JAPANESE POP CULTURE & LANGUAGE LEARNING
POP
USIC
JAPAN
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Henes XJapan Blue Hearts Major Force ShOnen Knife Pizzicato Five The Boredoms Sadistic Mlka Band Shang Shang Typhoon Yellow Magic Orchestra Southern All Stan Kome Kome Club Street Sliders The Boom Nelories Nahki Tigers
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.Japanese
" . . . there has been an evolution in Japanese rock and pop away from slavish imitation of foreign models toward music that 's more confident and prof essional." Bv STEVE M
cCLURE
I A Beginner's Guide
fi had¥ I0 for every time I've heard something like, "Japanese pop music? It's just a bunch of no-talent idols and bad imitators of foreign bands," I'd be rich. Such comments are dead wrong-not that there isn't a lot of egregious Japanese pop. Take Hikaru Genji (1t Genji), an "idol" act of the eighties. This squeaky-clean group is best known for the ability to lip-sync while whirling about on roller skates. This is the dreck you're likely to see on prime-time TV, causing many people to conclude that 90 percent of Japanel>e pop music is rubbish. Big deal. The same can be said of pop in any country. If you take time to separate the wheat from the chaff, you 'II discover Japan has produced some great pop music and boasts musical visionaries like Kina Shokichi Ot~A Nakaido Reiichi (i'!Jtf Ji Jlinl) and Sakamoto Ryiiichi (:lfi*ffl!- ). Japanese popular music, as opposed to court or aristocratic music, originated in rninyo (R;mf\) regional folk songs, music played at summertime bon odori (tJ;:f.!fl 1J ) festivals and local styles such as Osaka's kawachi
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• Yellow Magic Orchestra, pioneering rock group of the 1970s.
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14 Mangajin
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ondo (iPJP'.lif.lii{) songs. Echoes of these and other traditional styles can be found in Japan' s pop music, but it was the introduction of Western music after the Meiji Restoration ( 1868) that really set the ball rolling. Styles of popular music that flourished in the 18681945 period included military and brass band music, Osaka's rokyoku (¥€Uttl), also known as naniwabushi 1Em'i) narrative songs, chanson, Asakusa o pera, the show music of the Takarazuka (31:~) all-girl revue, jazz (in the broad, prewar sense of the term, encompassing dance music and straight pop . ongs), tango and Hawaiian music. Japan's defeat in 1945 and the ensuing Occupation by victorious Allied forces ( 1945- 1952) resulted in more foreign music being heard in Japan, especially through the US armed forces' Far East Network (FEN) radio service. Many Japanese musicians and music fans got a taste of genres like country, rockabilly and modern jazz thanks to FEN. At the time the main popular style was kayokyoku (:!X~:!Htln, a loosely de fined term that one authoritative guide to Japanese pop music describes as "Japanese MOR (middle of the road)." T he late Koga Masao (-.+Jj'ii&~) is recognized as the greatest
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kayokyoku songwriter. Important singers right after the war included Kasagi Shizuko (~tft ~ ;(-=f), whose 1948 release, "Tokyo Boogie-Woogie," was a huge hit. Misora Hibari (~ ~ '0' li I) ) was a major star whose untimely death in 1989 sent the nation into mourning. Misora's forte a type of was enlw melancholy lwyokyoku ballad that leans to themes like doomed love affairs and painful separations. Traditionally based on the Japanese minor pentatonic scale, enka occupies a place in Japan similar to that of country music in the United States. Enlw's biggest fans are middle-aged salarymen, who croon along to favorite tunes in Japan's 280,000 lwraoke machine-equipped bars. The only Japanese artist to have any impact in the West in the post-war period was the late Sakamoto Kyu (:tii:<$: 1L), whose "Ue o Mui;e ArukO'' (.1. raJ It\"(~.:. ? , known overseas as "Sukiyaki") made No. I on the Billboard singles chart in
Japanese Pop Music in the US
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Pop music icon Misora Hibari was known for her soulful renditions ofenka.
KOME KOME Club started as a rock/funk group but is now moving toward MOR.
1963-a feat no other Japanese artist has achieved. Crucial to the development of Japanese pop was the "group sounds" phenomenon of the 1960s. Japanese musicians, inspired by Westem groups such as the Ventures (who still tour Japan every year) and the Beatles, formed bands such as the Tigers and the Jaguars where the electric guitar was the main instrument. Since then
there's been an evolution in Japanese rock and pop away from slavish imitation of foreign models toward music that's more professional and self-assured. Pioneering rock groups of the 1970s included A ower Traveling Band, led by Uchida Yuya (P'J EEl ¥61:1!), considered one of the "godfathers" of rock in Japan; Happy End, whose alumni include Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder Hosono Haruo mi (k:l!l!lffDiU!!), whose excellent 1993 ambient album, Medicine Compilation, is available in the United States on the TriStar label; Zuno Keisatsu (i1.US!l~. "Brain Police"); Sugar Babe, from which emerged solo artists Onuki Taeko <*l'tWY -=f) and Yamashita Tatsur~ (Llrfite~. one of the geniuses of Japanese pop); the Sadistic Mika Band and RC Succession. RC Succession produced solo stars Nakaido Reiichi, whose live shows are unrivaled for intensity, and lrnawano Kiyoshiro (.~
The US rock & roll market seems to be a tough one for imports. Promoters of Japanese pop music in the past have mainly pushed the top acts from Japan, but have met with little success. Terri McMillan and partner To m Toeda, who together make up Medius Entertainment, feel that some of the Japanese groups and artists who have loyal followings in Japan, but are not at the top of the heap, might actually be better received in the US. One group that caught their attentio n was Pizzicato Five (see main story page 48). After hearing their COs while screening acts for the New Music Seminar Japan concert, Psycho Nile, Terri and Tom "fell in love" with Pizzicato Five and decided to devote efforts to bringing them to audiences in the US. Apparently they have been successful: Pizzicato Five's first US album, Made in USA, a compilation of material from various Japanese albums, will be released by Matador records in June. The three members of Pizzicato Five are all enthusiasts of American R & R, especially the "classical" 60s, and they have selected the material for the album themselves. The next act Tom and Terri have their eyes on is vocalist Gao. Like Pizzicato Five, Gao has a following in Japan, but might be a little too distinctive for her home
• mourning= :ili!j! aito • minor = j;!lfM tani:hO • pentatonic scale= :ti ftlllf go'onkai • slavish=~ i: tl.i'J
Mangajin 15
Fea tu r e •Story
Pizzicato Five, a three-member group, is releasing its first US album this June.
"It pays to shop around to find the gems that exist in the midst of the pop pabulum. "
ff?IT:t~B), whose new group, the 2·3's (or "Nisans"-older brothers), is very much in the RC Succession hard-rock tradition. The 1970s' "new music" boom saw singer/songwriters such as Nakajima Miyuki (~ lib }).19> ~ ) and Matsutoya Yumi (t}ff:~Etr~. aka "Yuming") gain popularity with a sophisticated, personal approach. Nakajima's songs are often dark and moody, and her style could be termed "Japanese chanson," with its emphasis on the dramatic. Matsutoya's image of the self-reliant, mature woman helps make her a favorite among young working women. Her music has a smooth, West Coast sound. In the late seventies three things had a major influence on Japanese pop. First was the "idol boom," which saw performers like Matsuda Seiko (t~t.=!!l f). Yamaguchi Momoe (ill "!M,), Go Hiromi (~ '(} i? ~) and Saijo Hideki (~~3'iift) capture the hearts and wallets of millions of teenagers.
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Under the idol system, new artists sign a contract with a production company, often when they' re as young as 12. Ten-year contracts are not uncommon. The potential idol is then groomed and educated under company su-
A show by six-member industrial thrash metal group the Boredoms is less a concert than an all-out attack on the senses.
pervision before making a debut. When the time is ripe, the production company makes a master recording and starts talking to record labels. Idol stars are usually paid a salary by the production company. When their shelf life expires at the ripe old age of 20 or so, they're usually let go in favor of the next crop of tarento ("talents"). The use of the term tarento is ironic, to say the least, since most idols' appeal is based on looks and certainly not on singing skill. The second big event in Japanese pop in the late seventies was the Yellow Magic Orchestra, a three-man group (Hosono Haruomi, Sakamoto Ryuichi and Takahashi Yukihiro [~~¥~])whose brilliant synthesizer-based style of music had an enormous influence on musicians worldwide. After leaving YMO, Sakamoto composed music for several movie soundtracks, including collaborating on the score for The lAst Emperor. The third big development during this era was the debut of Kina Shokichi and his band Champloose ( 7- -f /' 7 Jv- X), which brought the music of Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, to the attention of mainstream pop fans. Champloose's unique sound was based on the combination of electric instruments with the Okinawan sanshin, a threestringed instrument similar to mainland Japan's shamisen but with a shorter neck and snakeskin instead of cat or dog skin strung over the resonance box. The group's first hit was 1974' s "Haisai Ojisan" (1'1
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Mangajin 16
Featur e• Story
Shang Shang Typhoon 's music draws on Japanese folk songs, music from Okinawa and China, plus a dash of rock.
-lt1 :13 t: ~ lv ), a bright tune that always gets the crowd dancing at Champloose's exuberant concerts. Highly recommended is the group's 1980 album Blood Line, which includes my all-time favorite Japanese song, a ballad titled "Subete no hi to no kokoro ni hana o" (-9'"" -r (J) A 0),(., 1: :(£a- , " Flowers for Every Heart"), usually referred to as "Hana." The original version features Ry Cooder on slide guitar. Th is beautiful song has been covered by a variety of artists, especially in Southeast Asia. With the popularity of "world" music in the late eighties there was new interest among the Japanese in their musical heritage. YMO's Sakamoto used Okinawan musical styles in his superb 1987 album
Beauty. Since then, bands using "ethnic" stylings have come to the fore. The most interesting group to come out of Okinawa of late is the Nenes ( ;j,- ;j,;(. pronounced "nay-nays"), a female quartet who specialize in a captivating blend of Okinawan folk music and contemporary pop. Their third album, Ashibi (ih L Cf. Okinawan dialect for "playing" or "relaxing"), includes traditional-style songs such as " Akabana," (ihtJ'Iilj:), pop tunes like " Bye Bye Okinawa," and a haunting cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry." All original songs on Ashibi were composed by China Sadao (~D~ 5.£~ ), one of Okinawa's best-known musicians and the man who brought the Nenes together. " Young people in Okinawa show no interest in
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Mangajin 17
F e a t u r e • S t o r
BABEL PRESS
traditional music," says Nencs member Koja Misako (i5W1kf&:-=f). "Chinasan has decided on this means to attract their attention." Shang Shang Typhoon (1:. /:t ~) plays music that draws on traditional Japanese fo lk songs, melodies from Okinawa and Chinese songs, plus a liberal dash of rock and even an occasional nod to the blues. The seven-member band, fronted by female vocalists Ni shikawa Satoko (~li JII~$ f) and Shirosaki Emi ( LJ MI!!JHf~). has existed in various forms since 1980 when it was founded by the enigmatic Koryu <*I~n. "red dragon"). Koryu's instrument of choice is a banjo strung with shamisen strings. Playing a shamisen, he says, is too much to expect from someone with no formal training in traditional Japanese music. "I grew up listening to American rock, but I also listened to Japanese folk songs," says Koryu. "I wondered why Japanese pop music couldn' t use traditional rhythms, which most Japanese people are famili ar with." In concert, Shang Shang Typhoon
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presents one of the best shows on the circuit. Nishikawa and Shirosaki, in bright, fl owing robes, alternate between energetic, high-pitched vocals during up-tempo numbers and delicate, beautifully phrased singing for slower songs. Koryu leads the rest of the band-bass, drums, keyboards, percussion-chugging along with his banjo-cum-shamisen setting the pace. While Kina and other Okinawan musicians like the Rinken Band ( t) /dt /vJ-\ / ~· ) update their musical heritage, at the other end of the Japanese archipelago there's Moshiri (.:C ~ 1) ), a group of Ainu and Japanese musicians based in Hokkaido. Several tunes on the group's 1991 album, Kamuychikap (1J b. 7-11 ·y 7', "God's Bird") feature the mukkuri ( J.,. -;; 7 1) ), an Ainu instrument which sounds like a Jew' s-harp, as well as beautiful, haunting vocals in the Ainu language.
These days, the Japanese group bestknown internationally is Shonen Knife (1--"~f. T 1 7 ), who got their start in the Osaka indies scene of the early eighties. The three women who comprise Shonen
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Shi5nen Knife sings about flying jelly beans, household cleaning liquid and insect collecting. The lyrics on the US version of their Rock Animals album are all in English.
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Published by BABEL PRESS
in Japan ¥700
(!] BABEL INC.
1-3-6 N1shikanda, Ch1yoda· ku Tokyo 101 Japan Tel 03-3295-230J
18 Mangajin
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F e a t u r e • S t
Knife-Nakata.ni Michie ( lfl~~ ~t~) and sisters Yamano Naoko (LlJ!fflli!r) and Yamano Atsuko ( Wft, .fcr )- got together to play music as a hobby after starting work as "office ladies." Their goal was modest: to play one live date. Shonen Knife's simple bass-guitardrums music is a strange but endearing amalgam of the Ramones, the Ronettes and the band's own comically kitsch sensibility. Who else sings about subjects like flying jelly beans, household c leaning liquid and insect collecting? Over the years Shonen Knife has moved from so-bad-they' re-good amateurism to a polished style without losing their charm or sense of humor, as seen on their latest album, Rock Animals, released in the United States in early 1994. The Japanese version of that album contains songs in English and in Japanese, while the US version is all English. Here's a sample o f Shoncn Knife lyr-
or y
The Nenes blend Okinawan folk music and contemporary pop.
ics from "Fruit Loop Dreams":
lar appeal is the Nelories, who come from Nara. Comprised of college students Kirihara Jun ( ~ }jj( il) and Kubo Kazumj (?\ 1¥:W~). the Nelories ' quirky, English-language songs are reminiscent of Shonen Knife's material. But instead of a garage-band sound, the Nelories favor a minimalist style, which
There's big bird named Toucan Sam With a pretty colored beak like a candy cane I wonder if he'd be so nice As to take us to fruit loop paradise Another Kansai girl g roup with simi-
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• Use your c urrent Eng I ish-language Windows 3.1 system. • Print to any Windows <.ompatible printer. • Import and export text files for use with other Japanese word processors • Enter Japanese words phonetica lly and convert to Kanj i. • Bilingual screens and documentation support.
