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Welcome to our Japanese lesson blog. Every week or so, a JOI teacher posts a new entry, covering a range of Japanese and Japan-related topics. Try reading the Japanese version first, then scroll down to check your understanding with the English translation.

New Japanese vocabulary, phrases, and usage patterns appear in blue, with translation and usage notes at the bottom of the text. For a Kanji reading challenge, click the blue icon below to turn off furigana (the small hiragana above the Kanji). Please enjoy, and check back often for the latest topic.

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()(ほん)(じん)(はな)(かた)
Topic posted by Okazaki-sensei on 2008-12-21 15:54:36 GMT
 みなさんは()(ほん)(じん)(はな)しているとき、()(ぶん)(くに)では()られないような(はな)(かた)()づくときはありませんか。最近(さいきん)(けん)(きゅう)によると、()(ほん)(じん)(かい)()(なか)で「()(かえ)し」をたくさん使(つか)うそうです。「()(かえ)し」とは、たとえば(つぎ)のようなものです。  
A どこの(しゅっ)(しん)?  
B 広島(ひろしま)。  
A あー、広島(ひろしま)なの。  
B そう。(ひがし)広島(ひろしま)。  
A ああ、(ひがし)広島(ひろしま)ね。1回(いっかい)()ったことある。  
 外国人(がいこくじん)(はな)(かた)()(かく)をした(けん)(きゅう)でも、()(ほん)(じん)にはこの「()(かえ)し」が(おお)()られたそうです。これは(おお)くの()(あい)確認(かくにん)意味(いみ)(おこな)っているのではありません。ではなぜそうするのでしょうか。(かい)()で、もし「()(かえ)し」を使(つか)わなければ、(ほか)質問(しつもん)をしなければなりません。ですが質問(しつもん)をするということは、()(ぶん)(かい)()のイニシアチブをとるということになります。()(ほん)(じん)にはこれを()けたがる傾向(けいこう)があるようです。(つぎ)(かい)()西洋人(せいようじん)旅行者(りょこうしゃ)と、()本人(ほんじん)案内(あんない)(がかり)による(かい)()です。  
旅行者(りょこうしゃ):Is there a toilet around here?  
案内(あんない)(がかり):Would you like to use the toilet ?  
旅行者(りょこうしゃ):(Somewhat astonished) Sure I do !  
案内(あんない)(がかり):Please go down the steps....  
 この旅行者(りょこうしゃ)(げん)()(けん)(きゅう)(しゃ)ですが、なぜこんなことを()くのか不思議(ふしぎ)(おも)い、いろいろと考察(こうさつ)したようです。ですが()(ほん)(じん)からすれば、この質問(しつもん)(とく)意味(いみ)はないのです。ただ「そこの階段(かいだん)()りていってください」といきなり()うのは(すこ)しつっけんどんに(おも)えるから、やわらかく(つた)えようとしただけではないかと(おも)います。  
 
引用文献(いんようぶんけん)  
大浜(おおはま)るい()(1998)「()本人(ほんじん)(げん)()行動(こうどう)(だん)()展開(てんかい)のためのストラテジー-」  
・Mey,Jacob L.(1993):Pragmatics. An introduction. Oxford. Blackwell.  
(さわ)()(はる)()高司(たかつか)(まさ)()(やく)(1996)『ことばは()(かい)とどうかかわるか』ひつじ書房(しょぼう)  
 

 
今回は読解力をつけていただくことを中心に考えていますので語彙を提示しておりません。  
In order to enable you to practice your reading skills, this week's blog does not have a vocabulary list  
 

 
Japanese people's way of speaking  
 
When you talk to Japanese people do you ever get the feeling that there some ways of speaking that you do not use in your own country's language ? According to some recent research, apparently Japanese people use a lot of repetition in their conversations. By repetitions, I mean in conversations like the one shown below :  
A: Where are you from ?  
B: Hiroshima  
A: Really, Hiroshima ?  
B: Yes, I'm from Higashi Hiroshima/  
A: Oh, Higashi Hiroshima. I've been there once before.  
 
When researched, conversations between foreign people had less repetition than conversations between Japanese people. The reason for the reptition in many cases is not for the purpose of confirmation. Then why do we do this ? If we does not use repetition in the conversation, we would be have to ask another question instead. Asking questions in the conversation would constitute taking the initative of the conversation on ourselves. Japanese people tend to avoid doing this.  
The next conversation is one involving a Western traveller and a Japanese information desk guide.  
 
Traveller : Is there a toilet around here ?  
Guide : Would you like to use the toilet ?  
Traveller : (Somewhat astonished) Sure I do !  
Guide : Please go down the steps....  
 
As it turns out, this particular traveller was a language researcher and he thought it strange that the guide should ask him this question, so he made some inquiries about it. However from a Japanese person's point of view, this question has no specific meaning . Its just that to merely answer “Please go down those steps” in response would seem rather blunt, so I think she asked the question just in order to soften the response.  
 
References  
 
Oohama .Marui (1998) : [lit.]Japanese Linguistic Behaviour – Strategies for expanding conversations  
Mey,Jacob L.(1993) : Pragmatics. An introduction. Oxford. Blackwell.  
Sawada. Harumi/Takao. Masao (1996) : [lit.] How to relate to the world through words  
 

 
今回は読解力をつけていただくことを中心に考えていますので語彙を提示しておりません。  
In order to enable you to practice your reading skills, this week's blog does not have a vocabulary list
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