Binardさんのlecture: すげい！

     As an English major, and simply as a lover of language and literature, the events held for Arthur Binardさん this past week were very engaging. His “Nuclear Poetry and Atomic Fireballs” lecture was perhaps a little scattered, as I sometimes, I felt like Binardさん was meandering through thoughts without much direction. But I greatly connected with his analysis of the language we use in describing nuclear warfare. I once read a book called Language in Thought and Action by S.I. Hayakawa and Alan R. Hayakawa. 

In the book, there is a discussion of how we use “signs,” words, to represent the “signified,” or the meanings of words—what they represent. But sometimes, the “signs” we use can come to control how we interpret the “signified.” Our means of expressing thought can alter the way we think. Such an idea is incredibly fascinating to me. And I could not help but consider the Hayakawas' work as Binardさん contrasted “mushroom-cloud” and “ピッカ (pikka),” regarding how the words engender different feelings in the speaker's mind, consciously or otherwise. The difference in perspective of a blooming column of cloud from a high altitude versus a bright, encompassing flash is huge. I found Binardさん's illustration of our society's mental distance from nuclear war through our very language insightful.

     As a necessary note, the よみきかせ was also a very enjoyable event. Binardさん was very funny and I loved listening to him speak on his thought process while translating, such as with his translation of The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse. His experiences from working in Japan have made me all the more interested in translation work.

     Alright, that's me for now.

じゃあ、また。

カイパー