Tag: Japanese

An Analysis of English to Japanese Translation in the novel Pachinko

Presenter: Elizabeth Chandler − Global Studies, Japanese

Faculty Mentor(s): Glynne Walley

(In-Person) Oral Panel—Comics, Classics and Analysis

The research in this analysis focuses on the translation choices to both convey and introduce subtext surrounding the cultural and linguistic identity of the zainichi Koreans to the 2017 Japanese translation of Pachinko by Korean American author Min Jin Lee. It follows the story of a multi- generational zainichi Korean family, who moved to Japan a decade or so before the beginning of World War 2 and ends in 1989, many years later. The story covers many decades of Japanese history, focusing on its treatment of and evolving cultural identity of zainichi Koreans. This is explored and conveyed in both original and translation, but it is the translations distinct differences attributed to a variety of factors that alters the novels subtexts surrounding this unique cultural identity. The of research will examine some of the more specific and broader choices made by the translator, Makiko Ikeda, throughout the duration of her translation in relation to this subject. This was accomplished by a close reading of certain passages within the text, and then comparing them to their English equivalent, accounting for cultural and historical implications of the translator’s word choice. This analysis will be broken into two main focuses: that of the foreignization of the text and the domesticating aspects. Ultimately, it is their effects on the implied and overt subtexts that they either reinforce or create in comparison to the original that are the primary conclusions of this analysis.

Acoustic Sources of Accent in Second Language Japanese Speech

Presenter(s): Hayli Brown—Linguistics, Japanese

Faculty Mentor(s): Kaori Idemaru

Session 1: Speech and Sound—Can you Hear Me?

This study extends previous findings on the perception of pitch accent in Japanese second language speech (L2) and further analyzes its effect on the word level in isolation . Previous research revealed that pitch accent is the strongest acoustic factor that affects how accented a speaker sounds
when speaking Japanese as an L2 . Analyzing this effect at the word level will inform us on where this accentedness is heaviest in a phrase . Japanese speech samples were collected from 20 American English speakers (10 speakers in both second and third year groups) studying Japanese . The L2 participants provided speech samples of 18 words both with and without a native speaker model . Pitch patterns 0 (LHH), 1 (HLL), and 3 (LHL) were examined in words that had three morae— units of time, which are given separate pitch accents to create a tonal pattern in Japanese . Native Japanese listeners (10 participants) rated the samples with regard to degrees of foreign accent . Words with Type 0 and Type 2 pitch accents were rated the highest for having a perceived foreign accent . Perceived foreign accentedness was also rated higher for the second year group of Japanese learners . Further research should be conducted to ascertain the exact acoustic or phonological motivations for these results, but the difference between English and Japanese intonation patterns is considered as one motivation in this study . With more research, the findings of this study may provide useful tools for better pronunciation teaching methods with the goal of achieving native-like fluency .