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軸はしっかりした男

English translation: a man of integrity

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Japanese term or phrase:軸はしっかりした男
English translation:a man of integrity
Entered by: Bree Salmon

08:28 May 14, 2010
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Japanese term or phrase: 軸はしっかりした男
I have no context for this, except to say that the man this is being said about is a successful vice president of a large company.

Anyone have any idea of a phrase in English that captures the Japanese nuance?
Bree Salmon
Japan
Local time: 23:41
a man of integrity
Explanation:
Dependable or reliable may be closer in meaning, but I think a favorite English word especially for people in a high office is integrity.

I suggest that you don't translate the "jikuha" part. This would sound negative in English while it does not in Japanese. You apparently have to keep everything positive here.
Selected response from:

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 07:41
Grading comment
This term sure did raise a lot of discussion. I think there were a lot of great answers, and all of them would fit the term given certain context. It's a tough choice. For the particular context I am working with this time, the author did indeed favor the word "integrity", and had even mentioned so elsewhere in his writing. For that reason, and because of its succinct nature, I am going with "a man of integrity". However, the others should be added to the glossary as well for reference.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1a principled man
humbird
4A man with firm belief.
Kazuo SAWADA
3(He is) a reliable man inside.
Y. K.
3a man of integrity
Yuki Okada
3A man who’s steady and dependable/steady and reliable man
Joyce A
2 +1inner strength
seika
Summary of reference entries provided
FYI
cinefil

Discussion entries: 11





  

Answers


46 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(He is) a reliable man inside.


Explanation:
For example:
He is a reliable man inside although he looks naive outside.


Y. K.
Local time: 00:41
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mika Jarmusz: 「は」があるので、「外見【は】頼りなさそう・なよなよしているが」軸はなかなか、という対比にしてとらえるのが正解ですよね、きっと。
11 hrs
  -> ありがとうございます。そう思うのです。あえて「軸は」と言っているのは、「見かけとは違い」ということを強調したいのだと思うのです。Successful busuness manでも人間として見かけはNaiveに見える人、たくさんいますから。

disagree  humbird: inside などというのは欧米英語スピーカーの思考のなかでは通用しないでしょう。split personality みたいに聞こえますね。
1 day 9 hrs
  -> inside ではなく、この場合は underneath という言葉を使うべきでしたね。あるいは、He is actually a reliable man あたりが良かったでしょうね。
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a man of integrity


Explanation:
Dependable or reliable may be closer in meaning, but I think a favorite English word especially for people in a high office is integrity.

I suggest that you don't translate the "jikuha" part. This would sound negative in English while it does not in Japanese. You apparently have to keep everything positive here.

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 07:41
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
This term sure did raise a lot of discussion. I think there were a lot of great answers, and all of them would fit the term given certain context. It's a tough choice. For the particular context I am working with this time, the author did indeed favor the word "integrity", and had even mentioned so elsewhere in his writing. For that reason, and because of its succinct nature, I am going with "a man of integrity". However, the others should be added to the glossary as well for reference.
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
A man who’s steady and dependable/steady and reliable man


Explanation:
a steady and dependable man/a steady and reliable man

Upon seeing the phrase "軸はしっかりした男", words like “steadfast” and “unfaltering” come to mind, but they may not work well in your context.

I think the noun "軸" and its adjective "しっかりした" may need to be "separated out" to form a more westernized interpretation for this executive’s positive attributes.

The word "steady" seems to take care of the word 軸. (“axis” is also defined as “the center around which something rotates so an axis has to be well-centered and steady.)

To that, I added "dependable" or "reliable" because "しっかりした" is defined as: secure, steady, reliable, trustworthy, level-headed (Shogakukan J-E Dictionary)

http://www.tcbreview.com/who-do-they-think-you-are.php
Eventually, my serious demeanor made people think I had leadership potential. People were willing to follow someone steady and dependable like me.

[PDF]
CEO performance appraisal tool - Performance Appraisal Process for ...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
CEO, the chief executive officer, is the principal staff person of the .... Meets expectations – The individual is a steady, consistent, dependable ...
www.simonejoyaux.com/request.php?36 - Similar

Using the DISC Behavioral Instrument to Guide Leadership and ...
by MK Slowikowski - 2005 - Cited by 2 - Related articles
The steady person is dependable and easygoing, technically competent, .... 1 Mary Kay Slowikowski is chief executive officer at Slowikowski & Associates, ...
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0001209206602767 - Similar


Joyce A
Thailand
Local time: 21:41
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 37
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
inner strength


Explanation:
a man of inner strength

seika
United States
Local time: 10:41
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mika Jarmusz: inner が「は」に、strengthが「軸」に対応していますね。
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Mika-san.
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
a principled man


Explanation:
When Japanese says 軸はしっかりした男, it means someone with principle, do what he said will do, dependable, reliable, and trustworthy.
However, here's a nuiance that his superficial character or behavior may not show his internal quality as such. 軸は connotes that.

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Note added at 1 day15 hrs (2010-05-16 00:03:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As I posted on "discussion" this contravertial 軸は should be ignored as if translated, it is only confusing. It is confusing because 軸は works as though denying what follows しっかりした男. But if you want to emphasize or really wish to convey the shade of this double-structured, split-minded rhetoric, I would suggest to add "(basically he is)" a principle man.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day15 hrs (2010-05-16 00:06:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As I suggested in "discussion", 軸は should be ignored. But if you really want to convey this typical Japanese split-minded, double-structured rhetoric, I would modify my answer by adding "basically he is "a principled man.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day15 hrs (2010-05-16 00:08:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Woops, I don't know why my addition posted twice.

humbird
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Franck Tiret
3 hrs
  -> Thank you Franck!
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43 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
A man with firm belief.


Explanation:
軸がしっかりした男=This is literally translated to "a man with firm axis", which means " a man who has a firm belief."
Now, 軸はしっかりした男:This sentence means, "Though this man may have some problem, we can say that the man has a firm belief at least." It is very difficult to make clear difference between these two sentences.


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Note added at 1 day21 hrs (2010-05-16 05:31:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

「軸はしっかりした男」を英語で意味合いを表現することは困難です。前後の表現をつかって意味合いを出せば良いのです。例えば、Though he looks like a naive guy, he actually is a man of firm belief.と翻訳すれば良いのでないでしょうか?


Kazuo SAWADA
Local time: 04:41
Native speaker of: Japanese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yohei Nakamitsu: 大筋としては「しっかり感」が出ていると思うのですが、ガンディーのように、確固とした「特定の」信念を持っている人、という風に捉えられてしまうのでは?
1 day 2 hrs
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Reference comments


1 day 16 hrs
Reference: FYI

Reference information:
http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/4182517.html
http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa051301a.htm

cinefil
Japan
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 23
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