Terry and Riggs - Alex

Both articles mention the differences in writing style between Japanese and English. For example, Japanese uses more indirect expressions and long sentences, while English tends to be more direct and logical, with shorter sentences (too long and you have a run-on). One point from Riggs' article regarding this which I really like is that Japanese text is generally meant for a homogeneous audience, while English caters to a more diverse one. This is something I've never really thought of, but come to think of it it really does make sense and shows in the texts of the two languages. Japanese primarily serves Japan, therefore the target audience for a Japanese text will be quite similar in culture and customs. Hence an author could include certain phrases and references that are not "standard Japanese" but generally known by Japanese people and not have it be a problem, as the author can safely make the assumption that those reading the text will understand the phrases and references. 

Compare this to English, an English writer cannot make this assumption because English serves a far more diverse range of people. If an English writer uses a pun popular in England, for example, they cannot assume that an English reader in Tonga will understand the pun because of the huge differences in culture between the two places. I think this is something that we as translators must keep in mind while translating. From Japanese to English, we need to be familiar enough with Japanese culture to understand any puns or references that may be thrown in a Japanese text, and also be careful not to use any region-specific expressions or references in our English translation, as the wide range of English-speaking areas may mean that not everyone fluent in English can understand what you're talking about.