Table of all translations of the fox's secret here.
The Fox's Secret:
Voici mon secret. Il est très simple.
Translating into Japanese (2)
| (Japanese translations) | ▼ Here is my secret. It is very simple | ▶ One sees clearly only with the heart | ▶ What is essential is invisible to the eyes |
| The Japanese versions (popup) |
| A. STRUCTURE |
| B. VOCABULARY CHOICES |
| C. DISCOURSE AND MOOD |
| ▶ Fr ▶ En ▶ Ch |
Mon Secret
Mon: the 'definiteness' of the secret and the concept of 'possession':
Mon secret in this case means: 'that particular secret -- the one that I mentioned earlier -- that belongs to me'.
Japanese is interesting for the lack of unanimity in the way that mon is translated.
1) Null:Five translators do not translate mon at all. The word 秘密 himitsu is used by itself. Given that a secret has been referred to already, it is assumed that the little prince knows what secret the fox is referring to.
2) Direct translation of mon:
3) Other definite:Somewhat less than half of translators translate mon directly.
おれの ore no ぼくの boku no オイラの oira no Total Japanese pronouns are an issue in themselves, because there is such a choice. Three translators use おれ ore, a rough male pronoun. This presents the fox as something of a rough diamond with slightly macho qualities. The similar オイラ oira is a countrified usage that gives the fox a simpler, slightly hick-like image.
ぼく boku, on the other hand, is fairly standard young male usage that avoids the rough connotaions of おれ ore or the rustic sound of オイラ oira.
4) That (before)
おれからの ore kara no ぼくの知っている boku no shitte iru きみにプレゼントしたい kimi ni purezento shitai Total Three translators use expressions identifying the secret in various ways.
One refers to きみにプレゼントしたい秘密 kimi ni purezento shitai himitsu 'the secret that I want to give you as a present'. This both identifies the secret that the fox mentioned earlier, but also indicates that the fox is about to 'give' the secret to the little prince.
One uses おれからの秘密 ore kara no himitsu 'the secret from me'. This indicates that it is about to be given to the little prince.
One refers to ぼくの知っている秘密 boku no shitte iru himitsu 'the secret that I know'.
This is functionally equivalent to 'my secret', in the sense that 'the secret that I know' explains more clearly the concept of possession represented by mon secret ('knowing' a secret is equivalent to 'possessing' it).
さっきの sakki no One translator (the original translator Naitō) uses the term さっきの sakki no 'that before'. This makes it quite clear that the fox is referring to the secret he promised to tell the little prince before.
The word secret ('secret') is translated by the same word in all Japanese translations. The word is 秘密 himitsu 'secret'.
Très simple
In looking at the word simple, we need to consider not merely the word simple itself, but what the fox meant when he said this.
In the French, the sentence Il est très simple is a straightforward declaration. However, at least three possible implications spring to mind:
- it's a way of reassuring the little prince that the content of the secret is not difficult.
- it's meant as a way of downplaying the momentousness or pomposity of the advice, a kind of modesty. This might be expressed as, "Well, actually, it's nothing at all".
- it's designed to emphasise the gravity, or no-nonsense clear-cut nature of the secret. This is the tone conveyed in a sentence like: "I'll give you some simple advice, my friend...", which could even sound ominous.
TRANSLATING SIMPLE |
|
| 簡単 kantan | 7 |
| かんたん kantan | 4 |
| 単純 tanjun | 3 |
| なに、なんでもない nani, nan de mo nai | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
The original translation by Naitō is notable for using the expression なに、なんでもない nani, nan de mo nai, a deprecating expression meaning that it is 'nothing at all'. This downplays the secret.
Most later translations use 簡単 kantan 'simple'. This indicates that the secret is 'not difficult'.
Similarly for the translations that use 単純 tanjun 'simple', which indicates that the secret is 'not complicated'.
Aside from the choice of adjective, most of the translators use expressions meaning 'a very simple thing', almost unanimously こと koto, the word for an abstract thing or situation. One uses もの mono, a word for a concrete thing. Only three say it is 'very simple'.
こと これは ...もの ~ Total
Très ('very' in English) is meant to emphasise how simple the secret is. Most translators use とても totemo or the emphatic form とっても tottemo Only one uses the colloquial すごく sugoku; two use nothing at all. (In Naitō's translation, the use of a word meaning 'simple' is superfluous.)
