#55 加藤周一『日本文化における時間と空間』
日本の諺言に「過去は水に流す」という。過ぎ去った争いは早く忘れ、過ちはいつまでも追及しない。その方が個人の、または集団の、今日の活動に有利である、という意味である。しかしその事の他面は、個人も集団も過去の行為の責任をとる必要がない、ということを意味する。
Vocabulary:
加藤周一 かとうしゅういち Kato Shuichi (critic, 1919-2008)
諺言 げんげん saying
過去 かこ the past
過ぎ去る すぎさる to pass by, to come and go
争い あらそい quarrel
忘れる わすれる to forget
過ち あやまち mistake
追及する ついきゅうする to press, to pursue
個人 こじん individual
集団 しゅうだん group
活動 かつどう activity
有利 ゆうり beneficial, favorable, advantageous
他面 ためん the other side
行為 こうい action
責任をとる せきにんをとる to take responsibility
必要 ひつよう necessity
意味する いみする to mean
Translation:
There is a saying in Japan that goes: ‘the past is water under the bridge.’ Quickly forget about quarrels that have come and gone, and do not pursue mistakes forever. The intention being that this is beneficial to the activities of both the individual and the group in the present. But on the other hand, this means that there is no need for either the individual or the group to take responsibility for past actions.
Amazon.jp link for the book I used:
Hello Bunsuke San! You're incredible for doing this and I've always look forward to your news letter :) I have a question. For this "過去は水に流す" saying, I know that translating is very hard from Japanese to English. But is it possible if I took the meaning as "The past flows like the water"? I would also want to hear some insight to why you chose to translate the staying like that as well :)
Good evening, Bunsuke-san! So I had a question; 日本文化 why is this read as にっぽんぶんか instead of にほんぶんか。So in general I wanted to ask when to read it as にっぽん and when にほん?