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Translation Notes - Volume 6

CHAPTER 43
[v6, p2] panel 2
"watashi wo soto ni tsuredasu"

Alpha says her camera takes her out. The camera is her 'nabi', navigator [v2, p81].

[v6, p3]

A rough translation would be:
"But on a day like today when it looks as if I am out taking pictures, I probably won't even take the camera out of the pouch."

[v6, p4]
'erabu you ni natta'

This 'you' is not "seem". You can use '(suru) you ni natta' to indicate that you do something that you were not doing before and you continue doing it. Alpha didn't "choose paths" to walk down in the past and she does these days.

[v6, p4]
'douiu tokoro wo arukunoga ...'

Alpha is thinking about paths rather than destinations.

- kGo
Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Great observations. Thanks for adding additional levels of understanding and subtlety to this already thought provoking text...

- Darin~
Thursday, June 2, 2005

Japanese sure is complex. : ) That's why I love it and trying to learn it, because for me, it is the language of expressionist. (and that's what made me fall in love with ykk) Thanks for the clarification. : )

- painsama
Friday, June 3, 2005

Darin~ said:
> already thought provoking text...

Yes, I agree that misago.org's translation is already great.

CHAPTER 44
[v6, p11] panel 1
'uchi mo makete ne na'

Ojisan says he can compete against Alpha to see who has the least customers.

[v6, p16] panel 1
'aikawarazu, tteiuyori ...'

I would suggest:
"As usual, I mean/in fact ..."

[v6, p23] panel 2
'kocchi'

This 'kocchi' refers to Ojisan or his business, rather than "around here". Words like 'kocchi', 'sochhi' or 'acchi' can be used to refer to a person or a group of people.

In [v2, p48], 'acchi' refers to Misago and 'kocchi' refers to Ayase and Takahiro.
In [a2004, 130], 'kocchi' refers to Kokone or her part of the job.

Sometimes these words imply that there is a gap or a difference.

[v6, p23] panel 2
'nita youna mon'

Alpha says there's not much difference in "pace" between Ojisan and Alpha.

[v6, p24]
'korya' (spoken form of 'kore deha' or 'kore ha')

'Kore' refers to the fact that Ojisan does not have many customers. Ojisan's business is so slow that his gasoline is going to go bad. Note that they are talking as if it is nothing to worry about.

I don't think 'mo' in this line means "too/also".

How about:
"Now I see the gasoline is gonna go bad."


Aa, souda (Oh, by the way).
You can listen to the call of a kijibato, a kind of dove [v6, p10]:
http://kimoto.cc/ykk/kijibato.html

- kGo
Friday, June 3, 2005

CHAPTER 45
[v6, p38] panel 3

A rough and literal translation would be:
"But in the future, I don't know if I will still be able to say that I was a person of the same era (as Makki, Takahiro and other people)."

[v6, p39] panel 5
'Takahiro nuki demo'

Makki says she will visit Alpha's place "with or without" Takahiro.

- kGo
Monday, June 6, 2005

CHAPTER 46
[v6, p45] panel 4
'A-6 izen'
"A-6 and earlier models" / "before the A-7"

'X izen' usually means "before X" but if X contains a number it is supposed to mean "X and before". Yes, it's really confusing. If someone say '1998 izen', you may have to confirm if it's "before 1998" or "1998 and before".

See also chapter 83 [v9, p86]. Kokone asks Sensei what happened "before the A7s".

[v6, p46] panel 1
'Kinuta Jidokan' (sign)

'Kinuta' is an area in Setagaya, Tokyo. The name of the place appears again in Chapter 93 [a2002, 70].

[v6, p47] panel 4
'boroboro no ehon'
"dog-eared/worn-out picture books"

[v6, p49] panel 4
'Inochi no orenji hatto' (book title)

Just a note:
'Orenji hatto' ("Orange Hat") is a chain of food vending machine place owned by Mitomi, a Gunma based company.

Photos of 'Orenji hatto', by Yamada-ya:
http://images.google.com/images?q=site%3Awww3.famille.ne.jp%20%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B8%E3%83%8F%E3%83%83%E3%83%88

- kGo
Monday, June 13, 2005

CHAPTER 47
[v6, p55] panel 1
'Pureiya ha ...' ('Pureiya ha doko?')

Kokone is looking for a record player.

I would suggest:
"Where is ..." / "There must be..."

[v6, p59] panel 5
'kodawaru'

Sometimes 'kodawaru' is used to show disapproval but I don't think the guy is saying bad things about Kokone. This particular 'kodawaru' indicates that he doesn't think anyone would pay attention to the record. He is just wondering why she is so interested in it.

[v6, p59] panel 5
'mania'

Note:
'Mania' in Japanese does not mean "mental illness".

- kGo
Tuesday, June 14, 2005

CHAPTER 48
[v6, p70] panel 3
'hikari toka oto toka'
"(things like) light and sound"

Don't forget to translate 'oto', "sound". It would be the most important word in this chapter "Record III".

The guy with cap seems to be saying something like:
"I'm not sure but I think that the human body fundamentally works by means of things like light and sound."
"I've been wondering if things like light and sound are working somewhere deep inside of our body."

