What's new

凡人の

eeky

先輩
8 Jun 2010
2,431
22
48
Hi,

「たぶんあの凡人の、穢れた血の、そしてマグルの味方、アルバス・ダンブルドアにか?」

Is 凡人の味方 the only possible interpretation, or could 凡人の also be interpreted as modifying アルバス・ダンブルドア?
 
凡人の, 穢れた血の and マグルの味方 all modify アルバス・ダンブルドア because of の and そして. If that's あの凡人、穢れた血、そしてマグルの味方, 凡人, 穢れた血 and マグル modify 味方. Or, if that's あの凡人の、穢れた血のマグルの味方, あの凡人の can modify マグル. In this case, あの凡人の、穢れた血のマグル refers to a specific person/muggle.
 
凡人の, 穢れた血の and マグルの味方 all modify アルバス・ダンブルドア
Thanks Tortitoribe. Just to be absolutely clear, do you mean that the speaker is calling Dumbedore a "凡人" and a "穢れた血"? (If so, it is a mistranslation in the book. Actully he is a friend/ally of those types.)
 
Yes, that's my interpretation. 穢れた血の is also the key. Unlike 凡人 and マグル, 穢れた血 is hardly used as a common noun, unless it's clear from the context that this word refers to, for instance, a specific family/tribe. I.e., if it's あの凡人の、そしてマグルの味方, 凡人の modifies 味方.
Or, 凡人, 穢れた血 and マグル refer to specific persons, maybe?
 
凡人 and 穢れた血 refer to general categories of person. 穢れた血 has a special meaning in the story; it is a derogatory term for those people who have mixed wizarding and Muggle ancestry ("Muggle" = ordinary non-wizard human).
 
Last edited:
OK, so, to summarise, the interpretation hinges on whether 穢れた血の味方 is an expected combination, which in turn depends on the meaning of 穢れた血 within the context, right?
 
Are you sure it would be a mistranslation of the book? It seems that the commas, the repetition of the ~の, and finally the addition of そして in the last phrase, all are used to describe (unflatteringly, insultingly, mockingly) Dumbledore.
That ordinary, half-blood, muggle-loving Albus Dumbledore

Note: Albus Dumbledore is a half-blood, right?
Having those adjectives describe ally/partner/friend feels a bit weak to me.
Albus Dumbledore: that friend of the ordinary, the half-blooded, and the muggles.

although both are plausible and grammatically correct. I haven't read the original so I don't know what the speaker's intention is. Anyway, It reminds me of the famous line in Wizard of Oz:
You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk
 
Having those adjectives describe ally/partner/friend feels a bit weak to me.
Albus Dumbledore: that friend of the ordinary, the half-blooded, and the muggles.
However, this is indeed the meaning in the original English (exact text is "that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles").
 
Are you sure it would be a mistranslation of the book? It seems that the commas, the repetition of the ~の, and finally the addition of そして in the last phrase, all are used to describe (unflatteringly, insultingly, mockingly) Dumbledore.
That ordinary, half-blood, muggle-loving Albus Dumbledore

Note: Albus Dumbledore is a half-blood, right?
Having those adjectives describe ally/partner/friend feels a bit weak to me.
Albus Dumbledore: that friend of the ordinary, the half-blooded, and the muggles.

although both are plausible and grammatically correct. I haven't read the original so I don't know what the speaker's intention is. Anyway, It reminds me of the famous line in Wizard of Oz:
You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk
That's my initial interpretation, as I wrote in my previous post. If Dumbledore is a 穢れた血, that interpretation is possible. In either way, the readers know the context accurately, so they would never misinterpret the meaning of this sentence anyway.
 
Back
Top Bottom