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Re: "to aim" in go
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:57 am
by Bill Spight
John Fairbairn wrote:T Mark often mentions the American lady who said, "God grant me patience - and I want it NOW!"
She must be the sister of the one who said, "God grant me chastity -- now and then."
nerai, aji, translation, confusion
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:24 pm
by tapir
Is the thread still active?
Imo, the lacking exposure of "nerai" as a concept in the western world is due to the overinflated use of the term "aji" for the whole field of meaning covered by "aji" and "nerai" and ? in japanese. I would blame the inability to find a good translation for "aji" for this result.
On SL there was a proposal to translate aji as "funny business" a while ago. I very much disliked it, until I heard one of my teachers (Jennie Shen) use it quite regularly, although I didn't ask what term (chinese in that case) she has in mind when saying it. I am still not sure, whether this would make a good term, but if people use the term "aji" all around you like a magical wand, even such a fundamental concept like "nerai" is easily lost. But I have the suspicion that many people use "aji" the word for what is meant by "nerai" in japanese, while the term "aji" is what is really lost to western amateurs - or more honestly, to me.
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 4:03 pm
by EdLee
tapir wrote:"funny business" a while ago. I very much disliked it
That was me, and I still like it very much, and she got it from me, so you can blame me.
Re:
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 2:51 am
by tapir
EdLee wrote:That was me, and I still like it very much, and she got it from me, so you can blame me.
When my teacher endorses it, I am following suit.
I just had trouble to understand it first and it doesn't help me much in explaining "aji" in German.