Need a word or phrase translated?

[Rei Yahya]

Working on amateur-translation.

「誰もが知ってる有名なアート作品を驚きの大特価で手に入れる、大チャンスですよ！」
My translation will definitely not be accurate but this is what I get when I try: "I procured famous works of art that everyone knows for surprisingly big bargain prices, this is a big chance!"

EDIT: Moreso than wanting that translated, I got a message from a Japanese friend on a 3DS forum, and would appreciate full comprehension on what he's saying!

「オレの周りに日本語話せるヤツは妹しかいないから、全然いいよｗ 上手いし
日本語最高だろｗ

よかったらフレンドコード交換しない？
どうぶつの森を買うなら、一緒にやりたいし
オレのは：5198 2373 4380
Reiさんのをもう登録しました～」

Best guess for honyaku:
"Since the only one in my area who can speak Japanese is my little sister, [your Japanese is] totally fine, haha. Probably the best Japanese [I've heard] haha.

If it's all right will you share your friend code? If you buy Animal Crossing, I want to play together. Mine is: 5198 2373 4380 I've already registered yours!"

 

[Macrobiotic]

What is this "つまり道の文化" mentioned here? Is it つまり as a separate word, so that the following is really 道の文化, or is it つまり道の文化? In either case I don't understand what type of culture this 文化 would be because a "culture of the road" doesn't mean anything to me.

日本人が好きなのは、レジャーよりも、自分の向上のようなもの、つまり道の文化だからです。

 

[Mike Cash]

つまり is used to introduce a short summation of what has been presented in a more wordy manner immediately before. Think of it as equivalent to "in short" or "in other words".

I'm not going to speculate on the rest, as you didn't include enough of it to get a grasp of the point being made.

 

[Macrobiotic]

Thanks. I wasn't sure if it was this summarizing つまり or not because the expression following it was unknown to me. So I didn't exclude the possibility of a つまり道 noun for this reason, until I recieved clarification. This is the entire text. I've been trying to figure out what 道 represents based on the information in it, but I am no wiser still. Only thing I can think of is that it's maybe something related to forward movement and development, or a continuous cultural journey because of self improvement, and this is why the word 道 is used to describe a culture which actively supports this process.

人間は、人間らしい仕事をするために生きています。

そして、そういう社会が日本の中で育っていくことが、これからの世界の真の平和と発展につながるのです。


言葉の森が今考えているのは、その新しい仕事を、作文を中心とした教育として進めていく森林プロジェクトという寺子屋運動です。

その寺子屋は、初めは子供の勉強から始まって、やがて大人どうしの能力開発につながっていくでしょう。

日本人が好きなのは、レジャーよりも、自分の向上のようなもの、つまり道の文化だからです。

 

[Toritoribe]

Working on amateur-translation.

「誰もが知ってる有名なアート作品を驚きの大特価で手に入れる、大チャンスですよ！」
My translation will definitely not be accurate but this is what I get when I try: "I procured famous works of art that everyone knows for surprisingly big bargain prices, this is a big chance!"

"This is a big chance" is the main clause and the rest part is modifying 大チャンス.

EDIT: Moreso than wanting that translated, I got a message from a Japanese friend on a 3DS forum, and would appreciate full comprehension on what he's saying!

「オレの周りに日本語話せるヤツは妹しかいないから、全然いいよｗ 上手いし
日本語最高だろｗ

よかったらフレンドコード交換しない？
どうぶつの森を買うなら、一緒にやりたいし
オレのは：****
Reiさんのをもう登録しました～」

Best guess for honyaku:
"Since the only one in my area who can speak Japanese is my little sister, [your Japanese is] totally fine, haha. Probably the best Japanese [I've heard] haha.

If it's all right will you share your friend code? If you buy Animal Crossing, I want to play together. Mine is: **** I've already registered yours!"

I highly recommend to delite his friend code.

全然いいよ means that your circumstances are far better than mine (since the only one...). Another possibility is that you had asked something to him and he said "no problem".

上手いし日本語最高だろ means "Your Japanese is good and perfect" or along the line.

The rest are OK.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if it was this summarizing つまり or not because the expression following it was unknown to me. So I didn't exclude the possibility of a つまり道 noun for this reason, until I recieved clarification. This is the entire text. I've been trying to figure out what 道 represents based on the information in it, but I am no wiser still. Only thing I can think of is that it's maybe something related to forward movement and development, or a continuous cultural journey because of self improvement, and this is why the word 道 is used to describe a culture which actively supports this process.

