Which do English learners prefer, literal or figurative translations?

Graduation Thesis

Presented to

the Faculty of the Department of

English Language and Literature

Notre Dame Seishin University

In partial Fulfillment

of the Requirement for the Degree

Bachelor of Arts

by

Natsuho Tsuchiya

2018

Contents

Abstract

Chapter One: Learning English

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Translation 2

1.2.1 What kinds of translation are there? 2

1.2.2 Why is it difficult for translators to translate between languages?

3

1.2.2.1 Lack of words 3

1.2.2.2 Differences of grammar and culture 4

1.2.2.3 Lack of schematic knowledge 4

1.3 Previous research for English and Japanese priorities in translating

4

1.3.1 Informal data on the impression of stories 5

1.3.2 Contents

6

1.4 Research Questions 7

1.5 Conclusion

8

Chapter Two: The experiment

2.1 Introduction 9

2.2 The experiment and questionnaire 9

2.2.1 Introduction to the experiment 9

ii

2.2.2 Method 9

1) Subject

2) Test design

3) Procedure

2.2.3 Results 12

2.2.3.1 Overall results 12

2.2.3.2 Questionnaire data 17

2.3 Summary 25

Chapter Three: Discussion of the experiment

3.1 Introduction 28

3.2 Summary of the results 28

3.3 Research questions 28

3.3.1 Research question 1 28

3.4 Implications 31

3.5 Limitations of the Experiment 31

3.6 Conclusion 31

References 33

Appendices 34

iii

Abstract

In recent years, English has been studied in elementary school as a

required subject in Japan. It is because English plays an important part in the

world. We all know that English is important and necessary, but the best way of

learning English isn’t clear.

The reason why we don’t know the best way of learning is that the way to

teach differs depending on individual teachers. Some teachers think speaking

ability is the most important, while others think reading, writing, or listening

ability is important. Even though English teachers are not sure exactly what they

have to do when teaching English. If we could know effective way of learning

English, we may become more internationally-minded. This paper tried to discuss

the effective way of learning English for Japanese people.

Proverb lists in English with literal translation, and proverbs lists in English

with figurative translation were given to learners. After memorizing those

proverbs in Japanese, a test was given to see how many proverbs meanings they

could remember. Also some questionnaires about proverbs and test were

required.

From the test, we found that figurative translations are easier to

remember than literal translations because many subjects chose figurative

translation when they remember and understand English proverbs. However,

when we focused on individual results, even though a subject had high score, not

always she prefers figurative translation. From those, we cannot generalize about

the best way of translation for English learners is figurative translation in

iv

experiment of this thesis.

From the questionnaire, many people said that there was quite a

difference between Japanese and English proverbs because of the difference of

culture, general ideas, and background and 86% of the subjects said that using

translation is good for learning.

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Chapter 1: Learning English

1.1 Introduction

English is an important tool to communicate with people all over the

world. In 2011, English was set up as a required subject in elementary school by

the Japanese government. The purpose is to bring up people to be internationally

minded from an early stage. As I have said, we can’t ignore the importance of

English. However, there are various ways of learning English and it is important

find the most effective ways to do so.

Figure A shows that there are over 1.7 billion English speakers and is

about one-fourth of the world population, and over 1.3 billion of whom are non-

native English speakers. About 78% of English speakers use English as a second

language. These data suggest that we can communicate with one-fourth the

world if we got English skill.

Figure A: Number of English speakers and the percentage of non-native English

speakers (Harvard Business Review, 2012)

1

English speakers

World population 7 billions

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Other language speak-ers

Native speak-ers

Use English as a second lan-guage

Translation is an important skill many people have and is commonly used,

this thesis tried to find out the best way of learning English by using translation.

In junior high school and high school, many teachers pre-teach words when they

teach foreign language to save the length of translation time. Another reason is

that students can make sure whenever they want to know the meaning.

So, I wonder about which is preferred by English learners literal translation

or figurative translation, and I would like to find out the effective way of

translation for English learners. In this thesis I obtained results about it from

experiments and questionnaires.

1.2 Translation

When we learn English, Japanese translation is useful to understand the

meaning clearly. Also, we depend on Japanese translation when we watching

foreign movies, reading essays and listening foreign music. Therefore, it is

important for us to recognize the feature of translation.

