Polite way to say "leave already!"

[Nora Stevens Heath]

Hi, everyone--

I'm translating a few different announcements to be played over a
store's PA system. Most are variations on a theme: "We'll be closing in
n minutes, so please finish what you're doing and get ready to go home"
(ご帰宅 [お帰り] の準備をお願いします).

I'm having a hard time rendering this last bit in suitably polite
English. Most Googits for things like "be closing in" "attention
shoppers" show no mention of leaving or going home, and I suppose it's
not strictly needed in the translation. (One site does have "and exit
the mall now," but that's so blunt--I don't see ご帰宅 in there at *all*.)

Here are some good examples, for those who may not be familiar with
English PA announcements like these:

http://www.customerssuck.com/board/showthread.php?t=406

Right now I have "and get ready to head back home" for the more casual
announcement and "and prepare to head home" for the more formal one.
But I don't know. :/ I've been given a fair amount of iyaku freedom,
and this might be the place to use it.

Any comments and/or suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks!

Nora

--
Nora Stevens Heath <no...@fumizuki.com>
J-E translations: http://www.fumizuki.com/

[Alan Siegrist]

Nora Stevens Heath writes:

> I'm translating a few different announcements to be played over a
> store's PA system. Most are variations on a theme: "We'll be closing in
> n minutes, so please finish what you're doing and get ready to go home"
> (ご帰宅 [お帰り] の準備をお願いします).
>
> I'm having a hard time rendering this last bit in suitably polite
> English. Most Googits for things like "be closing in" "attention
> shoppers" show no mention of leaving or going home, and I suppose it's
> not strictly needed in the translation. (One site does have "and exit
> the mall now," but that's so blunt--I don't see ご帰宅 in there at *all*.)
>
> Here are some good examples, for those who may not be familiar with
> English PA announcements like these:
>
> http://www.customerssuck.com/board/showthread.php?t=406

This site seems to have pretty standard phrases. I think the equivalent of
your 「ご帰宅 [お帰り] の準備をお願いします」 is along the lines of “please
bring all final purchases to the [register; front; check out lines].”

This is obviously the sort of thing that shoppers need to do in preparation
to leave the store and go home or wherever.

> Right now I have "and get ready to head back home" for the more casual
> announcement and "and prepare to head home" for the more formal one.

I don’t really like the “head home” bit, because how do we know the
shoppers will not be heading back to the office?

[Alan Siegrist]

[Oops! A bit of premature transmission there...]

Nora Stevens Heath writes:

> I'm translating a few different announcements to be played over a
> store's PA system. Most are variations on a theme: "We'll be closing in
> n minutes, so please finish what you're doing and get ready to go home"
> (ご帰宅 [お帰り] の準備をお願いします).
>
> I'm having a hard time rendering this last bit in suitably polite
> English. Most Googits for things like "be closing in" "attention
> shoppers" show no mention of leaving or going home, and I suppose it's
> not strictly needed in the translation. (One site does have "and exit
> the mall now," but that's so blunt--I don't see ご帰宅 in there at *all*.)
>
> Here are some good examples, for those who may not be familiar with
> English PA announcements like these:
>
> http://www.customerssuck.com/board/showthread.php?t=406

This site seems to have pretty standard phrases. I think the equivalent of

your 「ご帰宅 [お帰り] の準備をお願いします」 is along the lines of “please
bring all final purchases to the [register; front; check out lines].”

This is obviously the sort of thing that shoppers need to do in preparation
to leave the store and go home or wherever.

> Right now I have "and get ready to head back home" for the more casual

> announcement and "and prepare to head home" for the more formal one.

I don’t really like the “head home” bit, because how do we know the

shoppers will not be heading back to the office?

Regards,

Alan Siegrist
Orinda, CA, USA
AlanFS...@comcast.net

[Karen Sandness]

I usually hear things like "The store will be closing in five minutes.
Please bring your purchases to the checkout counter" or something like
that.

"Please finish what you're doing and get ready to go home" sounds like
something a parent would say to a child who is playing around in a toy
store."

Girigirily yours,
Karen Sandness

[Rusty Allred]

-----Original Message-----
From: hon...@googlegroups.com [mailto:hon...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Nora Stevens Heath
Subject: Polite way to say "leave already!"

