-sans, Geishas, Strippers, and the Japanese Men They Serve From cabarets to the most refined geisha houses, Lisa Louis offers a behind-the-scenes look at the seamy side of Japanese nightlife. Hardcaver; Weatherhi/1: $19.95 lax & shipph1g included. • How to Take a Japanese Bath Leonard Koren describes the 12 steps of one of Japan's most sensual rituals, drawn in adult comic book style. Paperback; Stone Bridge Press: $7.95 tax a11d shippi11g included. • Sake: A Drinker's Guide Hiroshi Kondo explains the history of sake, how it is made, and its customs in this illustrated guide to Japan's national drink. Paperback; Kodanslw: $12.95 tax & s!Jipph1g included.
Join Asia Book Club Today and Save $$$ rom language learning to literature, Asia Book Club has it F all- but without the sales taxes of bookstores or domestic shipping charges of mail order houses. That's because we're a club, not just a business, so you pay less for the books you want. Whether you want kanji cards, language-learning software, or travel guides, please call, fax, or write for the the next issue of Tl1e ABC Review. More than a catalog, it features articles about the people creating new words about Asia .
Asia Book Club
4811 Stelton Road South Plainfield, NJ 07080-1106 Tel 908-906-6465 Fax 908-668-8575
M ANGAJIN
25
Softwar e · S upp t e m e nt
ing." The second exercise gives a list of Japanese words; the student is expected to say them aloud, and then by clicking on the word, the romani zed form is given. Clicking on the romani zed forms reveals the meaning. Both work well enough. though the choice of words is perhaps a problem. T hough there are many beginning-level words, there arc also many that are clearly more advanced. Examples abound in which what is not explained is more a problem than what is provided. For example, oniisan is given, but ani isn ' t. For a student to assume that oniisan i s the correct word for "older brother" could be embarrassing. This program uses the kunrei form of romanization rather than Hepburn (for example, the name of the mountain is written Huzi, rather than Fuji).
QuickScholar Software has produced a number of Japanese modules i n an IBM format, one of which covers hiragana and katakana. Their programs were designed
I MacKojien
from the start as supplementary materials for comprehensive beginning-level Japanese programs, but are useable at any level. The materials have been well thought out-nothing is assumed and everything is covered thoroughly. The kana module takes the student through the stroke order and the pronunciation in a manner similar to the other programs in this review; the difference is that the student can practice the stroke order on screen using the mouse. If one moves the wrong direction or starts from the wrong place, the program will correct the student. The exercises arc well constructed. using a picture approach to writing and reading the kana. The program tracks progress. Best of all, the price is right. QuickScholar originally had a complete package that, though not pricey, was substantial. ow the modules have been unbundled, and they are all reasonable.
MacSunrise from JAPAN M edia is a H yperCard realization of the book Kanji
& Kana: A Handhnok and Dictionary of the Japan ese Writing System by Hadmitzky and Spahn. lt i s included here because it has a kana section. though clearly there is much more to it. The kana section is straightforward. You select either hiragana or katakana from the main screen. The kana screen permits the user to sequentially go through the initial46 kana, but nothing more. There is sound. and the abil ity to add notes about each kana. but unlike the kanji section, the user cannot create ··sets" of kana, nor is it possible to randomize the kana for browsing. There i s almost more information in the kanji section than one might want. But in spite of its imposing look and feel. there is much here for the individual user, teacher, or classroom. It is just that access to the material is not at all intuitive; you ' II need to have the manual on your lap much of the time you use the program. (The manual. unfonunately. is not well organized. and often assumes that you know something before there is an introduction.)
-Japanese Oictionary-
$499.95
The premier Japanese reference tool, lwanami Kojien, is now accessible to Macintosh users in this CD-ROM application. The Kojien CD contains 200,000 entry words and 2000 graphics. The package includes both a full apprication and a desk accessary version. MacKojien suports multiple-<:ondition serching and serching by wild card.
An Interactive Approach to Learning Business Japanese! NihongoWare is a new form of computer assisted instruction sofnvare that allows you to learn japanese the way it's actually spoken in business situations. Designed to run on an Apple Macintosh with a CD-ROM drive, NihongoWare uses an interactive approach that directly involves you in the language, with clear sound and animated graphics to lead you through a variety of common conversations. A variety of cultural perspecti1·es are also provided to enable you to communicate in your new language more effectively. Made up of ten useful, to-the-point lessons, the courses are designed to be completed in 80 to 150 hours of study. Best of all, the ten lessons are designed to be taken in any order you like, allowing you to get up to speed in japanese at your own pace, tailoring each study session to suit your specific needs.
=~'~ ?-1'1\~$'- 7 J[;-7-RO M ~A -
$599.95 The Sanseido Word Hunter CDROM contains 12 different Japanese and Japanese/English dictionaries. (l&Ua-8 : ~t'COO~ M~. :JY~1'A91-*~M~ .
5?YfO~M~.
=:J. -'CY7:J. 1J-~fOM~ . WI-?
1
71' ) - :JY~-i'A~fOM~ . Fc.lfO~M~. ~m
~-.:: ~t:rc'M~. £~ Wf.l'c?JM~. £~ ~~~M~. ~ ~ffl~~- £4Jl ~itd~::\tM~. 'J-/Dii~M~o ) Ayumi Software
·' ·.•
ffl
· ,.• , ·, · , · :
Qualitas Trading Co.
Oualitas Japan Inc.
2029 Durant Avenue, Berkeley. CA 9-1704 Phone (510) 848-8080 /Fox (510) 843-8009
t5t Yarai-sho,Suite.WSShinJuku·ku, Tokyo, 162japan Phone (03)3267-8766 I Fox (03)3267-8725
j
l----------------------~ 26
M ANGAJIN
l
Order onquory rn Japan:
Ariadne Language Link Co., Ltd. Shinjulu Center Bldg. 1·25-1, 1'\,lu •h•nJuku Shinjuku-lu, Tokyo. 16:>-06 japan Phone (03) 3344·1221/ Fax (03) JJ.I-l-1246
Order rnqurry on U.S.A Qualitas Trading Co. 2029 Duran! A1enue, Berkele), CA 9-lro.: Phone (510) 848-8080 / Fax (510) 843-8009
JI
Software•Supplement
ot
0
n Jt
:e
r, ss 'II
;h he ,a-
,w n.)
Stroke order, s troke count. pronunciation a nd meaning are immediately evident. The pronunciations are g ive n in romaji: all caps for the on-yomi, lower case for the kun-yomi. The pronunciations canal o be audible. Stroke order is displayed eithe r stroke by stroke or with sequence numbers at the beginning of the s troke. The learning progression can be manipulated. and selftests can be created by the user, as can flashcards. The program can also be used as a dictionary. with a variety of search options. MacSunrise comes in three different configurations: with I 00 kanji, with 500 kanji, and with 2000. Version 2.0 adds some important features. The student can c reate special sets of kanji for study. The set can be presented ~equentially (u ing either ascending JIS numbers or in order of appearance inKanji & Kana) or randomly. The set can be easily turned into flashcards using the program ·sprint utility. These sets can also be studied within the program. allowing the s tudent to either give the meaning (as
defined by the program: there are no variations allowed) or the pronunciation. This review is based on the I00-characterconfiguration of the program. It takes up 6 MB of hard dis k s pace (the 500character version requires 23 M B. and the 2000-charac te r version 72MB!). The program is not particularly responsive: I felt I was always waiting for the program to catch up with what I was doing. Clearly. MacSunrise was designed primarily as a kanji-learning tool. The kana section seems to have been added as an afterthought. Since there is no kana u ed in the kanji section. knowing kana is not vi tal. However. the kanji module would be improved dramatically if the student could toggle between kana and romaji. If this were the case. then improving the kana section would definitely be worthwhile. As it stands now. it is not particularly useful.
As I look at these programs, three things stand o ut. First. I personally have
difficult time us ing mnemonics. mos tly because they have the tendency of pus hing the edges of what makes sense. Perhaps more important is that they connect English words to Japanese sounds when culturally, linguistically. and pedagogically this does n't make sense. Second. I find the use of romaji a crutch.l'd personally like the option of not having it available a t all, so that a stude nt will learn the kana as strictly symbols that reflect a pecific Japanese sound. Since some texts are ro maji-based. having the option is important. but tying everyone to romaji is unnecessary. Third. I'd like a way of tracking individual work. Only Japanese in a Breeze and the QuickScholar module permit this.
What to buy. As critical as I am of the Japan Ease materials, they arc s till graphically the most interesting. Us ing s pecific sections of the program (the flas hcards. for example. and the albums) will be very useful. But spending nearly $200 ( Yo l.l: (comirwed on pa~l' :!9}
Use Your PC to Master Japanese and Chinese
E{or Students
njoy learning Asian languages with Smart Characters TM word processor and vocabulary tutor. Unlike other word processors, Smart Characters combines reading, writing, translating, and vocabulary s tudy tools to assist non-native s peakers who may have only minimal foreign language skills. The result is an effective tool for word processing and foreign language study.
e Jl
ic
5
I
~
D Displaysfurigana, bpmf, and ~ pinyin in a variety of styles to help you pronounce unknown or forgotten characters. 0 The built-in vocabulary tutor teaches kanji and hanzi rapidly and effectively ~ so you can read without notes. Create your own lessons and contribute to or select from the User's Group library, including each month's vocabulary from Mangajin magazine. 0 Use the word processor to display or create sophisticated mteractive hypertext lessons to learn or teach technical topics such as grammar and usage. 0 Write and print any character; over 7700 are included. 0 Handy on-line hypertext references and dictionaries include English notes to s peed reading and writing. Qptional dictionaries may be added and instantly accessed. The optional radical and stroke dictionary makes a particularly handy ropid reading tool. o Version 2.5 provides better ~phy, more dictionary options, and is easier to use. Just $99.95. Call or write fOr a free brochure.
1-
Apropos Customu Stnict. 8 Belknop Sr.• ArlinRIOfl. Massorlwsetts02174. 8()().(!764021
wllj
KanjiSama Is a complete kanji reference t ool powerful kanJI lookup modes and buill-In Japanes&-Engllsh dictionaries f or the Macintosh --
-
---
• Not just another Japanese language teaming tooi-KanjiSama,.,. Is a complete reference tor Intermediate to advanced Japanese readers. • A convenient Kanji Dictionary. and two Japanese-English Dictionaries (General and Technical) rolled Into a rapid computer reference tool. • Fast. seamless operation compared to Hypercard-based programs. • Cross-references to popular kanji dlctlonarles. • Includes the new Kanji Alphanumeric Code (Kane) lookup method. • Search dictionaries using any character or combination of characters. • Save compounds. readings and dellnltions to text tiles for use In the Hypercard drilling stack 'Kunren·. • Five easy· to-use kanji lookup modes. • Access to hlragana. katakana and 2965 kanji (JIS-1 set). • KanjiSama Is a stand-alone application (not Hypercard-based) and requires the Apple Japanese System Software, KanjiTalk.
8 9 10 II
12 13 11 15 16 17
..
19•
- Kunren-
The Kunren dnlhng stack can have any number ol 'flash cards' lor dnlhng practiCe import kan/'· readongs. and meanings from KanjoSama and practiCe by using the bu1h-in inte hgent drilling mechanism-or use Kunren to create your own exercises
I
To Ordtr: Serut Check, Money Order, or lnlmonlio11al Mo11ey Ordtr. Silt liceroses aooilablt.
PI~
mil or Fax willo utslioriS.
SANBI Softw•~ Comp•ny 3594 Crowell Av•nue Rlvenld•, CA 92504 Phone I fAX: (714) 352~276
MA NGAJtN
27
OL J!Ht~
• OL Shinkaron
-------------------------------------
Title:
~
~·Mi
fl)
Dan no Kyofu s1ep of
!error
The Terror of the Bulge • dan means "step/layer/stage, .. so when someone's s10mach protrudes 10 the extenl that it makes a "step" or "platform," that can be referred to as dan. Such a dan is the source of the terror in this strip.
[Q
OLl: 3??
~
77
:1 /
A!
Kontakwo
ffi t L t.:. ! ! otoshita!!
(exclam.) con1ac1 lens
dropped
"Q!rns! I drop_ped my contact!!" (PL2)
~
otoshita is the plain/abrup1 pas1 form of the verb otosu ("drop"). She omits the particle o (kontakuto Q otoshita).
I.>J:s ?
t:
1:
f,t
fp q)
0
OL2: .Z?
l;fC
1:?
Yuka ni?
£!
(cxclam.) noor
on
"Huh? On the floor?" (PL2)
OLl: 3?A
t
?
t~o,'
tto
t.: t '7 ~ o
daijobu.
" Ah it's O.K." :B t:t. n' fl) _t Onaka no ue
1: 3? ? t.:. 0 ni atta.
s1omach ('s) lop on was
" It's o.n top of my stomach." (PL2) Packag_e: H-It lv-"( 0-senbe(i)
Rice crackers •
• •
the tto after her ii is like saying " With an 'ii"' - as if she were givi ng her own sound effects. ... no ue 11i "on 10p of ..." aua is the plain/abrupt past form o f the verb ar11 ("is/are [for inanimate objects]"). The present tense is typically used in English in this situation ("It is on my stomach"), but the use of the past tense in Japanese is also logical if you consider that the contact was there even before the searcher located it.