I don't really understand what he is saying so my translation may be wrong, but that reminds me of what Kokone said in the previous chapter "Record II" [v6, p62].

- kGo
Wednesday, June 15, 2005

CHAPTER 49
[v6, p81] panel 2
'Addiii' 'Adyadyadya' ('atsui')

Makki and Takahiro say the sand is so "hot".

[v6, p86] panel 4
'yoru niha'

I would suggest:
"by the time I go to bed"

- kGo
Thursday, June 16, 2005

CHAPTER 50
[v6, p91] panel 2
'kanakana' (also known as 'higurashi', a kind of cicada)

Note:
Kanakana, or higurashi cicadas sing in the early evening before the sun sets. They announce that it is getting dark and chilly. People say their song sounds sad. Higurashi cicadas appear again in chapter 123.

WAV / MP3 audio by Hitohaku.jp:
http://hitohaku.jp/wave/docs/higurasi.html
MPEG Movie (click on the picture):
http://hitohaku.jp/semi/higurasi.html

[v6, p100] panel 1
'angai'

You can use 'angai' to introduce something which is different from what you thought.

Alpha is trying to encourage Takahiro to think differently. Maybe it's not just you. Everyone (who saw the Misago) has the same problem.

See also [v7, p86]. Maruko says 'angai'.

[v6, p104] panel 2
"minna ni ikko zutsu'

This 'ikko zutsu' is "one for each", not "one by one".
Everybody has their own flow of time. In other words, time carries people separately.

- kGo
Friday, June 17, 2005

CHAPTER 51
[v6, p109] panel 1
'hanashi no tane ni'

A 'hanashi no tane' is something interesting that stimulates conversation. If you do something for 'hanashi no tane', you do it for fun rather than because it is important or necessary.

The old guy uses 'hanashi no tane ni' to suggest Ayase do something interesting but not really important - walking through the big tunnel.

[v6, p109] panel 1
'Mikuni toge no ho'

"The way to Mikuni pass" is another route on the ground surface. The old guy says Mikuni pass is just only for folks who don't expect anything unusual.

[v6, p109] panel 2
'aruitokaneto' ('aruite okanaito (ikenai)')

Ayase feels he must walk through the tunnel. He loves interesting and unusual things.

[v6, p115] panel 4
'me (wo) mawasu'
"feel dizzy"

'Me mawasu' is not 'mimawasu' ("look around").
The tunnel guy says that some (not a few) people lose their sense of direction and go wrong way.

[v6, p115] panel 4
'wakarimasu'

Ayase says he "knows" what the tunnel guy is saying.

[v6, p119] panel 1
'betsu no kuki': lit. "different air"
'Taiheiyo no nioi': "the smell of the Pacific ocean"

Just a note:
Ayase has crossed the divide between the Pacific ocean and the Nihonkai.

- kGo
Saturday, June 18, 2005

CHAPTER 52
[v6, p124] panel 4
'... no koto nanka'

This 'nanka' is not "for some reason".

You can place 'no koto nanka' after the noun which refers to a person or a thing being talked about to indicate that it is treated as if it is not really important.

Kokone had so many things to write about that the package was almost forgotten to be mentioned. What about the package, Kokone?

- kGo
Sunday, June 19, 2005

CHAPTER 53
[v6, p141] panel 3
'mottainaku nesuka?'

You don't have to use "waste" to translate 'mottainai'.

He is saying that Senpai should think twice because scribbling would decrease the value of the bike.

[v6, p141] panel 3
'bihin'

If you describe a second-hand thing as 'bihin', you mean it is in a very good condition.

Senpai's bike was second-hand but nearly new when they found it.

[v6, p142] panel 1
'kattingu shito'

'Kattingu shito' is adhesive vinyl film, like 3M Scotchcal(tm). You can make signs and arts by cutting it with a knife. You can "do it over" as many times as you want with this kind of film.

'Kattingu shito' is a trademark owned by Nakagawa Chemical Inc. but it is often used as a generic term.

[v6, p144] panel 4
'bijutsubu no hito'
"member(s) of the art club of the school"

I believe the person is a student, not a professional artist.

[v6, p145] panel 1
'shibui'

If you describe a person or thing as 'shibui', you mean that they are not flashy but cool.

He says it in other words in the next panel. It's not girlish, but pretty mature design.

I would suggest "interesting" for this particular 'shibui'.

See also chapter 3. Alpha says 'shibui' in her sleep. I would suggest "nice" or "cool" for that 'shibui' [v1, p64].

- kGo
Saturday, June 25, 2005

CHAPTER 54
[v6, p164] panel 1
'omachidosama deshita'

I would suggest:
"Here's your (cup of) tea." / "Here you are."

You don't always have to use "sorry" to translate 'omachido' or 'omatase'.

Some waiters always say 'omachidosama deshita' or 'omatase shimashita' when they serve food or drink. If they want to say "sorry for keeping you waiting", they would say 'taihen omatase shimashita' or 'omatase shite moushiwake arimasen'.

- kGo
Monday, June 27, 2005

EXTRA
[v6, p169]
'putaro'

A 'putaro' is a person, usually a young man, who has no permanent job. (informal)

'Putaro' was translated properly in chapter 15 [v2, p115].

- kGo
Tuesday, June 28, 2005

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