Aug 21, 2010

Beautiful Haiku of Summer [うつくしい夏の俳句]



I went to the library yesterday to borrow a book on the haiku's seasonal terms. I was especially fascinated by the seasonal terms of summer and that's why I wanted to translate & introduce some of the things I thought were impressive. Hope you enjoy them. If there is any advice on my translation, please let me know by e-mail or telephone. Or just speak to me directly.

I am lucky that I am able to work as a CATIA specialist right now. It's really challenging but I enjoy working at all times. Besides the technical work, I translate technical documents from Japanese to English, which is also fun to do. Although I am not going to write about my routine work here, I want to present my English translation on some haiku poems I happened to find in a book. Please enjoy reading all that. I am sure that, by doing it, you might be able to imagine what kind of English I write when I translate. I am doing this also because I am hoping that this trial might be a good practice to better my translation skills on any business documents.

現在、ありがたいことにCATIAの仕事をやらさせていただいております。
非常に大変ですが、非常に素晴らしい職場環境の中、忙しく楽しく仕事をしております。

ところで、私はドキュメントの英訳の業務もやっているのですが、
翻訳センスの向上をいたしたいという思いがいつもございます。

それで今回は、俳句の翻訳(英訳)をしたいと思います。
仕事の話は出ませんが、私の英訳文からどうぞご推測ください。
まだまだ学ばねばならないのですが、いつでも、いいビジネス文書・翻訳文書を書けるようになりたい、という思いから、趣味の領域にて翻訳の練習をしてみた次第です。

図書館で『俳句月別歳時記』(高橋悦男・編/博友社)を借りました。
英訳についてアドバイス等ございましたら、お会いした際にでも教えてください。(E-mail、電話でも大丈夫です。)

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[1. 打ち水] uchi-mizu: spreading of water

夏の日中の埃をしずめ、また涼を呼ぶため庭や路地、店先に水を打つ

"Uchi-mizu" is to spread water during summer to prevent dust to blow off or to make the place look cooler.
People do it specifically in front of a house, a narrow path or a sidewalk.

1-1
水打つや森のひぐらし庭に来る (水原秋櫻子)


  • as i spread the water
  • cicada comes to the yard
  • out from the wood

1-2
水打ってスーパー開店五分前 (飯田弘子)


  • spreading the water out
  • 5 minutes are left
  • before the store opens


[2. 岩魚(いわな)]
iwana: trout
渓流魚。アユやヤマメよりも上流にいる。

Trout are usually found in clear river streams.

2-1
渓流に木洩れ日の揺れる岩魚小屋 (由良つやこ)


  • rapid stream of the mountain river
  • the sunshine flickers...
  • onto a trout's nest


[3. 夏期講習会]
kaki koshu-kai: a summer course lecture

夏休みの間に予備校等で行なわれる講習会

3-1
黒板の裏の海原夏期講習 (橋本鶏二)

  • Beyond the blackboard
  • spreads a wide open beach
  • a summer course lecture


3-2
夏期講座開閉しげき自動ドア (渋川)

midst of a summer course:
there are opening & closing
of an automatic door




[4. 日傘]
higasa: a parasol
夏の日差しをさえぎるための傘。海水浴場ではビーチパラソルが用いられる。

"Higasa" is an umbrella used as a sunshade especially in summer. At a beach, a beach parasol is used.

4-1
空の色 透かし レースの傘開く (木塚とめ子)

  • a lace parasol opens
  • the azure blue sky
  • it's see-through


4-2
大型の パラソル広げ 果実売る (関根淑子)

  • a large parasol opens
  • to start a business
  • dealing with fruits

4-3
晴天と 一つ色なり 日傘(ひからかさ) (一茶)

  • the parasol...
  • mingling with
  • the blue sky



[5. 夕立]
yudachi: sudden rain
短時間に降る激しい雨のこと。雷を伴う。夏に発生しやすく、昼から夕方にかけて起こることが多い。

Yudachi (sudden shower) is about a rain in summer that suddenly starts & stops shortly. This happens with a thunder & lightening mostly from noon to evening.