=
OLI : i:> t:t.n'
fl) ...
'7 .Z?
Onaka no . . . ue? stomach ('s) IQJ!. of
" On •
10p
m stomach?" (PL2)
this is one of those situations where the word order of Japanese and English can't be reconciled unless you go with a slightly looser translation like, "Did I say 'on top'?"
OLI: v'?t:J 1:-
~lv
Itchi
11i-. san
one
two
Lshi-
three four
" One t wooo three fouur ..." (PL2) Book: ~ .::r.. 1 7' 7 "I 7' Sheipu © Akiwki Risu. All righ1s reserved. Firsl publishc~~ Japan in 1990 by KOdansha Lid.. Tokyo. English 1ransla1ion rights arranged through KOdansha, L1d.~
30
M A N GAJIN
Appu
Shape Up •
she's calling out the numbers as she exercises. so ichi ("'one") becomes itchi and the vowels of ni ("two") and shi ("four") are drawn out.
OL
Jjfd~~
• OL Shinkaron
Title: 1J
~.: .::.· Jfi-L'o
0 ') -
Karo rii
ni go-yojin.
calories
of be careful
Be Wary of Calories • go-yojin is a polite warning to " be careful/beware (of something)."
CD
it~
~"?,j't_:
li
shokudo
mitsuketa
good
restaurant
found
OLI : v' v'
f!. o da.
/v n
(ex plan.) is
" I found a ood restaurant." (PL2) • shokudo refers to informal (often small) restaurants where you can get a fast, cheap meal. They cater to (and are invariably packed during) the lunchtime rush of local business people. • mitsuketa is the plain/abrupt past of the verb mitsukeru ("find/ locate").
0
OLI:
.:!- =.. .2 Menyii
~ttl) 1.: 1J o 'J -~ff, zenbu ni karorii hyoji
-
menu (cards) a ll
-/){ ga
iV.> o
(J) ,
aru
no.
on calorie markers (subj) there are (emph)
"All the dishes have the calories indicated."
v / SSOp:j 480 cal. Omurersu. gohyaku-gojii en, yonhyaku-hachijukkarorii :1 o "I 7 500p:j 630 cal. Korokke, gohyaku en, roppyaku-sanjukkarorii 4T 7 .Y 480p:j 350 cal. Sarada, yonhyaku-haclujii en, sanbyaku-gojukkarorii
Cards: :t A
Omelette 550 en 480 calories. Croquettes, 500 yen 630 calories. Salad 480 en 350 calories. • menyii is used much like the English word ''menu," but in this case refers to the individual cards by the samples in the window. • no indicates this is why she thinks it's a "good restaurant."
t.J.o ii
Kore wa this
wa
ne.
as-for good (emph.) isn't it
"This is nice, isn ' t it." (PL2-Fem.) OLI : -r L- .t o Desho.
"lsn 't it." (PL2) • desho is a colloquial, slightly abrupt form o f deshO.
t:: 'IJ 680 ~ A, J:t;,'IJA,I :,/ a t::-=. •J tJ•n
I
(J)
l.t
Chef: lv-
.::. tt U:
N-
Kore wa
hmm
t.. lv t!.-h' 680 nan da ka roppyaku-hachijii
this
as-for somehow
1J o ') -
(J)
1J / :J t!. t.. o
680
I
-) lv -) lv
karorii
no
kanji
da na.
I
Un,
calories
of
feeling
is, isn't it
I
Uh-huh, uh-huh
U/1.
" Hmm, this one's sort of 680 calorie-ish. isn't it. Uh-huh, uh-huh." (PL2) Wife: ... GV.>!vt.: .. . Anta ...
" Honey ..." (PL2) • nan da ka is literally " what is it?'' > "somehow/kind of." • da is the plain/abrupt form of de.m. • anta is a contraction of anata, literally " you," but used by Japanese wives in addressing the ir husbands.
MANGAJ IN
31
;t;;"" -q L 1 T • 0 -jama Shimasu
tj lv t_: nan da
First Friend: ':J.. J. / fn ~ ill= Gomen Rusuban sorry
"Sorr (PL2)
• gomen, from the honorific prefix go- and menjiru ("exempt/excuse"), has become an informal word for apologizing. • rusu refers to "absence from home," and ban means "watch/guard." Rusuban (o) suru refers to the act of staying behind to watch the house while the others are away, and rusuban is the "title" of the person who remains behind. • nan da shows he is making an explanation, "it's that .. ."dais the PL2 equivalent of desu ("is/are").
(2]
2nd Friend: .::. t1. i.P C:> Wl: Korekara juku
1: fT ~' tj ~ ~ ( tj lv } tj v' lv t_: ni ikanakya {nan}nai n da
from now cram school to
must go
(expl an.)
"I have to o tom cram school class now." (PL2)
• juku refers to private, after-school classes many Japanese school children attend in an effort to gain an advantage in the entrance examinations for high school and college/university. • apparently the artist/letterer made a mistake and the nara, or more likely its contraction, nan, was left out of ikanakya (nan)nai. This is a contraction of ikanakereba naranai ("must go"), from the verb iku ("go"): ikanai = "don't/won't go" --> ikanakereba = " if don't go" --> ikanakereba naranai = "it won't do if (1/you) don't go" = "(1/you) must go." • n da shows he is making an explanation. The explanatory form for after a verb or adjective is n(o) da; for after a noun, na n(o) da (see first frame).
IB Tsumannai
t_: -::> t::. tj
ichinichi datta
boring/uninteresting one day
was
7
nil (exclam.)
"What a borinl! day it was!" (PL2) • tsumannai is a contraction of tsumaranai ("boring/tedious/dull"). • -nichi is the counter suffix for " days." • datta is the PL2 equivalent of deshita ("was/were")- i.e., the past form of da seen in the first two frames . • ending the sentence with the short sound na would be like reflecting to himself, "it was, wasn't it?'' (the expected answer being "Yes"). Lengthening na to nil gives it the feeling of an exclamation, "What a ... it was!"
4
40
MANGAJIN
© Imazeki Shin, All rights reserved First published in Japan in 1988 by Take Shobo, Tokyo English translation rights arranged through Take ShabO.
;t:; -t 7 L.. 1. T • 0-jama Shimasu
~
~
A : 13 i i Omae you
7
14
sii
*
(J)
.:
~ i t::. .: c en ;., n'?
c
shorai no koto
( pause) future
r s)
kangaeta koto aru ka ?
things thought
have you ever
" Say.. have ou ever thou ht a bout the fut ure?" (PL2)
8 : /'jlt' J: o Nai vo. not exislihave not (emph.)
"No." (PL2) • omae is a rough/informal. masculine word for "you.'' • sa or sa is a particle used colloquially as a kind of verbal pause. some• • • •
CD
thing like teens' use of "like/you know" in colloquial English. In this case he is essentially trying to get the other fellow' s attention. shorai is used when referring to the future of someone/something in particular, while mirai is used in a more abstract references to "the future:· ... no koto is an expression meaning "about ..." when followed by verbs implying speaking or thinking. kangaeta is the plain/abrupt past form of kangaeru ("think"). the past form of a verb plus koto (ga) aru ka asks the question. "Have you ever ... T With a non-past verb it becomes "Do you ever ... T
B:
~- i ·JJ
-t J., c
I 0#
Kangaegoto suru to jiibyo
~ ~-::> -t:;, ~ -? !v t!. J: tj de nemwchau
deep thinking do when 10 second~ in
fall asleep
11 do yo na (expl) (emph)
" When I think a bout thin~ I fall asleep in ten seconds." (PL2) A: li 7? Ha "Oh?" (PL2) • kangaegoto is from kangaeru ("think") and koto ("thing''; k changes tog for euphony), and it implies not just ordinary thinking but "deep thoughts/ ponderings... • to after a verb has a conditional '·if/when" meaning. • nemutchau is a contraction of nemulle shimau, from nemuru (''go to sleep"). Shimau after the · te form of a verb implies the action or its result is complete and/or undesirable. • 11 da is a contraction of no da. which indicates he is making an explanation. He implies. " I don'tthink about things because .. :·
0
A.: t;t lv ~
!!:
lilt-::> -t:;, ~ -?
lv t!.
Nande
nemwclwu
n da
why
fall as leep
J: ? yo?
(explan.) (cmph. )
" Why_do you fall asleep?" (PL2) t;t 1v ~ 0 l l 'b t;t
ann
7
Nande
lie
iwarete mo
111i • ••
why
(quote)
even if is said
(pause)
"Even if I am asked ' Why,' you know ... " -+ " I don' t know. I wonder . . ." (PL2) • aski ng a question with da or 11 dais masculine and can sound very rough, with or without the emphatic yo. Here it's more the feeling that he is "pressing" for an explanation because he's puzzled/mystified. • iwarete is the -te form of iwareru, the passive form of iu ("say"). "Even if I am asked why?" implies "l don't know how to answer." • nii in this case functions as a verbal pause while he ponders an answer.
GJ
Sound FX:
<· en --::> Guii- !
Snore! (sound of powerful snore) A:
(j: 7 .. .
Ha (sigh of comprehension & resignation)
M ANGAJIN
41
:;f ~~ )' ')
7 / • Obatarian
Narration: ;;f ;'\ 7 •; 7 /
::I- 71
1;;1:
Obatarian
;f, 1
~
wa kodineito
obatarians
-r: ~ lj ~_,, dekin.ai
as-for coordinate
cannot
Obatarians can' t coordinate (their outfits). (PL2) Arrows: ~ ff.ft Murasaki
Midori
Purple
Green
Husband: -f -f tL ~ -c
v'
So sore kite
iku
< (J)
tl'? ka
no
wear-and go (ex plan.) ?
th- that
" You're going to wear that?" (PL2) • dekinai is the negative form of dekiru ("can/able to do"). • kite is the -te form of kiru ("put on/wear" for clothing that involves putting arms through sleeves). Kite iku is literally "put on and go" • "wear.'" • asking a question with no ka shows he is seeking an explanation.
0
Arrow: {{; Clta
Brown Husband: -f -ffl) (-::> (;;!:
<
(/)
iJ'?
So sono
kutsu
ltaku
no
ka
th· those
shoes
wear
(explan.) ?
"You 're oing to wear those shoes?" (PL2) • ltaku means "put on/wear" for apparel one puts one's legs or feet into/ through, including pants, stockings, and shoes.
Obatarian:
-J {> ~ "' Urusai
wa
ne-
noisy/bothersome (fem.) (colloq.)
"Oh be uiet!" (PL2) ~ f: }.. ""? t:. b (/) ~ -c filf
-/){
!'If; \, \ (/) J: warui no
""?
Ki ni ilia
mono kite
nani ga
yo-!
like
things wear
what (subj.) is bad (expl) (emph)
" What's wrong with wearing things I like?" (PL2) ;{_ C;, -f -) 1: ! ! § 5t (;;!: c.-- -) lj (/) !! iZ. - ""? !! Eraso
ni
Jibun
wa
do na no
£- !
air of importance with yourself as-for how (explan. ?) Huh?
"You talk like an authorit self? Hunh?" (PL2)
but how about our-
• urusai! when spoken sharply is equivalent to English "Shut up!/Be quiet!" wa is a colloquial particle used mostly by women, and ne in this case serves as emphasis: " You sure are noisy" • "Shut up!/Be quiet!" • ki ni ilia is the past form of ki ni iru, an expression meaning "to like/be pleased with." ki ni ilia mono= "things I am/you are pleased with" • eraso is the adjective erai ("eminent/important [person)") with the suffix -so indicating "an air/appearance of," so eraso ni implies "[act/speak] with an air/appearance of importance/authority."
0
Husband: :b L (i Washi wa Ume
*::st7<:
daijobu
as/for safe/a ll right
''I'm safe ..." (PL2) Husband: ::
n
Kore this
-*1
itchaku
L -/J' shika
ij "'
iJ' C:J
nai
kara
one suit/outfit other than don't have
•.•
because
" ... because I onl have this one suit." (PL2)
© Hotta Katsuhiko. All rights reserved. First published in Japan in 1989 by Take Shooo. Tokyo. English translation rights arranged through Take Shobo. 42
MAN GAJ I N
• • • •
washi is a word for "1/me" used mostly by middle-aged and older men. itchaku combines iclti ("one") and -chaku, the counter suffix for suits. shika followed by a negative later in the sentence means "only." nai is the negative form of aru ("have/exist''), so (irchaku) shika nai means "have only (one suit)."
:t ;< ~ ') 7 /
• Obatarian
Narration: ;f 1
~~f4
t:
if' ·fL ~ "'?
ni
f uhei o iu
about
complains
wa 0110 no kyiiryo
obatarian
as-for husband ' s
pay
Obatarians gripe about their husbands' ~ (PL2) Obatarian:
-t- -J
7j: (/)
So
na no
like that
J: -
o
yo-.
