So we’re ‘translating’ from kanji.
Kanji is a Japanese writing system that uses Chinese characters.
Visit Japan and you’ll see it everywhere, from road markings to shop signs.
Here’s the text we’re looking to translate. From my research*, it’s original kanji written by novelist Haruki Murakami to start his short story collection After The Quake:
五日のあいだ彼女は、すべての時間をテレビの前で過ごした。銀行や病院のビルが崩れ、商店街が炎に焼かれ、鉄道や高速道路が切断された風景を、ただ黙ってにらんでいた。ソファに深く沈み込み、唇を固く結び、小村が話しかけても返事をしなかった。首を振ったり、うなずいたりさえしなかった。小村の声が彼女の耳に届いているのかどうか、それさえ定かではなかった。
Unless you’re Japanese or know the language, I doubt you’ll have a clue what’s happening. If you’ve read After The Quake, written following the Kobe earthquake of 1995, you might remember how book one, ‘UFO in Kushiro’, begins.
Whether you do or don’t, enjoy this kanji. Interpret characters if you wish. Respond to those or the book’s subject. Know Murakami? Mimic his style if you’d like to try.
Give it a go, and embrace the freedom of getting lost in language.
Happy writing
Rob
*it was tricky to find. Hopefully it’s correct, apologies for any errors.
Only scroll down to see the Jay Rubin translation when you’ve written your own.
Promise you’ve written your own opening seven lines?
A final check. Sure you’ve finished?
Right, here you go:
