「特になし」は英語で何というでしょうか

Luke

こんにちは、イギリス生まれ・東京在住、英語教師で作家のLukeです。今週、僕が書いたオノマトペ(擬態語・語音後)についての本 が出版されました。是非チェックしてみて下さい!


「特になし」という日本語は、書類などでよく見かけます。それなので、日本人は「特になし」を英訳することが多々あると思いますが、実は注意が必要です。僕は仕事上、「特になし」が「not in particular」や「nothing in particular」、「nothing much」のように英訳されているのを度々目にしますが、これらは間違っています。「not in particular」、「nothing much」、「not in particular」はくだけた英語なので、仕事の書類に書くべきではありません。これらのフレーズは「特になし」ではなく、「別に」のようなニュアンスになってしまいます。

Do you have a favorite food?
Not in particular.
食べ物で何が好き?
特に何も。

What are you doing?
Nothing much.
何してるの?
別に。

それでは、書類に書いてある「特になし」の正しい訳し方を説明します。通常の場合なら、none や N/A という英語が良いでしょう。N/A は not applicable を省略したもので、「該当なし」という意味になりますが、書類などで使われている場合「特になし」のような意味になります。

7 件のコメント

  • 味の表現で「甘い、酸っぱい、辛い」などは解ります。
    では「さっぱりした味」や「濃い(薄い)味」といった表現はありますか?

  • It can be found that ‘Not in particular.’ and ‘Nothing in particular.’ in the English
    dictionary for Japanese written by professors or so.It says that ‘ Those meanings are the same as N/A.’in Japanese.
    But,your explanation says that the phrases are too easy to Business English.And,you says also that it’s wrong to express that those phrases
    can be used almighty via translation or
    dictionaries and so on.
    There is the reason that I’d like to be positive user for the English-English dictionaries here.
    And,you are native naturally.
    Additionally,I always wonder why those previous authors wanna be positive about avoiding simple explanation of the meanings or things that
    belong to simple ones naturally.
    You might say that ‘ isn’t it simple? It’s just a ‘Not in particular.”.
    I have to say that ‘ No,it’s not simple.It’s just a wrong explanation in the case.I mean focus their intent over teaching. ‘.
    Have a look an example for just a ‘ is ‘.
    How do they like to express about this simple
    thing ?Here it is.
    ‘Two IS to three as four IS to six.=As two IS to three, four IS to six.’ in their making
    dictionary.What’s that?What do they want to do for us?It is their favorit example which they wanna provide us to express jsut a ‘ is ‘.
    After all,they have made many people who can not reply even ‘ It is. ‘ through speaking.
    It does not make sense.Moreover,they like to add senseless idea below.
    It is to show all people learning English in
    this island each English word has a degree of some kinds of schools or universities with no reason.Here are the examples.
    They input that a word ‘ understand ‘ is degree for junior high school and a word ‘misunderstand ‘ is degree for high school in their dictionary.
    Therefore,some people who belong to senseless
    are constantly trying to make adult people who don’t stop learning or growing as a person
    something else who is disgrace by their
    criticism.
    On the other hand,there are lots of non-native speakers in the whole world including even Europe.
    And,people are willing to learn languages
    including English in their whole lives with non-criticism.
    Once again,you explained about wrong explanations.What’s happen to the things?
    I mean there are some people who have hidden intent that they think English is just a tool to pride them on their knowledge.
    However,in actually,they are trying to pride more themselves or their kids that belong to some schools or universities in the past or present than any other who are trying to become the real user of English.
    I don’t know what name should be applicable to their proudly illness-intent and who sold out schools and universities to them in Japan.
    Anyway,I’d like to say ‘thanks’ to all of people who are willing to support my learning with
    pleasure in the whole world.

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    記事を書いたLukeについて

    英語の教師と作家。父はイギリス人、母はアメリカ人。イギリス生まれ、13歳でアメリカへ。卒業後はワシントンDCで記者。現在東京に在住。著書に『この英語、どう違う?』(KADOKAWA)、『とりあえずは英語でなんと言う?』 (大和書房)、など。NHK基礎英語1と婦人公論の連載。