Names

[Aaron Gerow]

On 2005.10.6, at 09:43 午前, Jason Gray wrote:

> I think your last point unfairly places limits on Japanese
> people in the name of film reference perfectionism.

I don't think so. I just think people who make up such names for 
themselves should know the consequences. Most don't and I think they 
would think differently if they did. Maybe Markus doesn't mind having 
people refer to him by different names (I imagine he has been called 
"Abe"--as in Abe Lincoln--many a time), but I in general don't (several 
American libraries still refer to me as Aron Jero for my Japanese 
publications). Maybe it is the librarian in me, but not taking time to 
learn romanization rules when you are, for instance, working in a 
company selling Japanese films abroad is simply rude to your 
customers--and sometimes to the filmmakers too. I think this is an 
issue not of anal-retentive perfectionism, but common courtesy: 
speaking to people using the rules that the majority of the world uses.

Aaron Gerow
Assistant Professor
Film Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Film Studies Program
Yale University
53 Wall Street, Room 316
PO Box 208363
New Haven, CT 06520-8363
USA
Phone: 1-203-432-7082
Fax: 1-203-432-6764
e-mail: aaron.gerow at yale.edu