English speakers

2

1.2.1 What kinds of translation are there?

What types of translation are there? In this section, we are going to see

about translation.

Literal translation

Literal translation is trying to get exact words and grammar.

E.g. Cars enabled us to move rapidly. “車は私たちが速く移動するのを可能に

する”

The key opens this door.”この鍵はドアを開ける”

Figurative translation

Figurative translation aims to use a more a natural expression that doesn’t

always use exactly the same words and grammar but is focused on the general

meaning

E.g. Cars enabled us to move rapidly. ”車のおかげで私たちは速く移動できる”

The key opens this door. ”この鍵でドアが開く”

1.2.2 Why is it difficult for translators to translate between

languages?

When we translate Japanese into English or English into Japanese, we

sometimes feel difficulty. If we could define the reasons, we might be able to

translate without confusion. The factors that affect this can be classified into

3

several types such as-‘lack of words’, ‘differences of grammar and culture, and

‘lack of schematic knowledge’.

1.2.2.1 Lack of words

There are several reasons a lack of vocabulary is important

・We need to find a good expression from A to B in Japanese.

・There are very few words to express the same meaning in English and

Japanese.

・Japanese has many ambiguous expressions.

・English doesn’t use as many ambiguous expressions because English

typically requires concreteness.

・Japanese has a lot of onomatopoeia.

1.2.2.2 Differences of grammar and culture

・English always needs a subject.

・Word order is different from English and Japanese.

・Culture which is based on thoughts is different.

E.g. Japanese has culture like to be humble.

1.2.2.3 Lack of schematic knowledge

・Sometimes, we have little schematic knowledge about the topic.

E.g. We need to know about the colonial period of Jamaica to understand

4

the Golden Age of Piracy.

・In almost all cases, we need to know the background about the theme.

1.3 Previous research for English and Japanese priorities in

translating

Another reason why it is difficult to translate is English differs from

Japanese in that what we prioritize when translating Japanese. For example, what

is focused on when people try to translate? In this section, we will discuss about

what English and Japanese have priority in translating.

1.3.1 Informal data on the impression of stories

First, look at the figure below.

Figure B: What are keywords do these stories signify?

devil28%

incorrect answers72%

999 stairs

5

I listed some Japanese stories name in English and gave a questionnaire to

subjects who study English “What are keywords do these stories signify?” This is

the result of a class questionnaire.

“999 stairs” is a Japanese old story. This story’s turning point is when

devils build up 999th stairs up to a mountain top. This story is called “鬼の階段” in

Japanese. When you translate this title into English, usually it would be “Stairs of

a devil” because there are same meanings as “鬼” and ”階段” in English.

However, the reason why it is translated as “999 stairs” is that it’s the

center of story and is catchier than a literal translation, so most people don’t

think that devils are the main character of this story.

Figure C: What are keywords do these stories signify?

ghost66%

thieves14%

god14%

death6%

Voice from a gravestone

6

“Voice from a gravestone” is a Japanese old story, too. It is called “じゃが

いも泥棒” in Japanese, This is a story about two thieves who are counting potatoes

near a gravestone. 66% of the subjects answered that the keyword of this story is

ghost because the word “gravestone” makes associate us with something scary.

Figurative translation will arouse our interest rather than literal translation.

From these, we can say that people try to think of the most impressive

scene and give the title from that when they translate Japanese into English.

・Readers can’t imagine the whole content from the title, but they are

attracted.

1.3.2 Contents

Second, we will look at a Japanese story version of the results.

Figure D: What’s the keyword this story signifies?

trick58%

success25%

wealth11%

frankness6%

うまい思いつき

7

“What one can invent” is a foreign fairy tale. It is translated “うまい思いつ

き” in Japanese. If you translate this literally in Japanese, it would be “人が発明でき

ること”. When people see the Japanese title: “うまい思いつき”, the subjects could

guess the content of the story easily.

From this, we can say that people try to choose the titles which tell us the

outline of the story, so it is easy for readers to imagine what type of story is.

