翻訳と仲介Translation and Mediation
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Summarize a Japanese source text in Japanese for a specified audience without translating word for word.
- Adapt the same basic content differently for a general audience versus a specialized or institutional audience.
- Recognize and use paraphrase frames that restate a source's meaning while marking it as a restatement.
- Maintain consistent register across a mediated text, even when the source mixes registers.
- Maintain consistent terminology when a technical or institutional term recurs across a mediated text.
- Translate or adapt short practical notices and messages between Japanese and English for a defined audience.
- Identify information that must be preserved, softened, or omitted when mediating between a Japanese source and an English-speaking audience, and justify each choice.
- Write a short bilingual-format explanation that mediates a piece of Japanese information for an English-speaking reader.
Communication Scenario
Emma has been asked to help a visiting relative's English-speaking colleague, who is arriving for a short work placement near the shopping street she read about last chapter. The local ward office has posted a Japanese-language notice about a temporary road closure affecting the placement's building, and the shopping association has also shared a short internal message about extending the closure by a few days. Emma needs to read both, decide what the visitor genuinely needs to know now, and produce two different things: a short spoken explanation she can give the visitor in person, and a short written English-language notice she can post for the visitor's office to read later. The two versions will necessarily differ in length, tone, and detail, and Emma also has to keep a couple of Japanese institutional terms consistent so the visitor recognizes them if they see the originals again.
- The learner reads short Japanese notices and messages and identifies the information a specified audience actually needs.
- The learner produces a spoken summary in Japanese for a Japanese-speaking listener and a written mediation in English for an English-speaking reader.
- The learner listens to a short spoken explanation and identifies what was preserved, softened, or omitted from the source.
- The learner discusses mediation choices aloud, justifying what was kept, changed, or left out.
- The learner writes a short bilingual-format explanation that keeps key terminology consistent across both languages.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports summarizing, explaining to a specific audience, translating notices and messages, and mediating between Japanese and English. All items are selected for their usefulness in describing what a mediated text keeps, changes, or leaves out.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 要約する | ようやくする | to summarize | Productive する verb |
| 言い換える | いいかえる | to paraphrase, to rephrase | Productive; transitivity pair with 言い換わる (recognition only) |
| 対象読者 | たいしょうどくしゃ | target readership, intended audience | Productive compound |
| 用語 | ようご | terminology, term | Productive |
| 統一する | とういつする | to keep consistent, to unify | Productive する verb; used for terminology consistency |
| 補足する | ほそくする | to add supplementary information | Productive する verb |
| 省略する | しょうりゃくする | to omit | Productive する verb |
| 仲介 | ちゅうかい | mediation, intermediation | Productive; chapter focus term |
| 通知 | つうち | notice, notification | Productive; recycled from Ch. 8 |
| 案内文 | あんないぶん | guidance text, informational message | Productive |
| 読み手 | よみて | reader (of a given text) | Productive; contrasted with 書き手 (writer) |
| 分かりやすくする | わかりやすくする | to make (a text) easier to understand | Productive phrase |
All items above are productive for describing mediation choices. Learners are not expected to produce professional translation independently; production targets accessible summary, adaptation, and short notice mediation.
れんしゅう — Practice: For each item above, write one short sentence describing a choice you might make when explaining a Japanese notice to someone who reads only English.
Script and Orthography Focus
This chapter's script focus is bilingual formatting, verified names and dates, numeral conventions, and translation notes attached to ruby. Mediated texts often place a Japanese term beside its English equivalent; the two must be kept visually distinct and consistently paired.
When a Japanese term appears alongside its English equivalent, keep the pairing visually consistent throughout a document: for example, always give the Japanese term first in its normal script, followed by the English gloss in parentheses, such as 町内会（neighborhood association）. Do not switch the order partway through a document, and do not translate a proper name that has an official English form without checking that form first.
Dates and numerals in a mediated text should follow the convention of the target audience's language rather than being copied mechanically from the source. A Japanese date such as 六月十二日 should normally appear as "June 12" in an English-facing notice, not left in kanji numerals or converted digit-by-digit.
れんしゅう — Practice: Rewrite the phrase 商店会（しょうてんかい） as it should appear the first time it is introduced in a bilingual notice for English-speaking readers, and explain how later mentions in the same notice should be handled.
