Need a word or phrase translated?

[Kyle]

Im at work now but when i get home i will try and translate it or if one of the native/fluent japanese speakers gets here im sure they will help you！

 

[Fuumei]

It might help you if I broke the sentence into sections.
自分は / 黙って* / 森を目印に / 歩(ある）いていった。
I / in silence* /Using the forest as a landmark / went on walking.
I just went on walking with the forest as my reference point / landmark.

Haha, wow - how silly of me. The fact that there were no kanji there really confused me. It never occurred to me like that. The sentence makes perfect sense now. Thanks so much ASHIKAGA.

 

[Fuumei]

ただ背中に小さい小僧が食っ付いていて、その小僧が自分の過去、現在、未来をこ
とごとく照らして、寸分の事実も洩らさない鏡のように光っている。

I've added the entire sentence here to provide as much context as I can.

The question I have is about this portion: その小僧が自分の過去、現在、未来をこ
とごとく照らして、寸分の事実も洩らさない鏡のように光っている

The thing that is shining like a mirror that doesn't leave out the tiniest bit (by illuminating completely my past, present and future) is the kid?. I say "by" because of the -te form of terasu (terasu describes 'how' the mirror is shining correct?)

If anyone can 'illluminate' me on this I'd be very greatful. =)

 

[Toritoribe]

ただ背中に小さい小僧が食っ付いていて、その小僧が自分の過去、現在、未来をこ
とごとく照らして、寸分の事実も洩らさない鏡のように光っている。

I've added the entire sentence here to provide as much context as I can.

The question I have is about this portion: その小僧が自分の過去、現在、未来をこ
とごとく照らして、寸分の事実も洩らさない鏡のように光っている

The thing that is shining like a mirror that doesn't leave out the tiniest bit (by illuminating completely my past, present and future) is the kid?. I say "by" because of the -te form of terasu (terasu describes 'how' the mirror is shining correct?)

If anyone can 'illluminate' me on this I'd be very greatful. =)

"照らして" might describe 'how' the mirror doesn't leave out (by illuminating).

The kid is shining like a mirror that doesn't leave out the tiniest bit of the fact by illuminating completely my past, present and future.
or
The kid is shining like a mirror that illuminates completely my past, present and future and doesn't leave out the tiniest bit of the fact.


On the literary point of view, 読点 "、" after "照らして" has an effect that makes the readers think of that 小僧 might be the subject of the verb "照らして" for an instant, like "the kid illuminates completely my past, present and future", just in my opinion.

Hope this helps

 

[Kyle]

Alright guys it's me again, Here is what I want to say:
"Yumi-san!
How are you?! It's been such a long time, yet it feels like only yesterday that I was tutoring you in math! Haha. You're in Tokyo right now? That's so cool! I want to visit Tokyo soon! What college are you going to? What is your major? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm really excited that you use this e-mail still! I have some new plans. I am thinking about moving to Japan for a few years and teach English. Well, keep in touch! Hope all is well!
-Kyle"

Here is my first attempt at it:
"ゆみさん！

お元気ですか？

久しぶりだ、でも丈昨日は私があなたの数学の助手思う。(That sentence I know is messed up, I just really didnt know how to write it, and some particles are probably off.plus i didnt really know how to say "i feel" in this sentence.)haha。

今、東京に住む？とっても格好いいよ。

何大学に掛かる？

専攻は何ですか？

たくさん質問がすみませんからメールアドレスをする実に激昂。(I know that this one is WAY off and I apologize, I just had a really hard time wording this and couldn't think of a good way to get it)

私は新しい企図がありますよ！

私は日本に移ると英語を教えると思う。(Again not to sure about the wording)

じゃ、またね！気をつけて！"

Thanks again for all the wonderful guidance you guys help provide! It's really appreciated!
-Kyle

 

[Elizabeth]

Alright guys it's me again, Here is what I want to say:
"Yumi-san!
How are you?! It's been such a long time, yet it feels like only yesterday that I was tutoring you in math! Haha. You're in Tokyo right now? That's so cool! I want to visit Tokyo soon! What college are you going to? What is your major? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm really excited that you use this e-mail still! I have some new plans. I am thinking about moving to Japan for a few years and teach English. Well, keep in touch! Hope all is well!
-Kyle"

Here is my first attempt at it:
"ゆみさん！

お元気ですか？

久しぶりだ、でも丈昨日は私があなたの数学の助手思う。(That sentence I know is messed up, I just really didnt know how to write it, and some particles are probably off.plus i didnt really know how to say "i feel" in this sentence.)haha。

My recommendation on these and all the others like them is to simplify the English first and make it in line with your knowledge of Japanese.
For instance...


