Departments
"Cat Language" in Japanese
Part 2
Gizen 偽善means "hypocrisy", and a "hypocrite" is a gizen-sha 偽善者. However, hypocrisy can also be indicated by the expression, neko-kaburi 猫かぶり (alternately, neko o kaburu 猫をかぶる). Neko-kaburi猫かぶり is "putting on the cat"—the hiding of one's true intentions or feelings in an effort to appear more virtuous than one really is.
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While a certain degree of attachment to a pet cat is perfectly normal, it is possible to take this affection too far. We have all witnessed the cat lover who takes doting on his or her feline too far; cat food commercials are inhabited by many such people. The expression neko-kawaigari 猫可愛がり, "showing affection for the cat", refers to the act of "doting" on a child, protégé, or subordinate.
Tonari no fuufu wa musuko o neko- kawaigari shite imasu.
隣の夫婦は息子を猫可愛がりしています。
"The couple next door dotes on their son."
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The verb naderu 撫でるmeans "to stroke", or "to pet". When a cat is petted, it will relax and eventually begin to purr contently. A neko-nade-goe 猫撫で声 , or "cat-stroking voice" refers to a voice that is coaxing, wheedling, or insinuating. Neko-nade-goe 猫撫で声describes a tone of voice that is calculated to motivate the listener in a particular direction.
Kare wa neko-nade-goe de hanashite ite, nanika hoshii mono ga aru daroo.
彼は猫撫で声で話していて、何か欲しいものがあるだろう。
"He's speaking in a coaxing voice, he must want something."
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Each of us has probably felt from time to time that the opposite sex is fickle. One minute we're in favor, and the next—pow!—we've been displaced by a rival. Since the cat's eyes tend to dart about, the Japanese compare them to female fickleness in the following proverb:
Onna no me wa neko no me.
女の目は猫の目
"Women have the eyes of a cat"= "Women are fickle"
Since men are also prone to fickleness, perhaps it is appropriate to mention the male equivalent of the above proverb:
Otoko-gokoro to aki no sora
男心と秋の空
"Men's hearts change like the sky in autumn."
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My favorite "cat" expression is neko mo shakushi mo 猫も杓子も . A shakushi is a rice ladle. Since a cat and a rice ladle are two completely different items, this phrase suggests a wide range of inclusion. Neko mo shakushi mo猫も杓子も is close to English phrases such as "everybody and his brother", or "every Tom, Dick, and Harry".
Nihon wa kokusai-ka no jidai ni haitte irai, neko mo shakushi mo ryuugaku no chansu o kiboo shite iru rashii.
日本は国際化の時代に入って以来、猫も杓子も留学のチャンスを希望しているらしい。
"Since Japan has entered the age of internationalization, it seems that everyone is hoping for a chance to study abroad."
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Imagine the absurdity of giving a gold coin to a cat. The cat would have absolutely no appreciation for the coin. Such an act would be equivalent to throwing the money away. A koban 小判 was a small, oblong gold Japanese coin. While the koban is no longer in circulation, the word lives on in a common Japanese expression. Neko ni koban 猫に小判refers to an unworthy or unappreciative person's possession of something that is valuable.
Kare wa shinkishu no Makku o motte iru no? Ano konpyuuta no koto ga zenzen wakaranai yatsu da kara neko ni koban da yo.
彼は新機種のマックを持っているの。あのコンピュータのことが全然分らない奴だから猫に小判だよ。
"He owns the new Mac (Macintosh)? Since that guy knows nothing about computers, that's like a cat having a gold coin."
An equivalent expression is buta ni shinju 豚に真珠 , or "pearls before swine". This is taken directly from the New Testament. Most Japanese understand the meaning of this phrase regardless of their religious affiliation.