(e)( plan.) (emph.)
ltsu made talle mo
't()i *"~~ ! ! yasu-gekJ:yi7
is forever
cheap-monthly pay
"\ "?
i l" t::. ? l t
"That's ri2ht._(His salary is) forever such a measlv salary." (PL2) • kyiiryo is the most general term for referring to "wages/salary." Gekkyii in the second sentence refers specifically to " monthly salary."
• na no is the form of the explanatory no for after nouns/pronouns. II can be l iterally thought of as " It's that . . ./the situation is that ..."
• yo is essentially an emphatic particle, but it often takes the place of da/ desu ("is/are'') in feminine speech. So yo = " it is so/like that" • "that"s exactly so/that's ri ght."
• irsu made talle 1110 is an expression meaning " no mauer how much time passes/no mauer how long one waits" • "forever."
• yasu- is the prefix form of yasui (''cheap/ inexpensive''). The prefix usually implies "cheap'' in the sense of "shoddy/inadequate/meager."
[TI
Obatarian:
-t- -) So
l" L J: deshii-
likc that right?/isn't it
"Right?" __.. " Isn ' t that the truth!" (PL2) Obatarian:
~ lv 1j:
lv
Anna
n
"'C:' de
that kind of (nom.) with
t·- {'? -r
~tiS"
do valle
seika1su shiro 11e
ho~
L-?
J:biu
live (command) (quote) say
no
yo ne-
(ex pl.} (emph.)
" How does he expect me to live on that kind of pay, an way1" (PL2) Sound FX: '" 1)1-\ 1) Bari bari
(effect of biting/chewing crisp rice cracker) • n is a contraction of the no that makes what precedes it into a noun. so anna n(o) is literally "that kind of one" • "that kind of salary/pay.'' • ya11e is the -reform of yaru ("do"). so do ya11e is literally "doing how/in what manner" • "how?''
• seikarsu shiro is a command form of seikatsu suru, which means " to live" in the sense of "gening by.'' A sking a question with a question word plus a quoted command form is like saying " What/when/how is [he] commanding me to [do]?" • " Wh at/when/how does he expect me to [do]?" • ne-at the end of a sentence shows that the speaker expects/assumes the listener will agree. In this case the expected agreement is with the implied meaning: that it's preposterous for her husband to expect her to get by on his small salary.
0
Sound FX: :f;t; ·:;
0
Obatarian: A, Dt
Coho! (effect of coughing/clearing his throat)
J~~ Jj:L !!
Kyo 1110 :angyi5 nashi today also overti me is none
"Today, too: no ovenime!" __.. " He's home again today without any overtime!" (PL2) • nashi is the classical Japanese form of nai ("is none/does not exist"), but is still used in certain idiomatic expressions today. It often has a more emphatic feeling than the equivalent form of nai.
MANGA JIN
43
Beranmei Tochan
44
MANGA JIN
Beranmei Tochan
~
Co-worker: :to ? ' 0!
·y 1- ~'v'?
r' 1
-t-? 1 :tJ.
-lT /
naui
Sandoitchi
kai
sandwiches
(?)
ne
(exclam.) now-ish aren't you
" Say, you' r e reallv with-it! (You brough!l_sandwiches?" (PL2) Tocha n : :to
-J
0 "Yeah." (PLI -2) • naui ("up-to-date/with-it/fashionable") is the English word "now" turned into a Japanese adjective by adding -i (this makes it look like Japanese adjectives uch as samui, katai, etc.). It' s written here completely in katakana, but it' also seen written as -t-? It', with the final i in hiragana. More properly, foreign words (including words which are adjectives in their original language) are made into Japanese adjectives by adding -na - e.g., gojasu-na ("gorgeous") - so when naui first became a vogue word some years ago it sounded something like " now-ish" sounds in English. We considered translating naui as "trendy," but 1- v / 71 (torendi) is also used in Japanese. A brief survey published in the January, 1992, issue of Nikkei Anthropos magazine showed that many readers considered the word naui to have become passe. • kai is a colloquial equivale nt of ka, the que tion marker, but kai has a softer, friendlier tone. Tochan:
1-' ') / 7
I±
Dorinkt1
wa
aisutii
yo
drink
as-for
iced tea is
(emph)
" And m y drink is iced tea." (PL2)
• dorinku and aisu tii are from the English. • in informal speech, the emphatic yo can replace da/desu ("is/are"). Or, you could say that the verb da/desu had been dropped here. Co-worker:
r' ') /
7 t::. ;i;
-t-?1
Dorinku
tii
masu masu
naui
ne
drink
as-for-saying
all the more
now-ish
(colloq)
"Callin
(You' re getting) more a nd more with-it." (PL2)
Sound FX: .:C 7' .:C 7" mogu mogu Munch munch (effect of c hewing food) lochan:
• • • •
GJ
Co-worker:
ih t::. ti'-? J:
;J, .{5
(J)
4: i tl
J:.
Atabo
yo
Koiwa
no
umare
yo
of course
(emph) (place name) (of)
birth is/was (cmph)
"Of course. I was born in Koiwa." (PL2) atabo is a slang/dialect equivalent of atarimae, ("of course"). tii is a contraction of to wa, indicating a quote. Koiwa no wnare is literally "(my) birth (is) of Koiwa." these men think of themselves as Edokko ("children of Edo"), but Koiwa, on the far eastern frin ge of modern Tokyo proper, would no t have been part of old Edo. h 's a "modern/progressive" suburb compared to the traditional shitamachi ("low city") part of Tokyo most closely associated with Edokko. Part of the humor here derives from the fact that Edokko are known fo r be ing diehard traditionalists - hence the remark about his using the English word, dorinku. J' :/
-r: :t1t~ .0
fT)
~'II' ?
Hashi
de
no
kai
chopstic ks
with eat
(explan.)
(?)
taberu
" You eat them with c hopsticks?" (PL2) Toc han: .: Ko-
L. :tJ. "' c
~?
shinei to kulla
like this if don't do
ate
t::.
~ ~{
L. b.
Ad!.
ki ga shine n da not feel like
(ex plan.)
" If I don't do it like this I don' t feel like I've eaten." (PL2)
• shinei and shine are both masculine, (shitamachi) dialect forms of shinai, the plain negative form of suru ("do"). The expression ... ki ga shinai means "don' t feel like ... " • kulla is the plain past form of kuu , an rough/ informal verb for "eat" used mostly by males. • to after a verb has a conditional " if/when" meaning. • n(o) da shows he is making an explanation.
M ANGAJIN
45
What's Michael
46
MANGA JIN
What's Michael
-17!•1-
-*
Title: -:<11;- Jv Maikeru famirii Michael
q) 110
1 B" ichi-nichi"
family
The Michael Famil • fa mirii ("family" in katakana) is written above the kanji that would normally be read as ikka "(one) fami ly/ household.'" Strictly speaking, the fa sound does not exist in Japanese (only ha), but it can be synthesized this way with th e combination jiJ +a. The a is usuall y written in a smaller size to indicate that it replaces or blends with the u sound inji1. • the kanji * (ka) can mean " house,"' or "family." • kyofu = ·'fear/te rror/dread/panic"
QJ
Sound FX: '/ / ·;; Dan! Bam! (sound of the plastic shampoo bottle being banged down on a hard surface) • the smallrsu (·:;)at the end of this sound indicates that it is cut off sharply, an effect we approximate with an exclamation mark.
Bottle:
~Iii cat
:,.-\'/7'-
ffl yo
Neko
shanpii
for use with/by
shampo:>
Cat shampoo • yii ("use/usage") afte r a noun means "for use w ith/by ..."
0
"Sound" FX:
;\-tj" ·;;
Basal (sound/effect o f towel being thrown down o n a hard surface)
0
"Sound" FX: ;\ ·;; Ba! (sound/effect of hair dryer suddenly landing on the towel)
0
Sound FX: 1- -\' ·;; Cha! (sound o f a zi pper closing)
Woman: J: - - l o Yoshi. "All right." -?J.,
iP!!
Yaru
ka!
do (it )
(?)
" Shall l/we do
it?"--> "~"
• yoshi, litera ll y ''good/all right/OK," is used to express determinat ion o r resolutio n when starting a task. • yaru ka, literally " [Shalll/we] do it?'" is a rhetorical question indicating that she is in fact ready to "do it." It could be considered as a kind of last-minute check-"1 think I'm ready; is there anything else I need to prepare?" It's something like the English expression "Shall we get started ?'"
© Kobayashi Makoto. All rights reserved First published in Japan in 1987 by Kodansha Ltd.. Tokyo English translation rights arranged through Kodansha Ltd.
M ANGAJtN
47
What's Michael
~
1 7 Jv
"
48
MANGA J IN
What's Michael
01
Michael: 7 I \ . . . Kulla (yawning sound)
~------------------------------------------------------------------------------~
~~L_---M--ic_h_a-el_=_; ·_··--------------------------------------------------------~ _
"__ ... hm?"
Woman: 717 Jv!! ;t; ·:; ;t; H~'"t" -Maikeru! Poppo! Oide" Michael! ! Poppo! Come here." (PL2) • oide is a polite word which can refer to the act of coming. going. or being in a certain place. Although it is inherently polite/honorific. it can also be used by parents to children with a rather firm tone. The single word
oide is short for oide kudasai (polite request) or oide nasai (gentle command).
Poppo:
t· .. . M11 .. .
"Guffi." Michael: 3? 3? tt.
t;t .. .
A - are
wa .. . "Th- that's ._,__."
GJ
Michael: h. h./v~ !! Mi- minna! c-
everyone
~~f~ -nigero-
escape/nee
~"i·/7- f.' '
Shanpt7
da!
shampoo
is
"E- everybody!! Run for it ! It's the shampoo!" (PL2) Sound FX:
1-'
r· 7
do do! (a thud thud sound of paws hitting the floor as they run away)
Cats: 7 .:¥ -1' ·:; Fugya! (a creaming/wailing sound) • nigero is the plain command form of the verb nigeru ("run away/escape/flee"). The final o is lengthened because the word is being "called" out instead of simply spoken.
~
Woman: 3? -::> A! (excl)
1'
v t.:. bareta
tr .. . ka . . .
discovered (?)
" Oops! The eat's out of the bag ..." (PL2) • bareta is the plain past tense of the verb bareru ("be found out/discovered''). T he question here, of course. is rhetorical.
MAN GAJIN
49
What's Michael
o·~· 0
50
MAN GAJ IN
What's Michael
@]
Woman:
f;f-t;lj:~ -- v'!
Machi-nasiii!
.:-t-
I
koso
I
i$\:v'lT 1J' G araimasu kara
tl!! ne!
wait (command)
"Wait! 'cause I'm Poppo: ?=--v-Unyii! "Meoow!" Kitten:
·y
~.:f---·y
Pikii!
(squeal of fright or surprise)
• machi-nasai is a gentle command form of the verb matsu ("wait''). • koso adds emphasis to the word preceding it. In this case, kyo koso= "definitely today/today for certain."
G
Woman: i -f Mazu 10
i;;l:
wa
begin (subj.)
;f-':;;;f, t.: !! Poppo da! Poppo
is
"First, (it's) Poppo!!" "Sound" FX:
7f ·y
(sound/action of the woman grabbing hold of the cat)
Gal ~_po:
7.::. 1"'-- ·y
Anya- ! "Meaaw!" (variation on nyii, the standard "meow") • mazu ="first of all/to begin with/for starters."
~
Michael: ih - :¥ ·y *' !! A- Poppo! "Oh no, Poppo!!" Kitten:
77--!
Mamii! "Mama!" Poppo: ih 7j: t.:..-- ! A nata-.' "Honeeyl" Sound FX: 7' 7':;; (thumping sound of running feet)
Dada!
Michael: ;¥ ·y ;¥ - - ! Poppo! "Poppooo!" • anata, literally, "you,'' is often used by Japanese women to address their husbands, something like "dear/ honey."
Sound FX: ;< )' / Batan Bang!
~
Sound FX: :J 1"'Jii!
(sound of the door being slammed shut)
·y
(sound of water running)
Poppo: 7 :¥ 1"' 7 7 7 Fugyaaa (screaming or wailing sound)
MANGAJ IN
51
What's Michael
52
MAN GAJIN
What's Michael
Poppo: '7 =¥ -1- - Ugyii
'7 =¥-~' - Ugyii (screaming/wailing sound)
Sound FX: :J-\'- -:; Ja! (sound of running water) Woman:
t.J: Ft t±lT Korosareso-na koe dasu
~~h-t--J
as if being killed
voice emit
/vl:.~t.J: -~ v'!!
nja niii (neg. command)
"Don't scream like you're about to be killed!" (PL2) • korosareso-na ("as if being killed") combines korosareru, the passive form of korosu ("kilUmurder") and so, a suffix used to mean "as if/like." The final -na makes this into an adjective. • koe = "voice"; koe (o) dasu =literally " put out a voice" -> "say aloud/raise one's voice." • n ja nai creates an emphatic negative command.