1.4 Research Questions

This thesis has four research questions

1. Is literal or figurative translation better for memorizing?

2. Is literal or figurative translation better for understanding?

3. Do the subjects think translation is useful when they learn?

4. What are their reactions to memorizing?

1.5 Conclusion

In this chapter, we looked at two types of translations. We found that there

are many reasons why translating is difficult. Also we found that there are

differences of what to focus on when translating in English and Japanese which

shows we must use different way of translation depending on the situation. In

Chapter Two, we will look at the data from a questionnaire and experiment.

8

Chapter 2: The Data

2.1 Introduction

In Chapter One, we looked at role of translations and we found that Literal and

figurative translation focus on different things.

This chapter presents the data for a questionnaire and experiment which

try to find out one of the effective way to memorize and understand proverbs for

English learners.

2.2 The experiment and questionnaire

2.2.1 Introduction to the experiment

This experiment consists of two tasks. One of them includes 10 proverbs

in English with literal translation. The other one includes 10 proverbs in English

with figurative translation. The aim is to discover which one leads to better

learning and which the subjects prefer.

2.2.2 Method

1) Subjects

The subjects of this questionnaire and experiment were 36 Notre Dame

Seishin University English major students ages 20-22, who are all female.

9

2) Test design

The aim of this questionnaire and experiment was to find how correctly

the subjects memorize proverbs and what subjects think about translation. Two

lists (List A and B list) were given to subjects. Each list had 10 proverbs, so 20

proverbs in two styles in a crossed design.

・List A was English proverbs with literal translation in Japanese.

・List B was English proverbs with figurative translation in Japanese.

First, the subjects memorized List A of English proverbs with literal

translation given in Japanese for three minutes. After that, the subjects wrote a

Japanese meaning based on only English. Second, the subjects memorized List B

of English proverbs with figurative translation in Japanese for three minutes. After

that, the subjects were required to write Japanese meaning based in only English.

The following are examples which I gave.

List Example) Seeing is believing. 　見ることは信じることだ

Perseverance prevails. 　石の上にも三年

Test example) Seeing is believing. ( )

Perseverance prevails. ( )

List A

10

Ten English proverbs with literal translation in Japanese

There is no smoke without fore

Ignorance is bliss

Blind leading the blind

It is beating the air

Many a little makes a mickle

A hedge between keeps friendship green

Seeing is believing

Even Homer sometimes nods

It is no use crying over spilt milk

Butter would not melt in one’s mouth

List B

Ten English proverbs with figurative translation in Japanese

He that hunts two hares at once with catch neither.

The early bird catches the warm

Strike while the iron is hot

More haste, less speed

Practice makes perfect

Perseverance prevails

Misfortunes never come singly

11

You can’t fight city hall

What had happened twice will happen three times

The proof of the pudding is in the eating

Proverbs of list A and B had been pre-researched. A few subjects were given a

questionnaire about “Do you know the meanings of these proverbs?” These lists

are consisted proverbs which are subjects said “I know” and “I don’t know” at

rate of half and half.

3) Procedure

The questionnaires were distributed to see whether there is difference in

literal translation and figurative translation in remembering and understanding. I

picked up some proverbs to make tests. Based on pre-researched data, we made

a questionnaire and subjects took the test.

2.2.3 Results

In this section, the result of the experiment will be reported.

2.2.3.1 Overall results

We will look at the results of the experiment. First, we will look at the date

for the Examination. The number of correct answers and preferred way of

translation.

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Table 1: Overall results

Literaltranslation

Figurativetranslation

Average

The number of correct answers

2.888 6.111 4.499

Preferred way of translatingwhen remembering

38.9% 61.1%

Preferred way of translationWhen understanding

27.8% 72.2%

On the whole, we can see that percentage of correct answers of figurative

translation (6.111) is higher than literal translation’s (2.888), indicating there is a

great difference between Literal and figurative translation.

When they remember and understand English sentences, many subjects

chose figurative translation. However, we can’t say all English learners prefer

figurative translation from only these results.

Data for each proverb

Table 2 shows the English proverbs across the top (A-J) with literal translation s

and 1 to 36 is subject numbers. In case of subjects answered “I prefer literal

translation when remembering/understanding”, ✓ are filled in the box.

