Re: Russell's common ground with Antoine

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Noah Evans wrote:

> Having finished reading Bill Russell's 1979 memoir _second
> wind_(credit
> Dorine for that recommendation) during my trip to Arkansas(Joe-I can
> see
> where the Japanese name for America came from now, did you know that
> Arkansas is the only state in the union capable of existing self
> sufficiently? A proud Arkansan told me that crops from Arkansas could
> feed all of China and Russia, although I'm taking that with a grain of
>
> salt), etc.

Hi Noah:

As I guess you know, the Japanese name for "America" translates - for
whatever reason - as "Rice Country" (Beikoku). I guess it must have
looked like one big potential paddie field to the first Japanese
immigrants. In Chinese, incidentally, America is referred to instead as
Meiguo (tr. "Beautiful Country"). I think it was part of the
salesmanship traders used to ship laborers to build the U.S. railroads.
Also, the Japanese these days always say "America" phonetically rather
than "Beikoku". On the other hand, Japanese do not typically say
"Besuboru" in reference to the American sport, although I've heard
numerous foreigners state that this was the case. Most Japanese say
"Yakyu", which translates as "field ball".  As for "basketball", it is
shortened to "basket" with a silent "t", as the Frenchies do. Also, the
Japanese would have a problem with a phrase like "Larry Bird Rules!".

Whatever,


Joe Hironaka

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