Hi,
1. 時は昭和六十年の初夏、東京･駒場留学生会館にある日あ {語クラスの中でひょんなことから中国行の話がまとまあ ﾁた。
My translation: "In early summer of 1986, in a Japanese language class held in the international students' hall at Tokyo University's Komaba campus, we happened by chance to be discussing travel in China"
In what sense is まとまった used? I wondered at first it meant it was settled/decided that they would travel to China, but this seems not to fit the idea of "by chance", since you can hardly decide such a thing "by chance" (unless they tossed a coin or something, I suppose).
2. 中国からの留学生葉さんの「中国は今すごい日本語ブーム。日本語で話しが通じますよ。」という言葉が引き金 になり、皆すっかり行く気になってしまった。
My translation: "Yuu-san, an overseas student from China, said 'In China, there is currently a big Japanese language boom. Japanese is understood (there)', which triggered everyone's desire to visit. "
Is this reasonable?
3. Then, as far as I can tell, the writer describes how they discuss planning a trip to China. She has said they will fly to Hong Kong, then go to Canton by steam train, and then on to Beijing by steam train. Then there are several sentences I'm not sure about:
a) その後のことは中国で決める。
Could this mean "After that (discussion of travel plans), we were resolved to go to China"? Does その後 mean "after the discussion of the plans" or "after getting the train to Beijing"? What is the function of で?
b) いくら話し合っても、出る結論はただ一つ。
It looks to me as if this could mean "(After) much discussion, there was only one conclusion." Is this still talking about the decision to go to China?
c) 広大な中国の大陸のこと、私たちの予想をはるかに超え るものがあるに違いない。
My translation: "The vast lands of China would certainly be something that far exceeded our expectations."
Is this reasonable? Is the writer anticipating that China would exceed their expectations? I am a bit confused about "where we are" in the narrative; whether the viewpoint is still with the writer imagining the future journey to China.
1. 時は昭和六十年の初夏、東京･駒場留学生会館にある日あ {語クラスの中でひょんなことから中国行の話がまとまあ ﾁた。
My translation: "In early summer of 1986, in a Japanese language class held in the international students' hall at Tokyo University's Komaba campus, we happened by chance to be discussing travel in China"
In what sense is まとまった used? I wondered at first it meant it was settled/decided that they would travel to China, but this seems not to fit the idea of "by chance", since you can hardly decide such a thing "by chance" (unless they tossed a coin or something, I suppose).
2. 中国からの留学生葉さんの「中国は今すごい日本語ブーム。日本語で話しが通じますよ。」という言葉が引き金 になり、皆すっかり行く気になってしまった。
My translation: "Yuu-san, an overseas student from China, said 'In China, there is currently a big Japanese language boom. Japanese is understood (there)', which triggered everyone's desire to visit. "
Is this reasonable?
3. Then, as far as I can tell, the writer describes how they discuss planning a trip to China. She has said they will fly to Hong Kong, then go to Canton by steam train, and then on to Beijing by steam train. Then there are several sentences I'm not sure about:
a) その後のことは中国で決める。
Could this mean "After that (discussion of travel plans), we were resolved to go to China"? Does その後 mean "after the discussion of the plans" or "after getting the train to Beijing"? What is the function of で?
b) いくら話し合っても、出る結論はただ一つ。
It looks to me as if this could mean "(After) much discussion, there was only one conclusion." Is this still talking about the decision to go to China?
c) 広大な中国の大陸のこと、私たちの予想をはるかに超え るものがあるに違いない。
My translation: "The vast lands of China would certainly be something that far exceeded our expectations."
Is this reasonable? Is the writer anticipating that China would exceed their expectations? I am a bit confused about "where we are" in the narrative; whether the viewpoint is still with the writer imagining the future journey to China.
