The below exerpt is from the script of a recent Japanese television program. It is the most spectacularly fulfilling dialogue I have ever had the fortune to translate from Japanese into English:
S-san :Everyone probably wears this shirt without understanding its meaning. (Points to a Japanese person wearing a T-shirt that reads: "Hysteric Narcotics".)
P-sensei: When most foreigners buy T-shirts in other languages, they inquire about the text's meaning. Because in America, the messages on T-shirts are thought to be messages from the heart.
S-san: Now when we all go shopping, let's find out the meanings on our T-shirts before we buy them!
Students: OK!
Yes! Yes! Yes!! You finally get it! This is one of those moments of deep cultural understanding that makes me feel like what I'm doing here is all worthwhile. That, or I just wanted a break from the never-ending-transcript. Back to work for me now.
Omigod, that's so completely funny. It makes it tempting to gift a Japanese person with a t-shirt that says something completely horrific on it that they'd never want to wear if they knew what it said.
Then again, messages from the heart on American shirts? Like most of us are that deep. Someone was commenting today about a couple 12 year old girls wearing Hooters shirts for a "Catholic School Girl" themed day at their summer camp.
Posted by: VicariousRising | July 28, 2007 at 01:23 PM
Hooters shirts? On second thought, maybe it's better not to understand what everyone's wearing...
Posted by: Lea | July 28, 2007 at 02:38 PM