That's not みち but どう, as in 柔道, 剣道, 茶道, 花道... Your understanding regarding the concept of どう is correct, though.

 

[Rei Yahya]

Thank you Toritoribe! If I may ask, in that sentence, what exactly is 「しかいない」? I used logical inference to construct the honyaku but I'm not sure what shikainai is. Otherwise, thank you!

 

[Macrobiotic]

Thanks. Now it makes sense.

There's a sentence in this text which eludes me.

地下より吹き出した溶岩は野原を焼きつくし、我々はその中で逃げ惑った。
何がいけなかったのだ。恵み多き国の光は突然閉ざされ、混乱の中で闇が世界を支配した。

Possibly I'm completely off on this one but reading it in the context of someone recounting for the events of a great disaster, I can speculate. There is no だろう or か etc so I don't read it as a question, but either it must be a question like roughly "what was wrong/bad?" ("why on earth have we deserved this?", or possibly "what was the forbidden action we took to cause this?") or the 何 must have a negative meaning and it turns into something like "everything was wrong" but this should require a も particle I think.

As for this sentence, is it a way of saying " for the new light of hope" or is it " for the light of hope (which comes/becomes) anew" or "for the light of the hope which comes anew" or "for the light of new hope"? Maybe this なる here is "that which is", or "which is called" so it really is "the light of hope that which is new".

新たなる希望の光のために。

 

[Toritoribe]

Thank you Toritoribe! If I may ask, in that sentence, what exactly is 「しかいない」? I used logical inference to construct the honyaku but I'm not sure what shikainai is. Otherwise, thank you!

～しかいない: there is no one/nothing other than~

Your interpretation "the only one is..." is the one.

In addition to your first example sentence, my reply might be confuging, but the subject of 手に入れる is not the writer "I" but everyone/readers/customers. No one has purchased the art yet.

There's a sentence in this text which eludes me.

地下より吹き出した溶岩は野原を焼きつくし、我々はその中で逃げ惑った。
何がいけなかったのだ。恵み多き国の光は突然閉ざされ、混乱の中で闇が世界を支配した。

Possibly I'm completely off on this one but reading it in the context of someone recounting for the events of a great disaster, I can speculate. There is no だろう or か etc so I don't read it as a question, but either it must be a question like roughly "what was wrong/bad?" ("why on earth have we deserved this?", or possibly "what was the forbidden action we took to cause this?") or the 何 must have a negative meaning and it turns into something like "everything was wrong" but this should require a も particle I think.

That's a question to the speaker themselves, so the former interpretation is correct. There indeed is no だろう or か, but it's the same as 何がいけなかった？ 何がいけなかったのだ has more strong nuance than 何がいけなかったのだろう or 何がいけなかったのか, with implying anger or regret.

As for this sentence, is it a way of saying " for the new light of hope" or is it " for the light of hope (which comes/becomes) anew" or "for the light of the hope which comes anew" or "for the light of new hope"?

新たなる希望の光のために。

新たなる is a classical way of saying 新しい. That 's not 新たになる.

"For the light of new hope" is most common, but "For the new light of hope" is also possible. Although 希望の新たなる光のために would be more common for the latter case. The phrase is ambiguous as same as, say, "new hope light".

EDIT:
You seem to edit your post while I'm writing.

 

[Elizabeth]

Thanks. Now it makes sense.
There's a sentence in this text which eludes me.
地下より吹き出した溶岩は野原を焼きつくし、我々はその中で逃げ惑った。
何がいけなかったのだ。恵み多き国の光は突然閉ざされ、混乱の中で闇が世界を支配した。
Possibly I'm completely off on this one but reading it in the context of someone recounting for the events of a great disaster, I can speculate. There is no だろう or か etc so I don't read it as a question, but either it must be a question like roughly "what was wrong/bad?" ("why on earth have we deserved this?", or possibly "what was the forbidden action we took to cause this?") or the 何 must have a negative meaning and it turns into something like "everything was wrong" but this should require a も particle I think.

I don't know why there is no うまく in 何がいけなかった but anyway, everything goes wrong would be 何もかも上手く行かない or somesuch. What went wrong you can also say like 何がダメだったの？

 

[Macrobiotic]

Thanks for the replies. So the のだ part in the question becomes basically like "questioning in anger/disbelief/shock/affection" more than だろう which is more thoughtful or inquisitive and か which can be both equivalent to a mumbling "huh" and like a straight out question?

Also, sorry for the editing, I guess people like me are the reason some forums have time limit on editing.

