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A friend asked me to translate into English a short text. The context is Tokyo
being a global city where people gather and experience a variety of lifestyles
and values (価値観), and where art, culture, beauty, etc are combined together.

I came across this sentence:

> 日常生活に+アルファのステータスや価値観を発信することが私達の役目.

I have never heard that "+ alpha" before. Doing a little research it seems to
mean "something extra, a little more". I even found a short wikipedia page
defining it as a 和製外来語 from the english "plus x". I understand the meaning I
guess but I wonder if there is a better way to translate it into a more
natural English.

I was thinking of translating that as a "enhanced status". Could that work?

Something like this:

> It is our duty/business to send out into everyday life that enhanced status
> and sense of values (or to enhance that status and values in everyday life?)

But I'm not very satisfied with it. Also I find 価値観 in general not very easy
to translate.
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question
translation word-choice loanwords dictionary
Meaning and translation of "プラスアルファ”
Within the given context, I don't think you need to include that phrase at all
in the English translation.

"[Status](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/status)" already has a
connotation of "high standing", "prestige".

プラスアルファ is a Japanese adaption and comes from mathematical expression ±α or +α
expressing a variation (in math α can be negative, so it doesn't always imply
addition), expressing an uncertainty level "more or less", "around".

Here however it implies aiming at elevating, going beyond one's current
standing.

* * *

価値観 - just "values" - "our values", maybe "our principles", or "our value
system" (the latter is more direct but less natural, I guess)
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answer
**A bit of Etymology**

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bcmYJ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bcmYJ.png)

"プラスアルファ" comes from Japanese baseball players' misunderstanding X as α when
American baseball players marked X in the second half of 9th inning for the
record. If the bottom team had more scores than the top team when they
finished in the first-half inning of the 9th inning, they don't have to play
in the bottom inning. So, they could have been able to score more if they had
the bottom inning. Hence, they marked top:5 - bottom: 7 + X for the record.

**A bit of Analysis of Meaning and Translation**

As I mentioned above, "プラスアルファ" implies adding something onto quantity or
quality. It is normally used when you need/can add something more than the
expectation.

"ステータス" is difficult to define. Having an imported car, wearing Armani or
ROLEX would have been "ステータス" 30 years ago, but I guess fewer people care
about having that stuff in Japan. The definition of "ステータス" has been changing
quickly. So "価値観" does. Businessman and Artist would have different images for
"価値観".

All in all, it seems to me this sentence wants to encourage us to bring
synergy to Tokyo through fashion, art, lifestyle, and diversity.
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