It doesn't implode. Japanese Translation Quirk.
Today one of my teachers asked me "do you know the word implode?"
"Of course," I replied. "You mean like a black hole?"
His example was a submarine at high pressure, but the effect is the same. It turns out there is no direct single-word translation for "implode" in Japanese.
The usage is 内側に破裂する。 (uchigawa ni haretsu suru). It translates as "to explode to the inside."
Comments
How about 内破する (naiha)? Seems to be used much less frequently than "implode" in English.
We use 内破音 in Lingo Lande for "implosives", is the only reason I thought of it.
Evidently there's a book out now called 『内破する知』that comes up a lot if you google 内破. Didn't bother to see what it's about.
FWIW
Posted by: Ibadairon | May 31, 2006 1:06 AM