Lost in Translation: Lost in Culture

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The translator translated to English at this time:” he wants you to turn around and look in camera, ok?”

Bob thought the translation must be wrong, so he said:” is that all he said?”

Director said lot things in Japanese, but after translate it into English it’s just a single sentence. Bob believed that the translator must omit something. Because he is the only one there who cannot speak Japanese, he felt huge nervous and uncomfortable. He looks like a fool in front of the lens. Over the course of the film, several things get "lost in translation".

3, the differences of hierarchy in culture shock

Though Bob is an aged star in American, he became superstar after he arrived at the hotel. Every single person who met him will bow and shake hands with him to express their welcome and respect. What’s more ridiculous, his commercial partner from Japan even called him a escort service. All these matters which he would never ever experience in American do make him unease.

Japanese culture contains a hierarchical absolute faith. However American is a society of parallel texture. American people consider that the society is consists of every single person no matter how poor or rich he is. All have equal chances of success and the government should guarantee these rights of citizens. So when Bob was treated good in Japan increased his anxiety.

4. response ability of culture shock

There is no true way to entirely prevent culture shock, as individuals in any society are personally affected by cultural contrasts differently. Bob and Charlotte have brief encounters each night at the hotel bar, until Charlotte invites Bob to meet up with some local friends of hers. Bob accepts and arrives later at her hotel room dressed in clothes that appear to be designed for a younger generation. The two begin a friendship and bond through their adventures in Tokyo together while experiencing the differences between Japanese and American culture, and between their own generations. Though he still cannot receive and understand Japanese culture, he showed us a tangency of fusion.

After some time and the effect of charlotte, he grows accustomed to the new culture. And he knows what to expect in most situations and react to most people. He becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more "normal". He starts to develop problem-solving skills for dealing with the culture and begins to accept the culture's ways with a positive attitude. This is a adjustment period of culture shock. And

Instead of saying “lost in translation” rather than lost in the culture. The translation is a mirror of culture and thorough the differences of language we see the culture differences. Especially when someone lives in a extremely different culture surroundings, there will leads to culture shock definitely. Avoid culture shock is impossible, and we cannot eliminate culture differences. However we can enhance our intercultural awareness and the tolerance foreign culture, keep the cultural diversity.