Table 2: The data for experiment with List A

Literal translation ver.No A B C D E F G H I J Scor

eRememb

erUnderstan

d

13

1 〇 × 〇 〇 × × × × × × 32 〇 〇 × × × × × 〇 × 〇 4 ✓3 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × 〇 × 〇 5 ✓4 〇 〇 〇 × × × × × 〇 × 4 ✓5 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 × 7 ✓6 × 〇 × 〇 × × × × × × 2 ✓7 × × × 〇 × × × × × × 1 ✓8 × × × × × × × × × × 0 ✓9 〇 × × × × × × 〇 × × 2 ✓10 〇 × × 〇 × × 〇 〇 × × 411 × 〇 〇 〇 × × × 〇 × × 4 ✓12 × 〇 〇 〇 × × × 〇 〇 × 513 × 〇 × 〇 × × × 〇 × × 3 ✓14 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × 〇 〇 × 5 ✓15 〇 × × 〇 × × × 〇 × × 3 ✓16 〇 〇 〇 × × × × 〇 × × 417 〇 × × × × × × × × 〇 218 × 〇 × 〇 × × × 〇 〇 × 4 ✓19 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × × 〇 × 420 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × 〇 × × 4 ✓21 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × × × × × 422 〇 × × 〇 × × × × 〇 × 323 × × × × × × × 〇 × × 124 × 〇 〇 〇 × × × × 〇 〇 5 ✓25 〇 × × × × × × × × × 1 ✓26 〇 × × 〇 × × × 〇 × × 3 ✓27 × × × × × × × × × × 0 ✓ ✓28 × 〇 × × × × × 〇 × 〇 329 × 〇 × × 〇 × × × × × 230 × × × × × × × × × × 0 ✓31 × × × × × × × 〇 × × 132 × 〇 × × × × × 〇 × × 2 ✓33 × × × 〇 × × × 〇 × × 2 ✓34 × × × × × × × 〇 × × 1 ✓35 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × 〇 〇 × 536 × × × × × × × 〇 × × 1 ✓

Averages 2.89 38.9% 27.8%

In Table 2, the left column refers to the subject, and the rows refer to the

14

proverbs. These data suggest that the average score of the literal translation

version is 2.89 and the percentage of subjects who prefer literal translation when

they remember English proverbs is 38.9%. In addition, the percentage of subjects

who prefer literal translation when they understand English proverbs is 27.8%.

However, these data show that the preferred translation method differs

from person to person. For example, look at subject number 5 in Table 2. She had

the highest score among the subjects this time, and she chose literal translation

as the best way to remember English proverbs.

On the other hand, look at subject number 8, 27 and 30 in Table 2. Though

they had the lowest scores, they chose literal translation as the best way when

they remember English proverbs like the subject who had the highest score.

Table 3: A to J shows the English proverbs with figurative translations and

1 to 36 is subject numbers. For the subjects who answered “I prefer figurative

translation when remembering/understanding”, ✓ are put in the box.

In Table 3, the left column refers to subject, and the rows refer to the proverbs.

These data suggest that the average score of the figurative translation

version is 6.11 and the percentage of subjects who prefer figurative translation

when they remember English proverbs is 61.1%. In addition, the percentage of

subjects who prefer figurative translation when they understand English proverbs

is 72.2%.

Look at the subject number 1, 10, 12, 19, 22 and 35 in Table 3. They

scored over 8 and chose figurative translation as the best way when they

remember and understand English proverbs.

Table 3: The data for experiment with B list

15

figurative translation ver.