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Mangajin 19
otable new book:
Understanding Japanese lnfonnation Processing I reviewed by Douglas Horn
There aren't a whole lot of sources for mformation about Japanese computing. and if you're lucky enough to find a bit here or there. odds are it's written in Japanese. Even so. when Ken Lunde wrote
pealing. Ken Lunde's style is easy but concise. and wherever the re is a potentially confusing subject, you can bet that there will be a table or illustration to clear up any doubts. What's more, the book's
Understandin!!, Japanesr Information Processing no one could have predicted the uccess it would encounter. After all , the mainstream computer industry is only now beginni ng to realize that people do, in fact, use Japanese computers outside the Tokyo city limits. Why all the fuss over one book? First. UJIP is one of the first books about Japanese computing to be published in English. Second, by selling out its lir!>t edition in less than s ix months, it shattered the conventional wisdom that no one is intere ted in Japanese computing. Most importantly, the book is full of hard-to-find information about Japanese computing preented in an easy-to-understand way. Typical of the fine computing books published by O'Reilly and Associates. UJIP is well-organized and visually ap-
Understanding Japanese Information Processing. by Ken Lunde. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, 1993. 470 pages, $29.95 (softcover)
'' lay-flat" binding means readers won't have to use something heavy to keep the pages from flipping.
Understanding Japanese Information Processing is approximately 440 pages long-nearly one-half of that being charts and tables. Some of the major topics in-
Free kana-learning programs for the Mac Kazumi Hatasa ahd his colleagues at Purdue University have put together a pair of exceptional kanalearning programs for the Macintosh. " Hiragana and Kataka na" version 1.0 uses visual and verbal mnemonics to introduce the pronunciatio n of Japanese. The introductory lessons include an English phrase to set the context for the visual cue; the indiv idual kana is pronou nced with an Eng lish word that contains the pronunciation of the kana; the shape of the kana is high-
24 Mangajin
lighted in the graphic; and finally, the kana appears in a normal type face. The student is asked to input the kana using He pburn or Kunre n romanization; the kana. if correct, appears on an adjoining screen. The student can choo e to go through the kana chart ro w-by-row or large combination of rows. There is no attempt to introduce the writing of the forms. There are also exercises for practice. One can use a flashcard function as well a kana g uessing game in both sections. In the katakana (rominued on pofle 56)
elude Japanese character sets and encoding methods. Japanese input and output, Japanese e-mail, and Japanese infonnation processing techniques. As the topics indicate, the book is skewed towards the intermediate or professional user o f Japanese. Even so, readers of all experience levels will find the book useful. though Japanese computing neophytes may be frustrated by the absence of some topics. Readers will quickly find out why the book is not entitled " Introduction to Japanese Computing." The main thrust of the book is Japanese information processing . so when it discusses how certain things, such a kana-to-kanji conversion, are done, it te nds to describe how they are handled behind the scenes (or screens) rather t.han how users can take advantage of these processes. Also, though chapters one and two are dedicated to the bas ics of the Japanese writing system. the book assumes a certain level of familiarity with computing.
Power Macs run KanjiTalk, JLK In March, amid much fanfare , Apple Computer debuted its ne w Power Macintosh line, based on the super-fast PowerPC microprocessor. The Power Macs deserve the hype they are receiving- they are s ignificantly faster than previous Macintosh computers, which are based on the Motorola 680XO microprocessor series. Eventually , all Power Mac software will be written specifically for the new PowerPC chip. (These programs will be called ''native mode" applications.) But until native mode applications
become widely available , Power Macscan still run virtually all existing Macintosh applications via emulation of the 68LC040 chip. Even so . upon hearing of the new computer, many users of KanjiTalk and the Japanese Language Kit immediately questioned how we ll their Japanese systems would run on the new platform . The answer is "very well." The Power Macs ship with the Macintosh System 7.1.2 operating syste m and built-in emulation of the 68 LC040. The Japanese (conlinued 0 11 page 56)
Computer•Corner Though this slant may frustrate some readers, the information they need is there if they look for it. Those interested in using the book as a reference for programming Japanese applications will find this structure perfect for their uses. Readers wi th some experience with Japanese software- this includes anyone who has learned to use a Japanese word processing program with any proficiencywill find that UJIP is thick with the information they need to understand how their Japanese software works- or why it doesn 't. This information can help users get to the next level of Japanese computing, from word processing to Japanese email and desktop publishing. Chapter eight is a listing of selected software applications. Though the listing is not as exhaustive as Mangajin's software special (Mangajin #29), it does offer longer product de criptions and i ncludes software for the UNIX. NeXT, and Amiga platforms, as well as IBM and Macintosh. Probably the book's greatest strength, from an experienced user 's standpoint, is its excellent descriptions of the various
types of Japane. e output. Ken Lunde. the author. is an employee of Adobe Systems. which developed PostScript. As ~ uch , he has an excellent grasp of font technology. Some readers may question his openmindedness to the virtues of competing systems. Nonetheless. describing Japanese font s and character sets is the book· s strength. and the chapter on Japanese output should answer all conceivable questions about PostScript. TrueType. and bitmapped fonts. Anyone who buys Understanding Japanese Information Processing for use as a reference for creating Japanese software will not be disappointed. The pages are filled with charts. tables, and lists. In fact, the book has nearly twice as many appendixes as chapters. It also includes C language sample routines of several Japanesecharacter handling functions for those readers interested in creating their own Japanese application . Some of the most useful lists in the book are those that point readers toward more sources of information. Publica! ions, corporations, associations, and Internet
news groups and file archives are listed. However, it is hard to imagine when some of the book's charts and tables would ever be useful to readers. For exam ple, dozens ofpages are devoted to I istings of the many Japanese character sets and other data that even most programmers will never need to reference. The vast majority of readers wi II simply skip past these sections-though they do improve the book's performance as a doorstop. But there is little chance of this book being so employed. It is useful and well- worth the price. Readers i nexperienced with Japanese may need a while to grow imo it, but once they gain a grasp of the ba ics, they will find themselves turning to Understanding Japanese Information Processing for a long time to come. When you think about it, that's the best comment anyone can make about a reference book. Douglas Horn is a free-lance writer and computer consultant living in Seattle.
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Mangajin 25
Frederik Schodt
FUjikO Fuiio (A)
interviews
creator of
''The Laughing Salesman'' In Mangajin No. 33, we presented a manga story from The Laughing Salesman, and at that time we gave a little background on the title. We mentioned that it was drawn by Fujiko Fujio (A), half of the famous duo known as Fujiko Fujio (Fujimoto Hiroshi and Abiko Moto) who had brought the world such manga masterworks as Doraemon, Obake no QTarl5, and Ninja Hattori-kun. We reported that the duo had eventually dissolved their partnership and begun to do their own respective things, maintaining some of their fonner identity by adopting the pen names "Fujiko Fujio (A)" (Abiko) and " Fujiko F. Fujio" (Fujimoto). We pointed out to our readers that The Laughing Salesman was a "black humor" manga featuring a lecherously grinning "salesman" named Moguro Fukuzo, who maliciously set people up for failure and unexpected consequences under the guise of helping them realize their dreams or overcome their problems.
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But as we read more of the series and tried to come up with a coherent explanation of who Moguro Fukuzo was and why he acted the way he did, we were, quite frankly, stumped. We couldn' t decide if Moguro represented the forces of evil, if he just had a sadistic streak, or if there was some kind of deeper moral to the stories. Then, we found out that manga authority, author, translator, and regular contributor to Mangajin Frederik Schodt was planning a trip to Japan, and we asked him about the possibility of interviewing the creator of the Salesman to find out the inside scoop on this enigmatic character and manga series (which has recently enjoyed a second boom after being revived in animated form for a popular TV show). The result was this interview, which also serves as an introduction to our second selection from The Laughing Salesman, shown on pages 70 77 of this issue.
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Schodt: As you know, Mangajin is currently carrying episodes of The Laughing Salesm an . I think most readers of the maga zine are fans of Japanese manga and have a great interest in The Laughing Salesman, but since they may not know the cultural background all that well, in this interview I'd lik e to ask you some questions to help them better understand this manga. First of all, I'd like to ask you a little about the original inspiration that led you to cr eate The Laughing Salesman. If I'm not mistaken, I believe you first created him 25 years ago? ® Abiko: It's a good while ago now, and I'm afraid I've forgotten much of it. I don' t know if you' re familiar with him, but I used to be a great fan of the Japanese mystery writer Edogawa Ranpo. For a time he wrote in a genre he called "curiously flavored" stories-stories similar to those of [John]
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Collier and Saki, stories that were uncanny, had a bit of a twist to them, or, in a sense, a kind of black humor- and I liked them a lot and wanted to try drawing the same kind of thing in manga. At the time, I was drawing children's manga, not manga intended for adults, but as a change of pace 1 drew this one for a magazine called Big Comics. ® Schodt: So it was Big Comics? I thought it was Manga Sunday. ® Abiko: Yes. Earlier [before Manga Sunday], just once, 1 drew a short, single episode story [for Big Comics]. There was this odd character named Moguro Fukuzo, who got hold of a faint-hearted, timid young man and, in a sense, led him down the path of destruction. I drew it because I wanted to do something that had not previously been done in manga.
® Schodt: That's something I wanted to ask you about. I think it came across then, as it does now, as a highly unusual story line. Could you tell us briefly about the response the story got from the industry, or from readers, when it first appeared?
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Schodt: In that sense, I think you must have filled something of a pioneering role. ® Abiko: Yes. For almost anything, in the world of manga or whatever, I seem to be comparatively quick on the draw. For example, it's already 20 years ago that I drew the golf manga called "Pro Golfer Monkey." That was before anyone, child or adult, had seen such manga, but today whole magazines of just golf manga are selling very well. I opened up new territory that way. I was a pioneer. (Laughs)
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~,~
\ -!1\•=
~ -r ~, n-r~ ~ J t:t.~ , m~ ~w .ov~•v-r-•~~0
Calvin: "Childhood is for:.m:1oiling adulthood." -+ XIJ~M -=> --c, ~AM f .tF'@u: 'tot.:&".> 1: Yonen-ki
~
~
~ ~
• childhood 'j: l.:f{l~O)'*M J
ih o
0)
a ru
no
~0 sa.
spoil/ruin
,
in order to exist(s) (explan.)(colloq.) l•t t.c t ' I.¥JJ1f~fi::J o Adulthood li I* A O)If.¥JVJJ :
'l nA-~'"' '
-.l.tt'•·
,
l}l.lt$fi-.J1tJ
o
The Days Au Ju.s1 Packed. copyright e 1993 Uni\'ersal Press Syndicate. All rights reseJVed. Reprinted/translated by permi~~ion of Editors Press Sen ice, N.Y.
34 Mangajin
CAL'm~ ~s ~'fSW.ICIJSL'{
~US
ONL'{ OOPE IS 'Tt) CALL 1-\8...1>! P\JS"\N() 'flint r>U.. \\IS M\()HT, C~'.JIN 0\r.l..S 1\\£. G\GI\NT\C lti...E?t\~'t.! ~
SHRIJN\( "R:> ~£. 511.£ Of ~N
\NSt.G.'
"Calvin has mysteriousiWtshrunk to the size of an insect!" 'fJ Jv "/1 :..- fp ..-f~1iJ 1: b
1: *ffi 1v --c- L- i '? t..: !
Calvin
Karuvin
ga
<
fukakai ni mo
konchii kurai
(subj.) strangely/mysteriously insect .:A.t,•?f~'-'
(lt,..~o•.,U~
lit!R::k,
• thesizeof an insect li
about
no
okisa
ni
chijinde shimatta!
s
size
to
shrunk ·(regret)
I:Jh
.$. - ~< C,i..-'(/)*~~J o
"tiis only hope is to call for help! Pushi~ with all his might. Calvin dials themi~antic telephone!" *J5 "C' WJ~t if ;j(t\6~ 12J.)'}I: , ::EJ.;. li /j:l.-' o i?i1J 'f fX-?"(, Demva de rasuke o
moromeru
igai ni,
nozomi wa
phone with help (obj.) ask for/seck other than
til!5
'fJ Jv r11 :..- li 8}( /j: Kantvin
(J)
.Y 1-f Jv
~
IID"t!
daiyaru
o
mawasu!
wa kyodai-na demva no
Calvin
as-for
huge
phone
s
dial
(, t
t;'t
-tl'M l<
t,o•<,
0
r1J It''? 1!1.-''
o
furishibotte.
..,
to
1£:1J ~ ~ < l "( J
0
Calvin: "U's ringing! He runs to the mouthpiece! Will anyone be able to hear him??" -+ m:;m fJ' /j:-?"Z:''-''o! tJJv 11 :..- li ~!5u(J) ~~o 1: }Eo ! Demva ga
natte·iru!
