頭を下げる世界ではなく、頭を下げずにはなれない世界に生きたい

English translation: I would like to live in a world that makes me humble, not a world that I have to beg others

09:04 Jun 4, 2012
Japanese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Religion / weekly aphorism at the gate of a buddhist temple in Tokyo
Japanese term or phrase: 頭を下げる世界ではなく、頭を下げずにはなれない世界に生きたい
weekly aphorism at the gate of a buddhist temple in Tokyo, so there is no context. I must admit I don't understand the saying at all. Could you please translate it for me, and explain how it works grammatically? Thank you!
Reznik Ksenia
Hong Kong
Local time: 15:36
English translation:I would like to live in a world that makes me humble, not a world that I have to beg others
Explanation:
頭を下げる: lower your head to ask others for a favor, apologize, to show that you are inferior...

頭を下げずにはなれない should be: 頭を下げずにはおれない: you feel compelled to lower your head because others and surrounding are such that you can't help respecting them. Makes you humble, humbles you..

In other words, it is saying that I wish to live in a world with greatness, not a world with intimidation
Selected response from:

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 00:36
Grading comment
Okada-san, thank you very much, I agree with Okuyama-san - great translation, indeed, though, I too would change "beg" for "bow down".
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4I would like to live in a world that makes me humble, not a world that I have to beg others
Yuki Okada
4「頭を下げずにはなれない」?
Akiteru Sasayama
2I'd like to live for deserving the people spontaneously, not for bowing to the people automatically.
cinefil


  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
I would like to live in a world that makes me humble, not a world that I have to beg others


Explanation:
頭を下げる: lower your head to ask others for a favor, apologize, to show that you are inferior...

頭を下げずにはなれない should be: 頭を下げずにはおれない: you feel compelled to lower your head because others and surrounding are such that you can't help respecting them. Makes you humble, humbles you..

In other words, it is saying that I wish to live in a world with greatness, not a world with intimidation


Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 00:36
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Okada-san, thank you very much, I agree with Okuyama-san - great translation, indeed, though, I too would change "beg" for "bow down".

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Teddy Okuyama (X): Great translation. "Beg", to me, sounds just a little bit stronger in nuance than 頭を下げる. In English, we also say "bow down", which contains the same meaning as 頭を下げる, so I would personally choose that word.
2 hrs

agree  MariyaN (X)
3 hrs

agree  J. Kampinga
3 hrs

agree  mommamia: i also agree with Teddy^ in that "beg"seems stronger than "bow down". i would personally use "bow down"
16 hrs
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
I'd like to live for deserving the people spontaneously, not for bowing to the people automatically.


Explanation:
an idea:






cinefil
Japan
Local time: 16:36
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 8
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2 days 13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
「頭を下げずにはなれない」?


Explanation:
I'm afraid the source sentence does not make sense.
I can't figure out what the sentence 「頭を下げずには『なれない』」 really means.

頭を下げずには「いられない/おれない」 makes sense, which literally means "I can't help bowing down".
「なれない」 needs a Complement.

*Example: 「私はパイロットに『なれない』」(I cannot be a pilot.)
Pilot is a Complement.

Which is correct,
「なれない」
or 「いられない/おれない」?
Or even 「頭を離れずに「はなれない(離れない)」?

Did you transcribe the sentence correctly? Or is it the clerical error by the monk who wrote the sign?

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Note added at 2 days13 hrs (2012-06-06 23:01:48 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Correction:

The second line from the last;

【F】 「頭を離れずに「はなれない(離れない)」?
【T】 「頭を下げずに「はなれない(離れない)」?


Akiteru Sasayama
Japan
Local time: 16:36
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in category: 3
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