この前、一緒に数学を勉強して、久しぶりに書いていますね。 I'm writing a long time after we last studied together, aren't I ? Not completely natural perhaps but very understandable.


今、東京に住む？とっても格好いいよ。

今、東京に住んでいる？ すばらしいだね。


何大学に掛かる？

どこの大学に行っている？

たくさん質問がすみませんからメールアドレスをする実に激昂。(I know that this one is WAY off and I apologize, I just had a really hard time wording this and couldn't think of a good way to get it)

質問がたくさんあってごめんなさい！まだゆみがこのメルアド（レス）を使っててうれしかったよね。


Now...try breaking down the last two a little more yourself first.

 

[Kyle]

What about this for: I am thinking about moving to Japan for a few years and teach English.

私は日本を移たり、英語を教えたり、と思います。

Not sure if that is the right set up for the tari,tari form but just another way i thought i could word it...

plus i am really bad with verbs, among other things hahah, does anyone know a good site with alot of verbs?

 

[Charles Barkley]

Its best not to just learn tons of one type of vocab--then you havent really improved much, you are just making more bizarre mistakes.

You seem to have a decent foundation. However, it seems like you need to work on verb endings and grammatical constructions. Find a decent high-beginner/low intermediate textbook and work through it while doing some level appropriate reading.


to move (ie to begin living somewhere else) is 引っ越す （ひっこす）

日本に引っ越して英語を教えようと思っている。 or 英語を教えるために日本に引っ越そうかなと思っている。

These would be among your options for expressing the above.

 

[Elizabeth]

to move (ie to begin living somewhere else) is 引っ越す （ひっこす）
日本に引っ越して英語を教えようと思っている。 or 英語を教えるために日本に引っ越そうかなと思っている。
These would be among your options for expressing the above.

Although I think 住む is more commonly found to express moving to a foreign country. In this case, of course, it's one one more layer of information a beginner can forego since you're talking about living in the country, anyway.
Keep it simple.

５，６年以内に、日本で英語を教えようと考えっているよ。should work well.

 

[Ashikaga]

What about this for: I am thinking about moving to Japan for a few years and teach English.

The key here is "moving to Japan for a few years". The action of "moving to Japan" cannot last for a few years, so it is better to use 住む as suggested by Elizabeth though the best way to express both "moving" and "living" would be 移り住む.

Now, if you say ５，６年の内に as suggested by Elizabeth, you are saying that you are thinking about doing this in 5 or 6 years.

「何年かの間 日本に住んで 英語を教えようと思っています。」is what the OP is trying to say.

Getting back to Kyle's main question.
Kyle, I don't think you need to/should use "___tari, ___tari" in this sentence.
If you were to say,

I want to go to Japan to teach English, learn Japanese, etc. ,

then the use of tari-tari is appropriate.

日本へ行って、英語を教えたり、日本語を習ったりしたいです。

 

[Elizabeth]

The key here is "moving to Japan for a few years". The action of "moving to Japan" cannot last for a few years, so it is better to use 住む as suggested by Elizabeth though the best way to express both "moving" and "living" would be 移り住む.
Now, if you say ５，６年の内に as suggested by Elizabeth, you are saying that you are thinking about doing this in 5 or 6 years.
「何年かの間 日本に住んで 英語を教えようと思っています。」is what the OP is trying to say.

What can I say...we were in the dead of night. Within 5 or 6 years was from the last message -- it was Kyle's dream of becoming fluent in Japanese within that same period. At least I remember writing this one at all...lol.


On the point of correction, is it because 教えようと考えている is too much like "considering teaching" as opposed to generally "thinking about..." （教えようと思っている）?

 

[Ashikaga]

On the point of correction, is it because 教えようと考えている is too much like "considering teaching" as opposed to generally "thinking about..." （教えようと思っている）?

I wouldn't say it's too much like so but it does imply that.

 

[Elizabeth]

I wouldn't say it's too much like so but it does imply that.

It works well if you're looking for someone to help find a job, though. Or as in "oshieyoutokangaeteiru hito he...." etc.

 

[cst]

If the name of the third person's (neither the speaker nor the person to be talking to) is there, the sentence should be the "guess" or "hearsay" form like 戻りたがってる, 戻りたいらしいよ, 戻りたいって...
Probably it was the name of the speaker's self (the speaker used his/her name to address him/herself instead of "watashi; I").
I, [the speaker's name], want to return to the days of my childhood!
or
I, [the speaker's name], wish I could return to the days of my childhood!