Karuvin
phone (subj.)
is ringing
Calvin
;1:13
f.
~gc (/) J!f kare no koe
li
Aite
wa
wa juwaki no sowaguchi ni hashint! as-for handset 's mouthpiece to
-IJ' [}f) ~I& n .o
ga
kikitoreru
t:. ~ -7 1J'?? I wonder
Calvin: "Bzz Bz! Bzzzz! Bzz Bzz! Bzzz Bz!" -+ 7 ' / / , / / ! / - / ! / / / , 7 ' / / ! Bubw1,
bun!
Bu-n!
Bubun,
bubun!
Father : "Calvin. this had better not bec;ou." -+ tJ Jv '11 :..- , 33 1 ;t t!. '? t.: t.: t!. Karuvin, Calvin
omae
dattara
you
if it is
(t~
l
tada
run
daro ka
other party as-for he/him ' s voice (subj.) be able to hear
0
Zenryoku
(obj.) spin/tum
.... A. t>
• to call for help li.ftiJ It~ ;.J(ao .0 t..: 161: ~~5-t .0.:. • with all one's might (j:
nai.
(a) hope as-for not e)(iSt all (one's) might (obj.) squeeze out/exert
--c-
li
de
wa
/ - /, //! Bu-n, bun!
-t i
1v
s11man
-t'o zo.
nothing with as-for won' t end (masc. emph.) ~I')
~1t'';:
''?1!1..
I'H•~
->--1
• Bzz li!il,"/J'/ ///~ lj:,O {f~ff-"t ~J!f~ii'o lj:.f:3 , - AX I:Iibuzz C t~ '? ·c ~~P],
"' .0 0 • had{, r,better not::.. (ljji:Jf~Jii~Pl) li ,,~..,,,.!:'~ ~
~"(l,llh~
r lij: "' li ? -IJ~ J: "'/"C' ij: "' li ? -IJ' J: ", J o
I:Jfi'-''~o M"~mli hadbetter ...
<,•'l~<
6•o
!:'~~
t~
lli1Jt.liJc VCffl
~;.. ~
,'[!,15- ~ft "' ~11: ~-to t ~
rL- t..:li-JfJ'.l:'-''J o
The Essential Ca/vi11 & Hobbes. copyright II:> 1988 Universal Press Syndicate. All rights reserved. Reprinted/translated by pcnnission of Editors Press Service, N.Y.
Mangajin 35
~
mJJ?.1-t m~! 1f ~
7'7 '/ 7 :J... • tJ /;'\.=.-
by
Deluxe Company
Zusetsu Gendai Yoga Benran
A Visual Glossary of Modern Terms
Koichiro: ih,
:f- 7, ::1 - 1
A.
boku.
(intcrj.) 1/me
+ o- -z:-t o
Koichirrl
~t.t
fiJl B
c, .. .
desu. Ashita hima nara . . .
(name)
is
tomorrow
if free
" Hi, this is Koichiro. If you' re free tomorrow-" (PL2) Lady Friend: ih, -!? .t -::> c t'if-::> -r :f- o A,
chotro
matle
ne.
(interj.) a lillie/a moment wait-(request) (colloq.)
.:f -r
"I
+ ;t; /
Kyatchi-hon
-/){
A. -::> t.:.
!l) o
ga
haitra
no.
call waiting/another call (subj.) came in (explan.)
''Oh, wait just a second, okay? I received a call waiting (signal)." " Oh wajjjust a second, okay? I've got another call." (PL2) • a is essentially an interjection of recognition/making a connection. It can be
• • • •
used as an informal ''hi" when reaching someone on the phone or running into them in the hall/on the street: it can also be used like ·'oh'' to express a sudden thought/realization/awareness of something. hima refers to "free/idle/leisure time," and nara makes a conditional meaning, so hima nara =''if you are free." matre is the -re form of ma/Sit ("wait"), here being used to make an informal request. ne is like the colloquial tag, "okay?" which expects him to agree/consent. kyarchi-hon. from English "catch phone." is one of the names used for "call waiti ng" in Japan. A less polite term used sometimes is warikomi denwa, from the noun form of warikomu ("force/push one's way in/butt in on [something]") plus denwa (''phone !call)"): roughly. "a butt-in phone call."
Man: ~ ~iS~ 1~ -::> t.:. t i , fPJ Juwaki
mafia
handset
holding
ilLv'-r
mama. nani as is
what
naite
Jut.!. J: - o 11
da
yo.
are crying (explan.) (emph.)
"What're vou (.standing there) with the phone in ):OUr hand crying for?" (PL2) Koichiro: -? 0 -? ... U1 U Sob sob (effect of being choked up/crying) Narration: .:f -r ·y + J: -::> -r -f (J) ff:f£ ~
* / ':.
Kvatchi-hon
ni yo11e
sono
sonzai
o
call waiting
by/owing to that's/his existence (obj.)
_tt::h.C,:h.f.:.
!'1.l, ::J-17-D- l'""0 -::> f.:. o
wasurerareta owko, was forgoncn
man
Koiclrir(}
de ana.
(name)
was
This was KOichiro: the man whose existence had been f!!rg9tten on account ofcaJlWaitini (PL2) • juwaki literally refers to the " telephone handset/receiver," and motta is the plain/abrupt past form of mmstt ("hold"). The particle o. to mark juwaki as the direct object of moua, has been omitted. • mama =··as is/unchanged,'" so moua mama means "with the handset held in
• • • •
© Deluxe Company, All rights reserved.
First published in Japan in 1993 by Futabasha, Tokyo.
•
your hand and doing nothing else"- in this case referring to the fact that he's just holding the phone and crying. instead of talking, as he would normally be expected to do. naite n is a contraction of naire-iru no, the progressive ("is/are - ing") form of naku ("cry'') plus the explanatory no. indicating he wants an explanation of the situation. sono =''that's" in the sense of "belonging to that/of that," but in this case "that'' refers to Kiiichirii, so it means "his.'' wasurerarera is the plain/abrupt past form of wasurerareru ("be forgotten"), the passi ve of wasureru ("forget"). Sonzai o wasurerareru =''have one's existence forgotten:· kyatchi-hon ni yo11e sono sonzai o wasurerare/a is a complete thought/sentence ("[he] had his existence forgotten on account of call waiting") modifying otoko ("man"). de alia is the plain/abrupt past form of de aru, a more formalt'literary" equivalent of da/desu ("is/are'').
[ English translation rights arranged through Futabasha.
Mangajin 45
~
mIY! 1-t m~B-19! Jl
by
7· 7 -;; 7 "A • tJ / ;"\..:::.Deluxe Company
Zusetsu Gendai Yogo Benran
Sound FX: I! -t! ~~ r { Pi po pa pe (sound of dialing touchtone phone)
A Visual Glossary of Modern Terms
Man: ~ t.:.
f£11~
-IJ'
J:, i-:> t.:.
Mota
rusu
ka
yo.
< ...
mauaku ...
again absent from home (?) (emph.)
(exasp.)
" Is she out a~ain? Sheesh!" (PL2) • m su refers to one's absence from home. • mauaku (literally "completely/entirely"). is often used as an exclamation of exasperation.
Narration: -f (f) Sono
koro
that's upproximatc time
Sound FX:
Meanwhile
~ Jv Jv Jv ... ~ Jv Jv ... ~ Jv '"' To ru ru ru ... 10 ru ru . . . ro ru ru
Rinnng • .. rinn2 ... rinng._._. (sound of telephone ringing) Sound FX: ;f. 1 ;t! 1 (effect of tos ing/throwing re latively Poi poi small and light things aside) Woman: 7j: It' , 7j: "' ! ~ Ri!i ?.if -IJ~ 7j: 1.- ' ! Nai.
nail
Juwaki
go
nail
is not here is not here handset (subj.) is not here
" I can ' t find !hi can ' t find it! I can't find the handset." (PL2) SoundFX : 71-+t -:::!') Gasa goso
(effect of moving paper/objects around)
Woman: a?-:> t.: !! Ana! ex istedlis here
''1 found it!" (PL2) Sound FX: Jv Jv Jv, 7' "I Ru ru ru, pu!
(ringing followed by effect o f the sound suddenly breaking off/being cut oft) Woman: (t t' l;JJ-:> -1? ~-:> t.: o Kedo but
kirchaua. hung up-(regret)
" But they hung up." (PL2) Narration: 1) -'E :J / t :J - r v :J.. li J: Rimokon
10
remote control and
kodoresu cordless
<
wa yoku
r
~ 1: 7j: ¢ o maigo ni naru.
as-for often lost/astray become
(Television) remotes and cordless (phone handsets) often 20 astrav. • aua is the plain/abrupt past form of aru ("exist"), so it's literally the state•
• • • © Deluxe Company. All rights reserved.
First published in Japan in 1993 by Futabasha, Tokyo. English translation rights arranged through Futabasha.
46 Mangajin
)
menr "[It] existed." It"s often used idiomatically as an exclamation for w hen one finds what one is looking for, like English " I found it!" kircharra is a contraction of kiue shimaua, the -re form of kiru ("cut." or in the case of a phone, "hang up") plus the plain/abrupt past form of shimau ("end/finish/put away''). A form of shimau after the-re form of a verb implies the action or its result is regrettable/undesirable. The subject of this verb is the party on the other end. rimokon is abbreviated from rimoto komororu, the cumbersome katakana rendering of " remote control. •• Kodoresu is a katakana rendering of "cordless." yoku is the adverb form of iilyoi ("good/fine''). here meaning "often/frequently" rather than "well.·· maigo is written with kanji meaning "be confused/go astray" and "child,'' so maigo ni naru literally refers to a child "becoming lost." Adult speakers are more likely to use the verb mayou when speaking of becoming lost, but they can informally use maigo ni naru without it sounding panicularly funny. Using the expression for inanimate objects, though. is distinctly humorous.
~m~1-t ffl ~! 1J!~
by
Zusetsu Gendai Yi5go Benran
A Visual Glossary of Modern Terms
Man :
77-:;7:A • tJ/;"\..::..Deluxe Company
JiJ, :t v, 4- iJ' ~
1m J.>
J:: o
A,
kaeru
yo.
ore, ima kara
(interj.) Ume now From will return home (emph.)
" Hi, it's me. I'm just s tarting home now." (PL2) • a is an interjection of recognition that's often used as an informal " hi," when reaching someone on the phone or meeting them in the hall/on the street. • ore is a rough/masculine word for ''lime."
0
Sound FX : .:¥.,·;; G I.
C reak (a dull and very b rie f "creak" from opening door; a more s ustained creak would be gii) Man:
b-? Fii " Whe w" (sigh of fatigue/relief)
Sound FX :
J~-t
Pachi C lick (flicking light switch o n)
GJ
Messa~: JiJ, :t v , 4-
iJ' ~
1fff -0
J:: o
A, ore, ima kara kaeru yo. (interj.) Ume now from will return home (emph.)
Sound FX:
" Hi it's m e. l'mius t s tartinl! home now." (PL2) t: ·;; Pi! BeeR (beep after final message on answering machine)
v
(!) J!ii L.. i.P ore no koe shika
Man: -t-'-:>,i'IJ Yappari
:;f
after all/as expected Ume
A-:>"lv'Jj:v ' o haitte-inai.
's voice only
(not) recorded
"As expected, o nly my own voice is recorded." "As us ua l m v own message is the o nly_o n e." (PL2) Narration:
mt iJ' ~ b
fi1 <;H~ Dare kara mo rusuroku
(!)
A ~ 1j: It'
110
hairanai
~ ';t, otoko wa,
not from anyone message (subj.) not come/be recorded man as-for
.:. -? L.. koshite
-r
in this way
t -:> t ;f,X L.. <
1j: J.>
(!)
motto sabishiku naru
no
more
lonely
1: JiJ -:> t.:. 0
becomes (explan.)
de ana. was
In this wav. the man who received m essal!es from no o ne came to feel even lonelie r . (PL2)
© Deluxe Company. All rights reserved. Fin;t published in Japan in 1993 by Ftllabasha, Tokyo. English translation rights arranged through Futabasha.
• yappari, a colloquial yahari, implies that something fits one's expectations. • shika works together with a negative (- nai) later in the sentence to mean "only." Haille-inai is the negative form of haitte-iru (literally, "is inside"). which in the context of a tape-recorder/answering machine means "is recorded." The phrase- shika haitle-inai means ·'only- is recorded." • dare by itself is the question word "who," but followed by mo + negative it means " no one/not anyone." Inserting kara ("from") between dare and mo makes it "not from anyone." • rusu refers to a person's absence from home, and roku refers to a " record/ recording," so rusuroku implies a recording made during one's absence i.e., a message o n an answering machine. Telephone answering machines are known as rusuban denwa in Japanese. Rusuban is the traditional word used for the task of guarding/watching the house while everyone else is away, so a rusuban denwa is a telephone that takes phone messages while you are away, and rusuroku is the term for referring to those messages. • hairanai is the negative of hairu (literally, "enter/go in/come in"), so rusurokuno (=ga) lwiranai ="messages don't come in." This complete thought/sentence modifies otoko ("man"): "the man for whom messages don't come in from anyone." The subject marker ga often changes to no in modifying clauses. • sabishiku is the adverb form of sabishii ("lonely''). The adverb form of an adjective plus naru ("become'') implies either "become(s) that quality,'' or '·become(s) even more that quality." In this case motto ("more") helps indicate the latter meaning. • de alta is the plain/abrupt past form of de aru, a more formal!'' literary" equivalent of da/desu ("is/are").