16

No K L M N O P Q R S T Score

Remember Understand

1 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 9 ✓ ✓2 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 8 ✓3 × 〇 × 〇 〇 × × × 〇 〇 5 ✓4 〇 〇 × 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 8 ✓5 〇 〇 〇 〇 × × 〇 × 〇 〇 7 ✓6 × 〇 〇 〇 × × × × × 〇 4 ✓7 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 8 ✓8 × × × × × × 〇 × × × 1 ✓9 × 〇 × × 〇 〇 〇 × × 〇 5 ✓10 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 8 ✓ ✓11 〇 〇 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 9 ✓12 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 8 ✓ ✓13 × 〇 × 〇 〇 × × × × 〇 4 ✓14 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 9 ✓15 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × × 〇 〇 5 ✓16 〇 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × × 〇 5 ✓ ✓17 × 〇 × × 〇 × × × × × 2 ✓ ✓18 〇 〇 × × 〇 × 〇 × × 〇 5 ✓19 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 9 ✓ ✓20 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × × × 〇 4 ✓21 〇 〇 × 〇 × 〇 〇 × × 〇 6 ✓ ✓22 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 8 ✓ ✓23 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 × × 〇 × 〇 7 ✓ ✓24 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 9 ✓25 〇 〇 × 〇 × 〇 × 〇 × 〇 6 ✓26 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 × 〇 〇 7 ✓27 × 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 × × 〇 528 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 × 〇 〇 7 ✓ ✓29 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 × × × × 〇 6 ✓ ✓30 × × × × × × × × × × 0 ✓31 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 × × × 〇 7 ✓ ✓32 〇 〇 × × 〇 × × × × 〇 4 ✓33 〇 〇 〇 〇 × 〇 × × × 〇 6 ✓34 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 8 ✓35 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 8 ✓ ✓36 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 × 〇 〇 〇 〇 8 ✓

Averages 6.11 61.1% 72.2%

However, as with the literal translation version, these data don’t mean

that the figurative translation is the best way for all subjects who had high score

in figurative translation version. For example, look at subject number 4 in Table 3.

17

She had 8 points this time, but she didn’t choose figurative translation as the

best way to remember English proverbs. According to Table 2, she chose literal

translation as the best way to remember English proverbs though she scored 4

points with literal translation.

However, subject number 17 chose figurative translation as the best way

to remember and understands English proverbs though she scored only 2 point in

that way.

In summary we can find from Table 2 and 3 that:

・The average score of figurative translation (6.11) is more than double

the literal translation one (2.89)

・In the figurative translation experiment, all subjects had higher score

than literal translation one

・Even though a subject had high score, she does not always prefer that

translation

2.2.3.2 Questionnaire data

In this section we will present all the questionnaire data.

Figure E: Do you think this test was easy or difficult?

18

Easy3%

Ok75%

Difficult22%

Figure E shows that 78% of the subjects thought this experiment was not

difficult. The rest of the subjects felt it was difficult.

Figure F: You had 3 minutes to learn theses proverbs. Was this enough time?

Enough20%

Ok44%

Not enough36%

Figure F shows that 36% of the subjects answered 3 minutes are not

enough to learn proverbs. This rate is higher than he percentage of subjects who

19

said 3minutes are enough.

Figure G: How often do you use proverbs in daily life?

Once every few days33%

a few times a month25%

Rarely42%

Figure G shows that 42 % of the subjects rarely use proverbs in daily life.

This rate is highest in this data.

Figure H: Do you think are proverbs quite different between Japanese and

English?

20

Strongly yes86%

Yes8%

No6%

Figure H shows that 86% of the subjects thought proverbs are quite

different between Japanese and English. Table 4 shows the reason why the

subjects think so.

Table 4: (Related to Figure H): Why do you think so?

Answer Reasons

Strongly Yes

・there are difference of words, grammar, culture, general idea, way of thinking and background

・there is an etymology indigenous to English・Japanese proverbs expresses more concretely than English proverbs・English proverbs don’t use numbers much・difficult to understand when trying to translate a passage literally

Yes ・these are sometimes similar (number, words)・difficult to translate Japanese into English perfectly

No ・there are words which can be a clue when translating・these are translated into Japanese by using words which are English

Figure I: Do you think using translation is good for learning?

21

Yes86%

No11%

I don't know3%

Figure I shows that 86% of the subjects thought using translation is good

for learning. This rate is highest in this data.

Table 5 shows the reason why the subjects think so.

Table 5: (related to Figure I): Why do you think so?

Answer Reasons

Yes ・can’t understand the meaning without translation

・able to deepen understanding of English sentences on checking

Japanese meanings

・easy to remember

・get chances to learn new words or expressions and to know a way

of thinking

22

・easier to keep in mind by connecting with Japanese

・it’s useful to imagine its meaning with Japanese

No ・using translation is not always useful when learning proverbs

・it is not good to use translation before reading English sentences

・it is better for learners to look up a word in a dictionary

Figure J: Which do you prefer literal or figurative translation when you

remember?

