what is the purpose of なんてない and もない

letslearn · 26 Mar 2016

Hi guys,
I was wondering what is the purpose of なんてない and もない in the following.
The character has just been thinking about 古墳 (old burial mounds)
視線をもどすと、目の前のブラスバンド部員たちが楽器をおろしていた。きらっと光る大きな楽器を見たとき。すうっ。私の意識は遠くにいってしまった、みたい。朝礼で具合が悪くなったことなんてない。立ったままいねむりしたこともない。でもおかしいな。夢を見ているみたい。

My interpretation thus far is...
when my gaze returned, before me the band members had put down their instruments.
looking at the brightly glinting instruments. suddenly my awareness seemed to drift far away.
At morning assembly my condition had become worse. it was not like nodding off as I stood. it was strange. Like watching a dream.

It doesn't make sense to me so not sure where I am going wrong.
よろしくお願いします

Mike Cash · 26 Mar 2016

You've completely misinterpreted the 朝礼... sentence.

The なんて is an intensifier and indicator of a negative view of something. Try the sentence again without it and see if you understand it any better. It's absence won't hurt anything and will probably help for the moment.

Also, you started out by translating 視線を戻す as though it were 視線が戻る. Give that another look as well.

Have you learned the 〜たことがある/ない construction yet? If not, that's what's throwing you.

letslearn · 26 Mar 2016

Mike Cash said:
You've completely misinterpreted the 朝礼... sentence.

The なんて is an intensifier and indicator of a negative view of something. Try the sentence again without it and see if you understand it any better. It's absence won't hurt anything and will probably help for the moment.

Also, you started out by translating 視線を戻す as though it were 視線が戻る. Give that another look as well.

Have you learned the 〜たことがある/ない construction yet? If not, that's what's throwing you.

I have learn't theたことがある/ない construction but how does the も change it?
Is it saying...
I have never even nodded off while still standing?
Is 視線を戻す closer to my attention returned.
is the で in 朝礼で具合が悪くなったこと mean by?
By morning assembly my condition had worsened.

Mike Cash · 26 Mar 2016

letslearn said:
I have never even nodded off while still standing?

letslearn said:
By morning assembly my condition had worsened.

They're both under the same construction but you are interpreting them differently. Try again. By the way, there's no "by" in there.

戻す is transitive, so it would indicate some action on tbe part of the speaker. 戻る would not.... which is how you have it.

letslearn · 26 Mar 2016

Mike Cash said:
They're both under the same construction but you are interpreting them differently. Try again. By the way, there's no "by" in there.

戻す is transitive, so it would indicate some action on tbe part of the speaker. 戻る would not.... which is how you have it.

if it is transitive, the speaker must be returning their Gaze/cast their eyes back?
grammar point
takotoganai have not.
so... the speaker did not get any worse at morning assembly then they also did not nod off while standing.

Mike Cash · 26 Mar 2016

"has never"

She is saying she has never gotten ill at the beginning of her workday or dozed off (so it can't be a hallucination or a dream).

Who or what is the subject in 視線を戻す ?

Who or what is the subject in "my gaze returned" ?

letslearn · 26 Mar 2016

Mike Cash said:
"has never"

She is saying she has never gotten ill at the beginning of her workday or dozed off (so it can't be a hallucination or a dream).

Who or what is the subject in 視線を戻す ?

Who or what is the subject in "my gaze returned" ?

oh it was the sound of the 司会の先生 voice he says "次は、校長先生のお話です"
so the sound of his voice broke the "day dream"
I was interpreting 具合が悪くなった as getting worse, it is really became sick.
thanks mikesan, that grammar of emphasis なんてない is something I have not encountered.

Yoshi_h · 28 Mar 2016

Mike Cash said:
Who or what is the subject in 視線を戻す ?

it must be the character. so, the translation would be
"When I turned my gaze back, I saw the band member in front of me having put their instruments down."

the character has never felt sick at morning assembly. nor has she nodded off while standing. but she's got a strange feeling like dreaming.

in this context, なんてない implies that she thinks herself to be healthy enough to keep standing for a while. and もない works as "nor".

what is the purpose of なんてない and もない

letslearn

先輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

letslearn

先輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

letslearn

先輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

letslearn

先輩

Yoshi_h

後輩

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