In a visual novel a girl just said そうですねー and the guy replied
「僕はですね、伯母の紹介だったからこそ、ここでバイトしてる訳ですが。」
I feel like he's making fun of her for saying desu ne.... and that she sounds like his aunt?
Edit. バイト means "work" in this context.
-
1I think I understand why this was downvoted once. I'll ask questions in a different way in the future.– user3538May 26, 2013 at 23:33
-
1Rather than just asking a translation, you get better responses when you ask specific questions about what you don't understand. Beyond this, if you show you have at least tried to understand on your own, you will get even better responses.– yadokariMay 27, 2013 at 2:02
Add a comment
|
3 Answers
I feel that Jens' translation is missing the emphasis present in the Japanese text, so here is my version.
In my case, I work here because it came through my aunt.
I don't think he's making fun of her. ですね just adds a bit of emphasis on 僕, presumably because the conversation was about that girl, and he's switching the topic of conversation to about himself. Then he says 伯母の紹介だったからこそ, which emphasizes that the work came through the aunt, or else he wouldn't be here. So once again, the topic of the conversation right before this must have been why the girl is working here.
answered May 27, 2013 at 2:15
-
Hi Kohsuke. Could you tell me what nuance the が at the end provides? I couldn't translate it as well as I would have liked to. thanks.– yadokariMay 27, 2013 at 2:37
-
I think the が implies that there's more to his thought, like a silent "but..." The next thing he says is that he loves being surrounded by books (in the bookstore he works in), so it could imply "but I love being..." because a referral from an aunt isn't the most noble thing... Also, thank you all, you really helped!– user3538May 27, 2013 at 3:01
-
Given the additional context user3538 provided, が does sound like it's alluding to his additional thoughts. Since I didn't have that context, given this sentence alone I assumed that が throws "and how about you?" in the air, which I think could have been equally legitimate. May 27, 2013 at 13:44
-
Ok. well in either case it seems a bit too hard to directly translate the exact nuance into English. (minus the full context of the quote)– yadokariMay 27, 2013 at 14:40
I think Jens' translation is unnatural and slightly flawed, and I am basing mine off of Kohsuke Kawaguchi's correct answer, but making the English more natural.
「僕はですね、伯母の紹介だったからこそ、ここでバイトしてる訳ですが。」
Well, as for me, it's really just because my aunt referred me that I'm working here.
More natural:
You know, the reason I'm working here is just because my aunt referred me.
Break down:
「僕はですね、伯母の紹介だったからこそ、ここでバイトしてる訳ですが。」
As for me, just because of aunt's referral, is reason I'm working here.
*こそ koso:
particle: for sure (emphasize preceding word)
*わけ wake
【訳】 noun: conclusion from reasoning, judgement or calculation based on something read or heard; reason; cause; meaning; circumstances; situation;
(I translated it as "because")
*バイト BAITO
noun / noun or participle with aux. verb する → conjugation: work (esp. part time or casual) —Abbreviation. From German 'Arbeit'. → アルバイト
*しょうかい shoukai
【紹介】 noun / noun or participle with aux. verb する → conjugation / noun with genitive case particle の: introduction; referral
I, well, on behalf of having been introduced by (OR: to) my aunt, started working here.
Editor's note: "work" means バイト in this context ;)
-
1