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hope you can help me with the following. It's a poem from a series from the 1970's in Japan. There is some debate right now a to whether あのひと(テリィ)だと says He is Anohito (Teri) - he is that person (Teri) OR whether it says あのひと(テリィ)だと - where and who (Teri). The person debating who claims it says where and who (Teri) is not a native Japanese speaker and seemingly uses a lot of free online translation tools (namely google translate). Not sure they are a Stack Community member ^___^.

I am not a native Japanese speaker either, but the first translation was made by a native Japanese speaker who then traslated it to English. Person number two questions the native person's translation from Japanese into English.

So I thought, why not put to the Stack Community?

So the request is to confirm the translation of anohito as it is used in this poem, hence why I put the entire poem for context.

Your kind consideration and assistance is much appeciated.

Original Poem

森で ふいに だれかに後ろから だきすくめられたの

・・・だれだ?

ちょっときどった声がして—

あたし すぐに あのひと(テリィ) だと わかったけれど

わからないふりをしたの

目の前を からかうように りすが 走っていったわ

胸の中で 噴水がふきあがる

このまま ずっと わからないふりを していようかしら・・・・・

First translation:

森で ふいに だれかに後ろから だきすくめられたの In the forest, suddenly, someone hugged me from behind.

・・・だれだ? …Guess who?

ちょっときどった声がして— I heard a little genteel voice —

あたし すぐに あのひと(テリィ) だと わかったけれど I quickly found He is anohito (Terry),

わからないふりをしたの But I pretended not to know it.

目の前を からかうように りすが 走っていったわ A squirrel ran and passed in front of me Like it’s teasing me.

胸の中で 噴水がふきあがる Water is rising from a fountain in my heart.

このまま ずっと わからないふりを していようかしら・・・・・ Should I keep on pretending not to know who he is…?

Second translation:

In the forest, suddenly, someone hugged me from behind.

.. . Guess who?-

In a bit pompous voice...

I knew immediately There and who (Terry) Alright

But I pretended not to know it.

As a squirrel that stare at your eyes and runs, I am teasing him

A torrent boils on my chest

For how long would I pretend not to know it is him...

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  • 1
    "As a squirrel that stare at your eyes and runs, I am teasing him" <-- This translation is wrong.
    – chocolate
    Commented Jul 12, 2015 at 22:19
  • I would tranlate "このまま ずっと わからないふりを していようかしら" into "Should I keep on pretending not to recognise him?" "not to know who he is" sounds to me that she doesn't know him in person, which obviously is not the case.
    – eltonjohn
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 2:58

1 Answer 1

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あたし すぐに あのひと(テリィ) だと わかったけれど

Though I instantly knew/realized it was him (=Terry)

あたし I
すぐに instantly/immediately/at once
あのひと that person >> him
だ (a copula)
と (the quotative particle)
わかった realized/knew/found
けれど though

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  • Arigato, Choko! Much appreciated. Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 4:40
  • That should be Choco - sumimasen! Commented Jul 18, 2015 at 4:58
  • Oh sorry, I just changed my username (from Choko to choco). Sorry for the confusion.
    – chocolate
    Commented Jul 18, 2015 at 5:32

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