前原 誠司 written in Hiragana まえはら せいじ or Romaji Maehara Seiji.

Tori-kun Wrote:I didn’t understand the:
最たる問題で辞任 = resignation due to highest issue (which is the one described below)
外国人やフロント企業からの違法献金という「・・・」 = “Politics and Money” that is called illegal money donation/contribution from foreigners and organised criminals

It sounds a bit off in English, probably something like 'grave political scandal' would be a more natural 'translation' of 最たる問題.

He resigned due to the great political scandal regarding his acceptance of illegal donations from non-Japanese and organised crime groups.

Also 「政治とカネ」seems to be a set phrase that Japanese newspapers use to refer to some kind of monetary corruption within politics so you don't need to worry about it too much when translating.

Tori-kun Wrote:[Also the 、 before 政治家　is frustrating me.

I take it as being an implicit して after the 辞任 -- the announcement is that he is resigning and taking responsibility, which I think is formal/newspaperish.

Also you seem to have dropped the "ばかりだった" in your translation : と宣言したばかりだった is "had (only) just announced ...". [the implication being "...so shouldn't be running for the leadership so soon afterwards".]

ETA: this is a really annoying sentence, incidentally -- lots of bits in it where I'm almost but not quite certain about what it means. Eg is it "even as Foreign Minister" or "even though he was Foreign Minister"? pretty sure it's the former but the latter maybe makes slightly more sense with the rest of the sentence. Is it "a serious 'money and politics' scandal" or "the most serious of the 'money and politics' scandals"? Ugh...

pm215 Wrote:ETA: this is a really annoying sentence, incidentally -- lots of bits in it where I'm almost but not quite certain about what it means. Eg is it "even as Foreign Minister" or "even though he was Foreign Minister"? pretty sure it's the former but the latter maybe makes slightly more sense with the rest of the sentence. Is it "a serious 'money and politics' scandal" or "the most serious of the 'money and politics' scandals"? Ugh...

Exactly this. I mean I would only need to look up two words to understand this sentence, but the grammar is really difficult to decipher. I hope I somewhat understood the content at least correctly?

@Tori-kun

前原は外相としても、外国人やフロント企業からの違法献金という「政治とカネ」の最たる問題で辞任、政治家として責任を取ると宣言したばかりだった。

I'd translate it something like this:

"Maehara had just announced that as well as resigning as Minister of Foreign Affairs due to illegal donations from foreigners and front organisations (yakuza?), the ultimate problem of 'politics and money', as a politician he will take full responsibility (for his actions)."

It's a tough sentence to translate because it's one of those times when the English would probably be split into 2 sentences.

regarding the も in としても, I see this as having the meaning 'as well' or 'going as far as'. I don't think it means "even as Foreign minister" here. You need to read it in the context all the way up to 辞任:

前原は外相としても...辞任（し）、政治家として責任を取ると宣言したばかりだった。

Maehara had just declared that, as well as (in addition to / even going so far as) resigning as minister of foreign affairs, he will also take responsibility as a politician.


Kind of like "As X.... and as Y....."
She was proud as mother and as a woman she felt blessed.

@nadiatims

Thanks! I have thought something similar to that, just in awkward English I was confused by 辞任, which means "quitting (a job/position)".. Can you leave out the masu-stem of する, which is し, when enumerating in Japanese clauses?

that leaving out the masu stem し is a newspaper convention. Gotta save characters.

Just looking back at it again, a cleaner translation is probably something like:

"Maehara had just announced that he will take full responsibility as a politician and resign as Minister of Foreign Affairs after accepting illegal donations from foreigners and front organisations, the ultimate problem of mixing politics and money."

I was curious so I looked up the sentence 前原は外相としても、外国人やフロント企業からの違法献金という「政治とカネ」の最たる問題で辞任、政治家として責任を取ると宣言したばかりだった。and it seems the sentence actually starts さらに、前原は外相としても･･･ The previous sentence also talks his other failings so I think with that, the　外傷としても makes more sense.

http://diamond.jp/articles/-/13710?page=2

I wish to say, "I want to build a pillow fort."

So...

枕の要塞を建てたいよ。

Does that make sense?

