21:39 Oct 10, 2015 |
Japanese to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature | |||||||
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| Selected response from: Port City New Zealand | ||||||
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If a novelist is content with getting facts, where would he add divine inspiration? Explanation: Literally: If one who crafts a novel is content with getting facts, where would one attach divine inspiration? Having not read Ogai's essay, this is the best I can do. HTH. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 18 hrs (2015-10-11 16:34:49 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Alternatively, "...where would you add divinely-inspired ideas?" |
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If someone like a novelist was satisfied with the facts, where would they attach divine inspiration? Explanation: I agree with ywat's interpretation. The む at the end acts somewhat like だろう in modern Japanese. The only other part that stands out is the 若 or もころ which seems to mean "like." Reference: http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/219048/m0u/ |
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If a novelist is content in depicting reality, where could he express his own unique idea? Explanation: The sentence in query can be translated into contemporary Japanese as below: もしも小説家が事実を得て満足すれば、どこに天来の妙想を付けることができるだろうか? Ogai is criticising "literary realism" (写実主義), which focuses on depicting reality. The sentence is followed by 「事実は良材なり。されどこれを役することは、空想の力によりて做し得べきのみ。」, which in essence means "Although reality provides a good source for story-writing, it is only through the power of imagination that such reality can be put into good use." Although 事実を得て literally means obtaining facts, I believe what it means is "depicting facts" because it is all about writing. Since 天来の妙想 is contrasted with factual things and is followed by 空想の力, I would translate it as one's own unique idea. It seems to refer to "brain work" as opposed to facts. "God-given (or awesome) idea" doesn't fit well here. The original essay by Ogai is as below. (See the last paragraph.) http://shimohara.net/nitona/bungaku/ogai.htm |
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