Literal translation39%

Figurative transla-tion61%

Figure J shows that 61% of the subjects prefer figurative translation when

they remember English proverbs.

Table 6 shows the reason why the subjects choose one.

Table 6 (related to Figure J): Why do you choose that one?

23

Answer Reasons

Literal

translatio

n

・it’s easier to translate literally

・English expressions correspond to meanings of words in Japanese

Figurative

translatio

n

・typical Japanese expressions are easier to remember

・able to imagine

・there is a subtle difference in nuance in literal translation

Figure K: Which do you prefer literal or figurative translation when you

understand?

Literal translation28%

Figurative transla-tion72%

Figure K shows that 72% of the subjects prefer figurative translation when

they understand the meaning of English proverbs.

Table 7 shows the reasons why the subjects choose one.

24

. Table 7: (related to Figure K): Why do you choose that one?

Answer Reasons

Literal

translatio

n

・the expressions were similar to Japanese one

・it was expressed clearer

Figurative

translatio

n

・we already know the meanings of the proverbs in Japanese

・it was expressed more concrete, so easier to grasp the point

Figure L: Do you need translations when you study English?

Yes72%

Sometimes28%

Figure L shows that 72% of the subjects need translations when they study

English.

Now, we will focus on the difference of features between English proverbs’

expressions and Japanese proverbs’ expressions.

25

Table 8: English proverbs with figurative translation and percentage of correct

answers

English proverbs Figurative translation %

A The proof of the pudding is in the eating. 論より証拠 77.8％

B More haste, less speed. 急がば回れ 94.4％

C He that hunts two hares at once will catch neither.

二兎追う者は一兎も得ず

27.8%

D Strike while the iron is hot. 鉄は熱いうちに打て 80.6%

E Practice makes perfect. 習うより慣れろ 55.6%

F The early bird catches the worm. 早起きは三文の徳 33.3%

G Perseverance prevails. 石の上にも三年 58.3%

H You can't fight city hall. 泣く子と地頭には勝てぬ

38.9%

I Misfortunes never come singly. 泣きっ面に蜂 52.8%

J What had happened twice will happen three times.

二度あることは三度ある

91.7%

These data suggest that almost all subjects answered proverbs B and J

correctly. When we compare this with Table 4, they said that English proverbs and

Japanese proverbs sometimes both use similar number words. The words “twice”

and “three times” which are appeared in proverbs J are translated “二度” and “三

26

度” in Japanese. Because of this, the subjects could connect English and Japanese.

On the other hand, proverbs F and H have a low score. In proverb F, “bird”

appeared in the English proverb, however, Japanese the proverb has no bird or in

fact any animals, so it was difficult to remember.

2.3 Summary

We discussed the experiment and questionnaire in Chapter Two. In the

experiment, at first, we saw that figurative translation is easier to remember than

literal translation. Also, we say that many subjects chose figurative translation

when they remember and understand English proverbs.

Second, the individual data showed that the best way of translating differs

from person to person. Both the highest scorer and the lowest scorer on test A

(English proverbs with literal translation) chose literal translation as the best way

of remembering.

Third, we talked about the differences between English proverbs’

expressions and Japanese proverbs’ expressions. We found that the reason why

the percentage of correct answers was high for B, D and J which is that the

subjects can learn them because of their close meanings.

In the questionnaire, many people said that there was quite a big

difference between Japanese and English proverbs because of the difference of

culture, general idea, and background. 86% of the subjects said that using

translation is good for learning proverbs because we can get chances to learn

new words or expressions and to know a new way of thinking. In contrast, 11% of

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the subjects said that using translation is not good for learning. They think it is

not helpful to use translation before reading English sentences and it is better to

look up a word in a dictionary. 61% of the subjects chose figurative translation as

the best way of remembering because it’s easy to imagine the meaning. In

addition, 72% of the subjects chose figurative translation as the best way of

understanding too, because it expresses more concrete ideas.

