Reminds me of the message at the Peace Park in Hiroshima, which is translated on the stone in English as "Rest in peace, for the mistake will not be repeated."

The Japanese reads 「安らかに眠って下さい 過ちは 繰返しませぬから」

So one way might be just 「繰返しませぬ」 (Of course, this is the -ません form of 繰り返す, but rendered more poetically as ませぬ). However, this is problematic because there is an unnamed subject that must be doing the action--"We will not do it again," or "They will not do it again," or something like that.

I would guess something like 「再び起こりませぬ」 might also work and avoid the subject problem; I borrowed the use of ませぬ from the Peace Park example.　　But it also takes away the flavor of responsibility that 繰返しませぬ seems to have.

But I'm not really sure--just speculating.

The motto of the Jewish Defense League is "Never again", so that's another way you might be able to find an official translation.

I already tried the Jewish Defence League (that's why I mentioned the JDL ) and most of the sites that I was able to find either give a copy-paste of the Wikipedia entry with the untranslated motto, or don't mention the motto at all.

「二度と」 is what Google Translate gives when you type in "Never again", but 「もう二度と」 looks more fitting to me. 「再び起こりませぬ」 looks good as well, and the lack of responsibility is not a problem, since it's the same in the original. It's not as concise though.

vonPeterhof Wrote:I already tried the Jewish Defence League (that's why I mentioned the JDL )

Haha, I read too quickly I guess.

Also, yeah, here's a Yahoo Questions thing about it:
http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/...1019231015

「ひまじゃないけど
ひまなんす(ﾟДﾟ)

下系以外の絡み
ぼしゅーです

こんたくとっ待ってますﾟωﾟ 」

what is 下系 and how to read it ??

Tnx.

しもけい

～系 is like, ～style.
下 is like, dirty, sexual, etc.

"I'm looking for a non-romantic relationship"

下ネタ = dirty joke

What's that word for when you act nice to someone's face but really you hate them?

Not 敬遠

fakewookie Wrote:What's that word for when you act nice to someone's face but really you hate them?

Not 敬遠

I would say "insincerity" 不誠実 or "to feign friendliness" 猫をかぶる.

Well, there's 建前　vs　本音, but that's more generally just a public face (not specifically in connection with hating a person.)

Thanks for the new word(s)! This one reminds of subtly sarcastic use of keigo. (Just knowing it exists can induce mild paranoia if one is feeling a bit insecure...) :-)　

I've got a couple of new questions, maybe someone can help

バロットはうつむいている。強気でメッセージを伝えたというより、心の底に隠し秘めていた言葉を、うっかり覗かれたとでもいうようだった。

Balot looked downwards. Rather than transmitting the message through an act of strength, it was as if she carelessly exposed the secrets that lie at bottom of her heart for others to see. (Context: A computer can display her thoughts/emotions, and she let it read too far).

Basically I'm confused by the use of passive 覗く. If it was causative I could understand... I mean doesn't it mean to look into something, rather than be seen?

--

ドクターがディスプレイに向かい、一つ一つのファイルを手早く操作し、全てのテキストデータを同一のファイルにまとめて保存した。バロットの目がちらっとドクターの動作を追った。てっきり全ての言葉を消去されるのかと思っていたが、ドクターはじっとそれらを読み続けていた。

Is this passive する being used here for politeness reasons?

--

何もかもが、これまでバロットが生きてきた場所とは違っていた。生まれ育った港町の工業地帯にいた頃とも違ったし、その町から百七十マイル北に離れたマルドゥック市に来てからとも違った。金をもらっていいようにさせてやっているときとも、金ももらえずにいいようにされてきたときとも。

The last sentence kind of throws me for a loop, here is my attempt, is it close?

When she received money and was allowed to live well, as well as when she didn't receive money and was was done well for too.

FooSoft Wrote:I've got a couple of new questions, maybe someone can help

バロットはうつむいている。強気でメッセージを伝えたというより、心の底に隠し秘めていた言葉を、うっかり覗かれたとでもいうようだった。

Balot looked downwards. Rather than transmitting the message through an act of strength, it was as if she carelessly exposed the secrets that lie at bottom of her heart for others to see. (Context: A computer can display her thoughts/emotions, and she let it read too far).