Sorry for double post but this came up in my collection of things I don't understand. Thought that it's best to ask about it before I forget.

こういうことに疎いのは おまえらしいと言うか何と言うか・・・

This と言うか何と言うか part is unfamiliar to me. I know just と言うか can be like "or should I say..." when rephrasing something but this sentence with two と言うか separated by a 何 puzzles me.

Here's one more question.

About the ことにしたって in this text. Is the って like とは rather than という in this case? Maybe the sentence has another nuance altogether from how I read it, but I tend to interpret it as "It can't be said to be anything but a miracle that you decided to (and managed to) cross that barrier of storms". If not this meaning, then にしたって should have an entirely different meaning here.

あの嵐の結界を越えたことにしたって、
奇蹟としか言いようがないもんな。

 

[Elizabeth]

Thanks for the replies. So the のだ part in the question becomes basically like "questioning in anger/disbelief/shock/affection" more than だろう which is more thoughtful or inquisitive and か which can be both equivalent to a mumbling "huh" and like a straight out question?

Also, sorry for the editing, I guess people like me are the reason some forums have time limit on editing.

の・んだ is used to mark an explanation, or to ask for one in question form so with a shift in intonation the speaker can also use the power of this grammar to elicit an explanation within a question。"Why" or "what" questions are often asked with the expression to implicitly press for a deeper understanding or background information or to invite explanations and further clarifications, although in everyday life obviously not necessarily under the emotionally extreme or trying circumstances you describe. This structure in turn becomes convenient to respond to a question without being too direct in your remarks ( "The explanation is that ~; The reason is that ~; The fact is that ~; It is that ~" etc)

 

[undrentide]

I don't know why there is no うまく in 何がいけなかった but anyway, everything goes wrong would be 何もかも上手く行かない or somesuch. What went wrong you can also say like 何がダメだったの？

It seems you are mixing up いけない and いかない? ;-)
いけない stands alone and means 'not good', while いかない does need うまく when one want to say something does not go 'well' (or something is wrong). You cannot use うまく in the former.

e.g.
実験が上手く行かないのは君の準備の仕方がいけないからだよ。
Your experiment does not goes well because your preparation is not good.

 

[DranzerX13]

I've looked on many websites, and I can't seem to find a good definition for 包囲網 (hoimo)
This episode title "DNA包囲網" I can't seem to find a proper translation for it.

The DNA Encirclement, DNA Encircled Net. None of these sound right.

Hoimo can be translated as seige, encirclement, encircled net. But I guess it all depends on context.

In Beyblade Zero G, there's an evil group calling themselves DNA.

 

[Andromedashun]

「きょうデパートに行って買ってきてあげる」
「いいよ、悪いから」
「いいの、ついでがあるから」

Today I'll go to the market and buy you something on the way.
That's good. Because it is bad.
That's ok. Because I have something to do too.

Can 悪いから be translated to ''is it unconvenient?'' or something like that. I don't understand what it means.

 

[Toritoribe]

Thanks for the replies. So the のだ part in the question becomes basically like "questioning in anger/disbelief/shock/affection" more than だろう which is more thoughtful or inquisitive and か which can be both equivalent to a mumbling "huh" and like a straight out question?

Yes, that's right.

Also, sorry for the editing, I guess people like me are the reason some forums have time limit on editing.

No problem. I, too, often do the same thing.

Sorry for double post but this came up in my collection of things I don't understand. Thought that it's best to ask about it before I forget.

こういうことに疎いのは おまえらしいと言うか何と言うか・・・

This と言うか何と言うか part is unfamiliar to me. I know just と言うか can be like "or should I say..." when rephrasing something but this sentence with two と言うか separated by a 何 puzzles me.

何と言うか means "how should I express it" or something along the line. It's actually saying おまえらしい with implying being amazed.

Here's one more question.

About the ことにしたって in this text. Is the って like とは rather than という in this case? Maybe the sentence has another nuance altogether from how I read it, but I tend to interpret it as "It can't be said to be anything but a miracle that you decided to (and managed to) cross that barrier of storms". If not this meaning, then にしたって should have an entirely different meaning here.

あの嵐の結界を越えたことにしたって、
奇蹟としか言いようがないもんな。

あの嵐の結界を越えたことにしても/あの嵐の結界を越えたことだって/あの嵐の結界を越えたことも、

Does this make sense?

～にしたって means "even as for/also as for" here. Plus, it's not 越えることにした "to decide to cross". 越えたこと means "the fact that you crossed".