@]
Woman:
L:.? t L.. "( t.J: ~ v' Jitto shite-nasai
? "( IJ-ttebii
hold still (command)
if (I) say
"I'm tellin Sound FX:
;'i-;_, -1-
ou to hold still!" (PL3)
;\-;_, -1-
Basha basha
(sound of splashing water)
Poppo: 7 =¥ -1- =¥ -1- =¥ -1- =¥ -1- - Fugya gya gya gyli (screaming/wailing sound) • jitto shite-(i)nasai is a gentle command form of jitto shite-(i)ru, from jitto suru ("hold still/be quiet"). • ... tteba is a contraction of ... to ieba, " if/when I tell you ..." The implied meaning is "If/when I tell you to hold still, hold still."
@]
Woman: 't" - - !! De "Ooouuch! !" Sound FX:
=.~· /'
Con Bonk (thudding sound of helmet hitting the wall)
II
;\-;_,-\' ;\-;_,-\' ·;;
Basha basha.'
li
(sound of splashing water)
Poppo: 7 =¥ -1- - Fugyii (screaming/wailing sound)
.
• de comes from ite, a corruption/slang form of itai ("Ouch!/That hurts!"). This substitution of e for the ai sound is typically rough, masculine speech, but is sometimes used by females in moments of stress, especially in informal situations where there are only cats around.
@]
Sound FX: =¥ ·:; Gil
Woman:
~
@]
Poppo:
Squeak! (sound of the door opening) I\ 7 I\ 7 I\ 7 Hii hli hii (panting sound) I \ 7/\7 I \ 7 Ha hii hii
(panting sound)
(i Woman: J: --L.. Yoshi tsugi wa okay
*
next
as- for
?1 7 Jv J: ! ! I Maikeru yo.'.' I Michael
(emph.)
"All ri ht next is Michael!! Where are
@]I
t ' .:.
t.!. - - I
Doko dii. where
is/are
I
?1 7 ;v -Maikerii Michael
ou)? Michael!" (PL2)
Woman: lv . .. N "Hmm .. ."
M ANGAJIN
l ,,
53
What's Michael
54
MANGAJIN
I!'
I''
What's Michael
@]
Woman: C:' -j t...-c -f lv ~ t:: Doshite sonna ni w hy
~"\'
to that extent
/'1'-
shanpt7 sha mpoo
nr
ga
~~~'
~ (!).
kirai na no,
(subj .) dislike
~~ t..: ):i 1± - anata-tachi wa-
(cxplan.?) you (plura l)
as- for
" Whx do xou guxs hate being) shamp,oo(ed) so much?!" (PL2) Sound FX:
r' r' r' Do do do (sound of running feet)
Michael: ? =- "\' =- "\' =- "\' -Unya nya nya " Meow meo meooo!" (PL2) • although il corresponds in usage 10 !he English verb "'hale," kirai is ac!Ually a no un, and so lakes the panicle go (subject marker), rather !ha n o (objecl marker). • since kirai is a noun, it's necessary to add 1he par1icle 110 before the informal questi on marker 110. • the suffix -tachi is a plain/ informal way to make personal nouns p lural. • this semence is an example of inverted syntax- the topic, a11ata-tachi, is stuck on the end of the sentence, almost as an afte nhoughl, o r perhaps to e mphasize who it is that dis likes being shampooed.
E)
Michael:
I' 7 Ha
7
I '
M
7
1,
M
(panting sound)
Woman: J:. t... -*!! Yoshi rsugi " All right, next!!" Kitten: t: :\'--'\'--'\'- -'\'- :\'- - Piki ki ki ki kii ( frightened shrieking)
~
Woman: h. - Ft7 "Whew." ~0
c
fE:.tl
Yauo finally
zen 'in
¥1-h 0 t..: -owatta
all members finished
" At last, thex're all finished." (PL2) • ze11 'i11 = •·au the me mbe rs/the e ntire g roup." • owatta is the plain/abrupt past form o f the verb owaru ("endlfi nish/complele").
[Ji] l
Woman: lv . ..
@]I
Woman:
@]
Woman: -f tL t.: {' Sore ja
N
" Hmm . ..?" ~ -- 0
A!
then/i n that case
nan ni mo naranai
ja nai no-
it doesn' t become anything
is it not that
" If xou do that, it' s all for nothingll" (PL2) i 0 t..: < 'b - Mattaku mo " OQh, you' re so aggravating!" • • • • •
sore ja is a contraction of sore dell'a ("in 1ha1 case/ then"). naranai is the plain/abrupt negative form of the verb nartt ("become/come 10"). na11ni mo 11aranai = "it doesn"l become anything.. --> " il comes to nothing." ja nai no, a colloquia l form of dewa arimase11 ka, makes a rhelorical question that is in e ffect an accusation. mattaku mo is an exclamatio n of exasperatio n. Mattaku lile rally means " complete ly/utterly," and mo lite rally means " already/no w."
MAN GAJ I N
55
What's Michael
~
BA ~ J: 1.>BtLL
;e· 0) c: t:. ~ ~
56
M ANGAJIN
What's Michael
Michael: h.!v t.t M in.n.a
;!W;~
buji
t~-::> t::. n' datta ka?
everyone without incident was
(?)
"D id everyone make it through the day safely?" --> " Is e ver yone OK?" (PL2) Poppo: X. X. c' -') -? I? :"~d~! 11) I8 nr ;j% h -::> t::. h P. o e do yara kyofu no ichi-n.ichi ga owatta wane. yes
somehow or other terror
of
one-day
(subj.)
ended
(fem. emph.)
"Uh-huh somehow or other the da of terror has ended hasn ' t it." (PL2-fem) • buji is written with kanji meaning "without incident;· imply ing "without (harmful ) incident'' • "safe/OK." • since the word buji refers to (the absence of) incidents that might have happened during the course of the day, it is natural that Michael uses the past form, da11a. • e is a colloquial affirmation used like hai. • do yara ="somehow or other/with difficu lty'' • owal/a is the plain past form of the verb owaru ("end/finish/complete").
Michael: J: L --f :h. t -t-o fli'J 8 Yoshi sore ja ashita
no tame ni neru zo.
all right in that case tomorrow
for
sleep
(masc. cmph. )
" All right then, (let 's) et some sleep for tomorrow." (PL2) Kittens: li "' o Hai " Yes, Daddy." • no tame ni = "for (the benefit of)/for (the purpose of)/on account of"
• zo is a masculine way of adding emphasis.
FX:
7" 7" 7" 7" ... Gu gu gu gu (a pulling/stretching effect)
FX: 7. -t - Suyli (effect of sleeping peacefully)
*
7T~'I-
Narration: "'<' 1 7 Jv Maikeru famirii Michae l
fam ily
!i wa as-for
9' B t :if ~ll t.:.-::> t::. o kyo mo heiwa datta. today
also peace
was
The Michael family was at peace again today.
M ANGAJIN
57
Tanaka-kun
Title: 1£!
8 75 A U
Shuku Hyakumannin-me
Congratulations! One-Millionth Patient) • shuku means ··celebration/congratulations ... but it is a written form whereas Omedeto gozaimasu is a spoken form. • hyaku ("hundred") + man ("te n thousand") makes "a hundred ten-thousands"- i.e., ·•one million.'' - nin is the counter suffix for people, and - me
a 0
is the suffix for items in a sequence ("first/second/tenth/hundredth/etc.").
0
~l
_____S-ig-n:~~=~=~==~------------------~ Bruin
Hospital
Doctor: i:> ~ -e t
-?
::_·~·~,.'iT gozaimasu " Congratulations!" (PL3-4)
Omedeto
Sound FX:
J-{1- J-{1- J-{1- 1'{7" J-{1-J-{1-
Pachi pachi pachi pachi pachi pachi
Clall cla n clap clap clap clap FX: ,'{ ·y ! Pa! (effect of ball with banner & confetti popping open)
Banner: 1H.!
l 00 Jj A I I Slwku Hyakumannin-me
CoQgratulations! One-Millionth Patient} • omedeto go::.aimasu ("congratulations") is the standard expression for offering congratulations verbally. In informal speec h, omedetiJ is sufficient.
Doctor: if.! ~ t:. iJ{
'1H~i !*: tiJ-byoin
f#l it
J...:H*
kaigyo
irai
Anora
ga ·
you
(subj.) this hospital open for business since <7)J3~~i
.IJA§
't't' o
hrakumannin-me no o-kmku-sama desu ('~) cusiomer
, ·millionth
is/are
" You are the one-millionth customer since this hospital opened." (PL3) • ro- (!:1,1) is a prefix meaning "this - /the present -/the - in question," and byoin means "hospital," so to-byliin ="this hospital." • kyaku is literally ·'visitor'' (o- and - soma are both honorific), but it is also the word for "customer/client." Patie nts are usually referred to as kanja-san/ soma, though. so o-kyaku-sama sounds a bit more business-like than one might normall y expect of a hospital.
Doctor:
J2. ~ 1: Kinen ni
muryiJ de
as a commemoration
without charge/for free
miJcho no slwjutsu
o
sasete itadakimasu
appendix of operation (obj.) will have you allow me to do
' 'To commemorate we will give__y_ou a dectom~"
free~
(PL3)
Tanaka: b- H H):~ - lv Wii
Okasa-11
" Waahh, Mo-m-my!" (PL2) Sign At Door: 'Ffl:r~ Shujutsu-shitsu
OperatingRgom • sasete is the - te form of sasertl ("cause/allow to do"), which is the causative form of the verb suru ("do"), and itadakimasu is the PL3 fo rm of itadaku ("receive"). Sasete itadaku literally means ·' I wi ll have you allow me to
do," which is actually just a polite way 10 say "I will do." 58
M ANGAJIN
NINGEN KOSATEN Yajima Masao • Story Hirokane Kenshi • Art Yajima Masao and Hiro kane Kenshi found success in the manga world by largely ignoring the standard formulas. In Ningen Ki5saten there are few exotic locations, minimal sex and violence, and no continuing characters. The series, which ran for ten years in Shogakukan's Big Comic Original (I! / 1 f • ::1 .:;. ·;; 7 • ;;f ') :J T Jv ), produced a remarkable collection of stories about "intersections" or "crossroads" j£ .~: k.i5saren) in the lives of humans CA ningen).
ex
ra,
Each story in the series is selfcontained, and there is a photorealistic quality to the drawings, which present modern Japan with all its beauty and warts-no effort has been made to glorify or sentimentalize it. Still, the uniformity of Japan's post-war development allows readers to recognize their own hometowns. Fans treasure these scenes since middle-class neighborhoods are gradually being replaced by steel and concrete buildings; an aura of impending loss is ever present in the series. There are heroes and villains, but most of the characters are just people muddling through life the best they can. They are easy to recognize and to identify with, and the fact that they are drawn as real Japa-
e II
0
nese- no huge, round blue eyes, and no exaggerated features-adds to the feeling of everyday reality. Their language is also realistic and direct. In Japan, every person has two sides: tatemae (M! "( Mfi), the public face; and honne (;<$: iif ), the tme inner feelings which remain hidden to all but one's closest friends. Ningen Ki5saten deals with honne, giving an honest look at emotions in Japan few outsiders ever see. The artist half of the team that created Ningen Ki5saten, Hirokane Kenshi, is now enjoying tremendous success with his new solo series, Kachi5 Shima Ki5saku (~ ~ :liJf 1'f'), which appears in Kodansha's Comic Morning. He has also teamed up with another writer, Inose Naoki, to produce a .:J. - A). new series for Big Comic Original called Last News ( 7 A ~
*
=-
M ANGAJIN
59
A F.ll :5( :m .¢!. • Ningen Kosaten
60
MANGA JI N
A l!ll X'* .9: •
Title: ~A ~iS Dai-rokuwa
N ingen Ki5saten
~ Mado
Stor No. 6: Window
QJ
Narration:
:mwc
:l?- m Keihin (name)
ldai
Fuzoku
medical college attached
Byoin hospital
Keihin Medical Colle e Hos itaI Sign on Roof: m~
Keihin
~*"~- *<~)
lka
Dai(gaku)
Keihin Medical Colle e
*Jlt
• Keihin, combining the last characters from the city names Tokyo and fJI\i~ Yokohama, is used in the names of quite a few institutions and businesses that are located or active in the area of the two cities. • idai is a n abbreviation of 12H4:k.!f: ika daigaku, " medical college/university." • fuzoku means ·•attached to/affiliated with." The word frequently appears in the official names of hospitals and high/middle/grade schools that are affilimed with colleges or universities.
0
Stlm:
~c~ Kisha
4£ ~ kaiken
repon ers interview
4£t~ kaiji5 ~ite/meeting
place
Press Conference Room Sound FX: -If. '7 -If '7 -If '7 Zawa zawa zawa (the buzz/hum of a c rowd - usually representing the re latively low sound of a·crowd in the distance/background, or of a nearby crowd talking with lowered voices. c f. wai wa i , gaya gaya) • kaijo combines the kanji for " meet'' and "' place/location." 1:
0
Sound FX: -If '7 ·W '7 -If '7 -If '7 Zawa zawa zawa zawa (the buzz/hum of a crowd)
[
© Yajima & Hirokane I Ninf:en Kiisaren. First published _in Japan in 1984 by Shogakukan, Tokyo. English translation n ghts arranged through Shogakukan & Viz Communications.