Basically I'm confused by the use of passive 覗く. If it was causative I could understand... I mean doesn't it mean to look into something, rather than be seen?

Yes, 覗く means to look or gaze into something, so the passive would mean "to be gazed into"; in this case Balot feels like the words hidden deep within his heart have been gazed at [by this computer].

Quote:ドクターがディスプレイに向かい、一つ一つのファイルを手早く操作し、全てのテキストデータを同一のファイルにまとめて保存した。バロットの目がちらっとドクターの動作を追った。てっきり全ての言葉を消去されるのかと思っていたが、ドクターはじっとそれらを読み続けていた。

Is this passive する being used here for politeness reasons?

No, it's passive. Balot is wondering if the words are being deleted [by the doctor, I guess].

Quote:何もかもが、これまでバロットが生きてきた場所とは違っていた。生まれ育った港町の工業地帯にいた頃とも違ったし、その町から百七十マイル北に離れたマルドゥック市に来てからとも違った。金をもらっていいようにさせてやっているときとも、金ももらえずにいいようにされてきたときとも。

The last sentence kind of throws me for a loop, here is my attempt, is it close?

When she received money and was allowed to live well, as well as when she didn't receive money and was was done well for too.

I guess so. I suppose that's referring to the two periods just mentioned (her upbringing, and her life after coming to Marduck).

Thank you, yudantaiteki. I appear to have completely forgotten that passive verbs can use を and this made things more confusing than they should have been. I don't think I have seen it in things I've read before, it was always が. I do remember seeing something about it at some point though.

It just provides a stronger connection between the verb and the noun, right?

Edit: Or maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about and am actually referring to the way it works for potential forms.

Thora Wrote:Well, there's 建前　vs　本音, but that's more generally just a public face (not specifically in connection with hating a person.)

Thanks for the new word(s)! This one reminds of subtly sarcastic use of keigo. (Just knowing it exists can induce mild paranoia if one is feeling a bit insecure...) :-)　

建前, that's what I was thinking of. Thanks

FooSoft Wrote:Thank you, yudantaiteki. I appear to have completely forgotten that passive verbs can use を

They can if it's the adversative passive　(i.e. ご飯を食べれれた).

What's the colloquial term for a "flaker" in Japanese? I've heard it once before, it's something like:
彼女は (slang for last-minute-cancelling) が多いです。
Little help please? Thanks!

Achromatize Wrote:What's the colloquial term for a "flaker" in Japanese? I've heard it once before, it's something like:
彼女は (slang for last-minute-cancelling) が多いです。
Little help please? Thanks!

土壇場でキャンセル →　ドタキャン

Jarvik7 Wrote:土壇場でキャンセル →　ドタキャン

Thanks!

Here's an interesting sentence; what exactly does the は遠ざかっていた bit mean? My take on it is something like:

The young male waiter, since some time ago, stayed away from approaching Balot's surroundings.
ウェイターの青年は先ほどからバロットの周囲に近づいては遠ざかっていた。

I'm not sure if it means that or something to the fact of him approaching and then backing off repeatedly. Any ideas?

FooSoft Wrote:Here's an interesting sentence; what exactly does the は遠ざかっていた bit mean? My take on it is something like:

The young male waiter, since some time ago, stayed away from approaching Balot's surroundings.
ウェイターの青年は先ほどからバロットの周囲に近づいては遠ざかっていた。

I'm not sure if it means that or something to the fact of him approaching and then backing off repeatedly. Any ideas?

I think your second idea is the correct one. Something like:

The young waiter, since a short while ago, had been approaching Balot and then backing off again.

A quick beginner question. Is it ok to join sentences with -te form even if they aren't necessarily successive events?

For example, could I do:

漢字が覚えにくくて、文法が分からないので、上達するのは難しい。

"Progress is difficult because kanji is hard to remember and I don't understand grammar."

