At < About Me >, as one devoting oneself to the Language Profession, I would like first to touch on my intercultural background from a geographical and intercultural perspectives.

I am of an Okinawan 28th generation, maybe from Kume-jima, about 100 km west of Naha Harbor.

My Okinawan grandfather took all of his village people to Hawaii for emigration.

Father was graduated from University of Colorado Boulder (MechlEng).
He lost his first job in New York at the time of the Great Depression in 1929. He failed to get the next job in the Japan Main Land because he was not a graduate from a Japanese university and because he was an Okinawan, not Main Land Japanese.

Because he was employed in Taiwan by a Dutch company, I was born in Tanshui and grew up during my early days in Taipei.

Probably this experience seemed to nurture within me the feeling of familiarity with other Asian and North and South American people.

Fortunately, I have visited more than 30 countries in the world so far on business. As a result, such experiences have positively influenced my expertise in language-related services by enriching cultural perspectives and observations about people, languages and social systems of the world.


1. < My Three Linguistic Professions>
Ⅰ am basically a Freelance EngJpn
- Translation Proofreader /　 Reviewer
- Consecutive Interpreter, and
- Translator
(Experienced for 41 years in total)


2. < Professional Due Diligence: My Uniqueness in EngJpn profession>
My uniqueness lies in the heavy Due Diligence as Translational Quality Management in the categories listed above.
As the quality management of the EngJpn translation services, special cultural cares are taken as follows:

- < Grasp the Subject Matter, its Purpose or Aim and Relevant Circumstances >
- < For grasping them, Customer-Oriented Examinations are made >
Further, for the Japanese language,
- *
*I think the use tends to degrade the quality of the translator and translation, except for some spheres like scientific these and patent applications.
　　 *For this reason, I hesitate using CAT for Japanese
*I even hesitate receiving Rush Works for the sake of the Japanese-specific cultural aspects of Due Diligence.

I’d like to touch on the following 3 cultural aspects of the Japanese language that I think are specifically important for translators**:**there are many others.

✿1. “Japanese Sentence-ending Particles”
“written Japanese Sentence-ending Particles” to be considered for translation styles: “Desu – Masu” style versus “De’aru” and “Da” styles
To simply put:
1. Desu – Masu is a polite style and commonly used such as for commercial pamphlets. You will hear speech of this style on the TV and radio.
2. De’aru is a rigid style and commonly used for academic / scientific papers.
3. Da is a simple and declarative style and newspapers mostly employ it.
That is, the translator will have to decide on which translation style, in the beginning, from “Desu – Masu” (not blunt ~ polite), “De’aru” (pedantic) and “Da” (declarative) for the sake of the reader / listener.

✿2. "Politeness"
"Politeness" may be a second most important as well as difficult cultural aspect of Jpn translation:
If you can read Japanese, please refer to my since the explanation there is different from that below because it follows what is taught in Japanese middle schools.

- Choice of socially acceptable norms of "Politeness" in expression.
"Politeness" is particularly important for client-oriented marketing media and materials because they are targeted to particular genders (feminine vs. masculine, or both), age brackets (exclusive or inclusive), senior or junior (or both), societal classes / groups (relevant or irrelevant), desirable feelings / touches (such as jovial or serious), and so forth.

"Politeness" can be described in many ways, such as, by sentence-ending particles Desu-Masu, Verb + Kudasai (like, Matte kudasai, Please Wait.), prefix O + person-related word + suffix Sama (e.g. Okyakusama→O-kyaku-sama = polite expression of Guest(s), etc.

Mistaken choices of polite expressions, even excessive politeness, may easily trigger psychological or mental rejections of Japanese readers or listeners.

