食べられる / 買おうかって / そうそう / お母さんは寿司...

[eeky]

Hiya,

1. Mrs Oshima is pressing some some guests to accept food, the guests having politely refused at the first time of asking.

大島さんはなおも重ねて「でも、エイミーさんは食べられるでしょう、まだ若いんだし。」と言っ た。

a) Is 食べられる an honorific form?

b) To me, まだ若いんだし looks to mean "besides, (Amy) is still young", but since that seems to make no sense in context I guess I'm wrong?


2. 「家ではかんそうきを買おうかって言っているんですけ ど、どうでしょうか。」

My translation: "We're talking about whether to buy a かんそうき [some kind of houshold drying gadget] for the house -- what do you think?"

Is this right? Is 買おうかって = 買おう ("we will buy") + か (question marker) + って (quote marker)?


3. Amy has just explained that she's leaving Japan to go home to America next Saturday. Then Amy's host mother says to Mrs Oshima:

「ああ、そうそう、それで思い出したけれど、今度の金 曜日にエイミーのお別れ会をするんです。来ていただけますか。」

My translation: "Oh, I've just remembered that next Friday is Amy's leaving party. Will you come?"

Is this right? I'm not very sure about the first part. Even if my translation is roughly correct, what exactly does そうそう mean here?


4. This is a true-or-false question in a reading comprehension test:

お母さんは寿司を食べられなかったようです。

Does it mean "Mother behaved/seemed/appeared as if she couldn't eat sushi"? I'm having trouble relating this to the text. Is there any implication in this wording as to why she "couldn't" eat it? Or maybe it doesn't mean that?

 

[Toritoribe]

1. Mrs Oshima is pressing some some guests to accept food, the guests having politely refused at the first time of asking.
大島さんはなおも重ねて「でも、エイミーさんは食べられるでしょう、まだ若いんだし。」と言った。
a) Is 食べられる an honorific form?

It's the potential.

b) To me, まだ若いんだし looks to mean "besides, (Amy) is still young", but since that seems to make no sense in context I guess I'm wrong?

That し means "because", explaining the reason why Mrs Oshima thought Amy could eat.

［3］ 文末にあって、事実・条件を言いさし、それから導かれる結果・判断を言外にひびかせて表す（終助詞的な用法）。

ああ面白かった。席もすいていた―ね

サービス終了のお知らせ

2. 「家ではかんそうきを買おうかって言っているんですけど、どうでしょうか。」
My translation: "We're talking about whether to buy a かんそうき [some kind of houshold drying gadget] for the house -- what do you think?"
Is this right? Is 買おうかって = 買おう ("we will buy") + か (question marker) + って (quote marker)?

Right.

3. Amy has just explained that she's leaving Japan to go home to America next Saturday. Then Amy's host mother says to Mrs Oshima:
「ああ、そうそう、それで思い出したけれど、今度の金曜日にエイミーのお別れ会をするんです。来ていただけますか。」
My translation: "Oh, I've just remembered that next Friday is Amy's leaving party. Will you come?"
Is this right? I'm not very sure about the first part. Even if my translation is roughly correct, what exactly does そうそう mean here?

You've already come across this interjection.;-)
エイミーと山下さん一家 ... / 行きましか / その一 / 心配していた / そうそう

4. This is a true-or-false question in a reading comprehension test:
お母さんは寿司を食べられなかったようです。
Does it mean "Mother behaved/seemed/appeared as if she couldn't eat sushi"? I'm having trouble relating this to the text. Is there any implication in this wording as to why she "couldn't" eat it? Or maybe it doesn't mean that?

The guests, including the mother, refused Mrs Oshima's offer at the first time, and then Mrs Oshima said エイミーさんは食べられるでしょう, right? In this context, Mrs Oshima offered the sushi only to Amy at the second time as a result. So, the mother couldn't eat it(even if she actually wanted to.)

 

[eeky]

Thanks Toritoribe. Only one more chapter of Amy's adventures remaining now!

That 窶堋ｵ means "because", explaining the reason why Mrs Oshima thought Amy could eat.

This may not be a Japanese language question, but I have no clue why Amy's age should have any bearing on whether she wanted to eat the sushi. Do you have any idea about this? Is there is some cultural issue here that I'm missing? (Don't worry if not ... it's not very important...!)

The guests, including the mother, refused Mrs Oshima's offer at the first time, and then Mrs Oshima said エイミーさんは食べられるでしょう, right? In this context, Mrs Oshima offered the sushi only to Amy at the second time as a result. So, the mother couldn't eat it(even if she actually wanted to. :x3:

Actually, they all eat the sushi eventually. I'm wondering if the statement is supposed to be "true" on the grounds that the mother first politely refused the sushi (making up some bogus reason that they had eaten earlier), but the translation into "couldn't eat" doesn't really work in this context in English.

 

[Toritoribe]

This may not be a Japanese language question, but I have no clue why Amy's age should have any bearing on whether she wanted to eat the sushi. Do you have any idea about this? Is there is some cultural issue here that I'm missing? (Don't worry if not ... it's not very important...!)

Generally, young people, especially junior high school/high school/college students, are considered to be able to eat more than adults.

Actually, they all eat the sushi eventually. I'm wondering if the statement is supposed to be "true" on the grounds that the mother first politely refused the sushi (making up some bogus reason that they had eaten earlier), but the translation into "couldn't eat" doesn't really work in this context in English.

Ah, I see. In this context,

食べなかった: She didn't eat it by her own will.
食べられなかった: She couldn't eat it by external factor(even if she might want to.)

Does this contrast make sense?

 

[eeky]

食べなかった: She didn't eat it by her own will.
食べられなかった: She couldn't eat it by external factor(even if she might want to.)
Does this contrast make sense?

In the context of the story, not really ... at least, not to me. There was nothing external stopping her eating, and it seems she actually did want to eat, and initially refused only out of politeness.

Oh well, never mind and thanks anyway. It's only a very minor point.