L..__
MANGAJIN
61
A llll ~:£ .?f. • Ningen Kosaten
t.t::..T--? l'
c * l'
l:'M"l::..
T~fiiJO) ? t ra, !!t.:J:t
tr
li' -j tJ. t.t IJ
t
'{'>
62
MANGA JIN
A lnJ ~ X! lf. • Ningen Kosaten
- - - --
Rel}orter:
mr
Gtm
.'i!?. :t-
7j: t• tJ' ~ fltJ I:H l f.: ~~~ nado kara rekislmtsu shita ranso
kanja
cancer paticnt(s) etc.
from
.'.Ht.· 1: J!lr; !Vfl"
1* >'i- ·~ft'l
kanja ni mudan de
taigat JIISei
~ 0
extracted/took out ovary/ovaries (obj.)
fl)f~ 1: kenkyii ni
1\E -? f.:. t
v'-)0)
(j:
4::!:1:1 l"TtJ'? !
rsukaua to
iu
wa
homo desu ka ?
patient to without notice in vitro fertilization research in/for
used
no
(quote)say (nom.) as-for truth
is it?
" Is it true tha t y_ou have used ovaries removed from cancer patients and others for in vitro fertilization e~eriments without the patients' permission?" (PL3) • rekisl111tsu shira is the past form of rekisl111tsu suru, a technical-sounding word for "extract/take out." tekishwsu sareta, in frame 6. is it passive form: ''are/were extracted/taken out.'' • raigai means "outside the body" andjusei refers to the process of fenilization --+"in vitro fenilizatio n." • to iuno wa is a quotative form that essentially turns the complete se ntence preceding it into a noun and makes it the topic ("as for ...") of homo desu ka ("is it the truth?" • " is it true?").
Reporter: -? 1t' .: (!) rdl
~
Tsui kono aida mo just recently
T
1:.
T-dai
de
too T University at
onaji yo na koto
ga
same kind of thing
alta bakari
ja nai desu ka!
(subj.) has just occurred
isn't it/hasn't it ?
" Wasn't there a similar incident at T Universitv iust recently?" (PL3) FX:
.t, "I
Mu! (an FX word indicating his angry reaction) • rsui is used with time words to emphasize how recent the time indicated is. • bakari afte r the past tense of a verb implies the action/occurrence took place very recently. • ja nai desu ka is strictly speaking a question. but when spoken in an outraged tone it beco mes an accusatio n. He is essentially accusing the doctor of an erro r in judgment, not really asking him a questio n.
Kataoka:
"f. ~f>j Shujutsu >urgery
ni youe
tekishwsu sareta ram·o wa
by means of
(be) extracted
ovary
haikibutsu
to
kangaeraremasu.
as-for waste matter (quote) can think/consider
"An ovary_extracted in surgery can be thought of as waste.'' (PL3) Kataoka: f.!..-IJ' ~ , 1iJf ~ 1: 1~ -J .: t 1: ~t l "( !ff 1: .'.fl.~ (J) [iiJ 2:
-IJ<
Dakara kenkyii ni tSukau koto ni taishite wku-ni kanja no doi ga so/therefore research in use (nom.) in regard to especially the patient's consent (subj.)
£· ~
t
(j:
.m ", £ -tt 1v . . .
hitsuyo
10
wa
omoimasen . . .
necessary (quote-emph.) don't think
-r l f.= o deshita. didn't
"So J don' t ... didn' t think ~~ecially needed the patients' consent for using_them in research!' (PL3) • kangaeraremasu is the PL3 potential ("can/able to -") form of kangaeru ("think"). • Kataoka almost stops with omoimasen ("I don ' t think ... "): but realizing that that sounds too stro ng. even defiant, he softens his stateme nt by quickly adding deshita - to make it past tense and imply he may think differently now. The structure o f Japanese is ideally suited to uch last-second adjustments in one's tone.
0
Sound FX: -If '7 -If '7 -If '7 Zawa ;:awa ;:awa (buzz/hum of reponers reacting to his statement)
Reporter: shikashi
desu ne
but/however (emph.)
jusei sasete
baiyo shita
fenilized-and
cultured/grown ovum/ova among
ranshi
several
c
t .:
~): 1* botai
no uchi no ikursuka wa
~= }X; -tt ~ 7:> £ -r It) -? "( It\ t.:: llfl ~ i l f.: ! ! ni modoseru tokoro made itte-ira to kikimashita! mother's body to can return place as far as had gone (quote) /I} he..rd
"But I' ve heard that among the ova that were fertilized and grown, several reached the point where the could be returned to a/the mother' s boiD'.,__" (PL3)
-t-CT.> sono that/those
ij~f- ~ ranshi o ova
(obj.)
't=- ~ seimei life
t ti to wa
~-~~"' mitomenai
btt"'t:'-tn~?! wake des11 ka?
(quotc-emph.) don't recognize is it the case that?
"Don ' t ou recognize those ova as being alive?" (PL3) • desu ne after shikashi (''but/however") can be thought of as a verbal pause intended to draw attention to what he is about to say, so its effect is essentially e mphatic. • jusei is "fertilization.'' andjusei sasere is from the causati ve verb form,jusei sasen1 ("cause fertilization"). (continued mrfollowing page)
M ANGAJIN
63
A rdl x £
64
MANGAJIN
.¢!. • Ningen Klisaten
A Pll ~X:: l,i, • Ni ngen Kosaten -------
~"::"'_
-
(com in uedfrom pre••ious page)
@]
Ell •
Kono kenkyii ni kanshite wa Ihis
diJbutsu
researc h in regard 10 as-for animal
jikken
dake de
expenments
11'0
fujtibun
wilh only
'"''I
to
o
omou.
inadequme (quole) lhink
" For this research,_Ld_on't think animal experiments are sufficient." (PL2) A IIll (J) ~~ -=f i' fiE -? t.:. ~ l¥l uJf JE -If: ;R ~ ~ :h. -c 1t' t.:.
1.1
Ni11ge11 110 ranshi human ('s) ova
II
o
tsukatta kiso
(obj.)
used
basic
ke11kyi'i ga
motomerarete-ita.
research (subj.) was soughllneedcd
" Basic research usin human ova was required." (PL2) • ts11kntta is the past form of tsuka11 ("usc'' ). and ni11ge11110 ranshi o tsukatta is a comple1e thoughlfsemencc modifying kiso kenkyii ("basic research") • "basic research using human ova." • motomerarete-ita is from motomerareru ("be soughlfdesired/demanded"). 1he passive form o f motomeru ("seek/demand").
@]
Kataoka: ~ ·'{~
(J)
711 :&-
lgaku
110
shinpo
'j: wa
J,!;: IV! kiso
medical sc ience ('s) advanccmcnl as- for basic
<
MJE (J) fill') :i!! L. ~ L. ""C (j: ke11kyll no kurikaeshi naku shite wa
ih I'J l~} ~It' o
research ('s) repclilion
canno1 exist/occur
if e liminate
arienai.
"The advancement of medical science is not ossible without the re etition of basic research." (PL2) • k11rikaeshi = " repetition/ reiteration": here it implies that basic research must be piled on more basic re~earch. not that the same researc h must be repeated. • naku shite is the -te form of nak11 suru. from the adverb form of nai ("no t exist") and suru ("do/make"). 11aku suru can mean ··make disappear/e liminate" or "lose."' and naku shite ••·a can literally be thought of as " if it is lost/eliminated" -> "without."
@]
Sound FX:
~~~'\"
;'\~-t
1~:/-t
Pasha Pasha Pasha (effect of reporters' cameras flashing)
@] Kataoka kyoju mo watashi mo slwjmsu-go de Prof. Kataoka
too
1/me
hijo-ni
ts ukarete-imas11.
too after surgery is/arc very/extremely
arc tired
"Professor Kataoka and I have both ' ust finished surgery and are very tired." (PL3). ~ 1 L ,;~< &? IJ i -tt 1v 11{. ~· ~ >L 1i .:: ~ l;IJ ~ -tt -c ~ t.:. ~, , .lj!l, ", i
Jc
.rr -;
n
Moshiwake arimasen
ga
kislw kaiken
I'm very ~orry
but
pre~~
wa
kore de
conference as-for with this
m
uchikirasete itaqaki-tai would like to cut off/end
c
-t ·1 .
to omoimas11. I think
" I' m very sorry, but ll..think) we would like to end the press conference at this point." (PL3) • kyoju following a name is equivalent to the English "Professor" used as a title before the name. • .vlwjutsu = "surgery/operation'' and the suffix -go means "after/post-" so shujw:w-go ="after surgery." • de is a continuing form of desu ("is/arc"), so shujwsu-go de is literally "is/are after surgery, and . . :· • " have just finished surgery, and ..." • tsukarete-imasu is the PL3 equi valent of ts11karete-im (''am/are tired") from the -te form o f ts11kareru ("become tired") and iru (''be/exi t"). • mi'Jshiwake arimasen is a polite/formal apology. It literally means "I have no excuse" but is beller thoug ht o f simply as 'Tm very sorry" or "Please accept my apologies." • 11chikirasete is the causative ("make/let ...") -te form of uchikim ("cut off/ put an end to [an event !"). and itadaki-tai is from itadak11 ('"receive"- po lite). itadaku after the -te form of a verb implies having someone else do the action for oneself, so uchikirasete itadaku could literally be thought of as "I will have you let me put an end to"- which is merely a polite way of saying "I will put an end to." • -tai to omoimasu is the PL3 form of -tai to omou ("l think I want/would like to - "). This ending. too, adds to the politeness by making the statement less direct.
B
Ran so o
teikyo shite mo ratta
ovaries (obj.) provide
byoin
ni wa,
jikken no koto
o
)did] for/to you ho;pitals to as-for about the experiments (obj.)
itte-allan desu ka? had you spoken/told ?
" Had you told the hospitals that rovided the ovaries a bout the experiments?" (PL3) • reikyo shite is the -te form of teikyo sum. "offer/ put at (someonc's) service/provide." Its noun form. teikyo. is heard constantly on Japanese TV in ex pressions equivalent to Eng lish ·'sponsored/brought to you by." • moratta is the past form of mora11 ("receive" - neutral). which after the -te form implies having someone do the action for oneself- here meaning for the doctors. Ranso o teikyo shite moratta is a complete thought/ sentence ([you] had [them] provide ovaries for you") modifying b)'ll in ("hospi tals"). • itte-a11a is the past form of itte-tmt, the -te form of iu ("say/tell") plus am ("exists"). am after the -te fo rm means the action has already been done. (COil/iii itt!d Oil fo!IOh'iiiR
pogt') MANGA JtN
65
A rdl x ~ .~ • Ningen
66
MAN GAJIN
K~saten
A r~1-$<:: i£ .a • Ningen Kosaten (continued from previous page)
@]
Reporter:
~~ ri ~ lv o Marsue-san.
"Mr. Matsue." (PL3) Reporter:
r
~r-1 ~ ranshi o
fiE A 17) Tanin no
othe r people's ova
flfii~B'.J r"'~~
1f9J: .:f 1: katte-ni
jikken
ni rsukau koro
(obj.) arbitrarily/without permission experiment in
t±
tj"'
use
ni
(nom. ) with
"t"Til'!?
lv
rinri-reki mandai wa nai 11 desu ka? ethical problem as-for doesn't exist (explan.) is it?/does it?
"Isn't there an ethical roblem with usin other eo le's ova for ex eriments without consulting them?" (PL3) • katte-ni implies doing something solely for one's own convenience or by one's own will, without consulting or seeking permission from anyone. • koto, literally ''thing," is here being used as a "nominalizer," to make the precedi ng clause into a noun: ran in no ranshi o katte ni jikken ni tsukau koto ="(the act of] usi ng other people's ova for experiments without asking them.'' • mandai wa nai =··a problem doesn ' t exist," and 11 desu ka (n is from explanatory no) is li te rally like "is it th at .. . ?lis it the case that .. . ?" so mondai wa 11ai 11 desu ka means " is it the case that no problem exists?" • " is there no problem?" • "isn't there a problem?"
lgaku
no shinpo
no tame ni wa nani
medical science ("s) advancement for the sake of
o
yalte mo ii
anything (obj.) is okay to do
to
iu
koto
desu ka ?
(quote) say thing/explan. is it?
"Is the s ituation that it's okay to do anything for the sake ofthe advancement ormedical science?" ->
"Do ou mean an thing is permissible if it's for the advancement of medical science?"
(PL3) • yane is the -te form of yaru ("do"), and -te mo ii (or -te ii), literally, ' 'it is good/okay even if') is the standard expression for granting permission or declaring an action acceptable. • . . . to iu koto desu is an expression used in making explanations. In this expression, koto (lit. ''thing") can be thought of as meaning "situation/explanation." Adding ka makes it a question.
