Hi,
1. 私にはまだ例の反日感情があったが、それよりも、恥ず かしながら、まず山へ行って人並な生活をしたいという 欲望のほうが強かった。
The writer is an American who has been invited to go and stay in a villa in the mountains for the summer to study Japanese. It is 1940.
My translation: "I still had the usual anti-Japanese sentiment, but nevertheless, and although I was shy, I above all had a strong desire to go to mountains and live an ordinary life."
As well as other things that might be wrong, I have the following doubts:
a) In what sense do you think まだ is used? I translated it as "still", but I don't really understand why in 1940 he would use the word "still" in reference to anti-Japanese sentiment amongst Americans, assuming that's what he's referring to. Maybe in 1960, yes.
b) In what sense is 例の used?
c) Is 恥ずかしい more like "shy" or "embarrassed"?
d) How would you translate 人並な生活 here?
2. 別荘に着いてみると、家庭教師は既に来ていて、果樹園 で果物を折っていた。
My translation: "When we arrived at the villa, the tutor had already come (i.e. arrived), and was picking fruit in the orchard."
What meaning does みる have here? Is it literally referring to their seeing the villa?
3. 国籍上はアメリカ人でも、英語はほとんどできなかった わけで、それがかえって日本語を習う上ではよかったよ うだ。
My translation: "Although he was an American citizen, he spoke hardly any English, but despite this, it was good learning Japanese (from him)."
Even if this is close, I don't exactly understand what わけ, 上 or よう mean in this context.
I'm also not very sure about それがかえって, which I guessed to mean something like "despite this"?
1. 私にはまだ例の反日感情があったが、それよりも、恥ず かしながら、まず山へ行って人並な生活をしたいという 欲望のほうが強かった。
The writer is an American who has been invited to go and stay in a villa in the mountains for the summer to study Japanese. It is 1940.
My translation: "I still had the usual anti-Japanese sentiment, but nevertheless, and although I was shy, I above all had a strong desire to go to mountains and live an ordinary life."
As well as other things that might be wrong, I have the following doubts:
a) In what sense do you think まだ is used? I translated it as "still", but I don't really understand why in 1940 he would use the word "still" in reference to anti-Japanese sentiment amongst Americans, assuming that's what he's referring to. Maybe in 1960, yes.
b) In what sense is 例の used?
c) Is 恥ずかしい more like "shy" or "embarrassed"?
d) How would you translate 人並な生活 here?
2. 別荘に着いてみると、家庭教師は既に来ていて、果樹園 で果物を折っていた。
My translation: "When we arrived at the villa, the tutor had already come (i.e. arrived), and was picking fruit in the orchard."
What meaning does みる have here? Is it literally referring to their seeing the villa?
3. 国籍上はアメリカ人でも、英語はほとんどできなかった わけで、それがかえって日本語を習う上ではよかったよ うだ。
My translation: "Although he was an American citizen, he spoke hardly any English, but despite this, it was good learning Japanese (from him)."
Even if this is close, I don't exactly understand what わけ, 上 or よう mean in this context.
I'm also not very sure about それがかえって, which I guessed to mean something like "despite this"?