@pudding cat
Thanks! While I'm not sure I understand the underlying grammar there, something about that sentence does give off that sort of meaning... Interesting.

@Elenkis
Yeah, -te form can just be an "expression of states". I guess kind of like using ";"

FooSoft Wrote:@pudding cat
Thanks! While I'm not sure I understand the underlying grammar there, something about that sentence does give off that sort of meaning... Interesting.

From 日本語文型辞典:

Quote:VてはV : 一定の時間をおいて繰り返される動作を表す。

with examples like その女性は誰かを待っているらしく、1ページ'を読んでは顔をあげて窓の外を見ている。
and also

Quote:VてはV, VてはV : 二つの動作が同じ順序で2回繰り返されて使われ、動作や現象が反復して起こることを表す。

with examples like

Quote:書いては消し、書いては消し、やっと手紙を書き上げた。

I don't think I've seen it in other grammar books (it's not in the D*JG, for instance).

Ahh! Perfect, thanks for looking that up pm215!

Here's another beginner question.
Could anyone please help me to fully understand and translate this please? The red highlighted lines are the ones that I'm really iffy about or don't understand.

私は冬休みに両親と一緒に日本へ行きました。東京では、品川の旅館に泊まりました。最初の日は旅館
で休みました。そして、次の日に銀座へ行って歌舞伎を見ました。それから、日本料理のレストランでお寿司を食べました。レストランはとても賑やかでした。
日本はとても寒かったです。私はコートを持たないで日本へ行ってしまったので、大変でした。それで、三日目に新宿へ行ってコートとスカーフを買いました。
四日目に、両親は上野の美術館へ行きました。私は東京に留学している友達に会って、一緒に昼ご飯を食べました。昼ご飯を食べながら色々な話をしました。とても楽しかったです。
私達は京都にも行きました。京都はとてもきれいでした。お寺や神社をたくさん見ました。歩きながら写真をたくさん撮りました。奈良へも行きたかったですが、時間がなかったので、行けませんでした。今度日本へ行った時には奈良へ行って、有名な大仏が見たいです。
旅行はとても楽しかったです。

Here's what I've been able to translate thus far:

For winter vacation, I went to Japan with my parents. We stayed at the Shingawa inn. We rested on the first day at a Japanese inn. We went to Ginza the next day and we saw a Kabuki*[would it be better to say “Japanese classical drama” instead?]. After that, we ate Sushi at a Japanese restaurant. The restaurant was very lively.

Japan was very cold. (The next line throws me off completely) Because I didn’t have a coat.......... So on the third day, we went to Shinjuku to buy a coat.

On the fourth day, my parents went to the Ueno art museum. I met with my foreign friend in Tokyo(I’m really not sure about the first half of this sentence) and we ate lunch together. We talked about various things while we ate. It was very fun.

We also went to Kyoto. Kyoto was very lovely. We saw many temples and shrines. We took many pictures as we walked. We also went to Nara, but because there wasn’t enough time, it didn’t go well. (I’m not really sure about the last line.) When I visit Japan next time, I’ll go Nara and see the great statute of Buddha.
My trip was very enjoyable.

Thanks in advance

- It's actually "an inn in Shinagawa" -- with the の there, it's not a proper name.

For instance:
東京駅 = Tokyo Station
東京の駅 = A train station in Tokyo
品川旅館 = Shinagawa Inn
品川の旅館 = An inn in Shinagawa

- 私はコートを持たないで日本へ行ってしまったので、大変でした。

XないでY = Do Y without doing X
ってしまう = To do something unexpectedly, completely, or unfortunately (the last meaning here)

- Kabuki is Kabuki in English.

- 私は東京に留学している友達

友達 is being modified by 東京に留学している to describe the friend you are talking about.

- 奈良へも行きたかったですが、時間がなかったので、行けませんでした。

行きたかった is the perfective (past-tense) conjugation of 行きたい (want to go). See if you can figure out the meaning of the sentence now.

I want to know what "そんなんやったかな" and　"それでええの？" mean in that context.
It's really bugging me as they're completely made of hiragana, in a too casual speech and merging words with really broad meanings.