So! I have some questions on the first sentence of this week (p17):
Sentence & translation attempt
別段一人で飯喰うのは苦にならないものの、
Eating by yourself isn’t really that bad, but
やはり皆がわやわや言いながらテーブルをくっつけているところにポッンと取り残されるように弁当をつついているというのも何なので、
sitting with a noisy bunch with our tables pushed together, trading food by pecking at each others’ 弁当 has something to it after all, is というわけでもないのだが、
not really why, but
昼休みになると俺は中学が同じで比較的仲のよかった国木田と、たまたま席が近かった東中出身の谷口という奴と机を同じくすることにしていた。
when it turned to lunch time, I joined my table with a middle-school classmate I was relatively close to called Kunikida, and a guy from East Middle (school) that I occasionally sit close to.
—
Does my interpretation seem correct?
Questions:
I especially had difficulty withというのも何なので. Literally, how I understand it now is: “said thing (is) also something, so”. Which I think makes sense in context.
At first I thought AというのもB means “Even though I say A, also B.”, which doesn’t really work in the sentence. What confused me even further though is that per dictionaries, というのも means “because”. Which doesn’t make any sense to me in the first place.
Am I correct in my understanding that やはり皆がわやわや言いながら…というのも何なので is giving a reason, and then with というわけでもないだが he basically says that that reason is not why he’s sitting with them?
Is 東中 read ひがしちゅう, short for 東中学 or 東山中学 or so? Or とうちゅう, sort of like 東大?
On gut feeling I went for ひがしちゅう, since I had the feeling most school names are kun’yomi compounds.
I don’t have time to answer the other two questions, but this one is fast.
Yes, it’s ひがしちゅう, short for 東中学校, which is were ハルヒ is from (as per last week’s reading).
I would say your literal understanding is basically correct, which, nice, because this is a confusing expression, but you came to the somewhat wrong conclusion on what it actually means.
When we say “that’s something” or “there’s something to it” in English, it implies a positive, but the phrase Xも何なので is entirely negative.
Very common example: 私が言のも何だけど… meaning like “I shouldn’t be the be the one to say this but…”
They’ll use あれ for the same purpose. 言うのもアレなんだけど, euphemistically.
Anyway.
What you wrote as ポッン is actually ポツン, I believe, using this definition: ③一つだけ離れてあるさま。「━と一人座っている」
So
やはり皆がわやわや言いながらテーブルをくっつけているところに
When everyone has crammed their tables together chattering,
ポツンと取り残されるように
Like I’m the leftover after everyone else has been picked out,
弁当をつついている
picking at a bento
というのも何なので、
All that feels bad man
I would say yes. The narration is often a bit rambly and stream of consciousness. “Eating alone isn’t that bad, but since being the only one alone kinda sucks, or well, that’s not really why, but I was sitting with these guys.”
Is essentially my read.
I completely misunderstood the ポツンと取り残される part: I thought he was talking about the side dishes. I suppose a clue that I missed(besides the ポツン) was that he used 皆が instead of 皆と, indicating he was not taking part of the interaction described.
Yeah, it didn’t get better. I guess we’ll be stuck with that guy too…
Anyway, after reading this week’s part, here’s my new hypothesis (tagging @AnimeCanuck just in case)
Ok, so ハルヒ tried all the clubs but couldn’t find one that suit her. When キョン mentioned her hair, she immediately cut them (matching the image of her that is most known). Now that he mentioned clubs, she will make one, weird the way she likes it! And probably it will be about “studying” all the weird stuff キョン was hoping existed. That, plus the fact he probably has a crush on her will make him join the club too. I still have no idea if they will actually find weird stuff. I’m thinking no-but-maybe, with the story leaving enough unclear point that both the rational and supernatural answers can apply.
So, just to bump this thread a bit, is there any other sentence that would require breaking down?
Following @Belthazar’s recommendation from last week
Otherwise, for those reading along, did this make you consider to change your hairstyle following the days of the week? I thought about it, but it’s really too annoying.
Still reading through this week’s part… I try not to focus too much on the parts I don’t understand until I’m done with that, because otherwise I might not get done at all.
