Nuclear advocacy lands Abe in hot water with wife

[bananas]

Source: Japan Times

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may be pushing to sell Japan’s atomic plants abroad, but his wife, Akie, doesn’t seem to be on the same page, saying her “heart aches” to see him being pronuclear.

“I’m opposed to nuclear power,” she said in a June 6 speech in Tokyo. “My heart aches to see him selling nuclear power overseas.”

Her comment came a day before her husband and French President Francois Hollande agreed to cooperate on developing and exporting nuclear power technologies.

<snip>

An ex-radio DJ, Akie Abe said she will say out loud what her hubby may not want to hear. “I’m the opposition party at home. But I try to say it euphemistically so as not to hurt him.”

<snip>

Read more: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/06/12/national/nuclear-advocacy-lands-abe-in-hot-water-with-wife/

[Bucky]

1. Her name is Akie Abe? That's awesome!

Although, for the record, she doesn't seem to understand what euphemistically means.

[Art_from_Ark]

2. Probably something was lost in the translation

Here is what she said in Japanese:
「私は家庭内野党。周りの人は嫌なことは（首相が）権力を持つとだんだん言えなくなってくる。少しは嫌なことも言ってあげたほうがいい」
"At home, I am the opposition party. The people around (the prime minister) gradually lose the ability to tell him things he doesn't want to hear because he holds power. I think it's better to tell him a few things he doesn't want to hear."

http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/0610/TKY201306100396.html

[bananas]

3. Akie Abe's, saying, "aching" at the seminar on export of nuclear power plants

Thanks for that link, here's how Google Chrome translates it,
does the word for "aching" in Japanese sound like her name "Akie" as it does in English?

Akie Abe's, saying, "aching" at the seminar on export of nuclear power plants

Three Abe Akie his wife of Prime Minister in a speech sponsored by the NPO, the Abe administration to promote export of nuclear power plants I said, "aching very Because I am against the nuclear power plant" and about. Export of nuclear power plants a growth strategy to position her husband to position the pillars, go together in a top sales one after another, his wife was questioned.

　Local revitalization I told the seminar that the NPO working on "Hometown TV" is opened in the National Assembly within six days. The video is available on the website of the company, after introductory remarks &quot NPP) is an important technology of Japan," said Akie's use in the development of new energy part of the money you are using to "nuclear power plant, and suggestions "better if you pitched to overseas clean energy from Japan. "I come no longer say gradually (Prime Minister) and has a power thing unpleasant. Should I give to say even a little unpleasant is good people. Around domestic opposition" was also said.

　Prime Minister accelerate the nuclear agreement negotiations with India and Middle East countries towards the export of nuclear power plant. The Japanese-French summit meeting of the 7th nuclear fuel cycle it has been confirmed that we will cooperate with such.

[kristopher]

5. On pronouncing Japanese

Each vowel is uttered.

The /a/ is like the /o/ in /hot/.

The /i/ is like the long /e/ in /me/.

The /e/ is like the /e/ in /echo/.

There are 3 syllables A-ki-e.

[bananas]

6. I was wondering if the original Japanese headline used the same alliteration and consonance.

Google translated the headline as "Akie ... aches ..." which uses alliteration and consonance.
Does the original Japanese headline also use alliteration and consonance?
Or did google choose a translation for it's alliteration and consonance?

The word "ache" is onomatopoetic in English.
Did the original Japanese headline use a similar onomatopoetic word for "ache"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliteration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_consonance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onomatopoeia

ache "perhaps imitative of groaning":

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=ache

ache (v.)
Old English acan "to ache, suffer pain," from Proto-Germanic *akanan, perhaps from a PIE root *ag-es- "fault, guilt," represented also in Sanskrit and Greek, perhaps imitative of groaning. The verb was pronounced "ake," the noun "ache" (by i-mutation, as in speak/speech) but while the noun changed pronunciation to conform to the verb, the spelling of both was changed to ache c.1700 on a false assumption of a Greek origin (specifically Greek akhos "pain, distress," which is rather a distant relation of awe (n.)). Related: Ached; aching.

ache (n.)
early 15c., æche, from Old English æce, from Proto-Germanic *akiz, from same source as ache (v.).

[kristopher]

7. No, it doesn't do anything like that.

At my university in Japan everyone was Japanese/English bilingual at least. We had a lot of fun playing with words exactly as you are doing here - we called it speaking Japlish. You'd be amazed how many opportunities present themselves when you know what you're looking for.
I made a joke about something using a an English play on a Japanese word last night and my wife (we were in school together) remarked how much it has meant to us that we had the common experience of that rather unique school.

ETA: Let me add a better explanation directly addressing your question.

Her name in J is /A-be/ /A-ki-e san/ in that order.
The phase rendered in Roman letters is /ko-ko-ro/ (heart) /ga/ (the, or in this case my) /i-ta-mu/ (is pained or more familiarly to the English speaker, aches).

So in the original Japanese headline there are none of the shared characteristics. The word translated at ache could also the root for /pain/ /hurt/ or /ouch/.

It is possible that your humor was shared by some readers of the English paper though. It was the first thing that jumped out at me after thinking how unusual it is for a PMs wife to speak out like this on such an important policy issue.

[Art_from_Ark]

8. "Akie" is pronounced "AH-key-ay"

[kristopher]

4. I'd translate it just a bit differently.

"I'm the opposition party within the family. One of the terrible things about holding the power of prime minister is that the people around you gradually come to not speak out. (He) should (or must) also be told a few unpleasant things."

Your version is every bit as correct as this, just offering it to demonstrate further how personal differences in the translator are expressed.

[Art_from_Ark]

9. Agreed that there are different ways to translate Japanese quotes

However, as both of our translations indicate, there is nothing in Akie's quote, as presented in the Asahi article, that would suggest that she used the Japanese word for "euphemistically". There could be more to the quote, of course, and perhaps "opposition party" could be her idea of a euphemism.