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  2. Japanese to English

拝啓　時下ますますご清祥のこととお慶び申し上げます。

English translation: I am glad that this season finds you in good health.

08:35 May 22, 2002
Japanese to English translations [Non-PRO]
/ Letter, Greeting
Japanese term or phrase: 拝啓　時下ますますご清祥のこととお慶び申し上げます。
In the beginning of a letter.
anonymous
English translation:I am glad that this season finds you in good health.
Explanation:
"Dear Sir and/or Madam:
It am gratified to know that this season finds you in good health."
Yes, there are dozens of stereotyped greetings for business and even more for personal use.
But eliminate all in translation? Well, you are not translating a part of the Japanese culture, however ceremonial or hackneyed it may seem. Especially, the intimate ties that many (not I) feel with nature and season, which are usually included in such greetings I personally am not capable of following this nice tradition, being a cultural creole.
Selected response from:

Shinya Ono
United States
Local time: 17:15
Grading comment
Thanks a lot for your help :-))

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +3(Shoul not translate)
Katsuhiko KAKUNO, Ph.D.
3 +2I am glad that this season finds you in good health.
Shinya Ono
5There is no specific answer
drmullins
4Dear Sirs and Madams,
Satoshi Yamada (X)
4Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss (Family name)
Nobuo Kawamura


  

Answers


18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
(Shoul not translate)


Explanation:
As culture and custom are different, tranlation of the sentence like this has no meaning. You should use different exopression for same part of mail.
If you sitll need toraslate this sentanceto tell anyone how Japanese sentence begin with.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-22 10:35:15 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Dear : is wrong. Even in Japanese ○○様/殿/机下 are using for this part.

Other example :
Good mornig ---> いい朝ですね is wrong, it is こんいちは、おはようございます It is just TRNASLATE culture, not word. 時下益々.. originally mean, in fact., ¥"It become good season, da-da-da¥", but currentlly it is not used suc hmeaning. Even dbad weather, like rainy season, it should be put on the beginig of rather formal letter. It it most formal, polite and respective way to say ¥"hello, how are you da-da-da¥" As in English there is no respective form, direct translation should not do.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-22 10:35:57 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Dear : is wrong. Even in Japanese ○○様/殿/机下 are using for this part.

Other example :
Good mornig ---> いい朝ですね is wrong, it is こんいちは、おはようございます It is just TRNASLATE culture, not word. 時下益々.. originally mean, in fact., ¥"It become good season, da-da-da¥", but currentlly it is not used suc hmeaning. Even dbad weather, like rainy season, it should be put on the beginig of rather formal letter. It it most formal, polite and respective way to say ¥"hello, how are you da-da-da¥" As in English there is no respective form, direct translation should not do.


Katsuhiko KAKUNO, Ph.D.
Japan
Local time: 17:15
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in pair: 57

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tenten D
9 mins
  -> Thanks
agree  Wei Peng Loy
13 mins
  -> Thanks
agree  pds
1 hr
  -> Thanks
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Dear Sirs and Madams,


Explanation:
Use of this sentence in the biggining is very common in business letters written in Japanese. However, if you try to translate it into English literally, it will be sounding a little bit strange. So, when I encounter this sentence in my Japanese to English translation tasks, I just use "Dear Sirs and Madams," if address to receiver has not yet appeared.
Because this sentence is almost automatically inserted, recievers of the letter, generally speaking, do not pay attention to it.
For your information, its literal translation could be something like the following.

"Dear Sirs and Madams,
We are happy to be able to gather that you are fine."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-22 09:17:56 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here is a referrence for ¥"拝啓¥".

[email protected]&word=%u62DD%u5553&lang=X&dic=BASE&dic=MATH&dic=MEDI&dic=AERO&dic=BUSI&dic=COMP&dic=META&dic=ARCH&dic=OCEA&dic=TRAD&dic=ELEC&dic=CHEM&dic=PLAN&dic=DEFE&dic=FINA&dic=MECH&dic=BIO&dic=ENER&dic=ECOL&dic=LAW&dic=ENTE&magazine=yes" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.nova.co.jp/webdic/webdicc.cgi?adrs=[email protected]...


Satoshi Yamada (X)
Local time: 17:15
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in pair: 46
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss (Family name)


Explanation:
As the letters with such salutation at the begining are formal, do not use first name, that could be quite inappropriate.


Nobuo Kawamura
Japan
Local time: 17:15
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in pair: 483
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
I am glad that this season finds you in good health.


Explanation:
"Dear Sir and/or Madam:
It am gratified to know that this season finds you in good health."
Yes, there are dozens of stereotyped greetings for business and even more for personal use.
But eliminate all in translation? Well, you are not translating a part of the Japanese culture, however ceremonial or hackneyed it may seem. Especially, the intimate ties that many (not I) feel with nature and season, which are usually included in such greetings I personally am not capable of following this nice tradition, being a cultural creole.

Shinya Ono
United States
Local time: 17:15
PRO pts in pair: 119
Grading comment
Thanks a lot for your help :-))

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mike Maynerich: I agree, and your rendition does reflect plentifully the typical notion of such a phrase.
4 hrs
agree  Ad Timmering (X): Certainly agree; it all depends on the target audience but this gives a good representation of the meaning conveyed and it sure wouldn't hurt to have it in a letter translated from Japanese, even it is not considered normal by English conventions.
14 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
There is no specific answer


Explanation:
As other respondents have already suggested, this should never be translated directly into English. Some common and natural openings for a business letter might be (i) to explain the reason for writing, (ii) to thank the addressee for the immediately previous letter (if there is one), or (iii) to mention your last meeting or conversation with the addressee (again, if there are any). Note that (i) is the only way of the three listed above to begin a letter written to someone you have never had contact before. There are many other ways of opening a business letter, but the important point is that there is no formulaic expression as there is in Japanese.

drmullins
Local time: 17:15
PRO pts in pair: 8
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