I'm starting to go through Read Real Japanese but can't really grasp this grammar if anyone can help. 「鴫を見るために、行ったことはあったが、」　"I had gone to see the snipes, but," I don't really understand the 「あった」 part. Is 「行ったことはあった」 something like "went and met"?

There is a set construction: [verb] (plain past) + ことがある

It means have done [verb/action] before

E.g. 日本へ行ったことがある。

I have been to japan.

納豆を食べたこがありますか。

Have you ever eaten natto?

And so on. Does that help?

kudokupo Wrote:I'm starting to go through Read Real Japanese but can't really grasp this grammar if anyone can help. 「鴫を見るために、行ったことはあったが、」　"I had gone to see the snipes, but," I don't really understand the 「あった」 part. Is 「行ったことはあった」 something like "went and met"?

I'm thinking you probably need to look at the wider context that this phrase is being used in. To me it is as if the person is saying 'I've been (there) to look at the birds, but... (I haven't been to do such and such that you are talking about, I didn't get a chance to eat the famous soba, I didn't do anything else only birdwatched, or whatever else the other person is talking about etc.)

SendaiDan Wrote:I'm thinking you probably need to look at the wider context that this phrase is being used in. To me it is as if the person is saying 'I've been (there) to look at the birds, but... (I haven't been to do such and such that you are talking about, I didn't get a chance to eat the famous soba, I didn't do anything else only birdwatched, or whatever else the other person is talking about etc.)

The rest is 暑い季節にこうして弁当まで持っていくのは初めてである。　

Still not really understanding あった　:/

The grammar here is just 行った事がある、 which is generally translated as 'I have had the experience of going.' (東京に行った事がある = 'I have been to Tokyo'; compare to without the 'koto' construction, '東京に行った' would only mean 'I went to Tokyo'.)

So anyway, it's this grammar then modified to use は to create a sense of contrast to the current walk with 弁当 in hand. The exact nuance of making ある past tense is slightly lost on me still despite having read this book also and this story the most of all, but I feel it just emphasizes that it's in the past... but until I see it a few more times I can't be sure and I don't think he had a note on that. I don't think that tiny detail should get in the way though.

(Actually, I wonder if it isn't the same as the English difference... "I had been to Tokyo" vs "I have been to Tokyo", making it 'at -that- time I had -already- had the experience of... ' ... dangerous to speculate, but I'm going to do so anyway and hope my own post reminds me to search ALC for examples later. It feels right anyway!)

あった here is the past tense of ある as in 'exist' or 'have' not 会う (meet).

〜に行ったことがある very closely matches the english pattern "have been/gone to ~" .

鴫を見るために、行ったことはあったが、暑い季節にこうして弁当まで持っていくのは初めてである。　
means something like:

"I had been there before to see the snipes, but this was the first time to go during the hot season (summer) and bring a lunchbox."

To me it kind of carries the nuance that the previous trip to see the birds was less important/special than this time in which the writer is going despite the hot weather and even preparing a bento. So if I was translating, I'd probably rephrase it a little to include that nuance. I've never read the original so I might be wrong though.

Oh of course, ある. I understand it now, thanks.

Need a quick response for a quick question.
これを5℃で管理することで...
and
販売期限が切れて取り下げられる

What does this mean? If context is needed.
　現在、セブン-イレブンの弁当は20℃で配送・陳列されており、消費期限は約24時間だ。これを5℃で管理することで、3～4日ほど消費期限を延長できるようになる。店の棚に並べられてから、販売期限が切れて取り下げられるまでの時間を長くすることにより、従来と比べて弁当廃棄率の低下が期待できる。値下げなどに頼らない、チルド弁当は別の視点による弁当廃棄問題の解決策だといえる。

nadiatims Wrote:鴫を見るために、行ったことはあったが、暑い季節にこうして弁当まで持っていくのは初めてである。　
means something like:
"I had been there before to see the snipes, but this was the first time to go during the hot season (summer) and bring a lunchbox."

I thought 弁当まで means "even a lunchbox". Like, the weather was hot in summer and there was even a chance/occasion bringing a bento-box along. Something along the lines?

