“Sashiko (刺し子, lit., “little stabs”) ”. Wikipedia introduces Sashiko as “Little Stabs”. I introduced Sashiko as “Little Stabs” in my workshop until 2020 & in my Online Class (Working on Update). So, yes, translating Sashiko to Little Stabs isn’t wrong. However, I started wondering, is it really accurate in communicating what Sashiko is? My impression is, unfortunately, “Well, it may cause some misunderstanding”.
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I remember using “Little Stabs” in helping my father to translate their business in 1998, when I was a high school student. I do not remember if I referenced an article/book, or I even came up with it from my brain. It has been more than 20 years since. Well, regardless, when I look at it now with better English understanding, the word 刺し子 doesn’t equal to Little Stabs. The “Stabs” part is fine – 刺し means stab or stitch. The strange part is “子 – Ko”. It doesn’t mean “small” much. It means a child, or a woman (and many other, but not “small”). So, I start feeling that the straight translation of Sashiko will be “A woman/a child who stitches”.
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I am still learning. I am not afraid of correcting my message because I believe there is no such a thing as “Right and Wrong” in Sashiko. I am just trying to “add” the voices so that “we” can find the whole picture together. (I talked about this topic in Sashiko Live Streaming on Jan.21st. Check SashiCo Channel on Youtube).
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先日の配信でも少し触れたのですが、刺し子の英訳に少し疑問を感じるようになりました。英語圏で刺し子が紹介される時は、「Little Stabs (小さい針目）」と表現されることが多いのですが（ウィキペディアにもそう書いてある）、ふと、この「小さい」っていう表現はどこからきたのだろう……と。確かに見た目は小さい針目なので、間違いじゃないんです。ただ、「子」という文字には、小さいという意味は本来ないはずで、子供とか「人」とかっていう意味の方が強いはず。そう考えると、逆説的にはなるのですが、もしかしたら刺し子って、「刺す人」を表現していた言葉なのかなぁと思ったり。まだまだ勉強中です。もしLittle Stabsの語源等ご存知の方がいたら、ご教授頂けますと大変嬉しいです。
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2021-01-21 10:39:19
Something i’m noticing with trying learning Japanese as an English/Spanish speaker is how each syllable of a word in Japanese means very different amounts of information than in a language descended from Latin … It totally makes sense that the word would mean one thing literally, and several other things in context. (I guess every language is like that, but i think I notice it ‘more’ with Japanese?)
Please be advised that I am NOT judging the translation of “Little Stabs”. I like it personally. I am sharing the definition can be “different” from the original meaning, and therefore, I would like to share the importance of learning & doubting. Thank you
“little stabs” works.. why change it??
私が前に読んだものにも「刺す子(人？)」が「刺し子」になったのでは、、ってありました。。
This is so interesting – translating Sashiko as woman or child who stitches seems to me to give historic context?
I always thought of 子 as meaning something like small, in that “child” is also like a smaller version of an adult. So I thought of sashiko as each stitch is a small child.☺️
I like your translation better
Thank you, very interesting indeed !
確かに『踊り子』『売り子』『勢子』など
その行動をする人物を指す言葉ですね💕
『刺し子』もそうなんだと思います😊
Little stab が刺し子の英訳とは知りませんでした、『小さな刺し目』って感じでしょうか💕
全て一針の刺し目で作られている刺し子を上手く表現していて悪くないと感じます。
やたら良い和訳ができずにカタカナ表記して、文章がカタカナだらけになっている昨今
ちょっと悲しくなります💦
Baby stabs! Similar meaning to “little stabs”, but works better with 子
@susanlascolores ❤️
the way you translate sashiko now so much more beautiful, there is immediately a visual. And it feels soft, gentle and diligent ❤️
【訂正です】
ご指摘を頂いて語源辞典だけではなく様々な漢字辞典にて調べて見たところ、「子」の６番目くらいの意味に「小さいもの」というのがありました。上記、「”子という文字には小さいという意味は本来ないはずで……”」というのは、誤った文章になります。お詫びと共にこのコメントを訂正文とさせて下さい。（敢えて原文は消さないようにします。混乱しちゃうとまずいので）。
That which is born from stitching?
For me sashiko says “person who love until sew”. Sashiko is an act of love and caring, to the owner of the clothing and the cloth itself. ❤️