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それは日本人が... / 負けない / ある国のカッコよさ ...

eeky

先輩
8 Jun 2010
2,431
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Hiya,

1. The writer has been talking about the ubiquitous use of the word "cool" by Americans. Then he writes:

それは日本人が「カワイイ」という形容詞を日常会話の 中で実に頻繁に使うことと、日本社会や現代文化におい て「カワイイ」がもつ価値の関係を考えてみればわかる 。

This sentence has given me a bunch of grief. Here is my attempt at deciphering it:

それは = As for that (i.e. regarding the matter just mentioned),

考えてみれば = if you try to think about

日本人が「カワイイ」という形容詞を日常会話の中で実 に頻繁に使うこと = the fact that Japanese people use the adjective "カワイイ" frequently in everyday conversation

と and

日本社会や現代文化において「カワイイ」がもつ価値の 関係を = the connection (between the use of "cool" and) the importance held by the word "カワイイ" in Japanese society and modern culture

わかる。 = (then) you will understand (why "cool" is so common in America).

Is this correct? (As usual, I'm not concerned with creating an elegant or idiomatic English translation, but only with understanding the Japanese correctly.)


2. 田中さんは、どんな苦しみにも負けない強い精神を持っ ています。

Translation given: "Mrs Tanaka has a strong spirit such that she is not defeated no matter what hardship she might meet."

Here I'm unsure how 負けない works. Does it modify 強い精神, to produce something like "strong spirit that she does not lose"?


3. ある国のカッコよさ、つまり大衆に与える文化的影響力 は、GNPと同様、その国のパワーとして認知されるべきではないか。

My translation:

べきではないか = Why shouldn't

ある国のカッコよさ = the "coolness" of a certain country,

つまり大衆に与える文化的影響力は = that is to say its cultural influence on the general public,

その国のパワーとして認知される = be recognised as one of that country's strengths

GNPと同様 = just as GNP (is)?

Does this look OK? The way I've translated it, especially the "that is to say" linkage, doesn't make much sense to me. "coolness" is not identified with "cultural influence" in general, only with a certain very specific type of influence. Am I missing something?
 
1. You seem to have all the parts right. I'd say "it you think about how Japanese people use kawaii all the time in daily conversation and the connection between the value in Japanese society and modern culture that kawaii has, it (the use of "cool" by Americans) makes sense."

2. It's [[どんな苦しみにも負けない][強い]精神]を持っ ています。Does that make sense? It's supposed to mean that both どんな苦しみにも負けない and 強い are phrases modifying 精神.

3. Yeah. The つまり phrase is just stating in other words (or defining) what ある国のカッコよさ is. On a stylistic side note, I'd leave パワー as "power" and not change it to "strength", though.
 
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