Engrish → English ★★

I found this on the side of an office building in Akasaka. Every time I see something like this I wonder, why didn’t they have a couple of English speakers check it first before putting it up on the wall. There are so many mistakes, I really don’t know where to start. Tell you what, I’ll just go through it sentence by sentence.

X “Able AKASAKA” is something like city.

Able Akasaka is something like a city.

Able Akasaka resembles a city.

Note: Don’t put Japanese words in all capital letters.

X THERE, people of strong sensibilities are Living.

People with strong sensibilities are living there.

Men and women with strong sensibilities are living there.

Even better! Able Akasaka resembles a city where men and women with strong sensibilities live and work.

X Different field professional m- en meet with and stimulate ea- ch other at this place.

Professionals from different fields meet and stimulate each other here.

Professionals from a variety of specialties come together and inspire each other here.

Note: Don’t put hyphens where they don’t belong. “Each” and “men” are single syllable words that cannot be hyphenated.

X And then (marve llous) works can be done.

And then marvelous work can be done.

Even better! Professionals from a variety of specialties come together and inspire each other to produce marvelous work.

X “Able AKASAKA” group will change the atmosphere of Akasaka Area gradually.

Before long, the Able Akasaka Group will influence the atmosphere of Akasaka.

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Engrish → English

This is from the fire extinguisher in my building. There are a number of small mistakes in the English.

△ How to operate

◎ Instructions

“How to operate” isn’t necessarily wrong, but in this context it isn’t the most suitable phrase. “Instructions” is more natural.

X  Direct a hose at fire

◎ Direct the hose at the fire

◎ Point the hose toward the fire.

Japanese often have trouble with “a” and “the”, and it’s not always easy to say when you should use “the” instead of “a”. In this case, however, there’s probably only one fire, so the sign should say “the fire”.

X  Grasp operation lever

◎ Squeeze handle

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Engrish → English

I feel as if I’m nitpicking by correcting this catchphrase because it really isn’t that bad. For the sake of good English, I must:

X SUNTORY BOSS is the boss of them all since 1992.

◎ Suntory Boss has been the boss of the all since 1992.

Notes:

1. Many Japanese for some reason or another tend to write Japanese names or words in capital letters. For example: I ate SUSHI last night. The correct way to do this is to write such words in italics as they are foreign loan words: I ate sushi last night.

2. When you use “since” in a sentence, it’s often better to use the present perfect, “have been”. The sentence “Suntory Boss is the boss of them all” is fine by itself, but if you add “since”, you should say, “Suntory Boss has been the boss of them all since 1992.”

3. nitpick: つまらぬことにくよくよする, つまらぬあら探しをする.

4. foreign loan word: 外来語

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Fix it – Challenge ★★

Reading my students’ letters this morning, I came across a common mistake using the word challenge. The wrote sentences such as, “I want to challenge the TOEFL”, or “I want to challenge ANA’s employment test.” A better way to say チャレンジする is “I want to (try) . . . ” For example, “I want to take the TOEFL” or “I’d like to take ANA’s employment test.”

Some other examples:

I’d like to try many new things in 2010.

チャレンジしたいスポーツが多い   There are many sports I want to try.

彼はチャレンジ精神が旺盛だ   He is determined to have a good go at it.

Challenge /tʃǽlindʒ/

名　詞

1 （…への）挑戦｟to …, to do｠；（競技競争などへの）参加呼びかけ［勧誘］；（…への）挑戦［果たし］状｟to …｠

a challenge to peace｜平和に対する脅威

a challenge to a duel｜決闘の申し込み

without challenge｜こちらから何もしないのに

offer ［issue, send］ a challenge｜挑戦する

accept ［take up］ a challenge｜挑戦に応じる.

2Ｕ•Ｃ説明［弁明］の要求；（真理価値権威などに対する）異議｟to …｠；（…せよとの）抗議｟to do｠；｟米国用法｠（投票（資格）に対する）異議申し立て

a challenge to keep the treaty terms｜条約の条項を守るようにとの抗議

be beyond challenge｜文句のつけようがない.

3〘軍事・軍隊〙誰何（すいか）

give the challenge｜誰何する.

4Ｕ〘法律〙（陪審員に対する）忌避｟to …｠

challenge to the array｜陪審員団忌避.

5 やりがい［はりあい］のある仕事；努力目標；問題, 難問；Ｕやりがい

meet the challenge｜難問に対処する；努力目標に到達する

face a challenge｜難問に直面する

rise to the challenge｜難題に立ち向かう

It poses a challenge.｜それは難問だ.

6 猟犬が獲物の臭跡をかぎつけてほえること.

7〘医学〙攻撃：生体に抗原, 病原菌を与えて免疫活動を起こさせること.

動　詞•他動詞

1［III名　詞（副　詞）/V名　詞to do］…に挑戦する；…の能力を試す；〈人に〉（試合などを）いどむ｟to …｠；〈人に〉（…してみろと）挑戦［挑発］する, （…するよう）意欲をかきたてる, 鼓舞する｟to do｠

challenge the world record｜世界記録に挑戦する

challenge a person to a game｜人に勝負を申し込む

challenge a person to do a bungee jumping｜人にバンジージャンプをやってみろと挑発する.

2［III名　詞（副　詞）］〈人に〉（説明などを）当然のこととして要求する｟for …｠

I challenged her for evidence.｜彼女に証拠を示せと迫った.

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Fix it – Bargain ★★

If you’re like many Japanese, you probably spent the New Year’s holidays shopping for bargains at the sales in town. Bargain is a word which often gives students some trouble. “Bargain sale” is Japanese English (和製英語). The correct word to use is sale.

バーゲンセール

バーゲンセールでマフラーを買う

buy a scarf at a sale

I bought this scarf at Daimaru’s winter sale.

バーゲンセールをする

have [hold] a sale

Iwataya is having a sale.

Sale

3 特売, 安売り（の日）, 見切り売り, 大売り出し；｟the 〜s｠｟英国用法｠セール期間

a winter ［a summer］ sale 冬物［夏物］大売り出し

a sale price  特価

buy at ［in a］ sale 特売で買う

The sales are on now.  大売り出し中

Bargain (bάːrɡən)

1 安価で売ること, 安売り

buy at a bargain 安く買う

2 バーゲン品, 特価品, 買い得の品; 契約済みの物

a bargain day 特売日

bargain prices 特価

pick up ［shop for］ bargains 掘り出し物を見つける［探す］

3 取引［売買］契約, 取引；（…間の）協約｟between …｠；（…という）契約｟to do, that節｠

a losing bargain 損な契約

close ［make, settle, strike］ a bargain with a person over …  …の取引を人と決める, 成約に達する

make a good ［a bad］ bargain 有利［不利］な取引をする；安く［高く］買う

beat a bargain ひどく値切る

A bargain is a bargain.  契約は契約, 約束は約束

It’s ［That’s］ a bargain.  それで決まった.

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Fix it – haircut ★

A student today said, “I was cut my hair.” This is a common mistake. Another one is ” I cut my hair.” This isn’t technically wrong, but there is a better way to say that you had your hair done:

I had my hair cut.

注意:「 He had his hair cut」は「（無理やり）髪を切られた」の意にもなる

I got my hair cut.

I got a haircut.

You can also say:

I went to the hair salon.

I went to the beauty salon.

I went to the barber’s.

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common mistake: よくある間違え

technically: 厳密に言えば

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