Mangajin 47
A Visual Glossary of Modern Terms
F e atur e • S t o r y
Pop .\fusic ""nrru~dfrom
page 19)
i;; dominated by Kirihara's accordion and bac ked by Kubo's guitar plus bas and drums. \ 'ocali t Kirihara's lyrics are surreal meditations on subjects from Japanese tourists shopping overseas to the depressing urban landscape of "No Love Lost": " Broken bicycle/Crushed fruit on the street!The clouds in the sky don' t seem nice at all." The elories have gained a loyal cult followin g in Britai n, where they played live gigs in addition to recording a session for Radio One's John Peel. The duo have released four C Ds. Their first fulllength album, Mellow Yellow Fellow Nelories, was recently released in the United States on the He llo Recording indie label. Pizzicato Five (!! -T 7J 7 7 1 ·~l) is another Japanese act that has set its sights on the American market. Last year the band appeared at the New Music Seminar's " Psycho Nite" Japan showca e. and M atador Records will release their US debut album in June. This delightfully bizarre trio (never mind the " Five") is fronted by fashion plate Nomiya Maki. Describing PS's music isn't easy. Nomiya, Konishi Yasuharu, and Takahashi Keitaro are obviously keen students of '60s pop culture, which they refract through their Japanese sensibility. The result is gems like "Twiggy v . James Bond," which immediately conjures up images of sports cars chasing each other along the Ri viera, or tongue-in-cheek ersatz psychedelia like " Magic Carpet Ride" (not the Steppenwolf chestnut), which appears on the band's latest Japan album, Bossa Nova 2001, as well as on their US album, Made in USA. What could be Pizzicato Five's strongest selling point outside Japan is their brilliant use of videos, in which Nomiya adopts an amazing variety of pop personae. The Boredoms hail from Kansai, but their industrial thrash metal bears no resemblance to the pop of Shonen Kni fe and the Nelo ries. Boredoms' lead singer Eye Yamatsuka achieved notoriety in the early '80s with the band The Hanatarashi (-if · I \ T -9 7 :/ ). known for violent performances. One legendary Hanatarashi gig featured a backhoe which the band used to chase audience members around until they smashed it into a wall. A show by the six-member Boredoms is less a concert than an all-out attac k on the senses. The songs have titles like ·'Greatborefull Dead" and "Cory & the Mandara Suicide Pyramid Action or Gas Satori." The mosh pit in front of the stage resembles a mix master set on liquefy, full of fan s bent o n causing and/or sustaining gross bodily harm. The Boredoms' latest album, Pop Tarari, was re leased by Warner in the United States last fall, and they are expected to take part in this summer's Lollapalooza concert tour. The group is part of a Japanese underground scene that manages to survi ve in the face of massive public indifference. This is rebellious music, but not in the narrow, po litical sense. The extreme, over-the-top music of the Boredoms, Daihakase, Captain Condoms, UFO or Die and Dowser is designed to disrupt the complacency of what they see as a conformist society.
~ ~5l ~ 1-t ffl ~i} ~ ~ Zusetsu Gendai Yoga Binran
r•
(co111inued 0 11 J>af:e 50)
?.!\?.!! ~ 7 7 / 11ersttretsu-11a fan • gil( = Ill i!i!Jii,!-i # slmtme11/ ,'t',,UC7) shusshinno • resemblance ='l!!fU rtti).i • notoriety = :11:: r, akWII\'6/:/l.':,if akultro • backhoe = 1 < / 7 :t. 7 ( -~P.cnffi!j'jiJI~) /iakku/ul(isslw no kus,,-c;kuki) • mosh pit = 7 7 / IJf~ i ..., "(.j1jl L. 7.. i" - ;; liil C7) A-"<:- A fan t?O aWmlatte o~hiai he.fhiai suru suti'ji mae 110 .m pi'su • mixmaster = Jflj[;:;J.qJll\ l!l1 ha1111iit'ltiiriki • c uh following= en~tJ • hail from=
48 Mangajin
,.------------ - ----., CCl Deluxe Company. All righh r,•,erved. Fir" published m Japan in 199:\ by Ftnah:hha. Tokyo. Fn!!h
by
7 7
·y
7 'A • tJ /
1~
=- -
/Deluxe Company
mm
2;H 1.1'0 'Jdit~~lt..: :tm10 'rfn'iS kai;/w kara shikr17 sarera nengan 110 keirai demt•a. jo.ining company third year in/having become company from w
t.: L""C
swmen-me
ni shire
Narratio n: AH:
N\'o7slia
The long-~nvai ted mobile phone, fimllly issued !!y...my_company in my t hird year of eJllplo~ment. (PL2) Narration: .: ~l "t" .t:;h (, Kore de lhl'
'i1'~7 / eigyo-ma11
0 110
1\ ') ' ' ')
ore mo
baribari
~ !! sa.'
\\llh 1/mc al'o (ripping/energetic FX) of ,;o\c
Now 1. too, a m a ha rd-driving salesman. (PL2) • the narration in the first three panel~ repre~ents the man· s interior monologue. • 111'17., /w combines the kanji for "enter" and ··company:· to refer to a person·~ ""hiring by/joining·· a company. • .;11e indicates places in sequence. so .m1111e11·me is ""third year:· The phra~e ... 11i .1/tire plays many different roles: here it can be thought of as a fancy 11i ("in" - i.e.. "in the third year:· empha~i£ing the time frame) or as equivalent toni 1Wtte ('"having become:· from llttru. "become·· - i.e.. "having become/reached/arrived at the third year'"). • sltikyt7 .mreta is the past form of sltikyt7 sareru. passive of sltikyt7 sum (""issue/supply"'). Ny17slta SWIIIl'll·me ni shire kaislta kara sltikyt7 sarera is a complete ~entence ('"was issued by my company in my third year of employment") modifying 11enga11no keirai deml'a (""long awaited mobile phone"). The line is merely a modified noun. not a complete sentence. It essentially sets the topic for what follows. • harihari is an FX word both for "tearing/ripping." and for working ··vigorously/energetically.'" • eigyii typically refers to a company's "sales/marketing." so eigyli-ma11 is an employee engaged in drumming up busine'' for the company.
[D
~ -:~ f- < !l!i !J:. t.:
Narr ation: J: L , Yn.\111.
safsoku
'•l1n~ L -r
't' {J
kanojo ni
de1110
h. J: 1
de11u·a shire
A
n1iyii.
good/all ngh1 rogh1 away girlfriend 10 or ~omconc make phone c:oll shall II)
All right. I will right away try calling my girlfriend (or someone). I k now. I' ll try it out by_calling my girlfriend. (PL2)
Nar ratio n:
t -c J: o
.:!vlj:
Mme
Konno
wa il
yo.
A ::l~
0
•I•
hirogomi no naka
(emph.) I hi" kind of
crowd
t.:~·
';J:"fn'Lv'
lj: o
ja
ha:.ukashii
no.
·, in,idc if il b i' embarrassing (colloq.)
Wait a minute. It' d b~em ba rrassing (to ma ke the calif in a crowd like this. (PL2) • yoflti is an exclamatory/interjectory form of the adjective iilyoi ('"good/fine""). It's often used to show that one is ready to begin an action ("okay/all right, r m gonna do it/let"s do it"): here the feeling is more like ''All right. I know what 1"11 do .. :· • demo literally means "or something/someone/someplace/etc.:· bu1 it"s often u~ed merely as a "softener" without carrying it<, literal meaning. He would not use demo if there weren't any other possibilities. but he's not really thinling he might call <,omcone else. • deml'll ="telephone/phone call" and denwa sum (shire is the-re form of .H mt) i~ one way to say ··make a phone call." • miyii is the volitional "le!"s/1 shall" form of mint (''look"). which after the -re form of another verb males an expression meaning "try doing (the action).'' • mate is the plain/abrupt command form of ma/.1'11 ("wait"). • ltirogomi = "crowd/throng of people."' and ltitogomi no 11aka = " in a crowd."
0
Nar ration: n' C v' "'""C Ka to ille
~~tt.t 1iJ!IW n'":> t~ t lliln'ht..:l?
~
t.: ~~.~? hJ.J o
klislu7 toire kara da ro
lien
11i omoomrem.
kikarerara
having 'atd !hal public toile! from if il i' of I am overheard strange 10 will be though!
On the other hand,jf (I call) from a public toilet and people hear me,_ the ' II think I ' m weird. (PL2) Man: ,,_1' 'tv , 't v 0 Ji: ~(? Ht7i.
ore.
ore.
hi/hello
1/mc
Umc heahhy/energcuc
Genki?
" Hi! It's me, it 's me. How' re ya d oin'?" (PL2) Nar ration: t:, ~ Lt. 1 ,
t'.: n' I?
n'tt:ttli
v''-'
lvt~? !
• ka 10 irre is an expression for "having said that/ though that may be the case/on the other hand." N!l~r is normally read be11jo, one of many words for "toilet"; wire, a kat akana rendering of "toilet'' (loirello occurs only rarely). is u\ed at least as frequemly as be11jo today. it's not uncommon for da or desu ("i<,/are"') to stand in for another verb. Here it essentially substitutes for demm mrtt ("'make a phone call"): klislu7 roire kara demm ,\·uru ro ="if I call from a public toilet:· kikarewra "a conditional "if/when" form of kikarertt ("be heard/overheard"). pas~ive form of kiku ('"listen"). nmo11·arem i., the passive form of omou ("think'"): ltenni omo,.arertt ="be thought strange." cluki.\hii i\ a variation of chikusho. literally meaning "beast" and often used as an expletive of chagrin: "Damn!·· demt·a o kakem is another way to say "'make a phone call." Kakereba here is a conditional "if/when" form of kakem. The form ... lm ii in a question typically asks what a per~on "is 7 •J +t- I?~/-.., , .B h ... 4,_ Fl ~- .. . expected/supposed to"' do. A risa·clum. ore. . . kwl sii . . . • sli da (literally. " [it! is so/that way") is often an exclamation (name-dim.) \/me today (colloq.) expressing a sudden realization/thought/idea, like "Oh, ''(Hi,) Arisa, I ... today. like, ..." I know/that' s it!"
Sil da! (explel.) where from if m~okc phone cull is good/OK (explan.-is?) !hat way i> Damn, wher e a m I SJ!PJlOSed to call from? 0!!, I know! (PL I ; 2) Chikishii.
• •
• • • •
Man:
doko kara
kakereba
ii
11
da?
"(Hi,) Arisa. guess what I got today." (PL2)
Mangapn 49
0·-~~ii~~~
F e a t u r e • S t o r y
Pop Jlusic -dfrom (Hlgt 48)
That urge to break out of the mold also powered Ozaki Yutaka ( ~llio;.!hs mu ic. But Ozaki· s medium of choice wa trippeddown. old-school rock ' n' roll, which gave it mass audience appeal. His 1983 debut, Seventeen's Map, contained songs that gave 'oice to young people's frustrations with society, especially
OL Shinkaron
school.
In 1987 Ozaki was found guilty of possessing amphetamines but he managed to continue his career. He died at the age of 26 in 1992, after he wa found drunk and naked on a Tokyo street at 5 AM the same day. Official cause of death was pulmo nary edema----excess accumulation of fluid in the lungs. In the late eighties the late-night TV program "Jkaten" featured amateur and semi-pro bands and spawned the "band boom." This blast of raw rock ' n' roll frightened people in the business who were accustomed to dealing with packaged talent. The band boom had little lasting impact, however. with the odd band uch as Tarna (t::. 1) managing to carve out a career despite the boom' collapse. The eighties also saw the " live house" club scene produce great no-nonsense rock bands like the Blue Hearts (whose material is available from Portland, Oregon's Juggler Records) and the Street Sliders. The cramped, smoky confines of the myriad of live houses in major Japanese cities are the best place to check out new talent before the producers smooth out the rough edges. The tendency toward a bland, anonymous sound remains o ne of mainstream Japanese pop's big weaknesses. Hom sections arc wimpy and there's too much emphasis on computer-programmed music, resulting in music with a smooth veneer but little ubstance. It pays to hop around to find the gems that exist in the midst of the pop pabulum. These days, artists who dominate the Japanese hit charts are those who manage to get their songs used as themes for TV commercials or dramas. This "tie-up" phenomenon has resulted in huge growth in the CD singles market (COs-albums and singles- account for over 90 percent o f prerecorded music sales in Japan) and has he lped the Japanese record business grow despite the recession. For the record (no pun intended), production o f audio oft ware in Japan in 1993 totaled 417.73 million units, up 12% over 1992, with a wholesale value of 5 13.68 billion yen ($4.89 billion), up 7%. Japan is the second-biggest music market in the world. Another interesting bit of data is that foreign music accounts for roughly a quarter of the market.
tJ t.t. v < •L' ? 1.' It tt ftC
At l ' l l
t:.•. ~
The most successful pop act in Japan at present is undoubtedly the trio Dreams Come True, whose 1992 album, The Swinging S1ar, is Japan ' s all-time top-selling album at over 3.2 million copies. While the production style is slick, Yoshida Miwa (}fiB ~ {LI)'s vocals arc strong for a mainstream pop act. Other Japanese mega-acts these days include Chagc & Asuka (+ -t 7' & JIH~). who likewise favor a smooth. pop ound. and Kome Ko me Club (COIIIilllll'lf 1111 f'O!il'
1.> l
~
A
52)
• raw rock'n'roll =filii IJ ~(Q)~ ~' D "/ 7 / U- II- ka:arike 1111110i rokkmtroru • carve ou1 a career = (11·',\!j';~U:: L. "( Q)) -"\'- '\' ') 7 a-1;11 I) 1~1 ( (ongok~a ro shire no) kyaria o kirihirak11 • anonymow, = ·f~lt'l;(l) ~ ~' kosei no nai • wimpy = l)\)1.' yowai · pabulum= ln..J
50 Mangajin
:t.; tJ•
~
Akizuki Risu. Al l righl' reserved. Firs! publi,hcd in Japan in 1991 by Kodan~ha Lld., Tokyo. Engli>h translation righl> arranged lhrough Kodan;ha Lid.
by ~:k ,t=J ~ Mother : ~ U Kaislla
1.:
t±
·ttl tt. t:.
iJ'"'?
ni
wa
nareta
kai?
company to as-for became accustomed
i'I
Akizuki Ris u
(?)