@J
Horiz. Headlines: .@. :?i 0)
~~ r
~ Wf -c'
Kanja no ranshi mudan de patients'
ova
~~ jikken
without notice experiment
Patients' Ova Used in Experiments Without Consent Vert.Headlinel:ft~ Taigai in vitro
~t1i
~~
jusei
jikken
.::.l])ii-c' "'" ' Kono mama de
fcnilization experi ments
as is
il)iJ'?!
ii no ka ? good/okay (explan.- ?)
In Vitro Fertilization Experiments: Is the Status Quo Acceptable? Vert. Headline 2: ,1[1, :?i P.l ?!.\ Kanja a zen patie nts agape/aston ished/stunned
Patients Stunned Vert. Headline 3: 1iiillll.
~ 1>!
l])t~>J~>l.'
Rinri
mushi
no tankyiishin
e thics
ignore/disregard that spirit of inquiry
S irit of Inguiry that Disregards Ethics Vert. Headline 4: Jt ltrrl~t~ 15@: ~ :if'!'g' Kataoka kyiJju inaori Prof. Kataoka
taikan
defiance resignation
Professor Kataoka Defiantl Resi ns Vert. Headline 5: &1!fl' l..lj " ' Hansei shinai does not repent
Unrepentant • inaori is the noun form of inaoru, which literally refers to adjusting one's posture and s itting up straight, but has the idiomatic meaning of "change one's attitude" - especiall y "to take a defiant attitude." • hansei shinai is the negati ve form of hansei suru, which means to reflect on one's own actions in the spirit of mending one's ways • '"repent.' '
(co,rtinued 011 following page)
M ANGAJtN
67
A P8 ~ 21! .~ • Ningen Ki5saten
68
MANGA JI N
A 1111 5I: tit.¢!. • Ningen Kosaten (cominuedfrom previous page)
Miin
~
Miin
Sound FX: ~ - /
Miin
(the sounds of semi, or ·'cicadas")
~- /
Miin
~
~-/
~-/
Sound FX:
Miin
(the sounds of cicadas)
" Sound" FX: ~ 1) Peri (effect of paper or something similarly thin suddenly tearing/breakin g through; a more protracted tearing would be beriberi or biribiri )
Kataoka: ih A. "Ah." • " OORS·" • among the vendors· sta lls at Japanese festivals, no matter how small, there is usually at least one stall where festival-goers are urged to try their luck at catching goldfish using a very flimsy paper or wafer "net/scoop." The game is known as kingyo sukui, "goldfish scooping." For most it is an impossible task because the water quickly tears the paper or makes the wafer melt into mush. but some eventually learn to catch more than one with a single "net." The kingyo sukui stall in this story is a more permanent fixture among the stalls lining the path leading to a popular shrine.
Vendor: 7 :A ·:; o Kusu! (a stined giggle/laugh) • kusu.' is a laughing effect more commonly associated with females, though it can also be used with men.
Mo
hitotsu.
more
one
" One more." (PL2) • mo before a number means that many ''more."
Vendor: .}.)
t. ~ lv, -*1F
Ojisan
hamoshi
uncle/mister
mo
mainichi
half-year even/all of everyday
kavotte-ru
have beim commuting even though
~r!!:
-?i
b,
71\/\/\/\!!
zen zen
umaku naranai
ne.
A ha ha lw ha.'
at all
.
~::' no ni, {/)
don't become good/skillful do you? (laugh)
"Mister, even though you've been coming every day for half a year, you still don't get good at it, do you? Aha ha ha ha! !"--> ''You' ve been coming ever y da for six months but ou don' t show any improvement at all do you. Ha ha ha hal!" (PL2) ~-/ ~-/ fu>Jlnd FX: ~ - / Miin
Miin
Miin (the cries of cicadas)
• ojisan (lit."uncle") is commonly used to address men older than college age (roughly) when you don't know their name. It is less formal than English ·'sir;· more like calling someone "mister," but it's still quite polite, so it's not unusual to go on addressing someone as Ojisan even after you know his name; for politeness, children are generally expected to address adult men as Ojisan even when they are close acquaintances. • mo after a word indicating a number or quantity implies that number/quantity is "a lot." • kayotte-ru is a contraction of kayotte-iru. from kayou. which essentially means "go back and forth" and is used to refer to commuting not only to work and school but any other place one goes on a regular basis. • zenzen followed by a negative form means "not at all.'' • wnaku is from umai ("good/skillful"); umaku naranai is the negative form of umaku naru ="become good/skillful." • ne at the end of a sentence expects or assumes agreement/confirmation from the listener. Here it softens her sentence by showing familiarity. She is laughing with him rather than at him.
MANGA JIN
69
. Kosaten A roll :'X:;£.~ • Ntngen
70
MANGAJ I N
A [Ill x k
-----Karasall'a (name)
.~
•
Ningen K~saten
7 ~~-" Apiito
apanment
Karasawa Apartments ~~iiiil Karasawa Setsubi
Sign: Fli1R
(name)
C~ Kogyo
1*;~:\~H Kabushiki-gaisha
equipment manufacturing industry joint stock company
Karasawa Equipment Manufacturing_Co. • aplito is an abbreviated katakana rendering of English "apartment."
§,]
Sound FX: 1- ;t! /
1- ;f- / ropon
Topon ~lop
Mats_y_e:
plop (effect of something quite small/light dropping into water: cf. dobon for heavier things)
c:-?
l t:. lv t!.?!
Do shita n da? what'~
wrong?/what's the matter?
" What happened?" (PL2) ~ ~
-~;{
rtJt 1 J.>
Sawagi
ga
shizumaru
made mi
uproar/hubbub (subj.) become quict/scnlc down
until
o
~~-l t:. v' kakushi-tai
c to
;:i-? -c, iue,
self (obj.) want to hide/secl ude (quotc)said-and
"Saying you wanted to seclude yourself until the furor died down,
:rrJf 1e ~ kenkyiisho
a- c· o
scholarly books (obj.)
'? ~ IJ dossari
lots/loads of
r.r -c *-c iE 'itt L -c J.> '?
~ lw:u
t. ~ t.t. -IJ' '? t:. (}) -Jp. ja nakaua no ka?
molte kite
jiiden shite-m
bring-and
be recharging supposed/expected to wasn't it the case that?
weren't you supposed to have brought lots of scholarly books here and to be recharging your-
self?" ~ " What 's going_on here? You said ou wanted to Ia low until t hin s settled down so I expected that you' d bring lots of research materials and be rech:rrg~el f." (PL2)
• do is "how/in what way" and shiro is the past of suru ("do''), so do shira is literally "what did you do." but it is often used idiomatically to mean "what's wrong/what's the matter?" • n i a contraction of explanatory no. Asking a question with n(o) da sounds quite rough, like he is demand-
ing an explanation; female speakers do not generally ask questions this way.
• mi can refer specifically to one's physical body. but here it is being used more like "self.'' mi o kakusu literally means "hide oneself' • ''go into seclusion,'' and mi o kakushi-tai makes it ''want to go into seclusion.''
• moue kite is from morsu ("hold/carry") and kuru ("come")-> "bring." The -re form of kum here gives the meaning of "and."
• jtlden shite-ru is a contraction of jiiden shire-iru, the progressive ("am/are - ing") form of jiiden suru, ''recharge."
• kenkyiisho o dossari moue kite jtlden shire-ru is a complete thought/sentence ("bring/brought a lot of scholarly books and am/are recharging.") modifying ha~u. a noun meaning "what is expected/supposed to be.''
• ... ja nakatta no ka is the past form of ... ja nai no ka, ''isn't it the case that ..."
Letters
(colllinu!'djrom pafo11! 201
explanation gil'en in writing. This is true for all matters ini'OII•ing pronunciation. which is exactly why our pronunciation guide has 1/te disclaimer you melllion. (The guide was left out 1his issue to make room for Obatarian.) It' s interesting to note that nati1•e Japanese speakers outside Tokyo speak otherwise standard Japanese (hyojungo) will! different "pitch accents" (this is what we are speaking of here. not dialect accents) and never have trouble being understood. For the student of Japa-
nese. a flat. e1•en intonation will always he understood. and for Americans (and some Europeans) who tend to gi1•e their words 1•ery marked pilch accellls. this may be a f?OOd way to eliminate some un-Japanese sounding speech habits. When two or three words sound exactly alike except for pitch accent. context is f?oing to resoll·e the ambiguity virtually 100 percent of 1/re time. In practical terms, accent is probably the lea.\'/ important aspect of.lapanese pronunciation 110 matter what your/net of
language skill. On the whole. we think most people are best off following Jack Seward's ad1•ice (Learning Basic Japanese, p. 15 ): "the degree of variance in pitch is so small that the beginner is ad1•ised to voice all Japanese words ... with a steady evenness of pitch ... Sooner or later. depending 011 the sharpness of your ear, you will come to he able to distinguish among and mimic the existing minor variations in pitch... ~~~]
MANGAJ IN
71
A rdl ~ ~ .~ • Ningen Ki5saten
72
M A N GAJ I N
A 1111 ~ ~ lf. • Ningen Kosaten
~
Matsue:
*
-t-n
nr
Sore
ga
that
(subj.) book one
hon
(}}::"? Jj: "'
:Fo'ffBm t: v,·c
hitotsu
borobeya
ni ite,
not e xist shabby room be in-and
-c .. .
il[~ renraku
l iJ' b shikamo
nai
b J: .::. ~ Jj: iJ' -:d::. Jj: lv mo yokosanakatta nante .. .
furthe rmore communication eve n didn ' t send
(quote)
" But vou' re in this shabbv room without a sinele book and on too of that the fact that vou didn' t even send word .• ." (PL2) • hon lritotsunai ("not have a sing le book") modifies borobeya ("shabby/run down room/apartment"). • yokosanakatta is the past form o f yokosanai. the negati ve form of yokosu ("send/deli ver [to me)").
Kataoka: .::. .::. li
1ft t;r ore ga
Koko wa here
!if ? t::. W
Jj: lv
sodatta machi
na 11
as-for Ume (subj.) grew up
-e
t.= ~ ~ 1.-' t.: flHJl b .:. .:. fE lv t.= da. Toshioita lrahaoya mo koko de shinda.
town/neighborhood (e}lplan.) is aged
mother
also here
d ied
"This is the olace where I erew !J.P••• My aeed mother died here too." (PL2) FX:
;-e 7
r~
7
Para para (effect of sprinkling fi sh food) • ore is a rough, masculine word for "1/me." • sodatta is the past form o f sodatsu ("mature/grow up"). • when written machi usually re fe rs to a district/neighborhood within a larger town.
m.
Kataoka: i" Q)
t
~ 1ft
ore
that
Ume
time
Ell
l-c t::. t
li
Sono toki
wa
nani shire-ra
~
'"'' J ... omou
to
as-for what was doing (quote) think
< I? n -c "' t.:
rut~
{i}f?'E
research
research with was being endlessly c hased by (emph. )
1:
Kenkyt7 kenkyt7 de
~"' ~
oimakurarere-ita
J: o
yo.
" What do you think I was doine then? I was beinl! driven relentlessly_ bY research and more research." (PL2) ~ ~ 1: a; I? Jj: n{ t:> . t :. ? t::. - A Q) ~ (J) ~ ~ b JtiJ tt t:> 1: Jj: .. . lslra
de ari nagara
doctor in spite of being
m
hitori
only
I person (=) blood relation ('s) life even without being able to save (colloq.) m y. onlv blood relative in S.Pite of beine a doctor." (PL2)
" Without beinl! able to save .:. Q) 1: tl: lv 1: i" Q)
w
no 11ikushin
'*
t
Kono maclri ni sunde
.::. Q) ~ sono koro no imi
this
that
town
in live-and
thing's
~ o
no seimei mo
n. -r
ratta
~ ~ t.: kangaera
rasukerarezu 11i
11a .. .
~0 sa
Q)
no
meaning (obj.) thought about (explan.) (emph.)
" Livine in this town I thoueht about the meaninl! of that." (PL2l • oimakurarete-ita is a passive form of oimakuru, a combination of ou ("chase/pursue/drive" ) and the verb suffix -makuru meaning " relentlessly/without cease" "was being driven relentlessly." • tasukerarezu is equivalent to tasukerarenaide, the negative potential form of tasukeru ("help/save").
@)
Matsue: ~ !!¥= W.
~
lgakukai
?
.g-JJ J:. ~ ~ t
-c (J)
kitte 110
gori slrugisha
med ical world the most/gre atest
pragmatist
15 :b
n t::.
to iwareta (quote) was called
i:> ~ ~ 1: l'i? ~ ih , omae
ni shiclrii,
you
for
''For someone who was called the ereatest oraematist in medicine -t;, t. -:~ t 1i ~ t.: iJ' I? -:~ -c , ~ 1v ~ b ? t.: Jj: o
-r", zuibun
n
chouo a little
hosareta
kara
lie
had livelihood threatened because (quote)
a lot
kawaua
11a.
c hanged
haven' t you
" vou' ve sure chaneed a lot iust because of a little professiona l nack." (PL2) • omae is a fairly rough, masculine word for "you," a nd ni shichii is a contraction of ni shire wa. which essentiall y means "for": .. . to iwareta omae ni shichii is literally "for you who were called ..."
