1.
Hisako Kinukawa, a feminist theologian in Japan,
teaches at a number of colleges
and universities in
the Tokyo metro area. She writes the following:
I have known and worked with Margaret for
about 10 years. She lived and worked in Japan for well over 20 years, and
I have the feeling that for her, as a person striving to understand
Japanese culture and history, the Japanese language was extremely
important. The accuracy and skillful use of expressions found in
Margaret's translations reflect both her actual study of the language and
also what she absorbed naturally by living fully in the culture. Only as a
person is deeply involved with other people can she develop a sensitivity
to words and their usage. Margaret has a very appealing personality and
thus has made many friends in Japan. She has a strong grasp of special
Japanese idioms and phrases, many of which have no equivalents in English,
and can easily differentiate between the various levels of our language
(i.e. honorific, humble, everyday). I am impressed by her skill at
converting Japanese meaning into appropriate English. Words and phrases
all have very subtle differences, and I feel that Margaret's ability to capture the correct meaning in her work offers
us readers the opportunity to read whatever she
translates with confidence.
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