earticle

영어

It is often said that the Japanese language lacks logic, compared with its Western counterparts. Namely, the Japanese focus on emotional aspects of a speech or text, rather than on logic or precision. In fact, the Japanese often speak or write in a vague way based on his or her feelings or experience, instead of presenting numbers or data. However, a good speech need not always be logical and precise. What is important is the message, and therefore it is not desirable ― in any language ― to stick to logic at the detriment of the content. Nevertheless, in a multi-language environment where relay is practiced, interpreters of other languages often say that the into- Korean interpretation of their Korean-Japanese colleagues is "unique." Here, uniqueness means vagueness, lack of logic and understatements, all of which stand in the way of correct understanding. A language plays the crucial role in forming thoughts of a people using it, while serving at the same time as the vehicle of carrying them. Therefore, looking into the Japanese way of thinking reflected in their language can provide clues for unravelling the apparent vagueness or contradiction in a Japanese speech or text. In quest for these clues, this paper deals with the honorifics where the Japanese mentality are very well represented. At the same time, it discusses the results of a survey on what are the stumbling blocks the Korean-Japanese interpreters run into and how they overcome them.