The Mother Tongue Language
Do you know Ms. Yuko Matsuoka? She is President of Seizansha publisher, and also, translator of all Harry Potter series. Once a year, there is lecture meeting “Asahi Young Session” held by Asahi Newspaper Company in Japan. Last year, I went to this lecture meeting, and lecturer was Ms. Matsuoka. As a translator of English book, she told us about language. I want to talk to all the reader regarding of this lecture meeting. This lecture’s title is “Dream, Language and little bit of Magic”. In this article, I want to mention only in the language. Kanda University is the language university, and many students are learning about another language, and many students wants to know more about foreign languages. However, Ms. Matsuoka mentioned to the importance of mother tongue language. I will list up the main ideas of her lecture.
* The most important language is mother tongue language.
To feel the original meaning of what it meant.
* Language has to be beautiful
Ms. Matsuoka’s example is the book of “Akai Rousoku to Ningyo” (The Red Candle and Marmaid), written by Mr. Mimei Ogawa (In this book, there is plenty of beautiful Japanese language, there is the inimitable expressions of color).
* Be Prolific of expression.
Example of translates “I” to Japanese language. “I” translate to Watashi, Boku (Both in Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana character), Ore, Wagahai, Oidon, and etceteras.
* Language has the life and the soul
Language can gives you courage, has power to save you, can change your life, also language can conversion you. Language has lots of power to change you.
* To who wants to be translator, read a book a lots.
To prolific the language expression, it is good to read many books, but not to feel reading a pain, to enjoy it.
Other than language, she mentioned that wide knowledge and correct language uses is needed in any field. This lecture is fit to job-hunting too, I think. This lecture has lots of meaningful points about language, that inspire me to learn more language and read the books. As a university student of foreign language, it is good to learn lots of new things of foreign language, but there is more important to know about Japan, Japanese language, and Japanese culture too. There is label to Japanese people that Japanese people are the only one people who cannot speak about own country in the world. Don’t you think it is the shame that we, Japanese cannot speak about our own country? If you feel about language or own culture from this article, I will be glad to it.
Written by Yuta Akutsu
Photo – The leaflet of 17th of “Asahi Young Session”
