1

I'm reading a manga and am stumped on what this sentence(s) is saying:

ロッカーを棲家としているわけでもなく殺人鬼のはずもなく普通の正社員

The previous sentence talks about someone at work who is like a Grim Reaper.

I don't even know if this is one long sentence or two. Is the first half talking about lockers? or maybe rockers? Is the second half saying something like the grim reaper/other employee (not sure who the subject is as I can't parse the sentence) isn't homicidal, but a normal regular employee. I can't infer much as this is literally the second sentence in the manga.

The sentence following this one states that there is a man called the Grim Reaper (pretty much the same information as the first sentence).

Please note, I spelled the katakana as ロッカー but in the manga, it looks more like ロツカー。I couldn't come up with a word for the second one so I think it's actually spelled the first way.

Improve this question
0

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

It means he neither lives in a locker nor is a murderer but a normal employee.

It may be clearer in this way.

彼はロッカーを棲家としているわけでもなく殺人鬼のはずもなく普通の正社員だ。

This is a long sentence. ロッカー means “locker” in this sentence because 棲家 means a place where someone lives.

Perhaps ッ looked like ツ due to the font.

Improve this answer
6
  • Aahh. I see you added 彼 for the subject (I did that, too, but I still couldn't make heads or tails in the sentence). I still don't understand the locker reference. Is it some Japanese urban legend or idiom that I don't know of? Sorry I'm American so I'm not familiar with Japanese culture.
    – rosemarie
    Commented Aug 30, 2019 at 2:26
  • I think a person who lives in a locker must be a murderer or a pervert. This sentence says that he is just an ordinary person not having a crazy nature.
    – Yamacure
    Commented Aug 30, 2019 at 3:06
  • Is it possible that the locker reference is in regards to the coin-locker urban legend? Maybe, the author is saying that he wasn't born from and placed in (living in) a locker and didn't become a monster (as in the legend) nor is he a murderer, but only a normal employee? It's a bit of a stretch, but it kind of makes more sense in my head this way.
    – rosemarie
    Commented Aug 30, 2019 at 3:35
  • I know the ghost story. But in the story, the one who lived in a locker is a baby not an adult. If he were the baby, I think 棲家としていた would be better. But if there is some reference about the urban legend before in the manga, your thought is better.
    – Yamacure
    Commented Aug 30, 2019 at 14:53
  • There is no frame of reference as far as I know as this is the second sentence in the manga. I almost think (as an American reading it) the locker reference is not important. If it's trying to tell me he's not a bad/perverted person, there must be a better way of stating that. The reference is too vague.
    – rosemarie
    Commented Aug 31, 2019 at 0:59
-1

Absent other context, I feel the sentence would make most sense if we translate ロッカー as "rockers". (ie, people living the stereotypical rock band lifestyle)

I would translate it as something like below:

He does not have a rock band for a family nor is he a murderer.
He's just a regular office worker.
Improve this answer
4
  • Translating it to "rocker" can make sense, but seeing as this is the 2nd sentence in the manga, I (and you) have no context to draw from which makes it frustrating.
    – rosemarie
    Commented Aug 30, 2019 at 2:29
  • 2
    @rosemarie with regard to context, adding the name of the manga to the question would allow people to check it out for themselves.
    – Leebo
    Commented Aug 30, 2019 at 2:37
  • I imagine they only used the "dark" image of rockers (think heavy metal) and murderers to contrast it with the "light" image of 正社員.
    – greysaff
    Commented Aug 30, 2019 at 2:38
  • @Leebo It's a oneshot from an anthology called "Six affairs in the Office." It's the fourth story/chapter. Hope that helps!
    – rosemarie
    Commented Aug 30, 2019 at 2:43

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .