Start date: January 1st, 2022
End page (bunko): 187 (end of the 七月 chapter)
End percentage (bunko): 45 (end of the 七月 chapter)
End page (tanko): 134 (end of the 七月 chapter)
End phrase: 静かに、深呼吸する。
The part I’m trying to figure out:
おそらくはそういうことだったんだろうという光景が
見てきたように思い浮かんで止まらなくなる。
I gather that Kokoro can’t stop seeing some spectacle in her mind. But what is the
おそらくはそういうことだったんだろう part about? I assume it’s something about 東条、since that’s what preceded it…
It actually refers to the part right after it. Importantly, after おそらくはそういうことだったんだろう comes という光景. So there’s a scene that was “probably something like that” (softened a bit with だろう). The “probably something like that” scene is what won’t stop popping into her mind, and is described in the next few sentences.
Does anyone know what the correct meaning of しめる is here? I do think it’s funny that Kokoro doesn’t even know and thinks of the worst possible ones, but I’m curious what it’s actually supposed to be.
I also wonder how they handled this part in the audiobook.
I felt like the second half of this section was a bit harder language-wise than past weeks, but I can never tell for sure, it might just be my mental state in the moment. It definitely took a lot of lookups and reading some of the same sentences several times over.
Reading through every meaning of しめる the only ones that seem likely are threatening. Although maybe he was saying they should shut a gate or something? Personally I’m a fan of 締める #6.
This was definitely one of my favorite weeks so far. We got a lot of questions answered and background filled in. It makes Kokoro’s situation even more understandable. No wonder she doesn’t want to go to school (although I still really wish she’d tell her Mom). Aki seems great. I will admit I shed a few tears along with Kokoro when Aki and Fuuka comforted her.
In the audio book, she simply repeats しめる three times (instead of the part with the two kanji readings, leaving out the なのか) and it is left to the listener to imagine the possible kanji
I agree, that one has to be it
For the 先輩 I assume it’s 締める #4, right? (Edit: But also a wordplay on 絞める, I guess…)
This makes sense, but I didn’t even consider it because of the そう. My previous reading experience has made me believe that そう refers to things that were just mentioned in the text, and こうrefers to whatever is written next. But this breaks that “rule.” And I had been so proud of noticing that pattern…ah well.
I think it probably works in this case because it’s part of a relative clause. The 光景 that she can’t stop seeing are the kind that make you go おそらくはそういうことだったんだろう. That also would explain why it’s in the past tense with だった.
It certainly contained a lot of unfamiliar words and kanji (many without furigana) for me comparatively so that did take some time (but I’m a much lower Wanikani level than you). That this was such an emotional and pivotal part of the story might also have something to do with it, maybe? The parts with stronger emotions or serious conversations are always slower going for me because I want to make sure I get all the nuances right (which is less of a concern in the parts where Kokoro is just exploring the castle and the rooms and decorations are described, for example).
Thank you for sharing! Illustrative of what she means. And again a great example of something that is simple to make but looks so good (and cute)!
Two language questions that I had this week:
p. 176: なぜ今、二人のまったく知らない、私の友達でもないクラスメートがこんなところまで来てしまったのか
I was a little confused by the 二人 in this sentence. A little later, I think she says that it sounds like there are around ten kids around her house, so then 二人 seems oddly specific (surely she can’t know that there are specifically two kids in that group that she doesn’t know). Am I misinterpreting something here?
p. 178: 薄く凍るような息遣いを洩らす唇
The full sentence is this: どうしてこんなに怖いのに、涙が出ないんだろう、と思っていると、薄く凍るような息遣いを洩らす唇に、涙の塩辛さが当たった。
I don’t really understand what the highlighted part is describing. She’s thinly breathing through her lips, maybe? 凍る as in literally cold, or as in holding her breath?
It’s important to post entire sentences at a minimum (and sometimes proceeding sentences) for full context. (Thankfully I have an easily searchable copy of the book on my computer, so it’s not a big deal for me.)
Page 178
I’m not 100% sure, but I think the 薄く might be modifying 洩らす, not 凍る. Like her breath weakly escaped her lips or something like that.
As for 凍る, the definition is literal freezing or otherwise being very cold. It can also describe being (figuratively?) frozen from fear, so it could be that I suppose. I don’t think it can mean anything like holding her breath.
Yes, good point. And you’re right about Murata. I just read that part this afternoon Even though that is also an emotional scene, it was still fairly easy to read even at my level.