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The following image has been going around Japanese twitter recently with the hashtag #中止だ中止, for two reasons:

  • Feb 28, 2020 would have marked 147 days until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
  • There is considerable pressure at the moment to cancel the Games for obvious reasons.

Image of Akira

What I'm wondering about is: what would the right translation be for 中止だ中止, as seen in the graffiti on the lower right below the sign.

My question is: the writer urging that the Olympics should be cancelled, which would be consistent with the other graffiti 粉砕 "Smash it to bits!"; or is the right interpretation just that it has been cancelled already?

jogloran
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あきらめ、怒り、非難の気持ちを含みながら、投げやりに言い捨てる感じで、「〇〇だ、〇〇！」「もう〇〇だ〇〇！」という表現が使われるのを見かけることがあります。人によって違うのかもしれませんが、「中止だ中止」というのを見ると、あきらめを伴って「もう中止に決定（したようなもの）だ！」とか「もう中止してしまえ！」などと言っているような感じがします。

例：

  • 「辞任だ辞任！」(非難して「辞任しろ」と言ったりするときに)
  • 「延期だ、延期！」(何かを延期させてしまえ、と言うときに)
  • 「廃止だ廃止！」
  • 「もう、離婚だ、離婚！」(夫婦喧嘩などで)
Chocolate
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what would the right translation be for 中止だ中止

It could mean a number of things, either speculation that it will be cancelled or the writer's desire to have it cancelled. The reason for the repetition is just emphasis, and the だ is for finality. If they said 中止しよう (let's call it off) that would be more mild, but assuming this is the writer's desire, this is like an order, "Call it off" or something in English.

Translating repetitive Japanese into repetitive English often doesn't work but you could translate this into "Call it off. End of." or "Call it off, call it off" or something.

My question is: the writer urging that the Olympics should be cancelled, which would be consistent with the other graffiti 粉砕 "Smash it to bits!"; or is the right interpretation just that it has been cancelled already?

The Olympics hasn't been cancelled yet, but as I said above it could be either speculation or urging, but it's probably the urging one.