Nov 7, 2014 02:35
9 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Japanese term
みみっちい附合いのきらい
Japanese to English
Social Sciences
History
Dear All,
I'm translating a history paper with lots of quotes from newspapers. This one is about Tokyoites character and it's a little difficult. The particular problem I'm having is with the above phrase.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
・・・鼻ッ張りの強いくせに実は気が弱く、みみっちい附合いのきらいな〔従来の東京人の〕開け放しいの性格も〔江戸時代以来の埋め立てや、上水道や運河の建設といった〕自然と格闘した名残であったろう。
Many thanks,
Nick
I'm translating a history paper with lots of quotes from newspapers. This one is about Tokyoites character and it's a little difficult. The particular problem I'm having is with the above phrase.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
・・・鼻ッ張りの強いくせに実は気が弱く、みみっちい附合いのきらいな〔従来の東京人の〕開け放しいの性格も〔江戸時代以来の埋め立てや、上水道や運河の建設といった〕自然と格闘した名残であったろう。
Many thanks,
Nick
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | doesn't like being stingy with others |
Port City
|
| 2 | hates to be tight-fisted for interpersonal relation |
cinefil
|
Proposed translations
41 mins
Selected
doesn't like being stingy with others
みみっちい is being stingy, 附合い is relationship with others, and きらい（嫌い）is hating something/somebody. Thus, the above translation.
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Note added at 1 hr (2014-11-07 03:40:24 GMT)
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This is in response to your note to this answer. They invested in social infrastructure. Had they been self-centred (which indicates they cared about themselves and thus were reluctant in making social investment), they wouldn't have built public infrastructure to contain natural hazards.「 みみっちい附合いのきらいな」is in contrast to 開け放しいの. They were open or generous towards others. If this still doesn't make sense, give us more information about the context.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2014-11-07 04:35:30 GMT)
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I guess what the sentence conveys is that people in Tokyo were generous and wanted to share part of their wealth with the public (instead of keeping it to themselves), which lead to having good public infrastructures. If you take it this way, I think it fits the context reasonably well. (Sorry I didn't read the quote carefully; building infrastructure wasn't for containing natural hazards, but probably for better life for the public.)
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Note added at 1 hr (2014-11-07 03:40:24 GMT)
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This is in response to your note to this answer. They invested in social infrastructure. Had they been self-centred (which indicates they cared about themselves and thus were reluctant in making social investment), they wouldn't have built public infrastructure to contain natural hazards.「 みみっちい附合いのきらいな」is in contrast to 開け放しいの. They were open or generous towards others. If this still doesn't make sense, give us more information about the context.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2014-11-07 04:35:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I guess what the sentence conveys is that people in Tokyo were generous and wanted to share part of their wealth with the public (instead of keeping it to themselves), which lead to having good public infrastructures. If you take it this way, I think it fits the context reasonably well. (Sorry I didn't read the quote carefully; building infrastructure wasn't for containing natural hazards, but probably for better life for the public.)
Note from asker:
| Thanks! But do you think that fits in the above context? That is what is troubling me! |
| I think you need some more info on the context so: After WW2, the Tokyo government planned to reclaim moats and rivers to utilize the rubble and make land to sell. This is an excerpt from the Tokyo Shimbun, when the author went to the reclaimed area, his impression of it and how it was appropriate to Tokyo's character. Then the sentence about Tokyo's character comes suddenly and is hard to fathom, but it's referring to public works before that time. With lots of square brackets it a dfifficult sentence to translate. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot"
1 day 5 hrs
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