I'm translating a few different announcements to be played over a
store's PA system. Most are variations on a theme: "We'll be closing in
n minutes, so please finish what you're doing and get ready to go home"
(ご帰宅 [お帰り] の準備をお願いします).

* * * * * * * *

Nora,

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it seems to me there is a cultural difference at work here. While some version of お帰り sounds very natural in Japanese, in English it strikes me as odd that you give a damn where I go, so long as I leave. That is, I think you're going to have a hard time coming up with a natural-sounding translation that tells me I must go home.

Around here I'm used to hearing something like: "XYZ will be closing in 15 minutes. Please bring your purchases to the counter now. We will reopen at 9 AM tomorrow morning." Etc.

Best,

Rusty

Rusty Allred
Allen, Texas USA
ru...@mustangtechnology.com

[Steve Venti]

Nora writes:

> ご帰宅 [お帰り] の準備をお願いします.

>
> I'm having a hard time rendering this last bit in suitably polite English.

Wouldn't "Thank you for coming, and please have a save trip home" do the trick?

HTH

--
Steve Venti

The source of all unhappiness is other people.
--Wally
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Steve Venti]

I wrote:
> Wouldn't "Thank you for coming, and please have a save trip home" do the trick?

Geez. SAFE trip home, obviously.

[Nora Stevens Heath]

Alan wrote:

> I don't really like the "head home" bit, because how do we know the
> shoppers will not be heading back to the office?

The late closing hour at this particular establishment will probably
preclude a trip back to work, but yeah--I couldn't help but think of
that little ditty that goes "You don't have to go home, but you can't
stay here."

I think my gut reaction, to do away with 帰宅 in my translation, was
spot on after all. Thanks (to you and everyone) for the confirmation.

[Alan Siegrist]

Rusty Allred writes:

> While some version of お帰り sounds very
> natural in Japanese, in English it strikes me as odd that you give a damn
> where I go, so long as I leave. That is, I think you're going to have a
> hard time coming up with a natural-sounding translation that tells me I
> must go home.

Exactly. At bars they have "last calls" before they shoo the customers out
the door. The bartender had better not tell everyone to "go home" lest they
be accused of meddling in the affairs of people trying to "hook up" (which
may or may not end up with people going to someone's home).

What do they say in Japanese bars?

Regards,

Alan Siegrist
Orinda, CA, USA

AlanFS...@Comcast.net

[jknagai]

To me ご帰宅 sounds like "coming home," not "going home" and sounds like
wrong
Japanese to start with.

Kinokuniya here, and many others say to the effect, "Thank you for
shopping at
Kinokuniya. The store will be closing in 15 minutes. Please bring (start
bringing)
your purchases (selections) to the counter. Thank you."

Tha Japanese stores may be too shy to tell the customers to get out of
the store,
hence "head for home." But they shouldn't really care where we would go
afterwards--perhaps another of their competitors--so long as we pay
and/or get
out.

Joseph Kei Nagai

[Marc Adler]

Alan Siegrist wrote:

> What do they say in Japanese bars?

「ラスト・コールで～す！」 (Pig & Whistle, Kyoto, ca. 1999)

--
Marc Adler
Austin, TX

[Alan Siegrist]

Marc Adler writes:

> > What do they say in Japanese bars?
>
> 「ラスト・コールで～す！」 (Pig & Whistle, Kyoto, ca. 1999)

That figures...

[Tenga Wataru]

The assumption that お帰り must literally mean "go home" is wrong, I
believe (though I'm not sure if either if you meant to imply that).
It's no more than a polite way of saying "leave."

wataru

[Benjamin Barrett]

As you imply, 帰る is a nice equivalent of "go home", because like the
English, it doesn't necessarily mean home. At an office, "She went home"
means she left work for the day. BB

[Alan Siegrist]

Benjamin Barrett writes:

> As you imply, 帰る is a nice equivalent of "go home", because like the
> English, it doesn't necessarily mean home. At an office, "She went home"
> means she left work for the day.

I think you are quite right in that "she went home" and "she has left for
the day" both mean the same thing, but the latter is probably more polite
and common in well-mannered telephone conversations.