5-1
驟雨来る肉屋で借りる真っ赤な傘 (初村)


sudden shower in the afternoon
a butcher lends me
a bright red umbrella


[6. 炎天(炎熱)]
enten/ en-netsu: the boiling sun
日盛り時のもえるような空。

the sky of the hottest time of the year

6-1
炎熱や勝利の如き地の明るさ (中村草田男)

  • lo, this boiling sun!
  • as if a triumph
  • the ground's so bright!


[7. 行水(ぎょうずい)]
gyozui: to bathe in an outdoor washtub
庭先や勝手先、湯殿等でたらいに湯を満たして汗を流す簡易な湯あみ

"Gyozui" means to take a bath in an outdoor washtub (an old Japanese people's behavior not only for little kids but even for adults, regardless of sex). -- It seems like that the Japanese had little hesitation about showing his/her naked body or seeing somebody else's because they are used to going to a public bath or spa.

7-1
行水の女に惚れる鴉(からす)かな (高浜虚子)

  • a bathing woman outside:
  • a crow finds her by chance
  • he's drawn closer...!


[8. 日盛り]
a hottest summer day (mostly from noon to 3 pm)
正午から三時ごろの、日中で最も暑い時間帯をいう。

8-1
ペンキ屋の仕事音なし日の盛り (山口)

  • the house painters
  • no more noise out there
  • a hottest day of summer
8-2
日盛りやとぎれがちなるピアノ曲 (福見)

  • a hottest day of midsummer
  • the piano practice from out somewhere
  • goes on and off...


[9. 麦茶]
roasted barley tea
炒った大麦を煎じた飲み物。香ばしく家庭的な夏の飲み物。

Barley tea is a roasted-grain-based tisane made from barley, which makes the japanese people feel at home.

9-1
セールスの男二杯の麦茶干す (松尾千代子)

  • the sales guy
  • drinks the barley tea I served
  • two glasses of it


[10. ソーダ水]
soda-sui: a soda pop
シロップに炭酸水を混ぜた飲料水

A drink that is made by mixing syrup and soda water.

10-1
ガールフレンド ボーイフレンド ソーダ水 (進)

  • a boyfriend
  • a girlfriend
  • a soda pop


[11. 日焼]
sunburn
紫外線の強い日光を浴びて、肌が黒く焼けること。

11-1
日に焼けし子の全身で眠りをり (矢口由起枝)

  • my kids, sunburned
  • are in a nap
  • the whole body


11-2
児の背丈日焼加えてまた伸びて (山根きぬえ)

  • my kid's got bigger
  • than ever before
  • with the sunburn


[12. サングラス]
sunglasses
夏の強い紫外線から目を守るための眼鏡。アクセサリーとしても用いられる。

12-1
サングラス はづして 妻に戻りけり (阿部寿雄)

  • with the sunglasses off
  • my wife is back to herself


12-2
見られいることを見ているサングラス (稲畑汀子)

  • staring at
  • whoever she thinks are staring at her
  • it's the sunglasses!


[13. 大暑]
taisho: a hottest summer day
二十四節季の一。陰暦七月二十三日ごろ。気温が最高になる。

13-1
山割りて水から没す大暑の陽 (中村草田男)

  • dividing the mountain
  • the sun submerge itself beyond
  • - the hottest day!


[14. 手花火]
tehanabi: portable firework
子供用の花火。手に持って火をつけて遊ぶ。

"Tehanabi" is about handy firework for kids to play. It is used by holding it by the hand to light a fire on it.

14-1
手花火や少女とまどう己(おの)が胸

  • portable firework
  • the little girl
  • secretly troubled by her breast


[15. 終戦記念日]
the war-end anniversary
昭和二十年八月十五日、太平洋戦争の終わった日

August 15th, 1945. The day when the world war II ended.

15-1
暮れ果ててなお鳴く蝉や敗戦日 (石田)

  • the day drew in already
  • still... cicadas chirp out
  • the war-end anniversary


15-2
原色のシャツに横文字終戦日 (西尾)

  • a flashy shirt
  • with alphabets on
  • ...war-end anniversary


[16. 冷奴(ひややっこ)]
cold tofu
豆腐をやっこに切って冷やし、生醤油に薬味を加えるなどして食べる。

a cold tofu, served on a little plate. Good to taste with soy sauce & spice on it.

16-1
二人の膳すぐに整う冷奴 (山根きぬえ)

  • only two of us -
  • dinner gets ready, so simple
  • cold tofu

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