Hiya,
1. 花びんを落として、割ってしまいました。
Translation given (in dictionary): "The vase fell and broke".
How do we get "the vase fell" when "vase" is the object? Shouldn't it be more like "(someone) dropped the vase and broke it"? I've found before that this dictionary can be annoyingly loose in its translations, so perhaps this is just another example?
2. 彼は、マイクの留学している大学の経済学部の学生で、 普通の日本人よりはっきり自分の意見を言うので、アメ リカ人のマイクには分かりやすく、付き合いやすい。
My translation: "He is a student in the economics department of the university where Mike is studying, and he expresses his opinions more plainly than most Japanese, so Mike, and American, finds it easy to understand and get along with him."
Is this OK? I am unsure, especially, whether the last part is saying that Mike finds it easy to get along with him, or he finds it easy to get along with Mike.
3. 話が日米関係のことになって、マイクがヒロの意見を聞 くと、ヒロは前田先生の方を見て「どうぞ」と言っただ けで、何も言おうとしない。
My translation: "The conversation turns to Japanese-American relations, (but) when Mike asks Hiro for his opinion, Hiro just looks at Professor Maeda and says "please, you go ahead (and speak)", without trying to say anything (else)."
Is this OK? I am a bit unsure about the nuance of 何も言おうとしない。 Does it have the sense of not trying to say, as I translated it, or does it mean something else?
4. あいさつの後で、山下さんはエイミーに自分たち夫婦のことをお父さん、お母さんと呼んでほ しいと言った。
I'm assuming this means something like "After the greetings, Mr Yamashita said that he would like Amy to call him and his wife 'father' and 'mother'". (Amy is a visting student who will be staying with the Yamashitas.)
However, I can't exactly work out 自分たち夫婦のこと. If 自分たち夫婦 means "themselves, husband and wife" -- i.e. Mr and Mrs Yamashita -- then what exactly does こと mean in this context?
1. 花びんを落として、割ってしまいました。
Translation given (in dictionary): "The vase fell and broke".
How do we get "the vase fell" when "vase" is the object? Shouldn't it be more like "(someone) dropped the vase and broke it"? I've found before that this dictionary can be annoyingly loose in its translations, so perhaps this is just another example?
2. 彼は、マイクの留学している大学の経済学部の学生で、 普通の日本人よりはっきり自分の意見を言うので、アメ リカ人のマイクには分かりやすく、付き合いやすい。
My translation: "He is a student in the economics department of the university where Mike is studying, and he expresses his opinions more plainly than most Japanese, so Mike, and American, finds it easy to understand and get along with him."
Is this OK? I am unsure, especially, whether the last part is saying that Mike finds it easy to get along with him, or he finds it easy to get along with Mike.
3. 話が日米関係のことになって、マイクがヒロの意見を聞 くと、ヒロは前田先生の方を見て「どうぞ」と言っただ けで、何も言おうとしない。
My translation: "The conversation turns to Japanese-American relations, (but) when Mike asks Hiro for his opinion, Hiro just looks at Professor Maeda and says "please, you go ahead (and speak)", without trying to say anything (else)."
Is this OK? I am a bit unsure about the nuance of 何も言おうとしない。 Does it have the sense of not trying to say, as I translated it, or does it mean something else?
4. あいさつの後で、山下さんはエイミーに自分たち夫婦のことをお父さん、お母さんと呼んでほ しいと言った。
I'm assuming this means something like "After the greetings, Mr Yamashita said that he would like Amy to call him and his wife 'father' and 'mother'". (Amy is a visting student who will be staying with the Yamashitas.)
However, I can't exactly work out 自分たち夫婦のこと. If 自分たち夫婦 means "themselves, husband and wife" -- i.e. Mr and Mrs Yamashita -- then what exactly does こと mean in this context?