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Translation - English Tokyo Stock Exchange closes 190 down—lowest in two weeks
On the 25th at the Tokyo stock market, concerns regarding the delayed American economic recovery caused caution against worsening business results of export companies and the Nikkei Stock Average took a major reactionary fall from yesterday from 190.86 yen to 9737.48 yen. It is the first time in nearly two weeks that the closing price has been in the 9700’s.
Stocks with a large amount of sales to America such as cars and electrical goods sold in reaction to the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) downgrading of their economic assessment. The fact that the exchange rate is moving towards a strong yen/weak euro was also a factor.
The Tokyo Stock Price Index (TOPIX) closed at a 12.47 point low of 867.30. The turnover was 1.88921 billion stocks and the total value of stock transactions stood at 1,277.2 billion yen.
Japanese to English: Ever-Watchful Society
Source text - Japanese 大半のサラリーマン、ことに銘柄大学の優等生は、その時代の花形企業に安定と生産の保証を求めて就職する。しかし、その会社と自分の能力・性格がミスマッチしていたら、会社にとっても損だし、自分にとっても損である。また入社した会社が、いつまでも安定しているとは限らない。いってみれば、転職する正当な理由があるわけで、これはとても大事なことだ。そういう場合はもちろん転職すればいいのであるが、転職を転落としか考えない人が多すぎるように思う。
日本の会社はムラ社会である。私にもサラリーマン経験があるから分かるが、一致団結したムラ社会というのは、高度成長期のように経済が右肩上がりの時代――アメリカというモデルがあって、それに追いつき追い越せというキャッチアップの段階で、全員の進むべき方向が見え、給料も上がっているような時には、確かにプラスに働く。
ところが、逆に会社の業績が落ち目になったり、停滞してくると、ムラ社会の欠陥が出てくる。かつての長所が、欠陥になって出てくるのである。
一致団結した一枚岩の企業では、なかなか路線の転換や異質の人材の登用ができない。ガンバリズムと一致団結でつまずいたのに、そのことに気づかず、さらにガンバリズムと団結に頼ろうともがく。こいつはちょっと違ったことをやってるとか、間違ったことをやってるとか、まるで村八分にでもするみたいにきつい目で周囲の人間を見張るようになるのである。会社全体がきつい「視線社会」になる。そうなると、異端者とか、ちょっと変わった人間、能力のある人間などは居場所がなくなってしまう。その結果、業績はますます悪くなっていくという悪循環に陥る。
日本の企業は、今まで団結と和と序列主義でムラ社会としてうまくやってきたものだから、景気が悪くなり、形勢が悪くなると、それを余計厳しく管理しようとするのである。そうなると、みんながお互いの欠陥の探し合いを始めることになる。
私は、むしろ逆に考えたらいいと思う。和と団結と協調性を重んじるあまり、個性を尊重しないでやってきて、その結果、情報とソフトのポスト工業化社会に乗り遅れ行き詰まってしまったのだから、その逆の方向に考えていけばいいはずだ。ところが、これがなかなかできにくい。まさしくムラ社会の長所が短所になっているのだ。それが今の日本の企業の、いわゆる閉塞状態の原因になっているのである。
企業がそういう状態では給料をカットされることも当然あり得る。したがって、サラリーマンとしては、できるだけ特技を身につけ、ビジネス社会で堂々と生き残っていけるだけの競争力を蓄積して、もっと自分の本当の実力を発揮できる企業へ転職することを考えておくべきだと思う。企業が閉塞状態にあるからといって、自分まで小さく縮こまってしまう必要はまったくない。むしろ、チャンスととらえるべきだ。
江坂彰、堀紘一（１９９８）、3年後。給料はこうなる！―実力主義時代をどう勝ち抜くか、pp.36-38
Translation - English
Most white-collar businessmen, especially top graduates of famous universities, seek guarantees of stability and production in employment at leading companies of the day. However, if one`s abilities and personality are ill-matched with the said company, it is both unprofitable to the company and unprofitable to onself. Furthermore, the company that one enters won`t necessarily remain stable forever. So to speak, the fact that there are legitimate reasons to change jobs is an important point. In these situations, of course it is fine to move to a different company, but I think there seem to be too many people who think of changing jobs as falling down in the ranks.
Japanese companies are `village societies`. I have experience as a white collar businessmen, so I know that in a village society people band together for a common cause. When the economy soars, like in Japan`s period of rapid growth after WWII, America became a model so that everyone saw the direction they had to continue in in order to pass and overtake them on what was like a catch-up staircase. When the pay went up, we would work harder.