Tokorode
sorosoro
a110 sawagi
by the way
by and by
that
" By_!he wa
Jl--f*l¥11: Gutaiteki ni
tsukare mo
uproar o f/fro m faLigue
I&nt::.
t.= 7:> ? .. .
toreta
darii . . .
also was removed probably/1 imagine
I ima ine our fati ue from all that furor is about one b now . .." (PL2) fJJ < J: ? 1: ~tft.~t± il' I? -\t -:~"? iJ'n "Cv'o !vt.=o ugoku
concrete ly/de finitely move
" We are bein
no
yo ni
yakuhin-gaislra kara
(command) pharmaceutkal co. fro m/by
seusukarete-iru is/are being pressed
n da. (explan.)
ressed b the pharmaceutical com an to make a definite move." (PL2)
• . .. yo ni iu (iu = "say/tell" ) is an indirec t command form, "tell [someone]to . .." Here, iu has been replaced by settsukarete-iru, a passive form of setsuku ("demand/press for").
(cominued on following page) MA NGA J t N
73
A rJJ X i'iL\'!: • Ningen Kosaten
*t:. 51
.i> :.l!
~ ~
l;t O) ""Fi.>' n·n:~.f
tJ
-?
',,/ -r
74
MANGAJ I N
c tt -r
A till x ~ .¢!. • Ningen Kosaten (cominuedfrom previous page)
Kataoka: M~PJT Kenkyiijo
o
kaneta
yaru
kai 'insei no
ff
iJ' .. .
ken
ka .. .
research center (obj.) combined with membership-based
en a membershi
&? h Are
7j:: c, ~ ¥:> t..:.. 0 nara vameta.
that
if it is stopped/qui t
"lf it's that, l quit."--+ "~ lf~ th wa..,t'-''s"'--" w'-'h"'a._.t-J_!,!.!!...~--'!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.!-'. ft !j:, ::_il) iafiJTtl) i~UffiAf_;J.O)m~ 1: !MJ¥:>7.> ::..t!:i:k:nt..:.. Ore wa lime
kono kinjo no
as-for this
sanfujinka no byoin
neighborhood's
Ob-Gyn
in rsutomeru koro ni kimeta
hospital at
work
(PL2)
yo.
have decided to
(emph.)
" I've decided to work at an Ob-G n bos ital in this neighborhood." (PL2) • - o kanera is an expression meaning "combined with-" or "that doubles/also serves as-,'' so kenkyiijo o kaneta ... byoin is " a hospital that doub les as a research center." • kimeta is the past form of kimeru ("decide"), and ... koro ni kimeta is "decided to .. :·
~l_____ a-ts-u-e:--~==!?===-~~~------------------------------------------------_j £!?
M __
" What?!" (PL2)
Sign: J!t.l.~J'Il Tojo Yakuhin
Toio Pharmaceuticals (corporate name) Sign: ~~~ Kaigishitsu
Conference Room 1st Executive: it Kimi wa you
kita
no kane?
as-for with that tamely/unforcefully withdrew/retreated came
sore de
omeome-to
hikisagatte
(explan.- ?)
" And with that you just meekly withdrew?" (PL2) • hikisagatte is the -te form of hikisagaru ("withdraw/pull back"), and kita is the past form of kuru ("come"). A form of kuru after the -te form of a verb often indicates that the action moves toward the speaker(s).
~
1st Executive: -)t;,
!j:
Uchi
wa
J:tliYil~f~ Kataoka kyoju
t
Prof. Kataoka
and
this company as-for
-t-c·!: sude-ni already
/()
;g
0)~1:,
kimi no tame ni for
you
t::
}l ~.9: L- "( v) 7.> lv ~ o kensersu shite-iru n da
~Jf~iW kenkyiijo
research center (obj.)
are constructing
-f''!! zo!
(ex plan.) (emph.)
" We are alread buildin a resea rch center for you and Prof. Kataoka." (PL2) • uchi literally means "inside" but is used frequently to refer to one's own family, company, or other group. • kensetsu shire-in~ is from kensetsu suru ("construct/build [a building/facility]"). • zo is a rough emphatic particle used mostly by men.
~ 2nd Executi e: t.:. £/v, 1tP. tl)
~ n"b ~t±
ra no
yakuhin-gaisha
iJ'
ws I!Ji:
tl) ~I ~ ~ ~ iJ{
ka byoin no hikinuki
ga
&? -? t.:. lv "t" L- J:: -7 o alta
11
desho.
pharmaceutical company or hospital ('s) recruitment (subj.) there was probably/no doubt
otten an offer from some other harmaceutical com an or hospital."
1!1011[
t
7j:: v' o
Muri
mo
nai.
unreasonableness even is none
"It's not unreasonable." • "It's no wonder." (PL2) • rabun means "probably,'' and is often echoed at the end of the sentence with another conjectural form. in this case deshiJ ("is probably so"). • hikinuki is the noun form of hikinuku, which combines hiku ("pull/draw") and nuku ("pull o ut/extract.. ). In the corporate context, the word refers to raids on the talent of other corporations. (continued on following page)
MANGA J I N
75
A rdl ~ ~ .¢!.
~· ~ II ~ · H ;/)~J
1:. .Q ~ -!;· /~ ; ~ / J ::. -; }j .
-- ,._.
?) . .: ;
76
M ANGAJIN
.:
• N ingen Ki5saten
A Ill] X: ~ .¢!. • Ningen Kosaten (continued from previous page)
EJ
3rd Executive: {;$:$'~ Taigai
kara hasei sum sangyo
wa
bitarninzai
gan tokkoyaku ni tsugi.
industry/products as-for vitamins
in vitro
(/) shorai
wareware no kigyo
1J :¥'
~::
kagi
ni naru
anti-cancer drugs next to/after
lj: 7.>
i§ btL-r@i-rv'iT o to
iwarete kite-imasu.
• sangyo strictly speaking means " industry," but the context here makes " products" more natura l in English. • bitamin is a katakana rendering of a European pronunciation of "vitamin." -zai ="compound/preparation" • gan is "cancer" and tokkoyaku refers to a drug that is effective against a particular disease (the kanji literally mean "specially effective drug"), so gan wkkoyaku is "anti-cancer drug:· • ... ni tsugi here means " next to/following after" in the sense that products deriving from in vi tro fertilization technology will be added to the other "key" products of the pharmaceutical industry. • iwarete kite-imasu is the -te form of iwareru ("is said"), which is the passive form of iu ("say"), plus the PL3 progressive ("is/are - ing") form of kuru ("come"). kuru after the -te form of a verb can indicate that the action is "beginning/starting to occur."
@J
2nd Executive: 1 .:f 1) 'A ~
A~ 5I: J:. ~)]
lgirisu
de jinrui
England
in
shijiJ
hatsu no wigai juseiji
human hi story first
ga
('s) in vitro baby
bi'il'~if.L.il'$£0-rv'lj:"'
c "'-)
to
iu
tanjo shire
(subj.) is/was born
kara, from/since
0)1:: no ni ... even though
assed since the first test tube ba b in human histor gE ~ kagaku wa
sude-ni sore
science as- for already
that
o
~:: i
-e 3€ J.i ~ -tLJ:. -J
sangyo ni made hatren saseyo
(obj. ) industry as far as
c L. -r "' 7.>
o
to shite-iru.
cause to develop
to be on verge/in the 'process of
"science is alread on the ver e of developing it [in vitro fertilization) into a n industry." (PL2) • kara ="from" and kara after the -te fo rm of a verb basically means "from the time" that action took/takes place, so it can become either "since" or "after" in English depending on the tense of the verb. • the quotative phrase ... to iu no ni here is like saying "even though it is-the case/situation th at ..." • hatten suru ("develop") -> hatten saseru ("cause to develop") - • hat/en saseyo to shite-iru ("is o n the verge of developing'').
1st Executive:
c< lv lj: Donna
koto
o
shire mo Kataoka kyoju o
what kind of thing (obj.) even if do Prof. Kataoka
uchi
ni
(obj.) our company to
hipparu pull
n da.' (ernph. command)
"No matter what it takes. bring Professor Kataoka to this company]" (PL2) ~ 1:: if- § I± -:>ltlj:v> !! Kane ni itom.e money to
wa
tsukenai.'
fine mesh lines as-for will not attach
" I don' t care what it costs." (PL2) • n is a contraction of explanatory no and da is the PL2 equivalent of desu ("is/are"), but here the combination functions as a command. • kane ni itome olwa tsukenai (literally "not attach a string to the money"), is an idiomatic expression meaning "spare no expense/cost is no concern."
t!. ;_, -) ...
(Thinking): v'-::> iJ' 0:> , .::. lv lj: ltsu
kara
when from
konna
kuchi no kikikata made
sareru
this kind of manner of speaking as far as is done (to me)
yo ni natta got so that
n
daro ...
(explan.) I wonder
I wonder when it ot so the s oke to me like this? (PL2) • kuchi o kiku means "speak" and -kata after the stem of a verb means "way/manner of doing," so kuchi no kikikata ="manner of speaking."
~l. ___N__am__e_p_la-te_:~Matsue th=\=ii==~------------------------------------------------------------_j MA NGAJ t N
77
A rdl
78
M ANGAJIN
x ~ .¢!.
• Ningen Kosaten
A
Matsue: t::. t!. 'v \ 1
fill~~.¢!.
• Ningen Kosaten
o
Tadaima.
''I'm home." • tadaima literally means " right now/just now," but it's the standard greeting used when returning home. Mrs. Matsue gives the standard reply to this greeting in the next frame.
0-kaeri-nasai
anata
lma
welcome home
dear
now just/exactly
chiido
Masahiko-san
ga
(name-hon .)
" Welcome back dear. Masahiko has ·ust come and... ~7J:X. t Sanae to (name)
*s~~:tl: (J) kekkonshiki 110
with
wedding
;f~~ siidan
~ o
kite,
(subj.) come-and
(PL2)
l"'Cv\o t .:7:> shite-iru
('s) consultation (obj.) are doing
lJ:(J) o
tokoro
na no.
place
(explan.)
" ... is talking over the wedding_(!lans with Sanae." (PL2) • kaeri-nasai is a relatively gentle command form of the verb kaeru ("return home"), so it is literally like saying "Go home/Come home." But with the honorific prefix o-, it is the standard greeting given when someone comes home: "Welcome home/welcome back." Informally it is often shortened to just o-kaeri. • anata literally means "you," but it is also typically used by Japanese wives in addressing their husbands. • s!Jite-iru is the progressive ("is/are - ing") form of suru ("do"). • tokoro literally means "place," but when placed directly after verbs it can imply, depending on the tense of the verb, "just now did/are doing/will do.'' • na no is the form the explanatory no takes when following a noun; na no desu is implied. Ending a sentence with na no has a feminine sound.
lssho
ni ichido
na n
desu mono,
one life in one time (explan.) is/are because
"ill_ecause) it's once in a lifetime," (PL2) .i:>'fuill (J) ~ !i P,?,I'JI'I ~~iff o-ironaoshi
no toki wa
shomei o
. I:Lt::.v\
goka
b-:; 0
ni shi-tai
(hon.)-change of dress ('s) time as-for lighting (obj.) splendid want to make it/choose
" I want the li htin to be reall s ectacular for m entrance after (PL2)
li I?,
:::.. (/)
Hora
kono kiisu
look/see
this
:::I-
t!. t
:A
:i: ~
*~ !!
h. t::. 'v' "("
da to Takarazuka mitai de
course/plan if it is Takarazuka
suteki!
is like-and
wonderful/divine
" Look! With this Jan it's reall wonderful like the Takarazuka Theater." (PL2) • ironaoshi, literally ''color change/correction," refers to the Japanese wedding custom of having the bride go through at least one change of dress, and often several, in the course of the reception. • ... ni shi-tai is the "want to" form of ... ni suru, " make it . . ./choose .. .'' • "want it to be ... " • Takarazuka is an all-female theatrical troup famous for producing spectacular musicals. • hora is an interjection used to get the listener to focus his/her attention on something. • kiisu, a katakana rendering of English "course," is used in Japanese to refer to a wide variety of pre-packaged plans/deals/set menus/etc.
Masahiko: -f
n -z:
Sore
de
that
with
~
o t "A 8 TJ fil
yaru
to
roppyakuman-en
gurai
kakaru
do
if
6 million yen
about
will take/cost (colloq.)
ne,
" If we do it with that P-lan, it will cost about 6 million yen." (PL2)
nHT
~
To bIt
t!.
iJ' I? ,
Sono hoka ni
Yiiroppa
ryokii o
suru wake
da
kara,
besides that
European
trip
-(- 0) ii iP 1: 3 -
t:1 / I {
(obj.) do
(explan.) is/are because/so
"Besides that we'll go on a tri to Euro e so ..." (PL2) 7J: lv t!.iJ> lv t!. "(" fil iii < 7J: 0 J: 0 Nanda-kanda
de
+:n
issenman-en chikaku naru
one thing and another with 10 million yen near
yo.
will become (emph.)
