Hello again from J-List. This time, I’ve made the hop from Japan to San Diego and am enjoying the beautiful weather here (well, better than Japan anyway).
While passing through Narita some signs advertising the various shops located inside the airport caught my eye. “Watch out for your time! Sorry to make you so amazed!” one proclaimed, next to another that said, “This is the place where you can buy your ‘DREAM.'” I had to snicker, picturing the poor translator who had to convert the original Japanese slogans into English, despite the reality that some phrases just can’t be brought over in a way that makes them sound natural. I have a gaijin friend who works as a translator, and sometimes he gets jobs “editing” English translations that had been made by native Japanese speakers. Reading phrases like the above, I feel sorry for him.