However, when the company`s results start to decline or become sluggish, the faults in the village society start to become apparent. The reason being, what were formerly its merits start to become its faults.
In a monolithic corporation, where everyone bands together for a common cause, changes in the regular course of action and promotion of talented people who are different to the norm just don`t happen. They don`t realize that the idea of doing one`s utmost best and banding together for a common cause have set them back and they resort to these principles only to struggle with them again. From "This guy does things a little differently," or "He`s doing things the wrong way", to something like complete ostracization, they come to be watched harshly by those around them. The entire company becomes a harsh, ever-watchful society and when this happens, non-conformists, slightly different people and people with ability are left with no place to go. This results in a vicious cycle whereby business becomes worse and worse.
Due to the fact that Japanese corporations have done well up until now as village societies with their ideas of unity, harmony and hierachy, when business goes slack and prospects grow poor, these ideas are controlled even more strictly. When this happens, everyone begins to search for faults in each other.
Rather, I think we should think about it in the opposite way. By valuing harmony, unity and co-operation too highly and not valuing individuality, we missed the information and software post industrial age and have stopped in our tracks. We must start to think about things in the opposite way. However, this is actually quite difficult. Evidently, the village society`s merits are becoming its faults. This is the cause of the so-called blocked state of Japan`s corporations.
When corporations are in such a state, having one`s salary cut is quite naturally a possibility. Therefore, I think that white collar businessmen must learn as many special skills as possible, accumulate competitive edge in order to survive confidently in the business world, and think about moving to a company where they can make full use of their own capabilities. There is absolutely no necessity to curl oneself up into a ball and say it is because Japan`s corporations are in a closed state. Instead, you should grab this as an opportunity.
Japanese to English: Ｂ型肝炎、父子感染にも注意 阪大調査、口移しでも General field: Medical
Translation - English Osaka University research warns of father to child transmission of Hepatitis B—even via mouth to mouth feeding
Experts are issuing warnings after it was discovered through research done by Osaka University and two medical centers that infants have been infected with hepatitis B through their fathers. Compared to transmission via mothers, not much is known about transmission via fathers and it appears that by feeding their children mouth to mouth they are unknowingly infecting them with the disease. Because there are also instances where it appears that the disease has spread through grandparents or siblings, experts are calling for families to be examined and if one of them is infected, to stop transmission of the disease by vaccinating infants.
Hepatitis B spreads through blood and bodily fluids. There are not many virus particles in saliva but, through mouth to mouth feeding and so forth, there is a possibility of infecting children. Many adults who catch the disease recover after a short period of time but when infants catch the disease, it can become chronic, developing into cirrhosis of the liver or lung cancer.
From 1985, the government allowed pregnant women to be tested for the disease for free. If they were found to have it, they prevented transmission by giving the mother medicine that controlled the virus and vaccinating the infant. In 1986, mother to child contagion was estimated to be around 4000 cases per year. However, 10 years later, it is said to have dropped to just 400. One can test for the disease for a fee of ¥1000 to ¥5000, but because fathers have to bear this expense themselves, the reality is that number of those who get tested for the disease is low.
Chief of paediatrics, Hitoshi Tajiri, and his team at Osaka General Medical Center, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka Medical Center and the Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health analyzed the reason for contagion of hepatitis B in 187 people from 0 to 15 years of age. The results were that of the 102 people born before 1985, 6 of them (5.9%) were infected with the disease via their father. Of the 85 who were born since 1986, this had increased to 13 of them (15.3%). It also appeared that the disease had been transmitted via grandparents, siblings or other family members in a total of 50 cases.
On the other hand, the rate of contagion from mother to child had not noticeably changed, with 59 cases (57.8%) before 1985 and 51 cases (60%) since 1986.
These results will be presented at The Japan Society of Hepatology from the 27th.
By Takashi Sugimoto
Asahi.com
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Graduate diploma - University of Queensland
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Years of experience: 15. Registered at ProZ.com: Apr 2009.
I have JLPT Level 1 and have lived in Japan for 7 years. I majored in Japanese in my undergraduate degree (BA) and have a postgraduate diploma in Japanese interpreting and translation which I received from the University of Queensland. I also have a masters in International Relations.
I have been working as a freelance translator for 4 years, mainly focusing on medical translation. Recently, I have been branching out into marketing and newspaper articles regarding major companies in Japan (IBM Japan, Coca-Cola Japan etc.).
Please contact me if you would like to see examples of my work as I am happy to provide translation samples.
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