✿3. “Four Japanese Notation Systems”
The third most difficult cultural aspect of Jpn translation may be the knowledge of “Four Japanese Notation Systems”:

Some examples are shown in the following table together with Inflected Kanji：

・大和(やまと)言葉(ことば): English
私 わたし ワタシ watashi I
・漢語(かんご)
金魚　　　　　 きんぎょ 　　　　キンギョ　　　　 Kin’gyo　　　　 Gold fish
・外来語(がいらいご)：
煙草 　　　　　たばこ 　　　　　タバコ 　　　　　tabako 　　　　　tobacco

Inflected Kanji：　送り仮名つき漢字(かんじ)
1. 動詞(どうし)：　 漢字(かんじ)+ひらがな, または, 漢字(かんじ)+カタカナ　
　　　　　　　　　書く ← かく 　　　　　　書ク ← カク kaku write

2. 形容詞(けいようし)：漢字(かんじ)+ひらがな または 漢字(かんじ)+カタカナ：
　 美しい←うつくしい, 美シイ←ウツクシイ, utsukushii, beautiful

Explanation:
- Kanji (Chinese character as it is): Almost all Japanese family / given names in single / plural Kanji pose problems of how to pronounce even for Japanese.

--Kanji inflected: with Kana (Hiragana / Katakana) added after a Chinese character to show its meaning and pronunciation, being set by the Ministry of Education and Science.
　
- Hiragana: the Japanese Rounded Cursive Syllabary

- Katakana: angular Japanese Syllabary used primarily for loanwords (e.g. foreign names), and

- Roma-ji: Romanized Syllabary Japanese Syllables
As for me, I like and use Revised “Hepburn System” proposed in 1885 (e.g. Shinbun instead of Shimbun for newspaper).

--Romaji Variants:
There are some variants officially mandated for various public uses (e.g. Railroad / Road signs, Passport, etc.).

Please refer to Wikipedia,
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing_system >

Remark: Because of such complex and difficult 3 aspects and others of the Japanese language, I have been requested to review , though I am a non-native.


3. < Online tools help in the EngJpn Translation > Due Diligence –continued-:
✿1. Web-based Dictionaries, such as
- < Eijiro-on-the-Web (Pro) >:
There are a variety of examples of word usages, etc. available at Eijiro. Besides, Double / Reverse Checking of Meanings via Eng-Jpn and Jpn-Eng are easily and conveniently possible.

- < Weblio, Eng-Jpn Jpn-Eng and Jpn-Jpn dictionary >:
I use it all the time and for Proper Nouns (such as names of governmental organizations), Technological / Industrial / Legal Terminologies, for EngJpn, and reverse checks, quite conveniently.
Weblio also presents a variety of word usages, etc. and the Double / Reverse Checking similar to those of Eijiro.

- < BusinessDictionary.com >:
It’s useful for (re)confirmation of English business terminologies.

✿2. Web-based Information Search:
- < Wikipedia >
Wikipedia is generally very useful for various purposes such as getting to know specific circumstances, cultural aspects, etc. However, as Wikipedia sometimes admits, some articles need reinforcement, additions and what not.

✿3. Text Change Tracking / Comment / Recording tools:
For Microsoft Word format, they are effectively used for words, phrases and sentences as necessary, for Proofreading.　As for Excel, the tracking function is limited but still useful.


4. < Three Categories of Works I Prefer >:
i) Business / Business Management (a total of 41 years of experience)
Particularly, I’m able to broadly deal with
- Market- & Culture-related Items such as Brochures, Pamphlets, Branding, Cultural Exchange, Home Page, International Marketing,: where Soft and Creative Translation is welcome.

- I’m also able to broadly support firms in business in EngEng and EngJpn in these areas.

ii) Engineering and Engineering Management (total 30 years)
Particularly, I’m able to broadly deal with
- Engineering in general, Eco / Energy, Architecture, Construction.
- I’m also able to support firms in EngEng and EngJpn in these areas.

iii) Human Resources & Organization Development (HRD & OD) (total 28 years)
Particularly, I’m able to broadly deal with

- HRD / OD / Training and Their Management.

- I’m also able to support firms in Business in EngJpn in these areas.


5. < Place of My Services >
I am available anywhere the world over, even at Skype Tele Conference, as Freelancer of the Three Professions.
I also welcome being internationally employed or dispatched as far as serviceable.

Please take time to read My CV attached with this Profile to make sure:
Thank you. Saburo