I'm a slow reader even in Japanese, let alone in English, but finally I've come to feel that it's easier to read in English if the content was originally written in English. I used to frequently refer to Japanese translations when reading in English because I wasn't sure whether I was grasping the content correctly. Sometimes I was impressed by how beautiful and accurate the translation was, but other times, I found out the translation wasn't always perfect. Either way, my own interpretation wasn't that inaccurate.
So, moving forward, I'll only buy the English version if it was originally written in English. I'm glad I'm now able to read for pleasure, not just to improve my skills.
8
That's wonderful that your skills have improved so much! What kind of books do you like to read?Β
@Sunflower1234 Thank you for your comment! I've always enjoyed American literature, such as Salinger, Irving, and Vonnegut. Yiyun Lee is my recent fave. I also read non-fiction.
Cool
Well done, Akiko..
Can you give me some recommendations & advice in learning your language Japanese?
Excellent post! I've also recently discovered that reading translations β even in the form of subtitles β can be deceptive and even distracting. You put everything I was thinking into words and explained it very eloquently.
@SAMAR_ADEIBA Thank you for your interest in the Japanese language. I wrote a post about that.
@CocoPop Thank you so much! I owe my progress to you. Reading English without referring to the Japanese translations is like swimming without using a float. Very fun! I can't swim, though.
I'm happy for you, Akiko. Reading for pleasure is such a beautiful thing.
Many thanks, Simo! I've just learned beautiful phrase, be happy for someone from your comment. @Simone-
My pleasure π.