English-to-Japanese Translation and Meaning Explanation
What the section asks
English-to-Japanese translation and meaning explanation test whether you can render a sentence naturally and explain a phrase or the writer’s point in Japanese. Shiga-style items often underline a clause in a reading passage; the Japanese must fit the passage’s context, not a dictionary gloss.
Core rules
- Translate in chunks: subject and predicate, modifiers, connectors.
- Keep tense and aspect: “has been,” “would,” “was -ing,” “will have.”
- Handle formal “it,” “there,” and “one” by finding the real subject or noun.
- For explanation, answer in Japanese with a concise pattern: 「〜ということ」「〜という意味」「〜だから」.
- Read the Japanese once: if it sounds like translated English, rewrite it.
Worked example
English: “It is important for us to know how others feel.” Translation: 私たちにとって、他の人がどう感じているかを知ることは大切だ。 Reasoning: “It” is a formal subject; the real subject is “to know….” “For us” marks the person affected. “How others feel” is an embedded question, so Japanese uses 「どう感じているか」, not a question form. The adjective “important” becomes 「大切だ」 at the end.
Traps
Translating “it” as それ; missing “for us”; turning “how others feel” into a direct question; ignoring “would” in reported speech; overusing 〜することができます; leaving the underlined phrase out of context.