また、この本を読んで...

[eeky]

Hi,


1. For context, the paragraph starts:

また、この本を読んで、地位や年齢の上の人をほめると いうのは、失礼になることもあるので注意が必要だとい うこともわかった。日本でも何年か教えたけれど、学生 に教え方がうまいなどとほめられた経験はない。

My translation: "Furthermore, on reading this book, it is clear that it can also be impolite to praise someone older and of higher status, so caution is needed. I have been teaching in Japan for several years, but I have never experienced students praising my teaching."

I hope I have understood this OK.


2. Next sentence:

それから、これは、言うまでもないことだが、目上の人 が目下の人をほめる時には、かなり励ましの気持ちが入 っているということ。

I believe the core of this sentence means "It goes without saying that when a person of higher status praises a person of lower status, it gives them a feeling of great encouragement."

a) How would you translate それから here?

b) What does これ refer to? I'm trying to interpret the overall sentence structure as これは～ということ, meaning that ～ (i.e. the bulk of the sentence) is a description or explanation of これ, but I have no idea what これ refers to.


3. Next sentence:

この間、学生のスーザンが「日本人は、私が日本語を話すと、すぐ、『日本 語おじょうずですね』って言うから、いやになっちゃう 」と言っていたけど、そのほめ言葉にも励ましの気持ち も入っているのかも・・・。

My translation: "The other day, Susan, a student, told me "When I speak in Japanese, Japanese people are apt to say 'Your Japanese is very good', so ...??? ...". However, I wonder if these words of praise also contain a feeling of encouragement..."

a) What does いやになっちゃう mean? Is it implying that Susan is not happy with these comments? Why wouldn't she be?

b) What is the connection between the last part (そのほめ言葉...) and what has gone before? I feel I am missing the whole point of this sentence.

 

[Mike Cash]

また、この本を読んで...

1. 教えた is "taught", not "have been teaching".

2. The higher person includes a sense/purpose of providing encouragement in their praise. (implying that a higher person doesn't need encouragement from a lower, thus explaining the lack of praise in that direction).

3. When your Japanese sucks and you know it, you get tired of being told your Japanese is good, as it is obvious to anyone that it is not. Interestingly, the better your Japanese gets the less people compliment you on it. Consequently, the more praise you get, the suckier your Japanese is. You get tired of having it pointed out to you through left-handed compliments.

 

[Toritoribe]

2) a)
And

b)
As Mike-san wrote, that's これは、言うまでもないこと, not これは、入っているということ.

 

[eeky]

Thank you both.

2. I originally thought the "target" of 入っている – in other words, the thing into which 励ましの気持ち enters – was 目下の人, but we're saying it is actually 目上の人 (or the praise provided by 目上の人), right?

b. Does これ refer to the statement 目上の人 が ... ということ?

 

[Toritoribe]

Yes, that's right.