Re: [tlug] Free program translates Euro languages to/from English

[Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>]

On 11/3/05, Drew Poulin <poulin@example.com> wrote:

> Please allow this chronic lurker to pipe in, since is a rare case where
> I might have something to say.

You are always welcome.

> This is just uneducated speculation, but it has occurred to me that the
> difference between Japanese and English, at least, may be that with
> Japanese it's understood that the burden of understanding lies with the
> reader/listener, while with English that burden lies with the
> writer/speaker.

This seems to be true.

> If there's any truth to this, maybe it could be
> explained on a sociological level by the traditional emphasis on
> hierarchy in Japanese society.  The reader/listener accepts the role of
> student/underling, along with burden of understanding what is being
> communicated, while the speaker/writer plays the role of sensei/boss,
> who is free to be as clear or as ambiguous as they please.

A very interesting theory indeed. I mentioned this to my wife, and she
had an interesting response. She said that, while your theory is
certainly true to a point, another (complementary, not exclusive)
explanation could be that Japanese speakers tend to avoid directness
and assertiveness as much as possible, which has the result of making
a bit of work for the listener to determine what is *really* being
said.

Cheers,
Josh