カードを切る and sarcasm

Heh, wasn't sure what to call this thread. Anyway...

I have this sentence, and I'm wondering exactly how to interpret it:
今回、北朝鮮は、アメリカの機先を制するかのようにい ろいろとカードを切ってきました。

The part that I'm not sure about is カードを切ってきました. Is this just saying that North Korea shuffled the deck so as to forestall the US? Or is there some other meaning there?

Also, I'm pretty sure this is a sincere and polite request, but the English translation given doesn't have that feeling to me. The Japanese is どうにかしてもう少し早く来られませんか, and the English is "couldn't you manage to get here a little earlier?" The English has a feeling of irritation and sarcasm to me, but I'm assuming that isn't the case with the Japanese. Am I right?

Glenn said:

Heh, wasn't sure what to call this thread. Anyway...

I have this sentence, and I'm wondering exactly how to interpret it:
今回、北朝鮮は、アメリカの機先を制するかのようにいろいろとカードを切ってきました。

The part that I'm not sure about is カードを切ってきました. Is this just saying that North Korea shuffled the deck so as to forestall the US? Or is there some other meaning there?

Click to expand...

I thought that it was a mistake for 切り札を出す (= play one's trump card) but according to 大辞林, 切る is also correct i.e. 切り札を切る.
So besides "to shuffle" the cards, this 切る could also mean to play one's highest card.
(To be honest, I'm still not really sure if the usage you quoted is correct... At least what the writer intended is "to play one's trump card", which I'm sure.)

Glenn said:

Also, I'm pretty sure this is a sincere and polite request, but the English translation given doesn't have that feeling to me. The Japanese is どうにかしてもう少し早く来られませんか, and the English is "couldn't you manage to get here a little earlier?" The English has a feeling of irritation and sarcasm to me, but I'm assuming that isn't the case with the Japanese. Am I right?

Click to expand...

It could mean sarcasm, but not always - it really depends on the context.

undrentide said:

I thought that it was a mistake for 切り札を出す (= play one's trump card) but according to 大辞林, 切る is also correct i.e. 切り札を切る.

So besides "to shuffle" the cards, this 切る could also mean to play one's highest card.

Click to expand...

Depending on the noun that precedes it, I take it. Alright, thanks.

undrentide said:

It could mean sarcasm, but not always - it really depends on th context.

Click to expand...

OK. As far as I'm aware, the English version is only used when you're irritated or annoyed at the other person's tardiness, but I didn't figure the Japanese would be used the same way. Well, now I see it can be, but doesn't have to necessarily be. Thanks again.

Also, I'm pretty sure this is a sincere and polite request, but the English translation given doesn't have that feeling to me. The Japanese is どうにかしてもう少し早く来られませんか, and the English is "couldn't you manage to get here a little earlier?" The English has a feeling of irritation and sarcasm to me, but I'm assuming that isn't the case with the Japanese. Am I right?

Click to expand...

I could easily see it as being irritated, or at least slightly put out, in Japanese, too. "Could/can you not somehow manage (do whatever it takes?) to get here a little earlier ?" (どうにかしても＝なんとしても？).

It looks like there are a range of possibilities. Or I've just managed to upset too many people....


Although in English the stage wouldn't necessarily be set for sarcasm unless the person was really late, and only then if the part about a "little bit" was unnaturally stressed.