[视频文本]

If you’ve ever wondered if that tattoo artist lied to you, this guide will help set the record straight.

You Will NeedPatience
Analysis
Foreign language class
Japanese-to-English dictionary

Step 1: Understand kanji    理解日本字
Understand that Japanese calligraphy symbols, or kanji, are simply basic representations of everyday objects; essentially, they are pictographs.

Remember that, although Japanese kanji and Mandarin Chinese symbols are similar, the translations are often vastly different.

Step 2: Focus on larger characters     把注意力放在字的主要部位
Focus on the larger parts of a character rather than smaller strokes or dots — these carry more meaning.

Step 3: Look for familiar pictures      参考相似的图片
Look for familiar objects in nature, such as the kanji for “mountain” with three vertical lines, or the kanji for “sun,” a box with one horizontal line.

Step 4: Separate into parts            分成各个部分
Separate the whole character into parts. This can mean breaking the top and bottom apart or separating multiple characters.

Two or more symbols can be smashed together to form a single word — the kanji for “big” and “school” are combined to form “college.”

Step 5: Take a class or buy a dictionary      参加学习或者查字典
Take a class and buy a dictionary. A little studying can help you understand more than you think.

There are an estimated 1.2 million people of Japanese descent living in the United States.
[重点讲解]
kanji

  n  1. 〈日〉日本汉字

calligraphy

  n.1.美术字(体)
    2.书法;笔迹;书法艺术
     Do you love calligraphy?
    你喜欢书法吗?
    Susannah won the calligraphy prize when she was at school.
    苏珊娜上学时赢得了书法奖。

pictograph

  n.1.象形文字