It was interesting to read many comments on the previous post (1/23) about “Is Sashiko really Little Stabs?”. The replies from Japanese were “Oh, I didn’t know how Sashiko is translated like that” and “I think Sashiko is the word for “a person”. Interesting, but my worries reside here.
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I personally like the translation as “Little Stabs”. I enjoyed other interpretations such as “Child of Stitches” and “Stitches as our children”. They are beautiful. The issue is, however, some Japanese are not aware of the English translation of Sashiko as “Little Stabs”, yet the non-Japanese believe that the “Little Stabs” is the correct & absolute definition of Sashiko. Isn’t the “Cultural Repainting” happening already here?
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Again, I am NOT accusing the translation as “Little Stabs”. I just want to know the story of its translation – why Sashiko became “Little Stabs”. If it comes from wisdom & their intentions, I would like to pass the stories down. If it comes from ignorance (intentional or unintentional), then it is important to learn the fact, and then share “Little Stabs” is merely an interpretation of many possibilities. I may be the one who used “Little Stabs” for Sashiko first in 1998…so, I feel responsible, too. The continuous learning is very important in this “freedom” world.
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先日の刺し子の英訳（Little Stabs?）に関して、沢山のご感想ありがとうございました。刺し子が英語圏で、「小さな針目」と英訳されていることは、個人的には素敵だと思っています。同時に、刺し子を「刺す子（人）」と認識していらっしゃる方が多いというのは、とても嬉しい発見でした。なかなか深く考える機会はないですから。
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正解はわかりません（笑）ただ、一つ怖いのは、日本国内で正解が明確ではないのに、英語圏では「小さな針目」が定義として正義を持ってしまっていることなんです。「刺し子はLittle Stabsでしょ？何が問題なの？」と。どこかでズレてしまったんです。
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このズレを意図的に作った方がいるのであれば、お話を伺いたい。学びたい。「意訳」そのものは素敵なことですし、刺し子をLittle Stabsと訳す際に思いがあるのであれば、それも一緒に紹介できると思います。ただ逆に、刺し子も日本文化も表面だけを学んだ人が、”なんとなく”で、「小さい針目」として新しい正解を作ってしまっているとしたら……文化はそこで違うものになってしまいませんか？日本人ですら正解がわからないのに、日本語圏から出たら、そこには正解があるって……変じゃない？これは「正解が必ず必要」な西洋の文化に由来しています。また声が大きい人が正義になるという社会構造からもきています。だからこそ、少しだけでも僕の声を大きくしようかなと思っているところなのです。
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2021-01-23 10:32:39
Interesting. I only think of sashiko as sashiko. Translating the word doesn’t make sense to me because of the culture behind the word. I see people using these words to reference their sashiko and I don’t understand, why not just call it sashiko?
Are the stitches long the same distance as the space between stitches?
Giving some Indian various forms of hand work called by its native name “kantha” work, chikenkari, ikkat. Similarly may sashiko be known as sashiko. Makes more sense than ‘ little stab’ for me.
I assumed the sashi in sashiko was the same sashi you find in sashimi, (刺し) and then ko (子) means child (or small?)….
so what i personally heard was that sashimi means carries the meaning of “pierced”
so then this idea of piercing being the same as stabbing, together with the small idea…
translating is a very difficult job, and especially when we rely on Wikipedia and Google to translate for us.
Its a good thing nobody thinks
刺し子 means “stabbing children”
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As a language learner, I try to break the languages down into the smallest understandable parts where they still retain some sense of the larger word. Then later when my vocabulary grows, I can take notice and sense the connections between the different flavors of words.
Learning language or anything else requires the humility to listen, and make mistakes, and be willing to speak or even act like a child. To be humble and teachable. Even earlier this week I explained sashiko as “little stabs” to someone, without even questioning the translation or the sources of my “knowledge.” I appreciate your work encouraging thoughfulness and dialogue.
So with this post, we have learned the true story of this art with its name, clearly. Thank you for this explanation 🌸