" ... with one thin and another it will be close to 10 million • • • •
to after a verb gives a conditional " if/when" meaning. kakaru means "takes/requires," or, when speaking of money, "costs.'' wake means "reason/cause" and can often replace the explanatory no when giving explanations. at the current rate of exchange, ¥6 million is approximately $48,000; ¥10 million is $80,000.
MANGA JlN
79
A
r., ~ ~ .~ • Ningen Kosaten
tJ.· (J)
f.L. ~ ii ' IJ'
l
J::HL~
t.J I! t, A.
-~ "'('>'
....... ??.{ ..., ;;:
"'"t~t.:.
....... 13 J: ~.......
11
~ 3~ ~~ il I 1:**. ~-ft~
--
80
MANGA JIN
--
- - --~
A /Ill::;.:: X: .'.'i • Ningen K asaten
------------ -----------------------
-------
Daijlibu
yo
11e,
Oriisama.
okay/all right {cmph.) righl?
Farher
"That's okl!)'.jsn' t it Father?" (PL2-4) • 11e with a long vowel means the speaker strongly assumes agreemenr from rhc person being addressed. • Orosama i~ a more polite equivalent of Oto.mn (''father"), but yo 11e makes her tone informal and very familiar. It is not unusual for children of ··polite'' families to be taught to always address their fathers thi s way no matter how informal they may be in the rest o f their speech.
Mats ue: -
c: + lv ~ ;131fz
T· !J fii?! c' -? l 'l
/sse11ma11·en?
Doslrire
10 m1lhon )CO
why
~~~A kekkonslriki ni "cdding
sonno
o-kane
o
kakenakya nara11ai
11
have to spend
(cxplan.-?)
for 1ha1 kind of money (obj.)
da.
" 10 million ven ?! Why s hould we have to spend that kind of monev on a wedding?" (PL2) • kakenakya naranai is a colloquial equivalent of kakenakereba naranai, the "must/have to'' form of kakeru ("budget/spend money"). • asking a question with n(o) da sounds quite rough. and is usually done only by males.
Mrs. Mats ue:
if>~ t.:.
M Nani "hat
o
ille-ru
no
(obj.) arc saying
...
anata ...
(explan.-?) dear
" What arc you saying.__dcar? { ;·l ll~ i$1:
Wlfi;' Lt.:.
Jt;JJ Se11gersu lm.l month
anended
Pror. lwnla
MU.~
f))
shusseki shita Iwata kyoju no
!v
musume-san
no kekko11slriki wa,
('s) daughtcr-{hon.) ('s) wedding
as-for
" Professor Iwata's da ughter 's wedding that we attended last month '--'--'
=r TJ
t'-? )§·X. t.:.-? 'l do ktmgt1eta ue
nisenman
li
-IJ' n'-=> 'l ~ h o
11·a
kakaue-m
no maucr how (youjrhink !of •II 20 million al least
cos1
ll'a. (colloq.)
" ... cost 20 miJiion no matter how you look at it." (PL2)
.:.
n --c- ~
-t.L.
ri
Warashi
ll'a
kore de
Ume
a~-for
thi s
1110
even
t
'!i ~ ~· ~ t yasu-sugiru to too cheap
.'~'. ? 'l -t J: o omorte·masu yo.
(quote) think
(emph.)
" I think we're heine too che:w~ven as it is." (PL2) i~ a contraction of iue-iru. the progressive ("is/are - ing") form o f iu ("say"). kakaue-ru b a contraction of kaka11e-iru. the progressi ve form of kakaru ("take/require/cost"). and omoue-masu is a contraction of omotle·imasu. the PL3 progressive form of omou ("think"). • dii kangaeta tie is a colloquial equivalent of do kangaere mo, "however/whatever one thinks."
• i11e-ru
~
(Thinking):
*li },)
Kekkvoku
(j:
1: -IJ'
wa
kane ka?
the end/fin:ll analysis a~- for money ?
So in the end, it' money, is it? • Ever ything comes down to money. (PL2) 7 ;'\ -
~
Karascn,·a Apiiro
Karasawa Apartments Sign: JliiJ~
~f.tfRU I;R f*.r\:~1± Karasall'a Sersubi KogyiJ Kabu.1·hiki-gaisha
Karasawa Equipment Manufacturing_Co.
Oji~an.
mara sakana kogashiclwrra
unclc/mJ\tcr
again
fi'>h
:ffF~~ ~ Y.~ .~k II Waunhi r\'iiri ::.en::.en dame
;fl. ,
lime
cookmg no good a1 all
vo!
scorched (regret)
~ (J) na 110
(cmph.)
J:
b ,
""'- ""'-""'- ""'- o
yo
ne.
he he he he!
(explan.) (emph.) (colloq.) (laugh)
"Oji an,. I burned the fis h again. I'm ·us t no g_ood_at cooking._am
I?~"
(PL2)
• the young goldfi h 'endor continues to call Kataoka Ojisan even though they are now on more familiar term~. " M ister" is not really an appropriate translation any more. and the more literal translation for ojisan. "uncle." doesn't \\Ork enher. ~owe use Ojisan as if it were a proper noun. • kogashichaua is a contraction of kogashite shimaua, from kogasu ("scorch/burn") and shimcm ("fini sh/ end"). Shimaulshimatla after the -re form of a verb implies the action is/was undesirable/regrettable. • ~en~en followed b) a negatl\e means ''not at all": using :en::.en with a non-negative like dame ("no good"> is a kind of slang that ha' emerged fairly recently in Japanese. MAN GAJIN
81
A rdl '3(: ~ .¢!. • Ningen
K~saten
'"~.f~
_,, c, 7 : _,, lj '/)'
_,, '/)' ! > "')
c,
fi
~ l.. A.~
"(
;t,·
c: "') "')
'
82
M ANGAJIN
J, llll
------------------
~
,m !'•. •
Ningen Kosaten
~L-----M--a-ts-u-e:--~------------------------------------------------------------~ I
"Huh?"
"Sound" FX:
:r-
1)
;t; 1)
Pori pori (effect of scratching hi head -
Kataoka:
a gesture of embarrassment or confusion)
'k li Jirsu wa
isslriikan-mae
kara issho ni kurashire-iru
actually/in fact one week before/ago from
n da ...
together
"Actually, we've been living together
have been living (ex plan.) since a week !lgO." (PL2)
• jirsu = '' truth," so jirsu-wa is literally "as for the truth .. .'' In many cases it is used to confirm the truth or correctness of some information, but it is also often used primarily to show politeness or reserve, as when breaking some bad news to someone. or when revealing an embarrassing secret. • -mae after a time word means that long ··ago" (in relation to the present) or "before" (in relation to some other event/point in time). • kurashire-iru is the progressi ve form of kurasu ("live" in the sense of passing the time/getting by from one day to the next). lssho ni kurasu ="live together": dosei suru ha the same meaning. but has more of the tone of "shack up wi th...
§']
Vendor:
-t-?! _, SQ, is so
"That's right." (PL2) Matsue:
a;;, ... -t-?1.1' ! } lJ '?7j:1.1'?t.: ,
J\J\J\1\ o
A
so ka!
Shiranakarw.
Ha ha ha ha
Oh
is it so?
didn't know
(laugh)
"Ah ... I see. I didn' t know. Ha ha ha ha." (PL2) • shiranakaua is the past form of shiranai ("don't know"). f rom shiru ("come to know").
Nl}l7nen 20 years
ijo
omae
more than
you
ro :wro
" I've been/worked with you all :: :: .f.1f rdj (J) i:l i X. Ii koko /uuuoslrikan no here
half-year
of
issho ni ira
kedo.
wi th all along
omae you
was/were together with but along for over 20 year~ but .._._."
wa
7JUA bersujin
(7)
J: -? t!. o
no yo da.
as- for different person is/arc like
" ... here in the last six months_j'ou seem like a diiTerent__person." (PL2) • :uno by itself can mean "a long time:· but when another period of time has been mentioned. it means " steadily throughout' ' that period.
• ita i the past form of iru ("be/exist"). • kedo = keredo ="but" • koko literally means "here/this place," but the word is used idiomatically with time periods to mean "the recent/the last [specified period]." Koko hamoshikan 110 omae is literally " you of the last half year."
@]
Vendor:
h
?
-r '? ?
lue-rasshai.
l ~ v' , i:l L. ~ lv ! Ojisan!
" Have a nice day, O~an!" (PL2) • iue-rasshai is the standard phrase used to send off someone leaving for work, school. an errand. or any other excursion from which the person will return home. '·Have a nice day" is only an approximation. The phra~e is actually a contraction of i11e irasshai. literally. "go and come (homer · spoken in command form.
to be continued in the next issue of MANGAJIN M ANGA JtN
83
Vocabulary•Sum m a r y
linJ.> }JUJ5 tJ;
bareru bekkyo bya byoin lti]jl, doi ro;ff? dorobo c:·-=> ~ I'J dossari 5t00 eikoku ~rp: Juhei f ujiibun ~+73' RA gan ~~ goka ~~.:£~~ gori-shugisha Af.$:891: gutaiteki ni Li 1j: ;h. .Q hanare ru .OC~-t.Q hansei suru 7*.4:-tJ.> hasei suru 3€£{-t.Q hatten suru 3~161: hijo-ni 51~~~ hikinuki ~11 ~ Tii{.Q hikisagaru Li'-=>ii'ITJ.> hikkakeru ~-=t himo £-~ hitsuyo ~:iF hyoji ft7'~ t igai-to ~~ igaku ika daigaku ~f.li-*~ ~~ jikken t.-=>ti"J.> jitto suru 7Eflti"J.> jiiden suru kaigishitsu ~1111* ~~ kaijo ~Ji kaiken :15- .Z$ kanga egoto :lt.ZJ.> kangaeru .~.1\f kanja ~t. kanji tJ 0 1)karorii i!!!? kayou *6~\r:A: kekkonshiki M~ kenkyii m~-tJ.> kensetsu suru iR:5)J.> kimeru Rc;gkisha i.l:ft kiso ~t.Jr-t kogasu '::J/77 kontakuto ~I'J~L kurikaeshi
mwc
"
be found out/discovered (marital) separation second(s) hospital consent/agreement robber lots/loads of England complaint inadequate/insufficient c ancer splendor/gorgeousness pragmatist concretely/definitely come apart/separate/leave reflect on/repent derive from/originate in develop very/extre mely recruitment/scouting withdraw/pull back hang/hook (on) string necessity marker/indicator surprisingly/unexpectedly medical science medical college/university experiment(s) hold still/be quiet (re)charge/electrify conference room meeting place interview (deep) thinking think/ponder patient(s) feeling/sense calorie(s) commute/go back & forth wedding ceremony researc h construct/build (a building) decide (newspaper) reporter basis/foundation scorch/burn contact lens repetition/reiteration
~·llP
*%f4 ~-
~It J.> ~'? jj~5)
J.>
)! '?It J.> ~-t
MW! ;J<:~J.>
~~
9R fPJJJ ~lfJ.>
Ardl .t:>5)13~t
1f!l!JX ~t-t
J!t-? ~b.Q f}~~
jl**
~~ ~~89 ~~An B~·
P.X. J}J -t .Q
.4:ili -tt-J< ·L'fte if!~
m.iJ.> it~
-~ -=Ftt>r l±lfffii"J.> 1f-J f.$:7'}~ffl
Jl!£ ~.4:-tJ.>
w-m-tJ.>
mltl:li"J.> ~nJ.J
1t?
J)j5).Q tr-t;,mJ.> ~.fb~U
*9!t~
kyofu kyiiryo mado makeru matsu mitomeru mitsukeru modosu mandai motomeru muri musume nanigoto nigeru ningen omeome-to ash ii otosu
terror wages/salary/pay window lose/be defeated wait (v.) recognize/acknowledge find/locate return/replace problem seek/demand unreasonableness daughter whatever run away/escape/flee human (being) tame ly/unforcefully seizure/confiscation drop (v.) O tt chase/pursue/drive owaru end/finish/complete ran so ovary/ovaries renraku communication/contact rikon divorce (n.) rinri-teki ethical sanfujinka Ob-Gyn sawag i uproar/hubbub seiko suru succeed seimei life setsuku de mand/press fo r shinpai worry/concern/fear shinpo advancement/progress shizumaru become quiet/settle down shokudo restaurant shorui paper(s)/document(s) shujutsu surgery shusseki su ru attend/be present sodatsu mature/grow up taigai jusei in vitro fertilization taikan resignation (from post) tanjo suru be born teikyo suru offer/provide tekishutsu suru extract/take o ut tsukareru become tired tsukau use/make use of tsutomeru work/be employed uc hikiru cut off/put an end to yakuhin-gaisha pharmace utical com yuka floor zangyo overtime
The Vocabulary Summary is taken from material appearing in this issue of M ANGAJIN. It 's not always possible to give 1he compo.~ range of meanings for a word in chis limited space, so our "dejinilions" are based on I he usage of I he word in a panicular SUWl
88
MAN GAJ !N
