The job of a Japanese translator is to translate words while at the same time capturing speaker’s the mode of expression. The Japanese people believe that their language, mode, and gestures are so complex that only a translator who is a native Japanese speaker can properly understand their words. Non-native speakers who provide professional translation for Japanese can do so as well as a native speaker if they have special training and they have immersed themselves in the Japanese culture. Although Japanese is difficult for foreigners, it is not impossible for a non-native to master the language as well as a native speaker. Many foreigners who give up on learning and seek Japanese translation services for their communication needs consider the Japanese language more like a type of code.
Their perception is probably formed by native Japanese speakers who believe that foreigners who learn Japanese as a second language can only gain a shallow understanding of words. According to them, comprehending the deeper meaning of Japanese words is something that only a person born and raised in Japan is capable of grasping. Therefore, not any translator who specializes in professional Japanese translation can execute translations that are accurate and sensible. Rather, a translator who is a native Japanese speaker can express the words the way the speaker intended it when he delivers professional translation for Japanese. The Japanese people have a hard time believing that many foreigners have learned Japanese well enough to read and write in the language just as well as a native speaker.
It is common for the Japanese people to wonder whether such foreigners really understand what they are reading. They believe that non-native speakers still need professional translation for Japanese to fully comprehend the text. Even when the non-native speakers assure them that they understand what they are reading, native speakers may still have their doubts. The Japanese believe that an “ethnic telepathy” connect members of their own culture, allowing them to decipher the language code in a way that a foreigner never could. Translators who are native speakers can offer professional translation for Japanese more effectively because they understand the context in which individual words are used and can breach the code when they are put together. In addition to words and phrases the Japanese believe that the way they express themselves is so unique and difficult to learn that only the Japanese people can make sense out of them. Therefore, they think of native speakers as better qualified translators.
