This is the thread for chapter 4 of Tobira. Our home thread for this study group is here .
As usual we’ll spend 2 weeks going through chapter 4.
Here is the link to the Tobira web site where you can find recordings of the main text and dialogues in each chapter plus kanji and grammar resources.
Who will study chapter 4 of Tobira the next 2 weeks?
0 voters
Never been excited about reading a textbook before lol, but I’m looking forward to the next reading! Really enjoying them so far 
Me too! I really like Tobira so far.
Excited to start. I tend to freeze when I see huge amount of text in Japanese but so far I’ve been enjoying everything in Tobira as well. 
Page 80, lines 26-27:
I had a bit of trouble with this clause, particularly the bolded part: 人が人として持たなければならない「心」という意味が含まれている。Does the bolded portion mean something like people, as humans? Does the clause mean something like (my very clumsy) “it includes the meaning of the heart that people must have”?
Page 80, lines 27-31:
This sentence is reeeeally long 
Am I understanding it correctly in thinking a Japanese baseball player, who now plays in the MLB after 9 years in the Japanese league, is reflecting on the selfish bad-sport behaviour that other players demonstrate? And how he could never do that?
Yup. I’d say ‘…people must have as human beings’, but that’s what it means.
Yup. He’s giving an example of what he’s seen, and explaining how he feels and why he wouldn’t be able to do that.
Thank you!
Oh yeah, I had some trouble with those parts as well 
Thanks for the confirmation Jonapedia 
Little tricky but I managed and slowly going through grammar with bunpro!
Does anybody uses Language Partner Online? I didn’t think it’ll be that useful at first but in the end I found it helpful to practise speaking and listening! The next one seems to be for chapter 9 after chapter 4 though.
I haven’t tried the Language Partner Online yet, I might have a look next week, thanks for the heads up!
I have never even heard of it, but it sounds like something I should check out. Thanks for the heads up!
I can’t quite answer question 12 for the 読み物:
「その後ろにいる人達」はどんな人達ですか。
The sentence in question is:
彼に野球をさせてくれるものや、その後ろにいる人達も、とても大切なのだろう。
Which I think means something like:
The things allowing him to play baseball, and the people behind them (???), are very important.
Can anyone point me in the right direction here? Is it referring to the people who made the equipment?
I can’t find anything specifically discussing the figurative nuance of 後ろ in a dictionary, but I found something similar, so I guess such an idea is valid here.
In other words, especially given the context,
Your guess is correct. 
Thanks! Always enlightening to learn how something can be used figuratively – even when it maps to a similar figurative use in English, it can be hard for me to “spot”.
I want to try to translate the dialogues on page 83 and 84. Please correct me if you want, or post your own translation so we can compare!
Dialogue 1, page 83
Miller: Takahashi, I would like to talk with you about something.
Takahashi: Ah, OK, what would you like to talk about?
Miller: The truth is, it’s about club activities. I’m considering joining the karate club, what do you think?
Takahashi: Is that so. Well, it’s a Japanese sport, so I guess it’s a good idea.
Miller: Yes, but, in Japanese clubs, the superior-subordinate relationship with senpai and kouhai is so strict, so I worry a little about that…
Takahashi: Is that so. Well, I guess that’s true. But when it comes to karate, no matter what doujo (karate club) you go to, won’t you always find the superior-subordinate relationship with senpai and kouhai?
Miller: Is that so.
Takahashi: When you go back to America, it will be hard to do karate, so why don’t you get some experience with it now?
Miller: Yes, you’re right. Well, I guess I’ll try to join the club.
Takahashi: Yes, I think that’s a good idea. Good luck!
Miller: Thanks.
Bump for 2021 study group:
Chapter 4: June 7 to June 20
I’m jumping in here. Do I need to catch up on Chapters 1-3 or should I just sally forth unto the fray?
I may be lagging behind the party, but I’ve just got to this part myself and had exactly the same question, so thank you for voicing it
This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.