jcdietz03 Wrote:What is the meaning of ておく in this example:In English we just say that 〜ておく means "to do in advance" but there are a lot of shades of meaning in Japanese that have absolutely nothing to do with that. Here's the specific definition for this instance (From 大辞林):
Keima (earlier): しかし・・・本ってもんは、もうなくなってもいいな。
Shiori (thinking): で、でも、価値観は人それぞれかな・・・ それも認める寛容も必要だし・・・
Shiori (thinking):言いたい人には言わせておけばいいか・・・
Keima: As for things like books, they should disappear already (it would be good if they were already gone).
Shiori: But, each person has their own values. The tolerance to accept that is important too...
Shiori: As for people that want to say (things like this), it would be good to let them say, huh...
ておく = do in advance, correct? Why is that being used here?
置く・措く⑥㋒ その状態を認めて、そのままにする意を表す。
(To accept a certain state of things and express one's desire to leave things that way.)
「悪口を言う奴には勝手に言わせておけ」「私のことはほっておいてください」
So the speaker is accepting the fact that different people have different values and letting them have those values and say their piece.