Thanks!
Toritoribe, it was indeed the speaker addressing himself in the phrase...

I have another which I hope someone can help me translate:
あなたの事を待ってるよ

 

[Yohe]

あなたの事を待ってるよ

it means...

I am waiting for you
and/or
I'll be wait for you

 

[Kyle]

The key here is "moving to Japan for a few years". The action of "moving to Japan" cannot last for a few years, so it is better to use 住む as suggested by Elizabeth though the best way to express both "moving" and "living" would be 移り住む.
Now, if you say ５，６年の内に as suggested by Elizabeth, you are saying that you are thinking about doing this in 5 or 6 years.
「何年かの間 日本に住んで 英語を教えようと思っています。」is what the OP is trying to say.
Getting back to Kyle's main question.
Kyle, I don't think you need to/should use "___tari, ___tari" in this sentence.
If you were to say,
I want to go to Japan to teach English, learn Japanese, etc. ,
then the use of tari-tari is appropriate.
日本へ行って、英語を教えたり、日本語を習ったりしたいです。

あしかが様とElizabeth様、ありがとうございます！
Is your name is kanji 足利？

And yes, Elizabeth was right these are plans that I want to do within the next 5 to 6 years. Hoping to be fluent by then. So that tari-tari form, I guess, shouldn't be used.

And on another note can you guys recommend any good books or online sites that have good verb ending lessons and exercises?

 

[Elizabeth]

私は新しい企図がありますよ！

ところで、私には新しい夢があるよ。 This is a better lead-in to your Japan story.


きと would apparently be roughly synonymous with "plan" as it involves carrying out an "attempt" or "scheme" or "operation" in English. The word is so rare in fact I had to look it up. But generally 企て is more widely used and to cover any adventure more risky than teaching English in Japan.

 

[Charles Barkley]

So 引っ越す is to emphasize the move and 住む to emphasize the move+accompanying life?

Also, I misremembered the English when offering my translation later in the post--completely forgot about the 'for a few years' bit. Oops.

 

[orochi]

So 引っ越す is to emphasize the move and 住む to emphasize the move+accompanying life?
Also, I misremembered the English when offering my translation later in the post--completely forgot about the 'for a few years' bit. Oops.

I think this is just more of an issue of natural speech. In English, it's very common to say "I'm going to move to X" or "I want to move to Y". This implies that you are actually going to "move there" and "live there" and work or do some other activity.

In Japanese, it's just more common to say that you're going to "live" somewhere. 引っ越し refers more to the actual move: the preparation, the packing of boxes, the physical transfer, the unpacking, etc.

Just an issue of word usage.

 

[Elizabeth]

So 引っ越す is to emphasize the move and 住む to emphasize the move+accompanying life?

引っ越す is in common usage for Japanese here moving around a city, state or within a county, within the states at least. 最近、私は、ミシガン州に引っ越した。。。


It's never a word I've heard when the relocation is overseas.

 

[undrentide]

To move abroad to live there for a long term, one of the commonly used verbs is 移住する.

e.g. 将来はアメリカに移住して新しいビジネスを始めるつもりです。

 

[Fuumei]

"照らして" might describe 'how' the mirror doesn't leave out (by illuminating).
The kid is shining like a mirror that doesn't leave out the tiniest bit of the fact by illuminating completely my past, present and future.
or
The kid is shining like a mirror that illuminates completely my past, present and future and doesn't leave out the tiniest bit of the fact.
On the literary point of view, 読点 "、" after "照らして" has an effect that makes the readers think of that 小僧 might be the subject of the verb "照らして" for an instant, like "the kid illuminates completely my past, present and future", just in my opinion.
hope this helps

Thank you so much for your detailed response. I'll also go with your opinion, makes it easier for me.

 

[Charles Barkley]

Gotcha, thanks for the clarification.

 

[Elizabeth]

To move abroad to live there for a long term, one of the commonly used verbs is 移住する.

e.g. 将来はアメリカに移住して新しいビジネスを始めるつもりです。

Oh, that's interesting. There's a lot of cultural variations surrounding these terms. The word "immigration" in America is semi-official sounding so it comes loaded with too many vaguely political overtones to be used by the average citizen.

 

[undrentide]

Oh, that's interesting. There's a lot of cultural variations surrounding these terms. The word "immigration" in America is semi-official sounding so it comes loaded with too many vaguely political overtones to be used by the average citizen.

Oh, that's really interesting! I didn't know that... thank you Elizabeth for the explanation on the word "immigration".

It's always interesting to see the difference in nuance or in what context the word should be used - even though the two words (Japanese/English) are shown in dictionaries, actual usage can be quite different.