Speaking English with Confidence
Dec 15th 2011 12:12
correction-please
I've translated a passage written by some Japanese writer.
Would you mind correcting the translation?
-------------------------------------------------------
When we negotiate or discuss with someone in English, if the person is its native speaker, just this fact can make us nervous.
Even when the person gives an insignificant opinion, sometimes we even get ashamed of our inability to object to it well enough.
However, when the person is not a native speaker of English, surprisingly we can speak English with confidence, maybe because we can be relieved that the person is not good at English as well.
Would you mind correcting the translation?
-------------------------------------------------------
When we negotiate or discuss with someone in English, if the person is its native speaker, just this fact can make us nervous.
Even when the person gives an insignificant opinion, sometimes we even get ashamed of our inability to object to it well enough.
However, when the person is not a native speaker of English, surprisingly we can speak English with confidence, maybe because we can be relieved that the person is not good at English as well.
- 9
- 12
- 2
Journals Statistics
| Total | 495 entries |
|---|---|
| This Month | 0 entries |
| This week | 0 enrties |
Latest entry
| A World Discovered By Wearing Glasses (5) |
| Before I Arrived ... (6) |
| The First Time (4) |
| After a Long Time (2) |
| To Start / To Start On (5) |
Latest comments
| Apr 26th tony |
| Apr 25th :-) |
| Apr 17th tony |
| Apr 16th tony |
| Apr 16th tony |
Entries by Month
| 2012 |
|---|
| - April (6) |
| - March (7) |
| - February (24) |
| - January (32) |
| 2011 |
| - December (20) |
| - November (23) |
| - October (20) |
| - September (18) |
| - August (10) |
| - July (26) |
| - June (20) |
| - May (7) |
| - April (5) |
| - March (14) |
| - February (4) |
| - January (10) |
| 2010 |
| - December (5) |
| - November (11) |
| - October (5) |
| - September (6) |
| - August (2) |
| - July (6) |
| - June (6) |
| - April (9) |
| - March (3) |
| - February (4) |
| - January (22) |
| 2009 |
| - December (13) |
| - November (16) |
| - October (31) |
| - September (26) |
| - August (13) |
| - July (18) |
| - June (9) |
| - May (28) |
| - April (16) |
When we negotiate or talk with someone in English, if the person is its native speaker just this fact alone can make us nervous.
I've translated a passage written by a Japanese writer.
When we negotiate or discuss something with someone in English, if the person is a native speaker, just this fact can make us nervous. ["Discuss" always needs a direct object. "A native speaker" is short for "a native speaker of English." You wrote "its native speaker" thinking it was short for "English's native speaker", presumably, but this is not a natural use of a possessive form of a noun, so "its" sounds out of place even though it makes sense logically.]
Even when the person gives/states an insignificant/unimportant opinion, sometimes we even get ashamed of our inability to object to it well enough. [Alternative: We sometimes get ashamed of being unable to express our disagreement well enough, even if/when the statement that gave rise to the disagreement is not important.]
However, when the person is not a native speaker of English, surprisingly we can speak English with confidence, maybe because we can be relieved that he (or she) is also not good at English. [Alternative: "... is not good at English, either."]
And Japanese people seem to be too afraid of making mistakes in speaking English.
Excuse me, could I ask you why you corrected "as well" in the last sentence?
I will try to find something better.
Maybe it can be explained in terms of these two facts, first "as well" is often placed at or near the last part of a sentence, and then "as well" isn't allowed to put after "not", as well as "too / also", in order to convey the same meaning as "neither".
Thank you very much for the helpful links!!
I'd like to know whether it is natural to say this:
We are sometimes ashamed of ourselves for being unable to express our disagreement well enough ...
Does "ashamed of ourselves" sound like the negative feeling is exaggerated or dramatized?
One last question: can you say "we are sometimes sorry ..." in this context?
We are sometimes sorry that it is hard for us to express our disagreement clearly.
We sometimes regret having difficulty expressing our disagreement clearly.
I think I prefer the "regret" version.
About "ashamed"-- "shame" very often has to do with moral or ethical transgressions, but it can also be disappointment about not doing something as well as one would like to be able to. I think the main reason for avoiding it in this particular situation is that the listener may incorrectly infer that some moral or ethical violation has occurred.
Can it? I didn't know that! What a shame! Oh, I said "shame" ...
Anyway, thank you very much ^^
http://www.okmagazine.com/reviews/dvds/philmguys-dvd-review-blue-valentine-no-strings-attached
The author means that he is disappointed in himself for not having done a more thorough job in preparing his "top 10" list. This is a failure to live up to his standards of effectiveness, rather than a moral or ethical failure.
(This was the first result of a web search for the phrase "I'm ashamed of myself for not".)
Thank you so much you two =)