The average score of figurative translation (6.11) is more than double

score the　for literal translation (2.89) and in the figurative translation

experiment, every subject had higher score than for literal translation. At first

glance, all the subjects preferred figurative translation when remembering and

understanding English proverbs from these data. However, even though a subject

had a high score, she does not always prefer figurative translation so we cannot

generalize about the best way of translation for English learners is figurative

translation. In the next chapter, we will discus the results more carefully.

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Chapter 3: The Analysis

3.1 Introduction

In Chapter One, we researched the learning and perception of the

usefulness of translations between Japanese and English. In Chapter Two, we

looked at the best way of translation literal or figurative translation for English

learners. The method of the experiment and its results were mentioned in

Chapter Two. In this chapter, we will analyze the results of the experiment and

the tests in more detail.

3.2 Summary of the results

In Chapter Two, we found that there are significant differences in

remembering and understanding English proverbs. In Table 1, we saw that there

is a great difference of percentage of correct answer between literal translation

and figurative translation. When subjects took the experiment to use literal

translation in Test A, they could score 2.888. When subjects took the experiment

to use figurative translation in Test B, they could score 6.111. These results are

quite different so we can say there is great difference between using literal

translation or figurative translation to remember proverbs. However, we cannot

generalize about the best way of translation for English learners is figurative

translation.

3.3 Research questions

This section will answer the research questions from Chapter One.

3.3.1 Research question 1

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1. Is literal or figurative translation better for memorizing?

In Chapter Two, Table 1 shows that figurative translation’s average score

(2.88) is higher than literal translation ’s one (6.11) and Figure J shows that 61%

of the subjects answered that figurative translation is better to remember English

proverbs. The reasons why more than half of subjects chose figurative translation

are shown in Table 6. According to Table 6, the subjects felt typical Japanese

expressions are easier to remember, there is a subtle difference in nuance in

literal translation, and helps them to imagine the meaning easily.

Although the results shows this in general, the subject who had a high

score on both Tests A and B, chose literal translation as better to remember. From

this, we can say the best way of translation to remember English sentences

differs from person to person.

2. Is literal or figurative translation better for understanding?

As we saw in Research Question 1, the figurative translation’s score is

higher that literal translation. Figure K shows that 72.2% of the subjects

answered that figurative translation is better to understand English proverbs. The

reasons why almost all subjects chose figurative translation are shown in Table 7.

According to Table 7, subjects chose figurative translation because they already

know the meanings of the proverbs in Japanese, and it is expressed in a more

concrete manner so it is easier to grasp the meaning.

Although the results shows like this, the subject who had highest score in

Test B didn’t choose figurative translation as the best way to understand. On the

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other hand, the subject who had the lowest score on the same test chose

figurative translation as the best way to understand. From this, we can also say

the best way of translation to understand English sentences is different person to

person.

3. Do the subjects think translation is useful when they learn?

Figure I shows 86% of the subjects think using translation is good for

learning and Figure L shows 72% of the subjects need translations when they

study English. The reasons why they need translation are shown in Table 5.

According to Table 5, they can’t understand meaning without translation,

Japanese translation helps us to deepen our understanding of English sentences,

and they can get a chance to learn new words or expressions to know their way

of thinking. The rest of the people don’t think using translation is good because

they think it is better for learners to look up a word in a dictionary before using

translation.

4. What are their reactions to memorizing?

Figure E shows that 78% of the subjects thought this experiment was not

difficult but Figure F shows that 36% of the subjects answered 3 minutes was not

enough to learn the proverbs.

According to Table 3, even if subjects already know the proverbs in

Japanese, they can’t remember correctly when the English expressions are quite

different from Japanese expressions. For example, the English proverb “What had

happened twice will happen three times” is translated “二度あることは三度ある” in

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Japanese. The word “twice” corresponds to “二度”, and “three times” corresponds

to “三度” in Japanese, so we can remember this easily and the percentage of the

correct answer is high.

3.4 Implications

According to the tests in Chapter Two, there are great differences between

using literal translation and figurative translation when remembering English

proverbs. Subjects thought that figurative translation is more familiar to them so

there are great differences. However, we cannot say for sure which is the best

way of translation for remembering and understanding English proverbs or

sentences.

3.5. Limitations of the Experiment

There are several limitations with this study. Firstly, most of the subjects

were female university students. Furthermore, they were all majors in English in

university. If I could give the experiments again, I would like to test more subjects

who major in a variety subjects, and different sexes and ages.