" Have you gotten used to your new job?" (PL2) New O L: ') lv Un.
" Uh-huh" (PL2) • kaislla is literally "company/firm," but it's often used in si tuations where an English speaker would more likely say "work/the office." Here it's a question having to do with new employment, so "new job" seems more appropriate. • nareta is the plain/abrupt past form of nareru ("grow accustomed to"). • kai makes a softer/ less abrupt question than ka: i!'s reserved for informal use.
Mother: "' t.: b ¢ ~ .!JCJI. ljiwaru·na
senpai
mean
semors people like
toka
inai? not exist?
"No sen pai who are_mean to you?" (PL2) NewOL: "'~"'
#lv~ "<"~ l..v'
J: o
lnai
yo.
Minna
yasasllii
J: o yo.
not exist (cmph.) everYone kind/nice (emph.-is)
"No e veryone's nice." (PL2) • senpai refers to anyone who is one's ''senior" in a given group- here. the group of OLs at her workplace by virtue of having entered the group before oneself. • ... roka ="things/people/places/etc. li ke ... " • inai is the negative form of iru ("exist" for people and other animate things). The mother speaks the word with the intonation of a question. • in informal situations. the emphatic panicle yo by itself can function as desu yo ("is/arc/will be" + emph.). especially in female speech.
Mother: 1:71'7
-:>1:' ue
Sekullara
"'oJ iu
(J)?
no?
lit?,
1::.151
Hora.
joslli
nt
"''<"!?Lit'
7~·
L.t:.IJ .. .
iyarasllii
mane
sllitari .. .
ga
sex ua l harassment (quote) say/called (explan.) (interj.) superior (subj.) disagreeable/indecent behavior do 1hings like
" Is it called sexua l harassment? You know wher e vour super iors behave indecently ..." (PL2) New O L:
~1. 1 ,
Nai.
~lt' o
nai.
not exist not exist
"No noJ the re's nothing like that)." (PL2) • sekuhara is the Japanese adaptation of English "sexual harassment.'" abbreviated from the full katakana rendering, sekushuaru /zarasumelllo. • hora is often used to call a person's attention to something, like " here/look/see/watch,'' but this use is more like "you know." • joslri refers to a person's superiors in the corporate hierarchy, especially the boss he/she reports to directly. • iyarashii, like iya(-na) from which it comes. means "disagreeable/offensi ve,'' but iyarasllii is the preferred form when the offensiveness is of an "indecent/lascivious/amorous" nature. • mane by itself means "imitation/ mimicry." but an adjective followed by mane (o) suru makes an expression meaning "behave (in the described manner)." Suru here occurs in its -tori form. shitari : the -rari form of a verb implies that the action is one of several possible actions.
GJ
Mother : t.: ~ iPJ Jli
~, sa.
1) / (J) 1J "I 7' Jv t -lr fit· ... furin no kappuru toka
7 ... 7
then/in that case (colloq.) immorality
of
f±? wa?
couples people like as-for
"Then (how a bout) couQies who are having affairs?" (PL2) New OL: ~il'-~lv. ·L·ft~ L"t"
shinpai shite kurete·nt wake worrying for me
situation
ja nai
n
dane?
is not (explan.) is it?
" It's not (r eallv) that .}'Ou' re wor r ied about me, is it, Mother?" (PL2) jli (or ja) is a contraction of dewa ("in that case/then"). sa (or sometimes sli) is a particle used colloquially as a kind of verbal pause. furin ("immorality") commonly refers to extramarital affairs. kappuru is a katakana rendering of English "couple:· It can refer to any "couple,'' as opposed to jlifu. which is used only for married couples. • shinpai is a noun meaning "worry/concern/fear:· and shinpai shite is the -te form of the verb sllinpai suru . • kurete-ru is a contraction of kurere-iru, from kureru ("give [to me]"). Kureru after a -te form implies that an action done by someone else benefits/is done on behalf of the speaker or subject. • ... wake ja nai (or de wc1 nai) is like English "it's not that .. :· • 11 dais a contraction of explanatory no da, used here because she's stating the "explanation" that she has herself figured out regarding her mother's questions. Ne is like a tag seeking confirmation from the listener; "right?/isn't it?/(it's not ...), is it?'' • • • •
Mangapn 51
F e a t u r e • S t o r
y
Pop Jfusic I CN!trnu~d f rom page 50)
(** CLUB), who have moved toward MOR recently but whose roolS are in the rock/funk style. Other contemporary stars include pop songstress Nakayama ~1 iho (ffl LIJ~:f.J!.); Kubota Toshinobu (~ i* B3f1Jf$), who favors a black American style; the duo B' z; the veteran Southern All Stars, whose frontman, Kuwata Keisuke (~ B3{itti), is one of the Japan's true showmen; former idol Nakamori Akina ( ri~~I3Jl~). whose ups and downs are chronicled by Japan's lively weekly magazines; the pop/rock band Wands; the dance act trf; and heavy-metal/glam band X Japan, whose leader, drummer Yoshiki (usually written in romaji), recorded an album of orchestral music with Beatles producer George Martin. The Tokyo and Osaka club scenes continue to produce some of Japan's most interesting music. The cool acid jazz sounds of United Future Organization's latest, eponymously titled album was released in March in the United States on the Talkin ' Loud label. There 's Major Force, Cool Spoon, the pop-oriented Original Love, the ambient house of acts known as Dark-Eyed Kid, the Scha Dara Parr rap group, Takagi Kan
0 ~ii1C~ ,_,,.
OL Shinkaron 1\.'Lll~
T ,;:, Jll -b'
?
(J)
~
? L A-
I
~
Steve McClure is Tokyo Bureau Chief o f Billboard magazine.
c'
• chronicle= clcH~: C: 1/J ~/Jfi!C T ~ kiroku ni IOdomerulshojut.!u s uru • eponymous= )jjJ :g 17) domei no • nincd =f. T l±l T reo dao~u • cliche= ih IJ !!! f.:. I) 17) ('f.i:l;)/3? 1J h.~1.t.:. (;7.. '71 ill) arikiwri no (slmi!O)larifureta (sutaim)
=
© Akizuk i Risu, All rig hts reserved. First published in Japan in 199 1 by Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo. English
translation rights arranged through Kodansha Ltd.
52 Mangajin
by
GJ
Ll.JIII~A.
.f* }i
l~~t'iT
Othe r_ Part : iJ;(J)-, "'t?-=> Ano. Yamakawa-san irasshaimasu (interj.) (name-han.) is present ''Is Mr. Yamakawa in?" ( PL4) OL:
~
TI
Akizuki Risu
fJ'?
ka? (?)
li t.:.t!~t'i 9HI:I'i' l:t"o .:·f~d· 1J{.:·~"'ilt.:.t?71tt.:.ib1Jit"1J
LIJIII
• a11o is a hesitation word similar to "uhh/um." except that it sounds much more po lite. In a face-to-face encounter it is often like "Excuse me,.. but th at Eng lish phrase doesn' t seem quite natural in this situation. • irasshaimasu is from the intrinsicall y polite/ho norific verb irasslwru ("is present/comes/goes"). • since the workers in a company a ll belo ng to the same "group." Japanese refer to their co-workers without the honorific -san ("Mr./Ms." ) when speaking to someone outside the company, even when they would normally use -san in addressing the person directly. or whe n referring to him within the company. • gaishursu is a noun referring to the act o f "going out," and the suffi x -clul means " during/in the midst so gaislwrsu-chii = "in the midst of be ing out' ' "is out." • gozaimashirara is a conditional " if'' form of the PL4 verb gozaima.w. equivale nt to a nt ("exists/has/have"). • ukewmmvarimasu is the polite form o f the PL4 verb ukewmawaru , equi valent to kiku (''hear/listen to"). She "Would you like to leave a message?" lite rally says " If you have a message I will listen to it (but)"
or:·
0
Other
~arty:
*r*l
lliJII (!) "Z"T Yamakall'a 110 kanai desu (name) s wife is "This is Mrs. Yamakawa.
't c' tA
li i3
t)
it"
"Z"l
.1:.
7 n'?
kedo slwjin wa orimasu desluJ ka? but husband as-for is present I wonder if/is perhaps? I wonde r if m hus band is in?" (Pl4)
OL: "'"?~ i3t!t~t.:t.t-:>-ci3tJ iT o llJIII li 9H±l~ -r-t"tl{, "'n'IJ< "'t.:.l...i l...J:. 7 lrsumo o-sewa 11i naue-orimasu. Yamakawa wa gaisltutsu-clul desu ga, ikaga itashimasho always (hon.)-are receiving favors (name) as-for ou!laway is but. what way/how shall do " Thank vou for aU vour kindness. M r . Yamaka wa is away. How can I b e of assistan ce?" (PIA) • orimasu is the polite form of the PL4 (humble) verb oru. equivalent to iru ("exists/is presem"). • ... deshO ka asks a question. "I wo nder if (it/he/she) is ... ?/Is (it/he/she) perhaps ... ?"Using the PL3 (-masu) form before desha is a very polite style. .. ormal" politeness would be " . .. slwji11 u·a oru desho ka?" • itsumo o-sewa ni naue-orimasu is a po lite greeting that es entiall} thanks the listener for patronage/services or any kindness he/she may have done fo r the speaker. Sewa means "help/aid/favor,.. and sewa ni naru is an expression meaning " receive favor/aid/help." Naue-orimasu is a PL4 equivalent of naue-iru. the progressive ("am/is/are -ing") form of naru. so o-sewa ni nalle·iru (or orimasu) literally means "1/we are (always) receiving your favor." An OL saying this to a colleague's wife implies the wife's actions indirectly benefit the company; a wife might also say it to an OL because she knows the OL helps her husband in the cour~e of hb job. • ikaga is a PL4 equivalent of do ("what/what way/how"), and irashimasho is the polite voli tional ("let's/! shall") form of the PL4 verb irasu, equi valent to sun t ("do"). In a questi on the volitio nal form becomes "what shall we ... ?/who shall I ... ?/etc., so ikaga irashimasho ka = "what shall 1/we do?" • Osore-irimasu. • (gratitude) " l ' m ve.-y_much obli~" (Pl4) ~-:? ~-:? OL: -IT 3 7 ""("::: ~ ~' it" n'? f Sayo de gozaimasu ka? I Bwsu bw su • that way is it? (effect of mumbling on and on) ''Is that s o? I (etc. etc.)" (PlA) .:. ~ t? n' t? i3 at Jii ", t.:. l i T Q_L: 1t: 1i c' Nochi-hodo koch ira kara o -demva irashimasu. • later this side/direction from (hon.)-will call ''I'll caJJ you b ack later." (PL4) • o r ' 'I' ll have him r e turn vour call later ." ( PlA) - -
here our OL is simply practic ing at random a number of stock phrases used on the phone. osore-irimasu is the polite form of the PL4 verb osoreiru. which is similar to sum imasen in that it can be used either as an apology or an expression of gratitude. sayo is a formal equivalent of so ("that way") and de go::.aimasu is a PL4 equivalent of da/deSII ("is/arc"). so sayo de go'-llimasu =so desu ="it is so/that way." The quest.ion m~rker ka makes it " Is that soT .. 11oclu-lro:;to IS a more formal word for oro de. afterwards/ later on. kocltira l it~ral!y means "this side/direction:" but is often use~ as an tnd•rect. and therefore more pohte, way of refemng to oneself/one· sown company. Depending on context. this sentence could mean she will call back later herJ: o self, or that the absent person will return the call later. Arigato, okiisan. Mo ii yo. mother already good/okay (emph.) • o- is honorific, and itaslrimasu is the polite form of the thanks " Thanks, Mom. T hat' ll be_e n ough." ( PL2) PL4 verb irasu. equivalent to suru ("do"). so o-denll'a irashimasu = demm .mru = "make a phone call.'' It-:> .:. H ~ l ~ i.P-:> t.:. (!) 1.: o ' - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - 1 Mother: f.t 1-v t!. o Nan da. Kekko omoshirokaua no ni. • mt) ii is li terally "already good/fine." idiomatically what is it? quite/considerably was fun/enjoyable even though meaning ''that 's enough." • 11011 da by itself implies either disappointment or relief. " Oh. Even tho ug h it was quite fun. " "Alread y? I was havin~" (PL2) here the former. 0 L (!) 7 -r• omoshirokana is the past form of omoshiroi ("is fun/ Oeru enjoyable/interesting"). 110 Mana • 110 11i ("even though/a lthough''), especially at the end office lady 's manners OL E tiquette of sentence, can express regret/disappoi ntment.
Manga1in 53
0•-"~ii1Caffii
by
GJ
OL Shinkaron
tJ<) J
I')
TI
Akizuki Risu
.!& t) ~I~
New OL: J: l, I Yoshi.
torihiki
!JC
t.: tl!ilti't 1.> i'o
-saki
ni denwa suru zo.
oka)/all right transaction target/destination to
make call (emph.)
