Nov 11, 2008

"Akacah-no-Eki"


Now, the local government that I have worked for have started a project called "Akachan-no-Eki"(赤ちゃんの駅). But, I feel something strange from that name.

"Akachan-no-Eki" is a place that have a room where parents can have a short rest for taking care of their babies. They can give mother's milk to their babies or change their diapers. In my direct translation, it is "a place for parents to take care of their babies".


There is a similar expression to this name. It is "Michi-no-Eki"(道の駅) that is a building along national highway for drivers to take short rest.

These expressions are similar, but what they mean are very different, and Japanese language is very complicated, I think.

3 comments:

ジョン said...

You won't get any arguments from me about Japanese being difficult. English is no walk in the park, either?

(表現、わかりますか。)

bikenglish said...

I am sorry that I could not understand what you meant. Please explain it in other words or in japanese.

ジョン said...

No problem!

You won't get any arguments from meというのは、「〇〇に関して僕からの反対はなし」という意味です。だから、書いた文は「日本語が難しいということに関して僕は反対はしない」ということですね。

そして、walk in the parkという表現は「簡単」「しやすい」という意味です。「囲碁は簡単」と言いたいのなら:

(Playing) go is a walk in the park.

僕が書いたのは「英語も簡単なわけではない」です。

〇〇 is a walk in the park. (簡単)
〇〇 is no walk in the park! (難しい)

という文型ですよ。

このいい加減な説明で理解できましたかな。