When we go abroad 5 June 1988

Trevor Leggett was head of the Japanese Department of the BBC.

This is one of his broadcasts to Japan

Zubari for 5 June 1988

Hello listeners! When we go abroad we may sometimes think, “What does it matter what I say? No one will understand.” 100 years ago this was usually true. But now it is quite different, and we should be careful.

A taxi-driver told me the other day that he had lived six years in France when a boy, so he knew French well.

Late one evening, he picked up a French husband and wife. They talked together in French. When they had come nearly to the hotel, the taxis’ meter showed £2.00. The wife said to her husband, “Don’t give him £2.00, give him two five penny pieces. They are very like pound coins and probably he won’t notice as it is so late.”

The five penny piece is in fact rather like a one pound coin. The husband did this. The taxi driver said in very fluent French: “No, sir, you must pay £2.00. The coins are not the same.” Then he added to the wife: “That was very naughty of you. It gives France a bad reputation for dishonesty.”  She turned as white as a sheet.

I had an experience a bit similar in Japan when I was escorting a BBC director who was there on a visit. He wanted to go into an ordinary Densha, so we got in about 11am in the morning. Opposite us, in the half-empty carriage, were three schoolgirls.

They began talking about us, and one of them said that we had very long heads – unlike the Japanese mainly round head. She remarked how funny the foreigners look – almost like horses.

As they were giggling, I leant across and said in Japanese, “Tadashii reigi wo shiranai ñNihon no ojosan wa Nihon no haji desu ne.”

They looked absolutely stunned. Then they hastily jumped to their feet and went away to the other end of the carriage, where they sat, absolutely silent.

That was a few years ago, and l think that Japanese now realize that some foreigners can understand Japanese.

The situation is quite different in Britain. I assume that foreigners will understand English, and we are careful what we say in front of them.

© Trevor Leggett