" All rightl l ' m_glling to call the client." (PL2) Sound FX: ::._· < Goku
Book T itle:
Gulp (effect of swallowing hard) -r !v ~? (f) ""<' -tDeml'(l no Mana telephone of manners
Telephone Manners • yoshi is an exclamatory/ interjectory form of the adjective iilyoi ("good/ fine"). It's often used to show that one is ready to begin an action ("okay/all right. I'm gonna do itllet's do it"). • torihiki-saki is a term referring to one' s business clients/contractors, from torihiki ("Lransactions/dealings'') and saki ( literally "tip/point," but also having many idiomatic meanings, including "destination/target"). • ;_o is a roughlma~culine particle for emphasis that female speakers use only in very informal situations, or when speaking to themselves.
[2J
NewOL:
HI*-*~*
-r-ttJ'? ~<'-::>ti:>t!t~i5t.:~-?'t'i:>IJ ;t'to
Ka wasaki-sama desu ka? ltswno
(namc-hon.)
is it?
o-sewa ni naue-orimasu.
always
(hon.)-are receiv ing favor
" Is this Mr. Kawasaki? You are alwavs doine us kind mvors. (T ha nk you.)" (PlA) Ka wasaki: ~<' -') ~ -') 1.:?
c: -')
Dii
iu
fti
ni?
how/what say/called manner in
"In what way?" "How so?" (PL2) • o-sewa ni naue-orimasu is a polite greeting used among people doing business wi th one another, essentially thanking the listener for his services or patronage. Here we use a rather literal trans lation because of the li ne that fo llows. • do iu (literally ·'what/how ay") means ·'what kind of." and.fi7 means "manner/style"). so dii iufti 11i = '' in what manner/way?"-+ ''how so?"
0
Sound FX: ' ' ' ' '" "/ Ba ba ba!
(effect of nipping pages roughly/violently) New OL:
l}- -?
Hii-! (cxclam.)
" Ai-yi-yi!" (exclamation of distress/panic) Kawasaki: ; t - 1 ! 3; it.-? ::: VJ lv o Vi! hey/yo
a-
Are?
Gomen
ne.
(inlerj.)
sorry
(colloq.)
" Yo! What hJ!m>ened? I' m sorry, okay?" (PL2) :,/ a - '7 / t.!. J: - o ;t - 1 o Jod{llr da yo. Vi! jokc/je!.l
is (emph.)
hey/yo
"It was just a ioke. Heyl" (PL2)
© Akizuki Risu, All rights reserved. First publi>hed in Japan in 1991 by Kodnnsha Lid., Tokyo. Engli~h translation rights arranged through Kodan
54 Mangajin
• the OL is desperately searching for the proper way of hand ling Mr. Kawasaki's unexpected response. Since o-sewa 11i naue-iru is a stock formula/greeting, one never actually asks what sewa ("favors") the speaker is referring to. Kawa~aki was playing a practical joke on the nervous newbie. • iii, with a long vowel, is used for trying to get the attention of someone relatively far away - appropriate in this case because she is away from the phone. It's informal. but does not have the abrupt/rough feel of the short oi. which is used to get someone's attention in c lo e proximity. • are (or are) is an interjection of surprise/bewilderment at someth ing unexpected. • gomen. from the honorific prefix go- and menjiru (''exempt/excuse"), has become an informal word for apologizing/begging pardon. • lengtheni ng the e mphatic yo simply gives it more emphasis.
0•-n~ii1~~
by
[Q
f:k fol
~
TI
Akizuki Risu
tali B. ~Iilli 1: Kondo no doyobi. eiga ni
Man: A,/'!f(!)
OL Shinkaron
thi~
Saturday movie
lrn'f..:l·'? ikanai?
to
not go?
" Won't you go to a movie ( with me) this Saturday?"
" Wanna_gQJo a movie Saturda_y'l" (PL2) OL: ~ -- -::>, ±Hill B -
Doyobii?
what?
Saturday
" Wha-a-at? Saturday?" (PL2) • kondo ("this time/occasion") can mean either ·'recent/recently" or "the upcoming/soon": kondo no + a weekday i~ always the !alter meaning. so kondo no doyobi =''this (coming) Saturday." • ikanai is the negative form of iku ("go"), here spoken with the intonation of a question. Negative questions are o ften used when making invitations/suggestions. Depending on context. they correspond to Engli ~h expressions like " Won' t you (have/go/come/try/etc.) ... ?":"Wouldn't you like (to) ... '[':or " Why not/why don't you ... ?" • £-!expresses strong surprise. or even alarm. as if she's being asked to do something unreasonable. or on too ~hon notice.
OL: -J - - lv,
"''~t.:v'
U- n. (intcrj.)
rt c' -:t, 1
ikitai
kedo-.
want to go
hut
R
c·-J
n'f.t.?
I smw hi
dii
ka 110?
.Jf: (!)
that day how is it I wonder
" Hmm, I 'd like to, but I wonder how that day is?"
" Hmm, I'd like to, but I'm_not sure J can." (PL2) 'I? .J: -::> c f;'f -::> -r tl .f.~~ .R. -r ;.,. J.:, 0
Chotto
ma11e
ne.
Techo
0
mite miru.
a linle/moment wait-(requcq) (colloq.) datchook try looking/checking
" Wait a second, okay? I'll check my datebook." (PL2) • t7n indicates she is pondering/considering how to an~wer. • ikitai is the " want to'' form of ik11 ("go"). • do kana? is literally " I wonder how it is," but it often carries the idiomatic meaning of " I wonder if it's possible" - • "I wonder if I can.'' or in this context, " I don't knowfl'm not sure i f I can.'' • clwuo malle (ne) is the standard expression for ''Wait a minute/second. (okay?)" in informal situations. More formally you would ~ay Cho11o malle kudasai. Chouo o-machi kudasi. or Shiishii n-machi kudo mi. • techo refers to any kind of small pocket notebook for taking notes, keeping track of dates and addresses. etc. The panicle o, to mark the direct object. has been omitted after techo. • mite is the -te form of miru ("look/sec"). Miru after the -te form o f a verb "check.'' means "try (doing the action)," so mite miru = ''try looking"
0
GJ
Sound FX: 7 / 7 / 7 / Fun fim fim (effect of humming)
OL: if?! A!
f!.v' L. .J: -J ~ h-f:. v' 0 I -J lv o
(intcrj.)
Daijobu
mitai.
okay/fine
looks like
I
Un.
uh-huh/ycs
" Oh! It looks okay. Uh-huh." (PL2)
OL:
~ ~~15
(!)
v ·:; .A/ Jill
Eikaill'a no ressw1 mae Eng. conv. of
le~son
(!) 110
B t: L -r 'b &? ") hi ni shite morau
n' &? o kara.
before of day to will ha\c it made because
"(Because) I' ll have my English conversation lesson switched to the day before." (PL2) • mitai (da/desu) after nouns. adjectives. and verbs implies "that's the way it looks/seems to be." Engli ~h ''le~son." The panicle o, to mark the direct object. has been omitted from after re.mm. • mae= "before" and mae nn hi= " the day before... • ... ni shite mnrau is from ... 11i wru. an expression meaning " make (something) into .. ./change (something) to .. :· Mnrau after the -te form of another verb implies having the action done by someone else. In thi s case, she means she will have her teacher switch the lesson to Friday.
• re.mm is the karakana rendering of
~
Ak i1uki Risu. All rights re,crvcd. liiN puhlished in
Japan in 199 1 by Kodan~ha Ltd .. Tokyo. English tran,latinn
right~
arranged through
Knclan~ha
Ltd.
Mangajin 55
Power Macs •nfl~li<"J jfll/11 f'
Language Kit will run on any Macintosh operating system later than S~'tem 7.1. and it performs very wel l on the Power M acs. Po\' er Macs began selling in Japan on March 31st, bundled with KanJiTal!... 7.1.2. a native-mode version of KanjiTalk for the PowerPC. :'\am e mode applications util ize all the new technology of the PowerPC chip. and run much faster than current application~. KanjiTalk users who upgrade to Power Macs will have to upgrade to this newest version of KanjiTalk. Japanese Language K it users who choose to upgrade to the PO\\er Mac can still use their existing version of JLK on the new hard'' are platfom1. Those buyers who wait to upgrade their system will get acces!> to :.ome of the next-generation PowerPC chips due in the second half of this year. These new PowerPC chips, the 603 and 604, (current Power Macs use the 60 I chip- there is no 602) will allow future Power Macs to run even fa~ter than those just released. and should eliminate some of the bugs that always tend to show up in new technology.
-Doug Horn
Kana-learning programs (COII/IIIIIl'd
from page 2-1 J
stack there are also exercises utilizing sports and the states of the union. There are some difficulties. of course. The use of English words to describe a Japanese sound often causes problems- rabbit for ra. ribbon for ri. for example. avigation in and out is accompli!>hed by using the typical Mac arrows. but movement is linear and slow. There is nothing on the menu bar that allows quick movement between stacks. Also. the hiragana program only covers the initial 46 kana. But in a real sense. who cares? These material)> are free. and even with the shortcomings they are better conceived and executed than some programs available commercially. The second program. ··world Geography·· version 1.0, is just what you'd expect it to be- a katakana learning program based on world geography. It is well conceived, focu~i ng excl usively on the names of countries throughout the world. Like the other programs. this one permits a variety of activitie!> to practice kana through listening and writing. My only complaint is that there are no I ist!. to help ~ tudents compare thei r English pronunciation with the written Japanese equivalent. Both programs are available on the I nternet from the Fl' P site FfP.I ntersc.tsukuba.ac.jp. This will be the preferred way to receive the program~. If you have no access to Internet. then they are available from Prof. Kazumi H ata~a. Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Stanley Coulter Hall, West Lafayette. I 47907. Send two formatted H D/ DD disks for each program and please figure out the postage in advance and include it on a self-addressed disk mailer. If you are a developer or a teacher. also consider looking at Devel opment Tools for Japanese Version 2.0 and Autoglos~. version 1.0. Both wi ll be extremely useful and also free. They too arc available from the Tsukuba FrP site. These programs represent the very best in what educational soft ware ~hou ld be. They are well conceived. nicel y programmed. and shared in the best way- as freeware. The Purdue group is to be thanked. and I hope others will follow suit and make their materials available in the same spirit.
- Fred Lorish
56 Mangajin
© Sato Ta\o.c"cmon. All right' rc,crvcd. Fir't published in Japan in 1993 by Futalxt,ha. Tokyo.
Engli'h lr:m,hJIIOil righb arranged lhrough FUiabm,ha.
Take'emon-ke no Hitobito I The Take' emon Clan by 1~HitT;b1lrPEJ Arrow:
I Sato Take'emon
*fi- A Shinnyli slwin newly entered company member/employee New E mplo.)'ee
P<
NewEmpl.l : /)d'JJ:- . / ::_ (J) FAX I? j!i '> --:-t (t;i)•C> H1"t~t,-t•-J I :.bit"t.O .l: o Kocho, I kono jakk11s11 ik11ro ·' rttre mo oto ~am dete kiclw11. I Kowarete-ru yo. section chief this fax how much •• 1f >end af1erward' come' out-(rcgrct) is broken (cmph.) "Chief, this machine k eep s s uittin" the fax bac k out afterwards no matter how m a n y times I (t r)' to) send it. I( _L broke n ." ( PL2) • kaclul means "section chief:· I ) , • ·· c4uivalent to ··manager" in U.S. corporate structure. It's standard for Japanese employees to refer to and addre~s their superiors by title rather than by name. • ik11ra (""how much'')+ a verb in the -te mo pattern makes an ex pression meaning. "no matter how much (Uyou) do the action.'' Okulle is the -Je form of ok11m ("send"). so ik11ra okune mo = "no matter how much/how many times I send (it)." • dele is the -te form of deru ("come/go ou t"). and kicluw is a contraction of kite silimou. the -Je form of kuru ("come") plus shimou ("end/fi nish/put away"), which after a -te form implies the action or its result is regrettable/ unwanted. • k01mrete-m is a conLraction of k01mrete-im ("is broken"). from kowareru ("break").
NewEmp1.2: :.it 77 ~:::1/ t t,'/){-) 1-v f~ 'bl-v o h'/J'Iv~~' J::t, 7')' t, J:H o Kore Famiko11 to chigau 11 do mo11. Woko1111ai \'0, Kocllo. this family computer/NES from different (explan.-is) because not understand/know how (emph.) \ection chief " Becau e this is diffe re nt from a Famikon, I don't know how (to run it), Chief.'' "But thi is diffe r e nt fro m a N inte ndo. I don' t have a clue, C hief." ( PL2) • Famiko11 i~ an abbreviation of famirii konpyl7tii. the full katakana rendering of "family computer." It is the regi~tered trade name used in Japan for the Nintendo Entertainment System. • ... 10 chigau ="is different from.'' • n damon h a contraction of no do mo110. which altogether can be thought o f as "because." • ll'akomwi is a colloquial contraction of ll'akarcmai. the negative fonn of ••·okaru (''[canl understand/comNew E m pl. 3 : /)•-=> 1', J: - !! ~ ;;6 1: lli "t J: o prehend"). Katclro! Dem m ni dete yu. • the lengthened vowel on the emphatic particle yo section chief telephone to con1elgo out-(requc;t) (emph.) suggests a whiny tone here and in the next frame. "Chief!! Pick up this p ho ne call, wi ll you?"