Pronunciation and Listening Focus
When mediating information aloud for someone who is listening for the first time, natural speakers slow their phrase-final pitch drops slightly and insert brief pauses at major information boundaries — after naming the topic, after giving the key fact, and before adding any qualification — so the listener has time to process each piece before the next arrives. This differs from the more continuous, evenly paced delivery of a read announcement. This chapter introduces listening awareness of this pattern; continue maintaining mora timing, vowel length, moraic ん, and phrase-level intonation as consolidated in earlier chapters.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter authorizes paraphrase frames, audience adaptation strategies, register-maintenance patterns, and terminology-consistency practices for controlled recognition and limited guided production. These are new systems for this volume and should be treated as introduced (I), not consolidated. Systems not listed here remain receptive or formulaic only, following the Part III matrices.
1. Paraphrase frames
Purpose: to restate a source's meaning in different words while marking clearly that the statement is a restatement rather than a new independent claim.
- つまり、道路が一時的に通れなくなるということです。In other words, this means the road will be temporarily impassable.つまり〜ということです — paraphrase marker
- 簡単に言うと、通知の内容は工事期間の延長です。Simply put, the notice is about an extension of the construction period.簡単に言うと — signals a simplified restatement
2. Audience adaptation
Purpose: to adjust the amount of detail, the vocabulary level, and the framing of the same content for a different reader or listener, without changing the underlying facts.
- 一般の方には、いつからいつまで通れないかだけ伝えれば十分です。For general readers, it is enough to convey only when the closure starts and ends.
- 関係者向けには、工事の理由や担当部署も説明する必要があります。For those directly affected, the reason for the work and the responsible department should also be explained.
3. Register maintenance
Purpose: to keep a consistent register throughout a mediated text, even when the source itself mixes a formal notice with an informal internal comment.
- この案内文全体を、丁寧な文体で統一してください。Please keep this entire notice in a consistently polite written style.
- 元のメモはくだけた言い方でしたが、通知にする際は改まった表現に直しました。The original memo used casual language, but I revised it into formal expressions for the notice.
4. Terminology consistency
Purpose: to use the same term for the same concept throughout a mediated text, rather than switching between near-synonyms that could confuse the reader.
- 「通行止め」という用語をこの文書全体で統一して使います。The term "road closure" is used consistently throughout this document.
- 「工事」と「作業」を混同しないように、用語を統一してください。Please keep the terminology consistent so that "construction" and "work" are not confused with each other.
Mediating a text well means deciding what a specific reader or listener actually needs, not reproducing every sentence of the source. A single Japanese notice might become a short spoken summary for one audience and a longer written explanation with added context for another, while both remain accurate to the source. Preserve facts, quantities, dates, and names precisely; the parts that may legitimately change are length, order, framing, and level of detail.
Grammar Practice
- Using つまり〜ということです, paraphrase the sentence 道路工事のため、六月十二日から十五日まで通行止めになります。 in simpler Japanese.
- Write one sentence explaining what information you would keep for a general audience and one sentence explaining what additional information you would add for someone directly affected by the closure.
- Find one place in the Model Passage below where a technical or institutional term is used, and explain how you would keep it consistent if you mentioned it again later in the same explanation.
Model Passage
通知の原文と仲介文 — A short original notice and its mediated explanation, written for this course
原文（区役所からの通知）
道路工事のお知らせ
下記の区間において、道路工事のため通行止めを実施します。
期間：六月十二日（木）～六月十五日（日）
区間：本町商店街東側の一部
担当：区役所道路課
ご不便をおかけしますが、ご理解のほどよろしくお願いいたします。
仲介文（一般向けの説明）
つまり、六月十二日から十五日まで、本町商店街の東側の一部が工事のため通れなくなるということです。急ぎでなければ、その期間は別の道を使うことをお勧めします。
This passage was written for instructional purposes and is not an excerpt from a published notice. It models the systems introduced in this chapter: a formal institutional notice, a paraphrase into simpler language (つまり〜ということです), and audience adaptation that keeps only the information a general reader needs.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What information from the original notice does the mediated explanation keep, and what does it leave out?
- Why might it be appropriate to omit the responsible department (区役所道路課) from the general-audience explanation?
- How would the mediated explanation need to change for someone whose workplace is directly on the closed section of the street?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Feature hunt. In the Model Passage, underline the paraphrase marker, the piece of information that was omitted from the general-audience version, and the added recommendation that did not appear in the original notice.
タスク２ — Two audiences. Write two short Japanese explanations of the original notice: one for a general passerby (two sentences) and one for a shop owner whose store is on the closed section (four to five sentences, including the reason and the responsible department).
タスク３ — Terminology check. List every place the term 通行止め could have been replaced with a near-synonym such as 通れない or 封鎖, and explain why keeping one consistent term is preferable in a short notice.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following short passage aloud, pausing briefly at each information boundary.