「きょうデパートに行って買ってきてあげる」
「いいよ、悪いから」
「いいの、ついでがあるから」

Today I'll go to the market and buy you something on the way.
That's good. Because it is bad.
That's ok. Because I have something to do too.

Can 悪いから be translated to ''is it unconvenient?'' or something like that. I don't understand what it means.

いいよ、君に悪いから
No, thanks. I should be sorry (to have you go).

The speaker of the first line says that she will go to a department store to buy something specific that the speaker of the second line needs.

 

[naark]

Hello..
just a little help in here..
Can someone give me a brief explanation about
1.conjugation of adjective + gozaimasu..
its really confusing....
like ookii becomes ookyuu gozaimasu(ookii - ookyuu)
and also is that conjugation only for i-adjectives?

2.about the zu and zuni...
what's the distinction between the two when used in a sentence???

3.about the combination of causitive and passive form(saserareru)... are all conjugated verbs in this form contracted to like -sareru form...
for example, is awasareta more preferred by local speakers rather than saying awaserareta?

 

[Toritoribe]

1)
大きゅう is the u-euphonic change(ウ音便) of 大きく.
e.g.
高い takai --> たかく takaku --> たこう takou/takō
甘い amai --> あまく amaku --> あもう amou/amō

大きい ookii --> おおきく ookiku --> おおきゅう ookyuu/ookyū
優しい yasashii --> やさしく yasashiku --> やさしゅう yasashuu(yasasyuu)/yasahū(yasasyū)

熱い atsui --> あつく atsuku --> あつう atsuu/atsū

重い omoi --> おもく omoku --> おもう omou/omō

And yes for "only i-adjectives". でございます is used for na-adjectives(e.g. 静かでございます).

2)
ない vs ないで

3)
The form differs between godan verbs and ichidan verbs/irregular verbs.

Japanese verb conjugation

 

[Elizabeth]

あの嵐の結界を越えたことにしても/あの嵐の結界を越えたことだって/あの嵐の結界を越えたことも、


This is helpful. My first inclination for "fact that....also" would have been ことも、 as derived from ことは although だって is obvious in retrospect. But the use of にしても to me conveys the entire situation expressed by the whole sentence is still a a hypothetical situation as a condition for the clause (even if you had crossed...).

 

[DranzerX13]

朝向光源的方向 (chaoxiang guangyuan de fangxiang)

The english translation I got was "A Direction Toward the Morning Light"

Will anyone here please give me the kanji for this chinese title?

 

[Toritoribe]

あの嵐の結界を越えたことにしても/あの嵐の結界を越えたことだって/あの嵐の結界を越えたことも、


This is helpful. My first inclination for "fact that....also" would have been ことも、 as derived from ことは although だって is obvious in retrospect. But the use of にしても to me conveys the entire situation expressed by the whole sentence is still a a hypothetical situation as a condition for the clause (even if you had crossed...).

Yeah, that's exactly why I added ことだって and ことも.

 

[Rei Yahya]

I'm trying to translate an ad that pops up on this forum for me.
自然な英文を書けるようになりたい人のための学習サイト
'A learning site for people who want to be able to write natural-sounding English' is what I find. What does ように do?

 

[naark]

1)
大きゅう is the u-euphonic change(ウ音便) of 大きく.
e.g.
高い takai --> たかく takaku --> たこう takou/takō
甘い amai --> あまく amaku --> あもう amou/amō

大きい ookii --> おおきく ookiku --> おおきゅう ookyuu/ookyū
優しい yasashii --> やさしく yasashiku --> やさしゅう yasashuu(yasasyuu)/yasahū(yasasyū)

熱い atsui --> あつく atsuku --> あつう atsuu/atsū

重い omoi --> おもく omoku --> おもう omou/omō

And yes for "only i-adjectives". でございます is used for na-adjectives(e.g. 静かでございます).

2)
ない vs ないで

3)
The form differs between godan verbs and ichidan verbs/irregular verbs.

Japanese verb conjugation

Thanks for the answer..
just on the 3rd part...
What I mean is the combination of causative and passive, when you use it do you usually use
The shortened form or what's casually used by locals?
like for example --> 買わせられる vs 買わされる
which between the two would a local prefer using?? the shorter one or the longer form?


I just realized this just now...
is there an i-adjective that ends in "ei"
like kirei(i know this one is a na-adj but just for example)
and if there is how will it be conjugated in i-adj + gozaimasu???
this question might sounds silly, but just in case there is...
because I only know a handful of Japanese adjectives (hope you understand my situation)

 

[Macrobiotic]

Thanks for the help with my previous questions.