I don't think it is polite to ask about or report on the personal lives of
employees outside the office.

I sometimes answer the telephone for a family business, and if a customer
calls and asks about someone who is not there, I would politely tell the
caller that the person "has stepped out" or "has left for the day" or "has
the day off" depending on the situation. I would not say that they have
"gone home."

[Benjamin Barrett]

At least here in Seattle, saying "went home for the day" does not strike
me as rude or informal, nor does it sound as though it's commenting on
the whereabouts of the person being talked about. In the short number of
years I lived in northern California, I certainly did not pick up
anything like that. BB

[Andreas Rusterholz]

I don't doubt that you have heard that but
isn't 「ラストオーダー」 more common?

Andreas Rusterholz

[Victor Shkawrytko]

Alan Siegrist wrote

>
> What do they say in Japanese bars?
>

One expression I hear often is something along the lines of 閉店の時間です.
So I guess they consider telling you that the place is closing is enough of a
hint.

Regards,

Victor

Victor Shkawrytko
Tokyo, Japan

[Marceline Therrien]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: hon...@googlegroups.com [mailto:hon...@googlegroups.com] On

>Behalf Of Alan Siegrist
>Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 4:16 PM
>To: hon...@googlegroups.com
>Subject: RE: Polite way to say "leave already!"
>
>
>I sometimes answer the telephone for a family business, and if a
>customer
>calls and asks about someone who is not there, I would politely tell the
>caller that the person "has stepped out" or "has left for the day" or
>"has
>the day off" depending on the situation. I would not say that they have
>"gone home."
>

I tend to agree with Alan, but I'm afraid that we might be showing our age.

Marceline Therrien
J2E Business Translations
Oakland, California, USA

[Fred Uleman]

If you are doing it in English, could you simply say "... and be
careful you don't get locked in"? Probably not, but ...

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Fred Uleman

[Chris Poole]

Don't let the door hitcha, where the Lord splitcha!

Chris

[Mika Jz]

BB wrote:
As you imply, 帰る is a nice equivalent of "go home", because like the
> English, it doesn't necessarily mean home. At an office, "She
> went home"
> means she left work for the day. BB
>
> Tenga Wataru wrote:
> > The assumption that お帰り must literally mean "go home" is wrong, I
> > believe (though I'm not sure if either if you meant to imply that).
> > It's no more than a polite way of saying "leave."

I thought Benjamin was just commenting on the commonalities between 帰る
and "go home", and I see his point. I'm not sure if he was suggesting
"go home" as the best translation, though?

Mika Jarmusz
Salem, Oregon USA

[Nora Stevens Heath]

Fred Uleman wrote:

> If you are doing it in English, could you simply say "... and be
> careful you don't get locked in"? Probably not, but ...

How about "...and don't let the door hit you in the ass [on the way out]"?

[Alan Siegrist]

Fred Uleman writes:

> If you are doing it in English, could you simply say "... and be
> careful you don't get locked in"? Probably not, but ...

You could also say "don't let the doorknob hit you in the [pick your
euphemism]" but probably not...

I suppose it depends on the establishment.

Regards,

Alan Siegrist
Orinda, CA, USA

AlanFS...@comcast.net

[Marc Adler]

Andreas Rusterholz wrote:

> I don't doubt that you have heard that but
> isn't 「ラストオーダー」 more common?

In restaurants, yeah.

[Hanae]

It's all in the mood, isn't it. Since the "okaeri kudasai" is an
acceptable "bye bye" greeting in Japanese, how about replacing it with
same-purpose words along the lines of "We look forward to seeing
you/serving you again" .

At Narita Airport, the mood for evening arrivals is so closed-down and
unwelcoming that one of my sons grumbled that the huge sign should not
read "okaeri nasai" but "sassa-to kaere!".
Regards
Helen H

[Hanae]

I have heard "...and make your way to the nearest exit". But you have to
brazen out several "we'll be closing soon" announcements before you get
to hear that one.
HH

[Alan Siegrist]

Nora Stevens Heath writes:

> How about "...and don't let the door hit you in the ass [on the way out]"?

A bit more, ehem, classy way to get the idea across is to start playing the
song "Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight" by the doo-wop group The Spaniels.

