The gorilla in the room

Japanese translation: 明白だが触れたくないこと

10:19 May 9, 2007
English to Japanese translations [Non-PRO]
Bus/Financial - Science (general)
English term or phrase: The gorilla in the room
Used as a metephor
Hiromasa Funaki
Japan
Local time: 15:16
Japanese translation:明白だが触れたくないこと
Explanation:
the gorilla in the roomは、複数の意味で使われるようですが、Funakiさんの提供された文脈からは、「皆が知っていて明らかだけれど敢えて触れたくないこと」、の意味と思われます。最初のリンクの、アメリカのイスラエル支持は、この言葉の意味を理解しやすい例ではないでしょうか。日本語にも同様のことを意味する慣用句がありそうな気もしますが、ちょっと思いつきませんでした。
Selected response from:

Satoshi Sakae
Local time: 15:16
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1支配的な因子、威圧的な影響、
Troy Fowler
3競争相手がいない(慣用句)
yumom
3明白だが触れたくないこと
Satoshi Sakae
3もっとも大きな障害
casey
1目の上の瘤
cinefil


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the gorilla in the room
競争相手がいない(慣用句)


Explanation:
contextがないので本当に慣用句として使われているのか不明ですが、ネットで検索したところ、いくつかヒットしました。

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-05-09 12:30:29 GMT)
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exhibited that they had large bending strength, adhesiveness to dentin, small water absorption and expansion, and low rate of decomposition

余計なtextが入ってしまいました。上記サイトをご確認ください。


    dental visible light irradiator (product name; GC CoB, manufactured by GC Corporation)
yumom
Local time: 15:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 4
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the gorilla in the room
明白だが触れたくないこと


Explanation:
the gorilla in the roomは、複数の意味で使われるようですが、Funakiさんの提供された文脈からは、「皆が知っていて明らかだけれど敢えて触れたくないこと」、の意味と思われます。最初のリンクの、アメリカのイスラエル支持は、この言葉の意味を理解しやすい例ではないでしょうか。日本語にも同様のことを意味する慣用句がありそうな気もしますが、ちょっと思いつきませんでした。


    Reference: http://mickey.tv/r/?key=911
    Reference: http://www.mm-bbs.org/index.php?showtopic=856&pid=26703&st=1...
Satoshi Sakae
Local time: 15:16
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the gorilla in the room
もっとも大きな障害


Explanation:
In this context, I think what we are looking at is the biggest obstacle to overcome, which, in this case, is cost. We have a joke that says, "Where does a 500-pound gorilla sit?" The answer is "Anywhere he wants to." It's difficult to do anything with a gorilla, so what they're saying is that the cost is high and will be hard to deal with.

casey
United States
Local time: 02:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
the gorilla in the room
支配的な因子、威圧的な影響、


Explanation:
Please note, the term you have is incomplete, as the real term is

"The 800-pound gorilla in the room."

You can find loads of examples on google.

This is a phrase that describes a dominating, controlling factor in a situation, or something with an overbearing presence.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2007-05-10 01:31:59 GMT)
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I should add, as Satoshi pointed out, an "800 pound gorilla in the room" typically describes something you wish to avoid, but is simply unavoidable.

There is also another similar phrase: "the (big) white elephant in the room." This has a very similar meaning the "the 800 pound gorilla," but in my impression, tends to describes topics that are very obvious, but also difficult to discuss out in the open. An example would be:

"Hu Jintao's recent visit to Japan highlighted economic and environmental agreements between the two countries, but the pending issue of comfort women and Japan's wartime history was really the big white elephant in the room."

Example sentence(s):
  • “Despite releasing products to compete with Linux and Sun Microsystems, Microsoft is really the 800 pound gorilla in the room.”
  • “President Bush revealed a series of new bills on education and tax reform, but it’s still the War in Iraq that is the 800 pound gorilla in the room.”

    Reference: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/800-pound+gorilla
    Reference: http://the800poundgorilla.com/
Troy Fowler
United States
Local time: 23:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  casey
1 hr
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
the gorilla in the room
目の上の瘤


Explanation:
○目の上の瘤(コブ)
自分よりも地位や実力が上で、とかく自分の活動に邪魔になるもののたとえ。「目の上のたんこぶ」とも
広辞苑

cinefil
Japan
Local time: 15:16
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 26
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