Arukeru Arukeru no Michi

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I came across this sign in a movie ("Arukeru Arukeru no Michi"), forget whether it was kanji or kana or what. I know what the basic meaning is - "The road/path on which one can walk (x2)" - but I was wondering how you might render that more nicely in English. Also, is there an idiomatic reference or allusion with Arukeru Arukeru that I'm not picking up? Thanks!
 
Strikes me as a slightly mis-understood ("arukeru" x 2 ? ) version of the first few characters of 道可道非常道 名可名非常名 once the okurigana are applied to hoist the phrase out of kanbun, arukeru michi wa tsune na michi ni arazaru nari, from the TAO TE CHING
 
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I don't think there's a connection between the two. The first sentence in the Dao, "Dao ke dao, fei chang dao" refers to the immutable nature of the universe, whereas the sign referred to in the OP's post seems to be about more mundane and earthly things.
 
I don't think there's a connection between the two. The first sentence in the Dao, "Dao ke dao, fei chang dao" refers to the immutable nature of the universe, whereas the sign referred to in the OP's post seems to be about more mundane and earthly things.
Fine ; make another offer -- one that would be more than a "no you're wrong"; one that would be CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I saw similarities, you see discrepancies ; well, what MIGHT the phrase suggest ?
 
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It's a nearly 9-year old post, one that even the original poster couldn't bother to respond to.
It was dead in the water back in Heisei. Leave it be.
 
Too bad the OP didn't tell us what movie the sign was seen in. That would have been very helpful. A screenshot would have been better.

I have no problem with necroposting, but when one necroposts, one never knows what they will uncover.
 
I think it's great to talk about the Dao, one of the most fascinating philosophies out there.
 
Strikes me as a slightly mis-understood ("arukeru" x 2 ? ) version of the first few characters of 道可道非常道 名可名非常名 once the okurigana are applied to hoist the phrase out of kanbun, arukeru michi wa tsune na michi ni arazaru nari, from the TAO TE CHING
I don't know where you got that 読み下し文 from, but the second 道 is usually interpreted as the verb 道とする or いう in Japanese. Here's examples of the variants.

Also, please refer to 可道と常道 by 堀池信夫 in the following page for the validity of the interpretation あるける.
科学技術振興機構 中国・アジア研究論文データベース
 
I don't know where you got that 読み下し文 from, but the second 道 is usually interpreted as the verb 道とする or いう in Japanese. Here's examples of the variants.

Also, please refer to 可道と常道 by 堀池信夫 in the following page for the validity of the interpretation あるける.
科学技術振興機構 中国・アジア研究論文データベース
I'm sure that you're correct in your citations ; thank you ! * * * Might the religious-philosophical text have been the subject of allusion in the OP query ? Can you perceive a connection ?
 
I don't think that it has something to do with 老子. The OP wouldn't remember the word correctly since it's grammatically incorrect and doesn't make much sense.
 
I don't think that it has something to do with 老子. The OP wouldn't remember the word correctly since it's grammatically incorrect and doesn't make much sense.
As remarked earlier today, I await alternative proposals -- they can at least spark discussion, something absent for nearly nine years -- have you something to offer ?
 
Sorry, but I have no idea.
Zetubou . . . my hopes dashed !

If nothing better comes to mind, then what remains is the not-so-great association that struck me as possible.

For those whom it strikes as impossible, then, with Goethe --

Bist Du beschränkt, daß neues Wort Dich stört ?
Willst Du nur hören, was Du schon gehört ?
 
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Too bad the OP didn't tell us what movie the sign was seen in. That would have been very helpful. A screenshot would have been better.

I have no problem with necroposting, but when one necroposts, one never knows what they will uncover.
But now we have AI that can potentially help us. But still inconclusive.

Hello, this is Bing. I'm glad you're interested in Japanese culture and language. 😊
According to my web search, the sign you saw in the movie is written in hiragana as あるけるあるけるのみち, which literally means "the road that can walk, can walk".1 This is a rather unusual and poetic expression, and I think it could be translated in different ways depending on the context and tone of the movie. For example, some possible translations are:
  • The road that walks itself
  • The road of endless walking
  • The wandering road
  • The road that invites walking
As for the idiomatic reference or allusion, I could not find any clear evidence that this phrase is derived from a specific source. However, I did find some similar phrases that might have influenced it, such as:
I hope this helps you understand the sign better. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me. 😊

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When I asked it what movie it was in, it tried to be helpful as it's generally incapable to know what it does not know. So there could be hallucinations in here:

According to my web search, the movie you saw the sign in is called Anne of Green Gables: Road to Green Gables1. It is a compilation film of the first six episodes of the popular 1979 anime Anne of Green Gables2, based on the classic novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The movie was released in Japan in 2010 and directed by Isao Takahata, who is also known for his works with Studio Ghibli. The sign appears in the opening scene of the movie, when Anne is walking along a road in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The sign is written in hiragana as あるけるあるけるのみち, which is a poetic way of expressing Anne's adventurous spirit and imagination.

Note the link above on the "1979 anime Anne of Green Gables" erroneously goes to:
1704469672118.webp


but it does make me wonder if the answer is actually correct. If anybody is motivated and has access to this movie they could check.
I'm sure the original poster is anxiously awaiting the answer.
 
but it does make me wonder if the answer is actually correct. If anybody is motivated and has access to this movie they could check.
There are 8 songs used in this anime, both in the TV anime series and movie version, but the phrase "あるける あるけるの みち" is not in them.


きこえるかしら
さめない夢
あしたはどんな日
森のとびらをあけて
涙がこぼれても
花と花とは
忘れないで
ちょうちょみたいに

However, it's possible that the phrase is a part of a song lyrics. In that case, あるける and あるけるの are repeated phrases (の at the end is a sentence ending particle, not the one for possession), and みち would be the first word of the next line.
 
There are 8 songs used in this anime, both in the TV anime series and movie version, but the phrase "あるける あるけるの みち" is not in them.


きこえるかしら
さめない夢
あしたはどんな日
森のとびらをあけて
涙がこぼれても
花と花とは
忘れないで
ちょうちょみたいに

However, it's possible that the phrase is a part of a song lyrics. In that case, あるける and あるけるの are repeated phrases (の at the end is a sentence ending particle, not the one for possession), and みち would be the first word of the next line.
The OP said it was a "sign." So I thought he meant it was written visually on a sign. The AI claims it was in the opening scene but probably it's completely wrong. We might have to wait a few years until all video content is fed to the AIs. Let's check back here in five years and see if we can try again to solve this mystery. :D
 
I thought the OP might refer to the subtitles of the song lyrics. If so, it's possible that the OP remembered it correctly. It's always hard to solve a mystery. (Well, that's why it's called mystery, of course...)
 
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