Frankly, My Dear …: Part 2
Friday, February 15th, 2008
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My cousin Lois has a useful motto: Start with the truth. No matter how difficult a situation is, you won’t get anywhere by lying to yourself about the facts.
My husband has also taught me something about the truth: Whenever someone says “Frankly, …” you should be on guard. The person might as well have said, “What I’m about to say will be tactless and cruel.”
In Japanese, starting with the truth means starting with 実, the kanji we investigated last week. This character works its way into all manner of expressions related to truth and reality, including this sampling:
実は (jitsu wa: in fact, as a matter of fact, by the way)
Merely combining the kanji with the subject marker は yields a useful phrase.
実のところ (jitsu no tokoro: as a matter of fact; to tell the truth)
I like to think that since tokoro means “place” (or an abstract state), this expression puts you in the place where truth lies. You can use 実のところ exactly the same way as 実は.
Sample Sentences with
実は and 実のところ …
実際 (jissai: truth, reality, actual, real, practical)
reality + occasion, time
事実 (jijitsu: fact, truth, reality) fact + reality
真実 (shinjitsu: truth) truth + reality
Mixing in Verbs
When we mix reality or truth with some verbs, things become more interesting.
事実に照らして (jijitsu ni terashite: in view of the facts)
facts (1st 2 chars.) + to illuminate, shine on, shed lightLight shines on the facts, bringing them into full view!
真実と向き合う (shinjitsu to mukiau: to face the truth)
truth (1st 2 chars.) + facing + suffix meaning “to act
reciprocally”The word 向き合う means “to be opposite” or “to face each other.” As the kanji would have it, a person is literally across from the truth, facing it.
真実を語る (shinjitsu o kataru: to speak the truth)
truth (1st 2 chars.) + to talkIf you’re accustomed to seeing 語 with the on-yomi of GO (as in 日本語, Nihongo: Japanese), the kun-yomi of kataru may seem strange. But you may already know this yomi from 物語り (monogatari: story, thing + to talk).
Which Direction to the Truth, Please?
Where does the truth lie? If you ask this in Japanese, you might end up with surprising results, as you’ll see in the Verbal Logic Quiz.
Posted by Eve Kushner in Kanji Curiosity |
February 16th, 2008 at 2:55 am
In this week’s blog, if you open “door” after “door” (which is how I see the red links on the right), you’ll eventually arrive at some beautiful photos. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but I would also hate for anyone to miss the pictures. Anyway, persistence will pay off!
And in other news, I was fascinated by the following article, which has an almost incantational style, but I’m not sure about its conclusions:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/zen-and-the-art-of-contemporary-urban-design/2008/02/05/1202090417937.html
Any opinions about the author’s claims? I don’t mean the parts about kanji, which I discounted. But the stuff about the way Japanese cities feel …
For instance, take this sentence about Tokyo:
“Japaneseness infuses everything, from the way the buildings collude in their space-making to the extraordinary quietness of the streets, where the dominant sound is the soft, insistent rain of a trillion footsteps.”
Is it true about the quietness of the streets? I don’t remember….
And this: “The Japanese conception of space is more areal than lineal; a tatami-based system. (This may help explain the otherwise bewildering way the block-address replaces street-numbers, as well, perhaps, as the casual, mat-like throwing-down of buildings.)”
I’m really having trouble imagining Japanese buildings as 3-D tatami mats. But it’s an intriguing notion. Can someone help me make the leap that I haven’t quite made here?
February 16th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Another great blog entry Eve,
As to the quietness of the streets in Tokyo…I lived in Komagome for a while and it was dead quiet (I did live next to a cemetery) but generally the streets were abuzz with traffic, people, and sounds. Even the clatter of pots and pans, from small restaurants on my walk home from the station reminded me of how much noise can permeate from a building (Gee I have gotten all sentimental thinking about how much I miss the place - I am back in Oz ,for now).
The 3D-tatami mat buildings to explain address…have to give the journalist some artistic license I suppose - he is writing for a broadsheet.
I am looking forward to the next blog and that’s a 事実
February 17th, 2008 at 3:38 am
Thanks so much for the nice comments, Glenn! “Dead quiet” for a neighborhood adjoining a cemetery–love it! Glad to hear somehow that the Japanese make as much noise as everyone else!
And back in Oz–funny, I was working with TWO Oz-related references in a blog I wrote yesterday (to be posted in 2 weeks). Oz is in the air!
In other news, my profile of Japanese architect Hiroshi Morimoto appeared in today’s San Francisco Chronicle:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/16/HOUIUJ4C0.DTL
He’s a fantastic person who does beautiful work. The Chronicle’s photos are quite impressive, too.
If you’ve noticed comments on this blog from a Hiroshi Mori, that’s someone different. Confusing, isn’t it?!
And one more thing for you to read: the Jan. 21 New Yorker had a short story by T. Coraghessan Boyle (who turns out to be a man–I wasn’t sure till I found his website just now: http://www.tcboyle.com/). Hmm, he appears to be a bigshot, so I guess I should have known about him! Anyway, his story “Ash Monday” pits Japanese immigrants against an American redneck in a rural California setting. The piece included lots of Japanese words I’d never heard before (and have already forgotten, of course). I found it a little hard to get into, but once I did, I was intrigued.
February 17th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Fantastic article Eve and I loved the pictures that went along with it, they spoke volumes on their own. Hiroshi Morimoto must have been a fascinating man to talk to.
I also read the New Yorker article a week or two ago - didn’t know that T.C. Boyle was a big shot either. Thought it was a good short story that hooked me in and distracted me for a good 30 mins.
Looking forward to the Oz related blog. However, I will be winging my way back to the Land of the Rising Sun come Golden Week for a new job.
February 17th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Wow, Glenn, you keep writing the nicest notes! What a lift they give me! So glad you enjoyed finding out about Hiro.
And you liked the Boyle story, too! Good–somehow that makes me happy!
A new job and a return to Japan–sounds very exciting! Hope you don’t end up living near a cemetery again (tho. one can be sure that the neighbors will be quiet!).
Thanks again for such kind responses!