*
"Chief, take_this call, will you." ( PL2) <1) , f ? + li }.>f!~;et..t,~ t..:J ~ /v"'( , ~ :fr.$(~ :. t .. Uc/ri u·a o-10A11i-wnra do.. Ill/Ille. 11amoiki-na ko/0 ille-ywr no. koitsu 1/e ba. our co./\\e ao,-for steady cu,t.-(hon.) is/are (quote) bra~:en thing is saying-(derog.) (ex plan.) th i'> guy (quote) (ernph.) " H e's b e ing uppity a nd calling himself a ' favored c us tomer ' th~u.)'." (PL2)
0
f----
• demva = "telephone" and dete is the -te form of deru ("come/go out"). Denwa ni den1 means "come/go to the phone" or "take/pick up (a call)." The -te form is being used as an informal request. • uclli literally means "in~ide/wi thin" but is used frequently to refer to one's own house/family. company. or other group. Here it is the way the party on the other end refers to his own company/shop/organization. • tokui refer!. to a person's "forte/special ~kill(s)." but o-tok11i-sama is a word for "steady/favored customer." The new recruit thinks it's bntzen/audacious of the other party to use this honorific word instead of the neutralwkuisaki. but he was probably the first one to be rude: in a situation where a steady customer thinks he is being treated shoddily. he might well refer to himself by the honorific o-tokui-sama. in a bristling tone. as a way of impressing on the offender that he expects to be treated better. • lwme b a colloquial equivalent of nado 10. literall y "things like" plus the quotative particle 10. • 11omoiki-11a ="brazen/audacious/rude." and namaiki-na kow = "brazen/rude things." The panicle o. to mark the direct object. has been omitted after koto. • iue-ya11 b a contraction o f ine-iyagoru. from ine-iru (progressive form of iu. "say'')+ the derogatory/insulting suffix -yagaru . No shows he is making an explanation. The combination ... name iue-_I'OIIIIO thus becomes " is saying things like . .. :· and inserting nw11ai~i-11a koto makes it "is saying brazen things like ..... • koitsu is a contraction of kono yatsu ("this guy/fellow/thing"). a rather rough way of referring to another person. • ue ba here i., best thought of a~ an emphatic. colloquial equivalent of the quotative phrase. to iu 110 u·a. which is itself ofte n j ust a fancy u·a ("as-for"). for setting the topic. Normal sy ntax would put this at the beginning. but it feels more emphatic when tagged on at the end li ke this. I - -- - -- - - -- - -- - - - -- - - --_J • g 11ai refers to "condition/state." in this case the kaclu"J's Kacho: if:~ ~ _ ') , I n{l' :/!:: ~ -=> 'l ~ I? 't' 0 t.:. o "physical condition/health." Guai (ga) warui (waruku is A- ! 1 Guai ••·am~ll lwlle ~ic/raua. the adverb form of n·arui, "bad") is a generic phrase for
<
Mangajin 57
,y;-:~~ Furiten-kun
58 Mangajin
~Mi
Title: Oif{flfl L.
• yobidashi comes from yobu ("call/summon") and dasu ("put/get/bring out"); it's the word used for "paging" someone (whether to take a phone call or for some other purpose). or for calling someone to the phone from some distance away (e.g.. a neighbor who does not have a phone). • one of the most common ways to answer the phone is to say hai and then identify yourself. As in English, some dispense with the hai and go straight to the identification.
Yobidashi Demva call our
relephone
Calling (Someone) to the Phone ..... Paging Sound FX: •J •J •J •J •J Ri ri ri ri ri
Pro (ietor:
Rinnnng (phone ring) 1, ~1-tiilf o / o / 't"T o
1,
Hai, yes
Miijan-so
Ron-ron
desu.
mahjongg parlor (name)
is
" Hello MabiQngg Parlor Ron-ron." (PL3) Ca ller:
~'
b.O '-'' lj t·· I ll'f[flfj L. t:JTHJ b o
A,
wanti
kedo
yobidashi
bur
pagmg
(inrerj.) bad
ta/1011111
• u·arui literally means "bad,'' but it's often used as an "sorry." informa l apology: "it's bad of me" • ll'a is generally thought of as feminine, but men can use it with a slightly different inflection and not sound effeminate. • ya/Slt is an informal/slang word for "guy/fe llow.'' Tte is quotative, so Yamada 1/e yatsu ="a guy called Yamada." • kedo ("bu t") here is merel y to ··soften·· the end of the sentence.
u·a.
requesr (colloq.)
" Yeah, I'm sorry to trouble you, but could yo~e someone for me?" (PL2) l.LJB3 -?l ~"'? f.!. ljC:'o Yamada
1/e
yatsu
da kedo.
(surname) (quote) guy/fellow is
bur
"A._guy named Yamada." (PL2) Proprietor: llJ EH
• ntmi is the question word "what,'' here filling in the place of the given name in a full name. as a way of asking what the man's given name is.
Yamada nani-san? (surname) whar-(hon.)
"Mr._Yamada what?" (PL3)
0
Caller:
;;r_-
£-to,
~,
~'-''"'? aitsu
"l d·-:d.:. te ilia
"/;(./..-
nan
-:~ lt
~
kke
JIJIE /fiJ~ ... /fiJ-:t .. . Yamada Takashi. . . Takao . . .
na.
uhMer's see thar guy \\har (quore) called (recollecrion) (colloq.) (surname) (given name) (given name)
" Let's see what was he called ? Yamada Takashi ... Takao ..." ~' 7' 1J ~:I, llJEH/f 1J ~ ::I o A, Takahiko, Yamada Takahiko. (inrerj.) (given name) (surname-given name)
" Oh. Takahiko. (It's) Yamada Takahiko." (PL2) • aitsu is shortened from ano yatsu. literally "that guy/fellow." • nan te ilia is the past tense of the expression nan te (or to) iu ="called what?"(from iu, "say"). • kke expresses an effort to recall something that's vague in the speaker's memory.
Proprietor: :if:%
!;!. ? Nenrei wa?
age
as-for
"~"
Caller:
=+
(PL2) .li <· I? "' o
25
aboutlapproximarely
Nijiigo
gurai.
• chotto is literally "a little.'' but it's also used as an interjection when objecting to something that was said or done, like "now wait a minute/look here/listen here." • ne is a slurred form of the negati ve nai. so kankei ne = kankei nai ("has no relation/connection" or "is irrelevant").
" About 25." (PL2) Proorietor:
~~
(j,?
Shokugyo wa? occuparion as-for
"His occupation?" (PL2) Caller : i?J:-?t-, ~;.._-~;t. .:t Chouo-,
S0/111(1
IJGtfd~-
koto ktmkei ne
t.!~?
daro?
a lin lela minure that kind of thing irrele' ant should be/is surely
"Just a minute, here. What's that got to do with it?" (PL2) aller : li ~ < L. "l
< tL
Hayaku shite kure
quickly
J: o I yo.
.: -=> -!? ~ Kotclrii,
"' ~ -nr L. "' A-t.!. o isogaslrii
do-(request) (emph.) as for this ~ide/direcrion am
11
bu~y
da.
(explan.)
"Do it quickly, will you. I'm busy." " Hurry up, will you. I haven' t got all day!" (PL2)
Proorietor: L n' L Shikashi but
LlJ EH 7' 1J ~ ::1 Yamada Takahiko
=r
li _J- t.!.lt nijiigo·sai dake
t:. ~ -!? J: ja
(surname given name) 25 year~ old only if it is
-=>
t .. .
c/10110 . . .
a lillie
"But if it's only Yamada Takahiko, age 25, it's a little (difficult)."
• hayaku is the adverb form of hayai ("quick/fast"). shite is the -te form of suru ("do/make"), and kure after a -te form makes a fairly abrupt re· quest or gentle command, so hayaku shire kure = " make it quick, please/ will you?"-+ ··hurry up, will you?" • kotchii is a contraction of kotchi wa, lite rally, ''as for this direction.'' Kotchi is often used to refer to oneself c·ume") in a conversation.
" But it's kind of (tough) if all I have to go on is Yamada Takahiko, age 25." (PL2)
Mangajin 59
,~,':1~ Furiten-kun Title:
~ ~5
Demva
Telephone(s)
0
Other Party:
'lll:~i5
J:
Denwa
< ~ :. .Z tj: v'
7j: o
yoku
kikoenai
na.
telephone well
can't hear
(colloq.)
" I can't hear (through) the telephone very well." "I can't hear ou verv_well." (PL2)
Furiten:
+1
1: T 11'? desu ka?
So
that way
is it?
"Is that so?" (PL3) • yoku is the adverb form of iilyoi ("good/fine"), so it means "well." When it modifies a negative verb, it means '·not very well.'' • kikoenai is the negative form of kikoeru ("can hear").
GJ
Furiten: :.
n
t: 1 -r:--9-t;-,-? - - -- - - -- -- ---i
1:
Kore de this
do desu ka?
with how
is it?
" How's this?" "How is it now?" (PL3)
Sound FX:
e/ (effect of being stretched tight)
t: ~ 7j: v'
~: *-'lll:~5
lto-denwa
ja nai
thread/string phone is not
lvt!.
J: o
n da
yo.
(explan.) (emph.)
" It's not a strin _phone vou know." (PL2) • ja nai =de wa nai =" is not" • yo is used for emphasis when stating/revealing something the listener particularly needs to know/be told.
Letters
- - - - - -(colltinuedfrom page 4 )
to have devised a method of paying off that is reminiscent of the Mafia's "Widows and Orphans Society" of the 1920s and 1930s. l don ' t know about Tokyo or other cities, but I know from personal experience that it's being used in Osaka and Hiroshima. In Osaka, for example, pachinko parlor owners have formed an "organization" euphemistically called *~:!it ~:t" *t:: .A 1iH·JI:$~1bb ~(Osaka Shinshosha Mibojin Fukushi Jigyo Kyokai , "Osaka Welfare Association for Widows & the Physically Handicapped"). I am told that the police ignore payoff windows bearing thi s sign, even when they are located immediately adjacent to the pachinko parlor. Whether the employees in these booths are eithe r widows or physically handicapped is unclear; it's difficult to tell when only hands can be seen. W. D ENNIS Osaka
© Ueda Masashi, All rights reser ved. First published in Japan in 1992 by Take Shobo, Tokyo. English translation rights arranged through Take ShobO. 60 Mangajin
...
~ea\:ft
OL Reiko-san
by
..Y..e tf5JP.
Title: 71 7
:t 'r
1 Yamada Sanpei
• of course, all Mangajin readers are aware that this word is not pronounced "carry okie ...
Karaoke
Ka raoke
• the karaoke phenomenon has spread widely enough in the U.S. now that the activity involved no longer needs explaining. The term comes from kara ("empty") and an abbreviated fonn of 'T 7. ~ 7 okesutora. the katakana rendering of English "orchestra," so it essentially means "empty orchestra" i.e.. orchestral music without ("empty of') singing. Originally, recording studios and radioffV stations used pre-recorded music to accompany singers. and eventually someone hit on the idea of making the same kind of pre-recorded music available for the mutual "entertainment" of bar and club patrons. etc.
*-
Reiko-san.
ura
umai
ni!.
(namc-hon.) songs/si ng ing skillfu l
(colloq.)
" You' re really a good singer, Reiko." (PL2) Re iko: '-'' ~, i' f.v 7j: .::. t . . . I e.
sonna
koto . . .
no that kind of thing "Oh~no not at a ll."
(PL2)
• ga. to mark uta ("song[s]/singing") as the subject. has been omiued. • ne with a long vowel expresses the speaker's impression strongly: "it really is so. isn't it?" • sonna koto . .. implies something like sonna koto nai (literally "that kind of thing does not exist"), idiomatically meaning "that's not true." lt"s customary in Japan to humbly deny the truth of any words of praise. at least initially. If you respond with a straight-forward ''thank you." as you might in Engli~h. it"s likely to give the impression that you're conceited.
Man: l ~' l Shikashi
r5 '-'' !!k
~
furui uta
o
<
J: ~ '? "( .0 tJ. .r. o yoku shitte-ru ne.
but /(emph.) old songs (obj.) well
know
(colloq.)
" You really know the old songs well." " I'm amazed at how well you know the oldies." (PL2) Reiko: ~ ... ~ ~ , i &>! £?. . . huh?
E.
mii!
yes (interj.)
" What? . . . Yes, sort of, I guess." (PL3) • shikashi (literall y "but/however") often imroduces statements/exclamations of surprise. mainly serving to emphasize the feeling of surprise. • yoku is the adverb form of iilyoi ("good/fine"). • shiu e-ru is a contraction of shiue-iru ("know"). • a shon e is spoken with the intonation of a question. and means "what?": a long e is a polite but not too formal "yes.'' • mii (ne) works like a vague "Yeah. son of. I guess/Well. yes. you're right I suppose" when acknowledging things that are a little e mbarrassing/awkward. or when you want to be modest about something you have been credited with.
ltswno uclri de
kikasarete-m
kara.
al"ays home at am being made ro listen because/so
JL~
f:>'t>?
(J)
J:
b. o
oboechau no yo ne. learn (explan.) (emph.) (colloq.)
'T m always being made to listen to them at home, so I can' t he lp but learn them." " I a lwa_y_s_have to listen to them at home so I a bsorb them bv osmosis." (PL2)
e
Yamada San pei, All rights reserved. First published in Japan in 1994 by Fu.abasha. Tokyo.
English translmion rights arranged through Futabasha.
• kikasarete-(i)ru is from kiku ("hear/listen to")-+ kikasu (''make/let listen'') kikasareru ("be made to listen")-> kikasarete·iru ("am being made to listen"). • oboeclrau is a contraction of oboete s!rimau, the -te form of oboeru ("learn/ memorize/acquire [a skill]") plus shimau implying the action is unintended/ occurs willy-nilly-+ "can't help but learn/absorb by osmosis." • no shows she is making an explanation.
Manga)ln 61
'\'J-t.:=SJI
by Yamada Sanpei
--------------------~~
r-··...._ 1T 1- -h 'i _ (± ... II
<.''
