Shakespeare search in Japanese?

2 views
Skip to first unread message

Richard Sadowsky

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:08:11 PM11/25/09
to honyaku
I'm faced with trying to map a Shakespeare quote from Japanese to English.
This is it:

「安心、それが人間のもっとも身近にいる敵である」ウィリアム・シェークスピア

The problem is that it is widely quoted in Japanese on the Web, but no play
is ever named! So I'm wondering if it's a familiar misquote.

I've tried searching in English on "enemy", "foe" and "nearest" at a
Shakespeare site like the following, but no luck.

http://www.rhymezone.com/shakespeare/

Can anybody suss it out?
--
Richard Sadowsky, Awajishima

Richard Thieme

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:23:39 PM11/25/09
to hon...@googlegroups.com

I got a bunch of hits for "security is the chief enemy of mortals," but
could not find any more detailed attribution other than just Shakespeare.
Would be interested in knowing where he said this.

Regards,

Richard Thieme
> --
> To post: mailto:hon...@googlegroups.com
> List home: http://groups.google.com/group/honyaku
> FAQ: http://groups.google.com/group/honyaku/web
> Posters assume all responsibility for their posts; list owners do not
> review messages and accept no responsibility for the content of posts.

Margaret Hender

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:26:35 PM11/25/09
to hon...@googlegroups.com
Is this it perhaps?

"Macbeth will then "spurn [ignore] fate, scorn death, and bear / His
hopes 'bove [above] wisdom, grace, and fear; / And you all know security
/ Is mortals' chiefest enemy" (ignore fate, mock or scorn death, become
arrogant, take his own opinions above wisdom, grace and fear and you all
know that complacency or false security is a person's worst enemy),
(Line 30). "

From: http://absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/macbeth/commentary/act_iii.htm

Margaret Hender

David Hanna

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:27:58 PM11/25/09
to hon...@googlegroups.com
Richard,
It may be this one from Act III, Scene 5 of "Macbeth":

"And you all know, security is mortals' chiefest enemy."

Hoping that the hurly-burly is done,
David Hanna

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Sadowsky" <richard....@gmail.com>
To: "honyaku" <hon...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:08 PM
Subject: Shakespeare search in Japanese?


Richard Sadowsky

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:38:39 PM11/25/09
to hon...@googlegroups.com
Dibbs to Richard Thieme and Margaret Hender! David Hanna, third.
Thank you, that is it for sure.
Did you just have to be familiar with the quote, or how did you find it?

Richard S.
--
Richard Sadowsky, Awajishima

Richard Thieme

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:45:06 PM11/25/09
to hon...@googlegroups.com
I tried a few things, complacency foe, security, enemy, and eventually hit
it.

I could not find the detailed citation however. I wonder if the others can
clue me in on what they did to find that.

Regards,

Richard Thieme

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Sadowsky" <richard....@gmail.com>

Margaret Hender

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:49:26 PM11/25/09
to hon...@googlegroups.com
I'm certainly not a Shakespeare expert, but the quote sounded
familiar.....but to me the key concept is complacency, so I Googled the
keywords "shakespeare quote complacency danger".

Margaret Hender

David Hanna

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:53:58 PM11/25/09
to hon...@googlegroups.com
I googled "security, Shakespeare, quote." The quote with the citation to
Act III, scene 5 of "Macbeth" came up. I then checked that quote in the
Riverside Shakespeare that I have on the bookshelf.

Best regards,
David Hanna


----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Sadowsky" <richard....@gmail.com>
To: <hon...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:38 PM
Subject: Re: Shakespeare search in Japanese?


Richard Sadowsky

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 11:05:22 PM11/25/09
to hon...@googlegroups.com
I never thought of the word "security" so working around it by Googling the
concept is a great idea!
--
Richard Sadowsky, Awajishima
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages