Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/57622

JaLCDOI : 10.14943/67832

KEYWORDS : science communication;cross-cultural communication;translation studies;explicitation/implicitation;Fukuzawa Yukichi

In this article we investigate the method of translation of Western science in the translated volume for Japanese citizens titled Kinmo Kyuri Zukai translated by Fukuzawa Yukichi in the Meiji era. In the discussion we recognize science communication as cross-cultural communication. We carried out comparison of contents between several source texts and the target text firstly and secondly conducted translation analysis based on the explicitation and implicitation methods from the perspective of translation studies. After comparison, we found that Fukuzawa selected specific disciplines among different disciplines in the source texts. Through this analysis, in the translation methods observed, we extracted Fukuzawa’s strategies, being visualization of astronomical facts via metaphors that were possible to be visualized by daily tools, emphasis of the concept Shoko （proof, evidence） by explicitation. Several scientific concepts impossible to be visualized were implicitated. Looking at his translation from the perspective of cross-cultural communication, he tried to lower the threshold that existed between scientific culture and Japanese local culture via these translation methods. He tried not only to show scientific contents but also scientific norms, values, and others, which meant that Fukuzawa played an important role as a cross-cultural communicator.