きくタスク — A short read-aloud excerpt
要約すると、来週の木曜日から日曜日まで、商店街の一部で工事があります。急いでいる方は、別の道を使ってください。詳しいことを知りたい方は、区役所道路課に問い合わせてください。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Listen at least twice. (1) Identify the paraphrase marker that signals this is a summary rather than a full notice. (2) Identify what a listener in a hurry is advised to do. (3) Identify who a listener should contact for more detail, and summarize the passage's content in one or two English sentences.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Signaling a mediated explanation aloud
- つまり、＿＿＿＿＿ということです。 (paraphrase a fact simply)
- 一般の方には、＿＿＿＿＿だけ伝えれば十分です。 (state what a general audience needs)
- この用語は、＿＿＿＿＿という意味で統一して使います。 (fix the meaning of a term for consistency)
コミュニケーションタスク — Explaining a notice to two different listeners
With a partner, take turns playing the role of a general passerby and a shop owner directly affected by the closure. The learner mediating the notice must give a different-length, different-detail explanation to each listener while keeping the underlying facts, dates, and location identical. The listener should ask at least one clarifying question after each explanation.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Recorded mediation
Record a short spoken mediation, in Japanese, of the original notice in the Model Passage for an audience of your choice (a delivery driver, a tourist, an elderly resident, or another audience you specify). State clearly which audience you are addressing and why you included or left out particular details.
Reading Practice
Read the short passage below, adapted for this course, and complete the comprehension and analysis questions that follow.
商店会からの内部連絡 — An original short internal message written for this course
各店舗の皆さまへ
先日お知らせした道路工事ですが、区役所から連絡があり、期間が二日延長されることになりました。新しい期間は六月十二日から十七日までです。ご不便をおかけしますが、営業時間の調整など、必要な対応をお願いいたします。
なお、工事期間中は、商店会の入口看板を東側の仮設通路に移動する予定です。詳しい配置図は後日配布します。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What has changed between this internal message and the original notice in the Model Passage, and how would you paraphrase the change in one sentence?
- If you were mediating this message for the same general passerby from the Model Passage, would the signboard relocation be information they need? Explain your reasoning.
- Identify one piece of information in this message that a shop owner would need but a general passerby would not, and explain why.
- Write one sentence, in Japanese, that keeps the term 通行止め or 工事期間 consistent with how it was used in the Model Passage while incorporating the extended dates from this message.
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short bilingual-format explanation (roughly six to ten sentences total, in Japanese with English glosses for key terms) that mediates the two source texts above for a specified English-speaking audience.
- Choose your audience — state explicitly who you are writing for (for example, a visiting colleague's office).
- Identify the facts that must be preserved — dates, location, and any action the reader must take.
- Write a paraphrased summary of the combined notices, using at least one paraphrase frame from this chapter.
- Introduce each key term once in the bilingual format 用語（English gloss）, then use only the Japanese term or only the English gloss consistently afterward, as appropriate to your audience.
- Adapt the level of detail to your chosen audience, adding or omitting information deliberately.
- Audit your explanation for factual accuracy against both source texts, consistent terminology, and consistent register.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I have named my intended audience explicitly.
- All dates, locations, and required actions match the source texts exactly.
- I have used at least one paraphrase frame to mark restated information.
- Each key term is introduced once in bilingual format and used consistently afterward.
- The amount of detail matches what my chosen audience actually needs.
- I have checked kanji, particles, dates, and numerals for accuracy.
Culture and Communication
Japanese institutional notices commonly include a closing apology or request for understanding, such as ご不便をおかけしますが、ご理解のほどよろしくお願いいたします, even when the institution has not made an error. This convention frames inconvenience as something to be acknowledged and shared rather than only apportioned as fault, and it is a routine feature of formal notices rather than a sign that something has gone wrong. When mediating such a notice for an audience unfamiliar with this convention, a mediator may choose to keep, soften, or briefly explain this framing depending on the audience's expectations.
Ward offices, municipal governments, neighborhood associations, and private organizations each have somewhat different house styles for notices, ranging from highly formal language to more direct, community-oriented phrasing. This chapter introduces one representative style; recognizing the specific conventions of a given institution takes continued exposure to that institution's actual materials.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Producing a full sentence-by-sentence translation of the original notice for a passerby who only needs to know the dates and location of the closure.
Correction: Identify what the specific audience actually needs and summarize accordingly: つまり、六月十二日から十五日まで、本町商店街の東側の一部が通れなくなるということです。, omitting details the audience does not need.
