なぜ?どうして?Finished!

The way I see it, how I pointed before, it means “way/amber/means”. I think it makes sense in the context

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Page 75

I think you’re right; that makes that sentence make sense more than any other use that I can think of.

このため, もともと パンダと よばれていた ほうに、 小さいと いう いみの「レッサー」が つきました.

Literal:

For this reason, to the one originally called panda, “lesser” meaning small, was attached.

Natural:

For this reason, the name “lesser”, meaning small, was given to the animal originally called panda.

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Here would be my breakdown:

海で およぐと、 プールよりも 少し うきやすいと かんじませんか。

When swimming in the sea, doesn’t it feel easier to float than in a pool?

海で およぐ - swimming in the sea

と - particle, here separating two phrases in a comparative sentence

プールより - than a pool (compared to a pool)

も - particle marking second phrase in the comparative sentence (perhaps using も rather than と to give more emphasis)

少し…やずい a little easier (means easier rather than easy because this is a comparative structure)

うき - to float (stem form)

かんじませんか - don’t you feel?

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Thank you so much for the breakdown Micki! But isn’t the と the “when” in your translation?

It’s kinda both. “When compared to”, since it’s followed by Xより.

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Ah, I see! Thank you!

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Page 76

Here’s my attempt at today’s page. Sentence 3 is tricky, ready to be corrected!

ブタと いっしょに およげる 海が ある!

There is an ocean where you can swim with pigs?

あなたは、 ブタが およげるのを 知っていますか。

Did you know pigs can swim?

なかなか そうぞうが できないと おもいますが、 せかいには ブタたちが 気ままに およぐ 場所が あるのです。

You might not easily be able to imagine, but there is a place in the world where pigs swim carefree.

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I think your interpretation for the final sentence seems fine, I found it hard to do a direct translation that makes sense in English also so I ended up with something similar.

On a side note, one thing I like to do after I’ve done a translation is to run the sentences through Google translate. Not to check the translation, but because normally the result is so hilariously wrong. This time, apparently the pigs don’t go swimming but there is a place where they spontaneously combust:

なかなか そうぞうが できないと おもいますが、せかいには ブタたちが 気ままに およぐ 場所が あるのです。

Google: I think that it is difficult to do so, but there are places where the pigs catch fire as it is.

:joy:

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All mammals can swim. Just not all of them particularly care to.

Yeah, Google handles all-kana sentences even worse than it does regular Japanese.

Page 76

Mine is just a little different, but basically the same:

“I think you can’t quite imagine, but there is a place in the world where pigs can swim as they please”.

I just added a “can” and used the translation “as one pleases” for 気まま, and translated “I think…” in the first clause (the author speaking directly to the reader), but otherwise they are the same. A nice easy page today for a change!
:grinning: :pig: :swimming_man: :grinning:

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I accidentally saw this thread under a section of suggested topics.

Am I too late to party or do you believe it is possible to catch up without waiting for the next book? :thinking:

If you have the book, then you could start at the start and just read it along with this thread.
If you want to join in the fun on the thread itself, then simply start the book now (if you have it) on page 76.

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Aye, each four-page “chapter” is completely separate from the ones before and after it, so you’re not missing any sort of plot or story if you jump in at the middle.

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That’s good to hear, thank you. I hope this will ship on time from CDJapan D:

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Page 77:

大西洋に めんし、 うつくしい 海と ビーチで 有名な バハマと いう 国が あります。

In the Atlantic Ocean めんし?? there is a country called Bahamas with a famous sea and beaches.

ここに 「ブタの 島」と よばれている、ブタだけが すみついた 無人島が あります。

Here (there?), there is an unpopulated island where only pig liv, called the “Pig Island”

島の 名前は、ビッグ・メジャー・ケイ。

The name of the Island is “big major cay”

バハマには、とても たくさんの 島が あり、人が すむ 島は、ほんの わずかです。

In the Bahamas, there are many islands (very many?) and populated islands are only a few I’m missing a “but”…

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No idea about めんし (thread?).

I think the end of the sentence is “famous for it’s beautiful seas and beaches”.

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Got stuck on a couple of things on this page (77)

大西洋に めんし、うつくしい 海と ビーチで 有名な バハマと いう 国が あります。

In the Atlantic ocean, there is a country famous for its beautiful sea and beaches.

I’m ignoring めんし here because I cannot find anything that makes sense for it (the only meaning I can find on Jisho is “cotton yarn”… which does not fit at all)

ここに 「ブタの 島」 と よばれている、ブタだけが すみついた 無人島が あります。

Here, there is a place known as “Pig Island”, only pigs have settled on this unpopulated island.

島の 名前は、ビッグ・メジャー・ケイ。

The island’s name is Big Major Cay.

バハマには、とても たくさんの 島が あり、人が すむ 島は、はんの わずかです。

In the Bahamas, there are very many islands, the island where people live, ???

I’m having trouble with the はんの わずかです

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There are many islands in the Bahamas, but only a few are inhabited.

ほんの – mere; only; just; slight
わずか – only; merely; small quantity

Literally I get: In the Bahamas, totally lots of islands exist, (but) speaking of “people living” islands, only small quantity are.

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You are right! For some reason I’ve also omitted “beautiful “

I think めんし is masu stem of 面する.

Hey, this hi-native post is great. I didn’t know this. Makes the translation much better.:+1:

ほんのわずか is an expression.

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