DevvaR Wrote:What does this mean? If context is needed.
現在、セブン-イレブンの弁当は20℃で配送・陳列されており、消費期限は約24時間だ。これを5℃で管理することで、3～4日ほど消費期限を延長できるようになる。店の棚に並べられてから、販売期限が切れて取り下げられるまでの時間を長くすることにより、従来と比べて弁当廃棄率の低下が期待できる。値下げなどに頼らない、チルド弁当は別の視点による弁当廃棄問題の解決策だといえる。

Not sure, but I will give it a try. I suppose it's about some bento-box and the sentence following means:

これを5℃で管理することで、3～4日ほど消費期限を延長できるようになる。
管理　＝　保存I guess this is meant and I have no idea why they took 管理　here.
The sentence means, that "by keeping/conservating this [bento] at 5 degrees celsius, you can prolongate the consume-by-date approx. about 3-4 days"

Have no time now....

Tori-kun Wrote:

nadiatims Wrote:鴫を見るために、行ったことはあったが、暑い季節にこうして弁当まで持っていくのは初めてである。　
means something like:
"I had been there before to see the snipes, but this was the first time to go during the hot season (summer) and bring a lunchbox."

I thought 弁当まで means "even a lunchbox". Like, the weather was hot in summer and there was even a chance/occasion bringing a bento-box along. Something along the lines?

Yeah, this is right. I would say something like "to go so far as to bring a lunchbox."

Meaning, when he went before it was just a small visit to see the snipes, but this time they were going more all-out, even going so far as to bring a lunchbox.

Tzadeck Wrote:Yeah, this is right. I would say something like "to go so far as to bring a lunchbox."

Meaning, when he went before it was just a small visit to see the snipes, but this time they were going more all-out, even going so far as to bring a lunchbox.

Hurrah, I learnt something!! :)

Tzadeck, I wasn't sure about the sentence above, though.. I have never seen 管理 in such a context o0 I know it has some meaning like "management, administration", but then more in the way you manage your (political/econom.) busines(s?).

DevvaR Wrote:Need a quick response for a quick question.
これを5℃で管理することで...
and
販売期限が切れて取り下げられる

What does this mean? If context is needed.
　現在、セブン-イレブンの弁当は20℃で配送・陳列されており、消費期限は約24時間だ。これを5℃で管理することで、3～4日ほど消費期限を延長できるようになる。店の棚に並べられてから、販売期限が切れて取り下げられるまでの時間を長くすることにより、従来と比べて弁当廃棄率の低下が期待できる。値下げなどに頼らない、チルド弁当は別の視点による弁当廃棄問題の解決策だといえる。

The first one is as Tori-kun says, although note that in this context it's not "you" but "7-11" that is keeping the bento at 5C: the whole paragraph is about 7-11 introducing chilled delivery and display, which means they can mark everything with later best-before dates, which in turn means less waste when they have to throw out unsold bento. Grammatically this is 管理する to control + こと nominaliser + で by means of. (My guess at why 管理 is that we're into the "control" meaning; 品質管理 is "quality control" for instance.)

The second one : 販売期限が切れて取り下げられるまで is "until the sell-by date is reached and they are withdrawn from sale".

Tori-kun Wrote:

nadiatims Wrote:鴫を見るために、行ったことはあったが、暑い季節にこうして弁当まで持っていくのは初めてである。　
means something like:
"I had been there before to see the snipes, but this was the first time to go during the hot season (summer) and bring a lunchbox."

I thought 弁当まで means "even a lunchbox". Like, the weather was hot in summer and there was even a chance/occasion bringing a bento-box along. Something along the lines?

Yeah, as I said in my post and as Tzadeck mentioned, there is some nuance coming from that まで, suggesting going despite the heat and going to the trouble of preparing a bento. I didn't include it in the translation as 'even' though as it seems a bit too strong in English. translation issue basically.

脱衣所の境界すらなくなっている in the context of someone talking about 混浴 at a public bath.

I'm a bit confused about the "すら". Where does it come from? Is this the particle "すら" as in "even"? But I kind of have the feeling that this is not the case, or at least the connotation is wrong.