Translating On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur into Japanese: Exploring Variation
4. Word order: placing the topic
This covers all translations that use ものごと monogoto or もの mono
ものごと monogoto and もの mono, both meaning 'things', are the object that is seen. In all cases the word ものごと monogoto or もの mono is followed by the topicaliser は wa, but the position of the topic varies according to the translation.
In sentences using the 'if not look ... can't see' construction, only two translators place ものごと monogoto at the start of the sentence, ahead of the A clause. Six put it at the start of the B clause.
ものごとは
monogoto wa
'thing' (topic)心で
kokoro de
'with the heart'見なくちゃ
minakucha
'if not look'-- 見え-
mie-
'be seen'-ない
-nai
'not'-- 心で
kokoro de
'with the heart'見なくちゃ
minakucha
'if not look'ものごとは
monogoto wa
'thing' (topic)見え-
mie-
'be seen'-ない
-nai
'not'
The effect of this different placement is fairly clear.
Placing ものごと monogoto at the start indicates that it is the grand topic of the sentence. Indeed, one translator actually uses ものごとはね monogoto wa ne, followed by a comma to indicate pause. The effect is to indicate that the fox is about to make a pronouncement on the nature of things. Both translators who place the topic at the start use ものごと monogoto rather than the more specific and concrete もの mono.
Placing ものごと monogoto or もの mono at the start of the B Clause, immediately before the verb, ties the noun much more closely to the verb. To 'see things' thus becomes a more tightly knit unit. It is probably no accident that the more concrete form もの mono is found only at this position.
Turning to the other pattern using しか shika, we also find variation in the placing of the topic. This time the tendency is to place place もの(ごと) mono(goto) in initial position. Only one places it after 心でしか kokoro de shika 'only the heart'.
ものごとは
monogoto wa
'things'心で
kokoro de
'with the heart'しか
shika
'only'-- 見ることができない
miru koto ga dekinai
'can see'-- 心で
kokoro de
'with the heart'しか
shika
'only'ものは
mono wa
'things'見えない
mienai
'can see'
In this case, the translator who places the object seen after しか shika 'only' uses the verb 見える mieru 'to be able to be seen' and also uses the concrete form もの mono. Even though it is quite grammatical to place a noun between しか shika and the verb, it is generally more natural for しか shika to be immediately followed by the verb. The fact that ものは見えない mono wa mienai 'things cannot be seen' is a more cohesive and natural unit than ものごとは見ることができない monogoto wa miru koto ga dekinai 'it is not possible to see things' is probably the reason that もの mono has been placed close by the verb.
In the sentence ものは心で見る mono wa kokoro de miru, the topic ものは mono wa is placed at the start of the sentence.
| Translating voir 'to see' |
| The choice of conditional |
| Translating 'things' |
| Word order: Placing the topic |
| Translating bien |
| Framing the sentence -- ということさ to yū koto sa |
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