Synopses & Reviews
"Destroy a nation, but its mountains and rivers remain."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Japanese proverbandlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;bandgt;This is a collection of 200 Japanese proverbs with illustrations and explanations for each saying.andlt;/bandgt; andlt;bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Go beyond speaking Japaneseand#8211;peek into the soul of Japan. andlt;iandgt;Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdomandlt;/iandgt; is a delightfully illustrated compilation of traditional Japanese sayings and maxims. Some of the classic Japanese quotes and quotations, like "Fall down seven times, get up eight", capture the dogged perseverance of the Japanese heart. Others, such as "A red lacquer dish needs no decoration" illuminate both a universal truth and Japan's unique, aesthetic traditions. andlt;iandgt;Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdomandlt;/iandgt; has proverbs of great cultural significance as well as proverbs on matters of daily life and customs.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Pleasing to expert and new-comer alike, the 200 traditional proverbs in this unique collection are presented in Japanese calligraphy form, along with direct English translations. Similar proverbs are given from English, and the andlt;iandgt;sumi-eandlt;/iandgt; style ink drawings are a delight in their own right.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt; Amateurs and Japanese language enthusiasts alike will speak Japanese with the verve and nuance of a native when they use these apt and witty expressions.
Review
andlt;divandgt;"andhellip;Alikeablebokandhellip;tells us much about Japan." and#8212;from the foreward by Edward G. Seidenstickerandlt;/divandgt;
Review
"andhellip;Alikeablebokandhellip;tells us much about Japan." and#8212;from the foreward by Edward G. Seidensticker
Synopsis
"Destroy a nation, but its mountains and rivers remain." Japanese proverb
This is a collection of 200 Japanese proverbs with illustrations and explanations for each saying.
Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdom is a delightfully illustrated compilation of traditional Japanese sayings and maxims. Some of the classic Japanese quotes and quotations, like "Fall down seven times, get up eight," capture the dogged perseverance of the Japanese heart. Others, such as "A red lacquer dish needs no decoration" illuminate both a universal truth and Japan's unique, aesthetic traditions. Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdom has proverbs of great cultural significance as well as proverbs on matters of daily life and customs.
Pleasing to expert and new-comer alike, the 200 traditional proverbs in this unique collection are presented in Japanese calligraphy form, along with direct English translations. Similar proverbs are given from English, and the sumi-e style ink drawings are a delight in their own right.
Amateurs and Japanese language enthusiasts alike will speak Japanese with the verve and nuance of a native when they use these apt and witty expressions."
Synopsis
What does a native Japanese speaker mean by expressions like "the leftover piece is lucky" or "a red lacquer dish needs no decoration"? How do Japanese speakers relate to English maxims like "talk is cheap" and "you get what you pay for"? Proverbs hold many keys to a language and culture.
Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdom is filled with universal truths ("Fall down seven times, get up eight") as well as uniquely Japanese sayings and folk wisdom ("Even a one-inch insect has a half-inch soul") which may seem cryptic and difficult to understand until you know the entire proverb that it refers to. This book will delight students of Japanese language and culture and will provide you with the key to speaking and understanding Japanese more fluently. All the proverbs are presented in Japanese script and Romanized form, along with direct English translations.
Witty illustrations illuminate the proverbs and expression, and equivalent proverbs in English are given to demonstrate how, in so many ways, human nature is the same the world over. This selection of ageless wisdom from Japan's cities and villages is a gentle guide to the enduring values and traditions which drive Japan today every bit as much as in the past.
Synopsis
Go beyond speaking Japanese; peek into the soul of Japan.
Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdom is a delightfully illustrated compilation of Japanese traditional sayings (kotowaza). Some, like "Fall down seven times, get up eight", capture the dogged perseverance of the Japanese heart. Others, such as "a red lacquer dish needs no decoration" illuminate both a universal truth and Japan's unique, esthetic traditions.
Pleasing to expert and new-comer alike, the 200 traditional proverbs in this unique collection are presented in Japanese script and romanized (romaji) form, along with direct English translations. Similar proverbs are given from English, and the sumi-e style ink drawings are a delight in their own right.
You'll speak Japanese with the verve and nuance of a native when you use these apt and witty expressions.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;David Galefandlt;/bandgt; is an American scholar, novelist, critic, poet, translator and essayist. He is professor of English at Montclair State University and author of many books of fiction and poetry, including including andlt;iandgt;Turning Japaneseandlt;/iandgt; (1998), andlt;iandgt;Flawsandlt;/iandgt; (2007), and andlt;iandgt;My Date with Neanderthal Womanandlt;/iandgt; (2011).andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;bandgt;Jun Hashimotoandlt;/bandgt; is a New York-based artist and illustrator. His art and illustrations have graced everything from Scotch labels to book covers.
Table of Contents
andlt;iandgt;Contentsandlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt; Author Preface to the New Editionandlt;BRandgt; Preface to EMFFTandlt;BRandgt; Foreword for EMFFT by Edward G. Seidenstickerandlt;BRandgt; Preface to EASBCTandlt;BRandgt; Foreword to EASBCT by Charles Shiro Inouyeandlt;BRandgt; The Proverbsandlt;BRandgt; List of Proverbs with English Language Equivalentsandlt;BRandgt; List of English Language Proverbs with Japanese Equivalents