TRANSLATING TRÈS |
|
| とても totemo | 10 |
| とっても tottemo | 1 |
| すごく sugoku | 1 |
| ~ | 2 |
| Total | 14 |
1) How the fox starts telling his secret
As in English, where several translators feel that the fox needs to start telling his secret with the word 'Now', a number of Japanese translators start the fox's speech with an interjection, e.g., じゃあ jā, meaning something like 'well', a common expression in Japanese used to launch into a comment, suggestion, or question.
The use of じゃあ jā / じゃ ja correlates with expressions meaning 'I'll tell you the secret'. | |||||||||||||||
2) 'Here is my secret' (declarative)
The verbal endings and sentence-final particles used by the fox in declaring his intention to tell his secret are of some interest. Japanese is well known for the richness of its sentence endings, featuring the use of sentence-final particles with specific verb forms...
This use of verb forms and sentence-final particles is par for the course in Japanese conversation. What is interesting is the subtle differences in tone that each translator tries to convey. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3) It's very simple (declarative)
The declarative forms used by the fox to assert to the little prince the truth of his secret shows a number of variations and combinations.
MODAL ENDINGS FOR 'IT IS VERY SIMPLE' |
||
| 簡単〜 kantan ~ (2) | ||
| だ da | だよ da yo | 1 |
| なんだ nan'da | なんだ nan'da | 1 |
| 簡単なこと (もの)〜 kantan na koto (mono) ~ (13) | ||
| だ da (6) | だ da | 3 |
| だよ da yo | 2 |
|
| だけど da kedo | 1 |
|
| なんだ nan'da (4) | なんだ nan'da | 2 |
| なんだよ nan'da yo | 1 |
|
| なんだけどね nan'da kedo ne | 1 |
|
| さ sa | さ sa | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
|
One third of the 15 translations use なんだ nan'da, which is the shortened form of なのだ na no da and has both an explanatory ('you, see, this is how it is') and assertive function. The rest use just だ da by itself, except where the jauntily assertive particle さ sa is used. さ sa can be added directly and doesn't require だ da.
Taking just the final particle, we find the following patterns:
FINAL PARTICLES |
|
| No particle | 6 |
| よ yo | 4 |
| けど kedo | 1 |
| けどね kedo ne | 1 |
| さ sa | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
Each conveys a subtly different tone.
- Use of no particle is abrupt and assertive, especially given that the verb is the plain form.
- The particle よ yo is also assertive, but adding the particle actually softens the tone in comparison with using no particle.
- The particle けど kedo (including けどね kedo ne) has a much softer impact. It has a concessive force -- the meaning is literally 'but' and thus contains the notion of leaving something unsaid.
- さ sa is also assertive, but in a breezier manner. It has a jauntier feel about it that could be taken as more friendly and reassuring.
In fact, the difference is related to the fox's attitude to the fact that the secret is 'simple'. While in most translations the fox is assuring the little prince in no uncertain terms that the secret is simple, in those that use けど kedo the fox is almost apologising that the secret is such a simple little thing. In those little final particles lies a world of difference in meaning.
As we noted, most translators use the expression 簡単なこと kantan na koto 'a simple thing' to describe the simpicity of the secret.
This reference to the secret as a こと koto 'thing, fact' is echoed in the words of the secret itself, where こと koto can be found repeated at both sentences in the secret. In each case the use of こと koto or ということ to yū koto 'it is the fact that...' acts as a frame around the actual content of the fox's secret. The pattern of usage is as follows:
| It is very simple | One sees clearly only with the heart | What is essential is invisible to the eyes |
| ことだよ koto da yo |
ってことさ -tte koto sa |
んだよ n'da yo |
| なことなんだ na koto nan'da |
ってことさ -tte koto sa |
のさ no sa |
| なことなんだ na koto na'n da |
- | - |
| なことさ na koto sa |
- | - |
| なことだけど na koto da kedo |
ってことなんだ -tte koto nan'da |
んだよ n'da yo |
| なんだよ nan'da yo |
- | んだ n'da |
| なことだ na koto da |
- | んだよ n'da yo |
| なことさ na koto sa |
- | んだ n'da |
| なんだけどね nan'da kedo ne |
- | っていうことさ -tte yū koto sa |
| なものだよ na mono da yo |
- | これがきみに贈るぼくの秘密だよ kore ga kimi ni okuru boku no himitsu da yo |
| なことだ na koto da |
- | - |
| なことさ na koto sa |
- | ということだ to yū koto da |
| なことだ na koto da |
ってことさ -tte koto sa |
..... |
| よ yo |
- | んだよ n'da yo |
| なことなんだ na koto nan'da |
ってことだよ -tte koto da yo |
んだ n'da |
For more, see here (first sentence) and here (second sentence).
 STRUCTURES |