くの, 以上, Help with grammar

T

turvy

先輩

27 Jan 2012

54

1

• 24 Feb 2012

• #1

From a short story I'm reading about Hellen Keller, can you help me translate this phrase:

ヘレンが日本を離れる時には、寄せられたお金は盗まれ たがくの１０ばい以上になりました。

My understanding is something like; when Hellen departed from Japan she had the stolen money plus the collected money but I am lost after with the use of 以上 and the くの after が.

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 24 Feb 2012

• #2

盗まれた/がく（＝額）/の/１０/ばい（＝倍）/以上

Does this make sense?

 

T

turvy

先輩

27 Jan 2012

54

1

• 24 Feb 2012

• Thread starter
• #3

Bingo! I think this is it:

ヘレンが日本を離れる時には、寄せられたお金は盗まれた額の１０倍以上になりました。
When Hellen was departing from Japan, the collected money (had) amounted to 10 times the stolen money.

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 24 Feb 2012

• #4

This is a good example of how necessary kanji is for understandability in Japanese sentence, isn't it?

 

T

turvy

先輩

27 Jan 2012

54

1

• 24 Feb 2012

• Thread starter
• #5

Absolutely, but the book I'm reading is geared towards 一年生 schoolers so it lacks a lot of 漢字. I think I could have figured out 倍 by myself if I tried a little harder but the 額 was probably going to take the whole day if I didn't appeal for the help of the masters here.