Error: Referring to the same closure as 通行止め in one sentence and 封鎖 in the next, causing the reader to wonder whether two different things are being described.
Correction: Choose one term and use it consistently throughout the mediated text: 「通行止め」という用語をこの文書全体で統一して使います。
Error: Paraphrasing 期間：六月十二日（木）～六月十五日（日） as ending on the sixteenth because the writer misread the source while simplifying it.
Correction: Preserve exact dates, quantities, and names precisely, even when simplifying surrounding language: the paraphrase may shorten the sentence, but the dates 六月十二日 and 六月十五日 must remain unchanged.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. For each item in the Core Vocabulary table, write one original sentence describing a mediation choice.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the readings for 仲介, 要約, 統一, and 補足 from memory, then check them against this chapter.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the Grammar Practice exercises above.
2. In your own words, explain the difference between paraphrasing a source and translating it word for word, using one example of each.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Complete the Reading Practice comprehension questions above.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your bilingual-format explanation following the Writing Workshop steps, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Complete the two-audience explanation task from Speaking Practice, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
通知を仲介する — Mediating a notice for two audiences
Complete all three parts below to demonstrate control of this chapter's systems.
- Reading analysis: Read both the Model Passage and the "商店会からの内部連絡" passage and write short answers, in Japanese where possible, identifying what changed between the two notices and which details matter for which audience.
- Spoken mediation: With a partner or instructor, deliver two spoken explanations of the combined, updated information — one for a general passerby and one for a directly affected shop owner — adjusting length and detail appropriately for two to three minutes total.
- Bilingual written explanation: Submit your Writing Workshop explanation, checked against its editing checklist.
Assessment focus: accurate preservation of dates, locations, and required actions across both mediated versions; appropriate use of paraphrase frames; consistent terminology and register throughout; a clear, justified distinction between what each audience needs; and accurate kanji, particles, and bilingual formatting throughout.
Answer Key
Vocabulary and Script Review
Open-ended for original sentences; check readings for 仲介 (ちゅうかい), 要約 (ようやく), 統一 (とういつ), and 補足 (ほそく) against this chapter.
Grammar Practice
Model answers: (1) つまり、六月十二日から十五日まで、道路が通れなくなるということです。 (2) For a general audience: only the dates and location of the closure are needed. For someone directly affected: the reason for the construction and the responsible department (区役所道路課) should also be included. (3) The term 通行止め appears in the mediated explanation; if mentioned again later, it should continue to be called 通行止め rather than switched to a near-synonym such as 封鎖, to avoid confusing the reader about whether the same closure is being discussed.
Model Passage — Comprehension
- The mediated explanation keeps the dates and the affected location, and omits the responsible department and the formal apology language.
- The responsible department is likely unnecessary for a general passerby, who does not need to know whom to contact, only that the road is closed and for how long.
- For a shop owner, the explanation would need to include the reason for the closure, the responsible department for inquiries, and likely a recommendation about business hours or customer access.
Listening Practice — Model summary
The phrase 要約すると marks the passage as a summary rather than the full notice; a listener in a hurry is advised to use a different road; a listener wanting more detail is advised to contact the ward office's road division (区役所道路課); the passage reports a one-part-of-the-shopping-street closure from Thursday through Sunday of the following week, with an alternate route suggested and a contact point given for further questions.
Reading Practice — Comprehension
- The closure period has been extended by two days, now running from June 12 to June 17 instead of June 12 to June 15; paraphrased: つまり、工事期間が二日延びて、六月十七日までになったということです。
- The signboard relocation is likely not necessary information for a general passerby, since it does not affect whether or when they can pass through the area; it is more relevant to shop owners and regular visitors who rely on the signboard to find the shopping street's entrance.
- The extended dates and the request to adjust business hours are relevant to a shop owner but not to a general passerby, since they concern how the shop itself should operate during the closure.
- Model sentence: 通行止めの工事期間は、六月十二日から十七日までに延長されました。
Chapter Review — Sections A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary and Script and Orthography Focus sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
See the Grammar Practice model answers above.
Chapter Review — Section D
See the Reading Practice comprehension answers above.
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written explanation against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the reading analysis and spoken mediation against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can read a Japanese notice or internal message and identify what a specific audience genuinely needs to know, paraphrase source information using clear paraphrase markers, adapt the same content differently for different readers or listeners while preserving key facts exactly, keep terminology and register consistent across a mediated text, and produce a short bilingual-format explanation that mediates Japanese information for an English-speaking reader. Chapter 14 continues Unit III by turning from mediation to regional and social variation, developing understanding of regional Japanese, heritage Japanese, youth language, and language change.