Angles Sensei Guest Lecture

 

アングル先生のレクチャーは とても たのしかたでした。    

マーティンのおすしは よかったです。 でも  おやつは おいしす。

I found the talk to be really interesting, especially the discussion about incorporating ideas and cultural phenomenons present in the mother tongue to the new language that you are beginning to learn and appreciate. I did find it interesting to see even well accomplished speakers like Professor Angles joke about frantically asking native speakers about specific structures and phrasing. After the event, I asked professor Angles about different questions related to translating, not only in terms of literature and the difference between speech patterns and colloquialisms of the era, but also the more modern development of international entertainment like film, television, and music. His comments were insightful, consisting of utilizing historical evidence to support certain ideological representations as well as purposefully mistranslated or mischaracterizing patterns to establish lower intellect of characters(like that of Huckleberry Finn utilizing less kanji than was typical in Japanese in order to represent his lower education status). I am curious about how Japanese natives who grew up in epicenters outside of Japan, like the US or Brazil, view translating, specifically how connotation and ideological representation vary between the two locations. I also found it interesting to see the continued reverence displayed to the art of poetry in Japan, a sharp contrast to the United States which has turned more to lyrical composition.

The event itself had a large turnout, with the room becoming filled quickly before it began, and the food afterwards was good, though the flavors of some of the snacks had a unique taste.