Thursday, June 14, 2007

"Taisaku" in English

The word 対策 is typically mistranslated by Japanese Engineers. For example:

安全対策 safety countermeasure
パソコンのセキュリティ対策 computer security countermeasure
温暖化対策 global warming countermeasure
トラブルの原因と対策方法 trouble-diagnosis countermeasure
環境リスク対策 environmental risk countermeasure

A "countermeasure" is defined as "A measure or action taken to counter or offset another one."1
In other words, a countermeasure is a measure used against another measure. A countermeasure is not the first measure, but rather, the second or third measure against the first measure.

The Japanese word 対策 does not have the same exact meaning as the English "countermeasure" so please be careful!

So, what are some better ways to translate the above terms? Let's take a look.

安全対策 safety measures
safety precautions
precautionary measures
パソコンのセキュリティ対策 computer security measures
security measures for computers
温暖化対策 measures against global warming
measures to reduce global warming
combat global warming
efforts to address global warming
measures to cope with global warming
effective responses to global warming
トラブルの原因と対策方法 trouble-diagnosis chart
環境リスク対策 environmental risk management


Basically, if you want to use 対策 in a translated document, you should try to express in detail what kind of 対策. As always, try to express yourself in concrete details in English instead of vague terms, like 対策.

Good luck with your writing!


  1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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