Table A and B’s subject 5 could get 7 points in Table B even though most

subjects could get only 5 or less than 5. Subject 30 couldn’t get any points in

Table A and B. It means she has no score in both experiments, so I want and need

to give another tests which can be find the reasons why these subjects have

great differences in the experiment.

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3.6. Conclusion

In this thesis, first we looked at the two types of translation. We found that

there are many reasons why translating is difficult. Also we found that there are

differences of preference in English and Japanese suggesting we should choose

the method depending on the situation.

We found that figurative translation is easier to remember than literal

translation because many subjects chose figurative translation when they

remember and understand English proverbs. However, when we focused on

individual results, even though a subject had high score, not always she prefers

figurative translation. From those, we cannot generalize about the best way of

translation for an English learner is figurative translation.

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References

Articles

Giora, Rachel, 1997. Understanding figurative and literal language: The graded

salience hypothesis. Cognitive Linguistics 7: 183–206;

Giora, Rachel, 1999. On the priority of salient meanings: Studies of literal and

figurative language. Journal of Pragmatics 31, 919–929;

Giora, Rachel. 2002. "Literal vs. figurative language: Different or equal?." Journal

of Pragmatics 34.4 : 487-506.

Giora, Rachel, in press. On our mind: Salience, context, and figurative language.

New York: Oxford University Press

Websites

Harvard Business Review. http://blog.etn.co.jp/english-population/455.html

Accessed October 28, 2017

Literal vs. figurative language: Different or equal?

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378216601000455 Accessed

October 28, 2017

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Appendices

Appendix I Proverb Questionnaire (List A)

Please learn these proverbs in 3 minutes.

There is no smoke without fire. 火が無ければそこに煙は無い

Ignorance is bliss. 無知は無上の幸福

Blind leading the blind. 盲人は盲人を導く

It is beating the air. それは空気をたたくことだ

Many a little makes a mickle. たくさんの小さなものが多量にする

A hedge between keeps friendship green.

生け垣が友情をよく保つ

Seeing is believing. 見ることは信じることである

Even Homer sometimes nods. ホメロスでさえ時々うなずく

It is no use crying over spilt milk. こぼれた牛乳を嘆いてもどうにもならない

Butter would not melt in one's mouth.

バターは口の中で溶けない

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Appendix II

Proverb Questionnaire (List B)

Please learn these proverbs in 3 minutes.

He that hunts two hares at once will catch neither.

二兎追う者は一兎も得ず

The early bird catches the worm. 早起きは三文の得

Strike while the iron is hot. 鉄は熱いうちに打て

More haste, less speed. 急がば回れ

Practice makes perfect. 習うより慣れろ

Perseverance prevails. 石の上にも三年

Misfortunes never come singly. 泣きっ面に蜂

You can't fight city hall. 泣く子と地頭には勝てぬ

What had happened twice will happen three times.　

二度あることは三度ある

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

論より証拠

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Appendix III

The test

Please write the Japanese which you remembered for these proverbs.

A. Even Homer sometimes nods. 【 】

B. It is beating the air. 【 】

C. It is no use crying over spilt milk. 【 】

D. Blind leading the blind. 【 】

E. Many a little makes a mickle. 【 】

F. There is no smoke without fire.【 】

G. A hedge between keeps friendship green. 【 】

H. Butter would not melt in one's mouth. 【 】

I. Ignorance is bliss. 【 】

J. Seeing is believing. 【 】

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Appendix IV

Please write the Japanese which you remembered for these proverbs.

K. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. 【　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

L. More haste, less speed.　　　　　　　　　　　　【　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

M. He that hunts two hares at once will catch neither.　【　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

N. Strike while the iron is hot.　　　　　　　　　【　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

O. Practice makes perfect.　　　　　　　　　　　【　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

P. The early bird catches the worm.　　　　　【　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

Q. Perseverance prevails.　　　　　　　　　　　　【　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

R. You can't fight city hall.　　　　　　　　　　　【　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

S. Misfortunes never come singly.　　　　　　　【　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

T. What had happened twice will happen three times.　【　　　　　　　　　　　　 】

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