Thanks!  Very interesting...

If I may trouble you a bit more, what would be the literal meaning of the last part, "たくさん私の事を好きって思ってくれてる事が嬉しかったよ"?

It's a slightly awkward sentence to translate literally into english.

たくさん(really) 私の事(me, my personality etc) を 好き(like) って(と) 思って(think) くれてる (be giving) 事(that/the fact) が 嬉しかった((I) was glad/happy)よ"?
or:
I was really glad that (you) like (lit. kindly think you like*) me.

*In 思てくれてる, the くれる part is being polite indicating that the action (think) is done by you to her (kind of like a favour). Don't take that too literally though, it's just a feature of japanese grammar that if a positive action is done by someone to the speaker you stick くれる on the end. The 事 after it, is nominalising the phrase (turning it into a noun) so it's like "the fact that you like me", and then continues with "I was glad".

The 私の事 basically means 'me' but the 事 part kind of implies "various things about me" (eg personality etc.).

Last edited by nadiatims (2011 August 13, 9:28 am)

I'm just curious why she keeps calling you ベンー.

Last edited by JimmySeal (2011 August 13, 9:53 am)

ベン is pronounced Ben, but ー usually follows a vowel sound.

Hmm...  Perhaps I was a bit too direct with her (being a gaijin and all).  But I guess the result is still positive, judging from your translation.

Hello all. I'd appreciate some help for the following sentence from the final reading exercise in Genki 2:

"また、アメリカ人が「怒っている」と思う表情を、日本人は「軽蔑」の表情だと考えるそうです。"

The を before the comma threw me a bit here at first.

I think that it says something like "In addition, I hear that facial expressions Americans think are angry (being angry?), Japanese consider expressions of contempt."

I'm assuming that everything before the を is the object of 考える and は is being used to show contrast?

Maybe it's just 'angry' being a verb (and not an adjective as it is in English) that confused me a bit and makes me think that perhaps my translation is wrong. I'd appreciate some confirmation!

Thanks!

Last edited by Elenkis (2011 August 15, 3:51 pm)

この場合は、翻訳は事実上不可能だ。

In this sentence should 上 be read as うえ or じょう？

会社の経営体制の刷新が午後にでも行われるのではとの噂がオフィス中に広がっていた。

I am bit confused with all the particles used here. Or is there a mistake in the sentence? I read the sentence as "Company management shake up/reform afternoon as early as (from the でも)..." Here I get stuck, it would make sense to me if the のでは was removed.

Thank you in advance for whoever can help with this (and retroactively thank you to others who have helped me in the past). Normally I'd make a separate post but feel like it would be cluttering up the thread if I do here.

Last edited by tomusan (2011 August 26, 3:25 am)

tomusan wrote:

会社の経営体制の刷新が午後にでも行われるのではとの噂がオフィス中に広がっていた。

～のではとの is like ～のでは（ないかしら）との～

So there's a rumour that there might be a reform.

Last edited by pudding cat (2011 August 26, 6:12 am)

Does anyone know what Mr Sparkle (ミスター スパーコル) is saying in this dishwash commercial. I can't catch the Japanese. If you have the ears to hear, a transcription would be appreciated.


You can see the video here

PS Further thoughts: How good is the Japanese, and how good are the subtitles? Anyone got any opinions?

AWESOME 日本語 POWER!!!
Thank you iSoron : )

Last edited by Harpagornes (2011 August 28, 1:19 am)

I'm thinking the whole phrase is modifying the 表現の一つ because it is tells you both what the phrases does (ie. places importance on the person's feelings) and where it appears (in the Japanese language).

I think your translation is pretty much on the ball. I'd translate it as (into natural English)

"This is one phrase in the Japanese language that demonstrates how the Japanese way of thinking places importance on the feelings of the other person. If you are able to use it, your conversation will sound more natural".

Again with the translation, as I have said in other posts, it is hard to translate literally into English. I used to do that a while ago, but gave up because the best thing you can do is to stop translating the phrases literally, which is why I split it into 2 sentences - it would be a bit clunky to have it all as one sentence in English I think.

Last edited by SendaiDan (2011 August 30, 11:55 pm)

@Elenkis

これは、相手の気持ちを大切にする日本人の考え方が日本語に現れている表現の一つですから、「・・・」が使えるようになると、会話が上手に聞こえます。

means something like:

"This is one of those phrases that shows the Japanese way of thinking, valuing the other persons feeling, (typical japanese exceptionalist bullshit) so once you can use it (「・・・」), your Japanese is gonna sound really skilled."

Hey guys!

～としても related question.
→ I was thinking of “even though as...” was the meaning of ～としても (like 言ってもしない。 Even though he says it, he does not do it.)

(from Google)
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。

My translation attempt is:

“Even as a minister for foreign affairs, Zenhara (Maehara? [name])  has just announced that he takes the responsibility as a politician by resignation (quitting his job) due to the biggest issue of “Politics and Money” that is called illegal money donation from foreigners and organised criminals (=Yakuza).”.

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

Also the 、 before 政治家　is frustrating me. What is this sentence supposed to mean? Was my translation correct? Thanks for any help!