How best to translate 左右対称 in this context?


For example:

[code]

    人間の顔は左右対称ではない
    A person's face is asymmetrical.
    
[/code]

The above is simple, but how about:

[code]

    漢字の形が左右対称である。
    
[/code]

"The shape of the Kanji character is symmetrical."

The problem I have with the above sentence is "symmetrical" and "左右対称" have
different meanings, "symmetrical" is similar to "proportional" whereas "左右対称"
has the meaning that if you "flip it over" the shape doesn't change
(i.e.金、田、山, etc.). I was thinking "mirror-image", but usually you are
contrasting one thing to another.

Any suggestions on how to express the meaning 左右対称 in English correctly in the
above sentence?




Isn't this a question for English Language & Usage rather than Japanese, since
you are clear on the Japanese meaning and looking for a way to express it in
English...? I hate constantly seeing questions closed here though...

...In any case I disagree that "symmetrical" is closer to "proportional" than
"if you flip it over the shape doesn't change". Symmetry is the precise
technical term for the latter concept -- there is no more fitting word. To be
more descriptive, you could say they have "vertical symmetry", or less
ambiguously, "left-right symmetry".

[See the Wikipedia article on
symmetry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry).




Isn't this a question for English Language & Usage rather than Japanese, since
you are clear on the Japanese meaning and looking for a way to express it in
English...? I hate constantly seeing questions closed here though...

...In any case I disagree that "symmetrical" is closer to "proportional" than
"if you flip it over the shape doesn't change". Symmetry is the precise
technical term for the latter concept -- there is no more fitting word. To be
more descriptive, you could say they have "vertical symmetry", or less
ambiguously, "left-right symmetry".

[See the Wikipedia article on
symmetry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry).