Here is a verb I read as おぼつく and can't identify or find in a dictionary. Chances are I might have misspelled it when transcribing the text. From context I'm guessing it must have a meaning similar to "get close to", "touch at", "return", "reach" or something, but the exact meaning is not known to me. The こともできはしない part to me gives a feeling that not even a fraction of what desired can be achieved, like it's "impossible" etc.

いかに我々が刻をかけ、再興を成し遂げようとしても、かつての繁栄におぼつくこともできはしないだろう。

As for the 刻をかけ part, is it an older way of saying "spending/investing time"? The 刻 refers to a time unit? I found nothing about this noun+verb combination as a fixed expression either, but I learned 刻 once could refer to time so from that I came to this conclusion. If not time, does it refer to effort?

 

[Toritoribe]

I'm trying to translate an ad that pops up on this forum for me.
自然な英文を書けるようになりたい人のための学習サイト
'A learning site for people who want to be able to write natural-sounding English' is what I find. What does ように do?

～するようになる
to become to do

thanks for the answer..
just on the 3rd part...
what i mean is the combination of causitive and passive, when you use it do you usually use
the shortened form or what's casually used by locals???
like for example --> 買わせられる vs 買わされる
which between the two would a local prefer using?? the shorter one or the longer form?

The answer is in the wiki page I linked in my previous post.
The shortened version 買わされた is usually used for godan verbs, and this abbreviation doesn't occur on ichidan verbs(e.g., 食べさせられる).

I just realized this just now...
is there an i-adjective that ends in "ei"
like kirei(i know this one is a na-adj but just for example)
and if there is how will it be conjugated in i-adj + gozaimasu???
this question might sounds silly, but just in case there is...
because I only know a handful of Japanese adjectives (hope you understand my situation)

There is NO i-adjective that ends with -ei. That's the reason.

Here is a verb I read as おぼつく and can't identify or find in a dictionary. Chances are I might have misspelled it when transcribing the text. From context I'm guessing it must have a meaning similar to "get close to", "touch at", "return", "reach" or something, but the exact meaning is not known to me. The こともできはしない part to me gives a feeling that not even a fraction of what desired can be achieved, like it's "impossible" etc.

いかに我々が刻をかけ、再興を成し遂げようとしても、かつての繁栄におぼつくこともできはしないだろう。

It's not surprised that おぼつく isn't in dictionaries, since it desn't exist. It's mistakenly made from おぼつかない. Here's an explanation.

おぼつく
誤って「おぼつかない」の原型と考えられている表現。「おぼつかない」は「おぼつかない」で一つの形容詞を成す。

おぼつくとは - 日本語表現辞典 Weblio辞書

Probably the writer would want to say 追いつく or something like that.

As for the 刻をかけ part, is it an older way of saying "spending/investing time"? The 刻 refers to a time unit? I found nothing about this noun+verb combination as a fixed expression either, but I learned 刻 once could refer to time so from that I came to this conclusion. If not time, does it refer to effort?

That's an irregular use of 刻, which is from the meaning below.

こく【刻】
㋒一昼夜を12等分した一。午前零時を子(ね)の刻とし、以下順次丑(うし)の刻、寅(とら)の刻のように十二支に配する。時(とき)ともいう。1刻をさらに四つに分け、丑三つなどといい、また、1刻を上・中・下に3分し、寅の上刻、寅の下刻などの言い方をする。

刻（こく）の意味 - goo国語辞書

 

[bailey620]

Hi there! I am comparing the Japanese version of the Pokemon games to their English translations and trying to figure out how the translators got from a to b. Already I'm having trouble with a sentence.

The japanese sentence is その ポケモン という いきものを ひとは ペットに したり しょうぶに つかったり...

Translates to "For some people, Pokemon are pets. Others use them for battling."

Here's what I have gathered so far. その means that (I think), so I guess I don't understand how it fits. ポケモン is obviously pokemon. という means said? Idk about that one, just looked up definition. いきもの means animal with the を particle attached to it. ひと probably means people with the は particle. ペット means pet I think? with the に particle (I think I get the に particle but I welcome another explanation). I know したり is probably し with the たり particle (which I only somewhat understand) and has something to do with lists. しょうぶ means compete I think so I assume this is battling? also with the に particle. つかったり must be related to 遣った but I don't understand why it has a り at the end.
I appreciate any help!