Wow, thanks for pointing that out, it took me a minute to realize that wasn’t past tense いる. facepalm
That is a large separation between the quote and いう… is it possible that it’s actually いく?
1 Like
I don’t think so. I saw this type of sentence several times in 魔女の宅急便. I guess it could be ていく, but いう still works too.
1 Like
Thanks for pointing out that this is phrase is a specific grammar point. In case anyone else is still struggling with this part I also found this resource helpful to understand, particularly the literal breakdown as “if (not A), then B won’t happen (either)”
3 Likes
I finished reading chapter 7 yesterday, but I didn’t post anything about it, so here are some random thoughts:
It feels like both of her friends reacted kind of weirdly to what she told them… I like it! But still, one of them suddenly going “Oh, you must have powers” and the other going “you need to be put in a mental hospital” both seem like kind of extreme reactions. Like, if someone told me something like that, I’d probably just assume they were joking(and if they seemed really serious, that they were very committed to the joke) rather than thinking they’re insane. I actually liked it quite a bit, but I still find it amusing that both of their reactions were so extreme.
10 Likes
Yes hehe, the author is like “it’s a short novel so i’m not wasing any time beating around the bush too much, so here is opinion A and here is B, see ya!”
8 Likes
Leftover question from the other day. Page 44 in Tsubasa version.
その日、一夫の家から帰ってきたものの、和子は何も手につかず、夕食ものどに通らなかった。
Honestly, I’m completely lost on this one.
- ものの - jisho says this can mean “but; however”. Is that correct here or is it something else? (I feel like I can’t guess this part because I don’t understand the rest of the sentence either.)
- 手につかず - no clue
- ものどに - not even sure how to split this one. もの followed by whatever ど and に are? も followed by 喉 and then に?
That’s the correct interpretation of ものの I think.
何も手につかず couldn’t do anything (for being restless). It’s a set expression
夕食も 喉に 通らなかった couldn’t eat dinner (I.e. dinner also couldn’t pass her throat)
7 Likes
You know, now that you mention it, I think I found that one two days ago and forgot.
Ha, that’s a weird phrasing… I usually think of 喉 as drinking because of 喉が渇く.
Thanks!
2 Likes
Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar says this about ものの:
Summary
When “X mono no” does not modify a noun, mono no functions as a conjunction meaning “although.”
“S1 mono no S2” is used when the following conditions are met:
(i) S2 represents a fact. That fact is generally the speaker’s/writer’s focus.
(ii) Given the information in S1, the fact presented in S2 is generally unexpected.
3 Likes
Yes, that’s the source of uncertainty for me, because here S2 isn’t unexpected, which feels strange.
I only just managed to finish reading both of these chapters. I unexpectedly struggled quite a bit with them (or maybe I was just too tired).
This week’s discussion was super helpful for me to read through, even if I didn’t participate again xD
Maybe this comes from having watched the film but I feel like either of her friends knows, and my bet is its Kazuo .
I also agree with everyone that we’re being slapped left right and center with new important information that no one was prepared for 
Hopefully that’s just a ruse to make us believe there’s nothing more, only for there to be this big reveal at the end. I have faith 
1 Like
Well the (anime) film is only loosely based on the book, so it may not reveal much.
True, I just have this nagging feeling. Or maybe it’s obvious. I don’t know. We shall all see in time I suppose.
1 Like
Page 45 Tsubasa version:
ノートからは消えてしまっているが、すでに一度やった宿題だから、思い出そうとさえすれば、いつでも思い出せるという気持ちが、もう一度やることを、億劫がらせたのだ。
Another monster of a sentence. Here’s my breakdown:
Breakdown
ノートからは消えてしまっているが = Even though the notes completely disappeared (from the notebook)
I guess for this sentence there’s an implied subject of the notes themselves (rather than the notebook). As in ノートからは(notesが)消えてしまっているが (I don’t know the proper word for the notes themselves. メモ?)
すでに一度やった宿題だから = since it’s homework that was already done once
思い出そうとさえすれば、いつでも思い出せるという気持ちが
First part looks like a combination of V[よう]とする and さえ～ば grammars. So maybe this means "As long as she tries to remember, she always feels like she can remember, (but…)
が、もう一度やることを、億劫がらせたのだ = But she was unwilling to do it again. (Not really sure how to show the causative in the translation.)
Full (sort of natural) translation
Even though the notes completely disappeared (from the notebook), since it was homework she’d already done once, she felt like she could remember if she tried. But she was unwilling to do (the homework) again.
Thoughts?
I think the subject is the homework. She had done her homework (in her notebook), but it disappeared. The sentence before also introduces 宿題, which leads me to believe that: 宿題も、する気にならなかった。
But other than that, I think that’s pretty much it.
1 Like
Right, right. Makes sense.
Just finished re-reading the last few pages since I didn’t understand all of it the first time. The last page is basically saying that the situation is different from last time and there’s no people around. She’s about to scream fire but doesn’t (right?) because she’s worried how it will look. She’s worried what Gorou will think of her credibility in general and she’s also worried that people might think she started the fire and that she’d get taken in by police. All the while, the fire is still spreading and she’s not sure what to do.
Did I miss anything important? Can someone translate the very last sentence for me? I’m not quite sure what it’s supposed to mean.
1 Like
As I see it, she’s worried specifically that Gorou will think she set the fire just for her “future vision” to be right (予言を的中させるため、[…]).
I think the last sentence means something like What do I do then? Do I just stand here and watch the fire spread? The last part with なければならない certainly doesn’t translate very literally to English
4 Likes
Sneaking some questions in while it’s still just about Week 5 
finding it a little tricky so far, but maybe it’s just the gin…
Tsubasa Bunko edition, back to chapter 6
Page 35
だが、考えれば考えるほど、わけがわからなくなることばかりだった。
Just not sure about that 考えれば考えるほど bit (and am probably misunderstanding something about the subsequent part as a result).
Page 36
和子はもういても立ってもいられぬ気持ちになってしまった。
…??? I don’t get any of the もういても立ってもいられぬ bit, honestly! It comes just after she realises that the earthquake and subsequent fire must be going to happen that evening.
それさえ、すでに一度やった宿題なのだ。
Small question, but what exactly does それさえ mean?
Still wrestling with trying to understand the whole bit where she considers who to talk to, so I’m definitely going to have more questions
Want to say I believe that it’s the 気持ち that’s causing her 億劫 the こと.
That is to say, I think it’s her feeling that she can remember it whenever she wanrs that makes doing it over again seem like such a pain.
I would’t read a “but” in there.
What about the last sentence is throwing you off?
1 Like