For those hankering for a bit of nostalgia, go here and advance to about the
time 31:20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUH3gUaBGtE

Regards,

Alan Siegrist
Orinda, CA, USA

AlanFS...@Comcast.net

[Nora Stevens Heath]

Alan Siegrist wrote:

> A bit more, ehem, classy way to get the idea across is to start playing the
> song "Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight" by the doo-wop group The Spaniels.

Or 蛍の光. :) Or the Yuming song "Good Luck and Goodbye", heh.

Elvis Costello regularly performs his song "A Man Out of Time" ("Will
you still love a man out of time?"--with meaningful glances at an absent
wristwatch) as part of his encores, usually close behind a cover of
Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got A Hold On Me":

I want to leave you
Don't want to stay here
Don't want to spend another day here
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna split now
I just can't quit now
You really got a hold on me

[Benjamin Barrett]

I did not intend to suggest that "go home" is the best translation in
this case, though it might be depending on the situation. I just thought
it was interesting how both terms have the implication that the person
has gone home but that neither of them necessarily mean that.

This thread brought back memories of the Last Exit on Brooklyn
(http://seattle.wikia.com/wiki/Last_Exit_on_Brooklyn), a popular coffee
shop in Seattle (that went downhill quickly once Irv the owner died).
Each night, the head cook (basically a pantry chef) would climb the
stairs at the back of the old printing shop that was the coffee shop and
announce that the Exit was closed. Sometimes the announcement would be
poetic and sometimes they would be terse. I have no doubt that "leave"
and "go home" were used many, many times in those announcements. One of
the baristas, I was allowed to mount the stairs one night and give the
announcement. I always thought that was the coolest chore at the shop
and was glad I got to do it. BB

[Mika Jz]

BB wrote:
> Sometimes the announcement would be
poetic and sometimes they would be terse. I have no doubt that "leave"
> and "go home" were used many, many times in those
> announcements.

Rusty Allred wrote:

> While some version of お帰り sounds very
> natural in Japanese, in English it strikes me as odd that you give a
damn
> where I go, so long as I leave.

I suppose this was the crux of the matter, and I find it interesting
that by saying ご帰宅 [お帰り] の準備をお願いします, it is aiming for
the same thing Rusty said, that is, it is none of his/her damn business
telling them where they go, so he/she is presupposing that the customers
are all headed for their "own" nesting places after this, and hopefully
that they are not simply getting tossed out of there (even if they are).
Hmmm. This can be added to my E>J trick drawer, if the equivalent
English phrase is identified, but that is not to say I will remember
where I put it when the reverse opportunity presents itself.

清水美香　Mika Shimizu Jarmusz
Salem, Oregon USA

[Katy Bridges]

Years ago when I worked at Disneyland, the "we're closing" announcement
ended with "and we hope you enjoyed your stay at the Magic Kingdom," or
something like that. I always felt that telling the guests that there stay
was over always seemed like the politest way to say that "where the Lord
split ya" thing. Would an approach like that work?

Katy Bridges
Sausalito, CA USA

[Adam]

So many minds, and no one suggested a classic and my personal favorite,
repeated often and loudly at my favorite pub:

"Closing time! You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.."

As others have suggested, though, the translation must fit the venue,
and this is certainly blunt.

Adam

[Nora Stevens Heath]

Adam wrote:

> So many minds, and no one suggested a classic and my personal favorite,
> repeated often and loudly at my favorite pub:
>
> "Closing time! You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.."

Repeated here, too:

> The late closing hour at this particular establishment will probably
> preclude a trip back to work, but yeah--I couldn't help but think of
> that little ditty that goes "You don't have to go home, but you can't
> stay here."

;)

Cheers! ::hic::

[Doreen Simmons]

Yesterday at the National Diet Library I noticed a newrone, about ten
minutes after the regular recorded voice says in dulcet tiones,
"Reading time is now over": in a man's voice that usually only tells us
if a Diet session is still on or has just closed, we got the
announcement: "Will the reader with card #00 please take it immediately
to the gate marked 'Exit' ." Once was apparently enough.

Doreen Simmons
jz8d...@asahi-net.or.jp

[Adam]

Darn! I thought I read them all...:cry:

Adam