なぜ?どうして?Finished!

We had this discussion about an earlier page also.

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Page 43, although emucat already did it :stuck_out_tongue: I really liked this page as there were more kanji that I actually recognised from WK. :slight_smile:

国の 名前は サンマリノと いい、ティターノ山と いう 岩山と、ふもとの 地いきが 一つの 国に なっているのです。

The name of the country is San Marino, the rocky mountain is called Mount Titano, the region at the foot of the mountain has become one country.

人口は 三万人くらいで、ティターノ山の 上に 首都の サンマリノ市が あります。

The population is around 30,000 people, the capital city San Marino City exists on top of Mount Titano.

山ちょうには 三つの とりでが あり、国旗にも えがかれています。

At the summit, there are three fortresses, this is depicted on the flag.

サンマリノの 国旗。

The flag of San Marino.

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No way! I was actually involved in that conversation! Getting old and senile…

Thank you!

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I picked up from this chapter again after doing N5 yesterday in London. Yesterday’s page was really tough, today’s much more enjoyable.

Side note - saw both ちらしずし and いなりずし for sale in London - both words I learned in the first chapter of this book!

Thanks for this. I’d read the いい in といい as good so just getting that it is the stem of 言う has got me a lot further in understanding this one!

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Just thought I’d pop in as I saw a post (probably many days ago now…) wondering where people had disappeared to who said they would read this book. I’ve had a huge backlog of pages, and have finally caught up to p41. I was finding it a real slog to read as this is the first thing in bookform I’ve tried to read, and the food chapter had so many new things, and specific words that I was getting stuck on. I’d like to thank both emucat and Luacat (both cats?) for their translations in this thread, it’s been a big help. I think my trouble with finding it a slog was trying to translate each sentence word for word, looking in the google doc and this thread for translations. I read something in another thread recently about on your first reading of something to just read through the piece without looking anything up despite not understanding everything (or anything…), and then on the second reading looking things up to fill in the blanks. I’ve tried this approach to work through the past 10 pages of this book fairly quickly, using the things in this thread for the “looking things up on 2nd reading”. And this approach has helped me enjoy it more and get through it, without worrying about understand everything fully but getting some basic idea of what is going on, and then gaining more understanding via looking up words and reading the translations in this thread etc. Hopefully I’ll use this approach to read 2 pages at a time on the days I am able to, so thank you to those who continue to post in this thread, as it has been most helpful!

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Page 44:

サンマリノは、ヨーロッパに あり、四方を、イタリアに かこまれている 小さな 国です。

San Marino is a small country in Erurope, surrounded all around by Italy

日本の 十和田湖くらいの 大きさです。

Approximately the size of Japanese lake Towada

また、イタリアの 首都、ローマ市の 北西部にも、イタリアとは べつの 国が あります。

Also, Italy’s capital, the city of Rome in the northwest has a different country (inside?)

ティターノ山の 山頂に ある とりで。

Mount Titano castle in the summit

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I’d say

Also, in the northwestern part of Italy’s capital, the city of Rome, there is a different country

In the next page it talks about Vatican, so it’s probably referencing to that

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I don’t get what’s the function of と here…

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emucat you are too fast for me :stuck_out_tongue:

Here’s my p44, though it’s not really that much different.

サンマリノは、ヨーロッパに あり、四方を イタリアに かこまれている 小さいな 国です。

San Marino exists in Europe, Italy surrounds this small country in all four directions.

日本の 十和田湖くらいの 大きさです。

It is about the size of Japan’s Lake Toowadako.

また、イタリアの 首都、ローマ市の 北西部にも、イタリアとは べつの 国が あります。

Also, Italy’s capital city, northwestern Rome, there is another country that exists.

ティターノ山の 山頂に ある とりで。

The fortresses located at Mount Titano’s summit.

I’m also not sure about the イタリアとは from the sentence referring to the northwestern part of Rome. :thinking:

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That’s what happens when you don’t have work at work :stuck_out_tongue: It will change in a few months when I’ll be in vacation, and then move back to Europe… find a new job… etc…

Maybe I would be able to join an actual Japanese class…

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Woooh! My copy finally arrived and, now I’m done with the JLPT, I can start. I’m only up to page 26, but hopefully I’m up to date with this and 時をかける少女 by the end of the week!

The vocab list is very handy so far for a few unknown words that I need to write down. I’m enjoying so far.

EDIT: Finished The countries chapter, jeez, didn’t realise what Bangkok’s real name was. Jeez, what a mouthful.

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Page 44:

Because とは is actually two separate particles stuck together, と + は, it’s helpful to break down the most common functions of each particle:

can be used in a lot of ways, but is often used:

  • As a quoting particle (とり が かわいい おもう - “I think birds are cute”)
  • To indicate “and” or “with” (スズメ インコ が とんでいます - “sparrows and parrots are flying”) / (スズメ えき に いく - “[I] go to the station with [a] sparrow”)

is the topic marker:

  • インコ りんご を たべます - “The parrot eats [an] apple.”

So, とは can be either one of these:

  • とは - to quote and indicate topic: (いぬ とは なん です か - “What is ‘inu’?”)
  • とは - to show togetherness and indicate topic (スズメ とは べつの とり が います - “In addition to sparrows, other birds exist.”)

This second type of とは is what’s most likely happening in that sentence, especially with the presence of にも (again, two particles stuck together: に - at/in, も - also/even) and in comparison to San Marino, another small country-within-a-country.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to explain this. :slight_smile: Makes sense now.

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Page 44

Wow, @JavaSparrow! I love your wonderful explanation, thank you so much! I love your brilliant sparrow example sentences, and I adore the Christmas hat on your picture! You are a star! Thank you! Oh, and did your book arrive yet?

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I would like to add, that in the dictionary you can find “とは べつに” that means” in addition to, apart from"
So, you are right :slight_smile: but it seems it’s the whole とは べつ

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Page 44

Wow! Well I never! Thank you @emucat!

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Page 45:

カトリック教会の 中心地でも あり、バチカンといいます。

It’s the center (heart?) of the Catholic Church and it’s called the Vatican

こちらは、せかいで もっとも 小さいな 国で、 東京ディズニーランドの しき地に すっぽりと 入ってしまう 大きさです。

This is the smallest country in the world and it’s size will fit comfortably into the site of Tokyo’s Disneyland

I’m having again problems with the と here… and 入ってしまう (let’s enter, let’s fit??)

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I think it’s the second meaning that Tae Kim explains, meaning “to finish completely” (scroll to the bottom of that page to find this explanation in specific). So not the same meaning as “to do something by accident”.

So I’m guessing in this case すっぽりと入ってしまう means completely “finish inserting”, or “fit the whole comfortably” in Human :slight_smile:.

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Actually had spare time at work to do the translation today but it’s basically identical to emucat’s :stuck_out_tongue:

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