<.
7
t -;t r
L._\ 'T )
62 Mangajin
/':.
I
7)'
~ ·'
,. ;
Title: iJ 7 ;t 'r Karaoke
[Q
1: iJ 7 ;t 'r rriJ'~ "'? kaeri 11i karaoke ika11ai? say way home on karaoke not go "Say, on the way horne won' t you go to a karaoke (place with me?)"
Coworker : t.l.:t, I m tJ
Ne.
"Say~
Reiko:
l'
how about we go for karaoke on our way home?" (PL2)
< "' < !
• neat the beginning of a sentence is used to get the listener"s attention, like "say/heylloo~ here:· • kaeri is the noun fonn of kaeru ("return home''): it can refer to depaning from the office. arriving at home, or to the way between. • ikanai is the negative fonn of iku ("go"). Negative questions are often used when making invitations/ suggestions. Depending on context, they correspond to English expressions like " Won't you (have/come/ try/etc. ) ... ?": " Wouldn't you like (to) ... ?": "Why nollwhy don't you ... ?": etc.
lku iku! will go will go ''I' II go, r II go!"'
" Let's do let's do!" (PL2) Reiko: 7 / 7 / Fun fi m
(effect of humming cheerfully)
iJ ~ iJ ~ Kata kata kaw Tap tap_tap (sound of computer keys)
Sound FX: iJ
~
Kacho: +-?
iJ'! f±$
1Jf
~0
-r
tJ 7
*'r
1: lr <
t "'-? t! tt
-e
SiJ ka! Shigoto ga owaue karaoke ni iku to i11 dake de thlll way (?) work (subj.) after finished karaoke to will go (quote) say only/just with/from
1t•Jl 'b ~~L.< ~7.:> -?l :btt i.P! shigmo mo tanoshiku naru ue wake ka! work also enjoyable becomes (quote) situation (?) " Aha! So just because (they know) they'll be going for karaoke after work, their work becomes more enjoyable." (PL2) • so ka is literally a question ("Is it that way?/is that right?''). but it 's also used as an exclamation of sudden realization/understanding: 'That's it!/Oh, right!/Aha!" • owaue is the -te form of owaru ("[so mething! ends/finishes"): the-re form here can be considered shorthand for -te kara, which means "after." • to i11 dake de is literally "just from saying;· but it' s idiomaticall y equivalent to ''just because." • wnoshiku is the adverb form of ranoshii ("enjoyable''); the adverb form of an adjective followed by naru ("'become'') implies that the subject (in this case. "work") " takes o n/becomes (more)'' that qua lity. • ... ue wake is a colloquial equi valent of ... to iu wake. essentially meaning ''the si tuation/explanation is that ..... This feeling of having stumbled on an explanation is expressed in the single word "so" in English. • the question particle ka is purely rhetorical.
*
;.,. /v ~ ! I {1: 'Jl. tJr ff -? t:. C, J.,.!v ~ "C' tJ 7 'r ':: Ylfshi, mimza ! Shigoro ga owauara mimw de karaoke ni okay/all right everyone work (subj.) when finished everyone with karaoke to
KachO: J: - l ,
ff .:. -? ! iko! go
let·~
"All right everyone! When work is through (today) let's all go for karaoke." (PL2) • yoshi (or yoshi) is an interjectory fonn of iilyoi ("good/okay"), often used to introduce statements declaring that one has decided to. or is about to. do some special action. • owauara is a conditional "if/when" form of Oll'am ("[something] ends/finishes" ). • ikfi is the volitional ("let's/! shall") form of ik11 ("go'').
<
Coworker: '<'
*
t!. 7 , lUll>{: t ff (J) ?! Yc1 dii, kacho iku no? 1110 disagreeable is section chief also will go (explan-?)
• ra dli is a variant of ira da, ' 'is disiasteful/disagreeable.~· one of the most "Oh no! Is the chief going too?" (PL2) common ways to express one·s objection to something. Reiko: fr (J) ~¥; 1.:> ?! • no turns iku ("go") into a noun ("going"); lku no yamem? o to mark this noun as direct object has go (nom.) quit/forego been o mitted. lkuno (o) .vameru ="quit/ "Should we forget. it? " (PL2) forego going·· "not go" 1t -? -IJ' jc()t J: 1±$ L. "( t:. (J) ' : t.l :r.. o • sekkaku indicates that a thing or situaSekkaku kibtm yoku shigoto sltite-ta no ni ne. tion is special/long awaited/precious/ac>pecially with good feeling/mood was/were working in spite of (colloq.) complished with much difficulty. It's "Just when we were working in such a good m~ often followed later in the sentence with hunh." (PL2) no ni ("even though/in spite of') to express frustration that "in spite or· the special Kacho: iJ? c, c, . . situation. something remains to be desired/is a let down. Arara. . . • kibun ="feeling/mood," and yoku is the adverb fonn of ii/yoi ("good/li ne"). (i ntcrj.) Kibtm yoku ("in a good mood") modifies sfzigoro shite-(i)ta, past tense of shigoto "A i~i-yi_, •." (PL2) shite-iru (''is/are working"). from shigoto suru ("work'').
<
<
<
Mangajin 63
~
v3
/
L /..,;-"~>A- • Crayon Shin-chan
71"5~ Vlu'S~Iu
~ ~ ~~~(1\J~~Eli
64 Mangajin
'7
v3
/
L. fv t;, ~· fv • Crayon Shin-chan • okaslti refers to all kinds of sweets and snack foods: candy. cookies, cakes, pastries, crackers, chips, etc. • nemuku is the adverb form of nemui ("sleepy"). The adverb form of an adjective followed by naru ("become") means the subject "takes on/becomes (more)" that quality. • yo-na can be thought of as equivalent to " type of"; it makes the entire clause before it, e nding in naru., into a modifier for lama, a slang word for "guy/fellow/type." • . .. kuse-ni means "even though/in spite of (some characteristic/statement/action)," where the characteristic/statement/action mentioned in some way contradicts/belies what the person/pany involved would like you to believe.
Title: ;l-7 , l.-lv"S~Iv/ t:-?-ct .I: ") Tyoi ko Ora, Shin-chan I Touemo lime (narne-dimin.) tremendously good child
t!.
-t- 0) 1
II
3
da yo hen Sono ichi am (emph.) collection no. I I'm Shin-chan • .. And I ' m a Very G ood Boy! Story 1. (PL2) • ora is a variation of ore, a rough, masculine word for"!/ me." Wa, to mark ora as the topic. has been omitted. • the boy's given name is Shinnosuke . Children are frequently addressed with a shortened form of their names plus -chan, a diminutive variation of -san. • yoi is an alternate form of ii ("good/fine"), and yoi ko (or ii ko) = "good/well behaved child"-> "good boy." • hen refers to a "compilation/collection" containing a number of "articles/stories/episodes," and sono ichi, so11o ni, sono san, etc. (literally "the first/second/third of that") is a relatively common way of designating the seq uence of the "stories/episodes.''
QJ
Mother:
Sound FX:
0
J:-L.,
*"(
Shin-chan:
Bag: -f 3 :J !::" 'A 7 ·;; ~ Choko Bisukeuo chocolate biscuits Chocolate Cookies
r
m$
~
~ v''?tjC:d'L.Q
0
• iitsukerareru is the passive form of iitsukeru ("command/ direct/assign [to do]"). • - nari-ni ="in - 's own way," so kodomo nari-lli ="in a child's own way" • chokkan shita is the plain/abrupt past form of chokkan suru (''sense intuitively"). Shin-chan:
FX: Mothe r :
Mother: b , L.. I? t.: I? L.. v' o Fu, shirajira~·hii. (stiOed laugh) transparent/obvious "(Stifled lau!!h )'How trans oarent." (PL2) ;~:;._w; f0) ~9=' HR < ~ .Q J:-? ~ Okashi no tochi'i nemuku naru yc1-11a (hon.)-snack of midst get sleepy type of ';7
t::~~v'
(-lt!: o kuse ni.
tama ja 11ai guy/fellow is not even though "As if he were the ty(>e to fall a s le_w in the m iddle of a s nack." ( PL2)
~
Pu (stifled laugh)
0
Shin-chan: .:¥'1'-"-" \::-".-". Gya he he Hi he he (uncontrollable laughter fro m being tickled)
FX:
:J'f3:JT3:17"3
Kocho koclto kocho Tickle tickle tickle
0
Mothe r : 13 ~ ~ ¥Jt:.? Me- samew? eyes awoke "Are you awake?" (PL2 )
Kuka(the breathing of someone sound asleep)
~·<9J
Gyu (effect of holding/gripping tightly)
~J
yo)l o iitsukerarem na '' chore/errand (obj.) be ordered/told to do (colloq.) C Tfft ~ IJ (: 1.[~ l.-f.:: o to kodomo nari-ni clwkkan shita. (quote) child in the way of intuited/sensed " When s he c~lls tha t way, sh e wants m e to do s omething for h er," h e sensed with a child's intuition. (PL2)
<1J' -
• nete-(i)ru ("is/are sleeping") is froni neru ("go to sleep"). • yoshi is an exclamatory/interjectory form of the adjective iilyoi ("good/fine"). It's often used to show that one is ready to begin an action ("okay/all right, I'm gonna [do something]/let's [do something]"). • moratchao is a colloquial contraction of moratte shimao, the -te form of morau (lit. "receive," but frequently meaning "take/help oneself to") and the volitional ("let's/1 shall/1 think I' ll") form of shimau ("end/finish/put away"). Sltimau can be added to the -te form of another verb to imply the action will have undesirable results.
') :f-' ')
if; 0) D'f '(]'1] li "A no yobi-kata wa that way of calling as-for
tt? -?t:,J(>}.;o
Kuka- (effect of being sound asleep)
Pari pori Crunch c run ch (sound of eating something crisp/crunchy)
Arrow:
H~T
Yoshi, o-kashi moratchao. okay/all right (hon.)-snack shall receive/take "Allr!ght, I thin k I ' ll just help myself to vour cookies then." (PL2)
L. lv 0) T It - . -1? .t -? C. -t o Shinnosuke- . chouo kite-. (name) ~lin lela moment come-(request) "Shinnosuke_._come h ere a minute ." (P L2) ;~
Mothe r : L.. lv -1? ~ lv , ~ "( .Q 0) iJ' 7 o Shin-chan. nete-n1 no ka(name-dim.) are sleeping (explan-?) "Shin-ch an, are you asleep?" (PL2)
He . . . (tail end of laugh from being tickled) • sameta is the plain/abrupt past form of sameru ("awaken/ become conscious"), but when speaking o f awakening from sleep, the phrase mega sameru (literally, "eyes awaken") is usually used. Here, the subject marker ga has been omitted. S hin-chan:
Mother:
.to v' ! Oi.l (interj.) " Hey!" ( PL2)
• oi is a relatively rough way of getting someone's attention- or of trying to wake them up.
Mangajin 65
~
v3 /
------------------------------
L..A.t,{>k • Crayon Shin -chan
---------------------------
L.. 1E' ~~
J: lv IJ'
-? t: ':>
t
7
,!,Z IJ ? "'(
.:,
\. ••"* c.
l • l • r\f;t. ~ IJ J: < A. (7)
(7)"l
tt~
u: (:
66 Mangajin
I?
7
v
3 /
1..-lv 1? ~ lv • Crayon Shin-chan
b ~ L -c b "'<'"'<' ': tl: Nera Juri shite mo Mama ni wa went to sleep pretense even if do mom to as-for
Mother: ;@:f..:
b ;lp J., lv t!
iJ' C;,
tt o
;.,.
-5'
.1: o
wakaru n da kara ne. Muda yo. can tell (explan.) because (colloq.) no use (emph.)
Arr~w:
.
tonari refers to an "adjacent/neighboring location," and obasan chi is a contraction of obasanno uchi ("lady's house"), so tonari no obasan chi is literally "the neighboring lady's house."
lj2l L.::..J Shin-chan:
"Even if vou oretend to be asleeo. I can tell rvou're faking). It's no use." (PL2) *= iJ' C;, 9E lv t!. 7 1) L J: -? t .\!.!, ? -c 1.> o
"I'm on my way!" (PL3) Mother: ijf .(., t:t 1m b"th""Cl.> .l: o Kanjin-na
Tsugi kara shinda juri shiyo to omotte-ru. next from died pretense shall do(quote) is thinking Thinkin~xj
time he'll pretend to be
dead. (PL2) Mother: t .:. .7::> <:: ,
@]':if&: Tokoro-de. kairan-ban by the way neighborhood circular
1 b L -c ~ -c
.
• kairan-ban is literally ''circulate and view board," referring to clipboards circulated from house to house with information of interest to the entire neighborhood (fire safety/ neighborhood clean-up/special events/etc.). As the illustration shows, a folder has replaced the board in this case, but the traditional name has stuck.
itte kimasu (lit. "will go and come") is the standard parting phrase when going on an errand. '??iJ'~ o
Ukkari, ukkari. carelessly/inadvertently carelessly/inadvertently
" I wasn' t thinkin2. I wasn' t thinkin!!." (PL2)
Mother: t:. {/) ts b J:
0
Tanomu wayo. request (fem. emph.)
" I'm counting on you." (PL2) Sound FX:
;f-' 1) ;f-' 1)
Crunch crunch
Pori pori
Mother:
@]~~ !
Kairan-ban!
"(I meant} the circular!" (PL2) Shin-chan: t.-?
~ Narration: 1 b"t?
yo.
"You' re forgetting the most important thing." (PL2)
Shin-chan: 7? 7JdJ'
t, .t -? t!. '-'' o
" By the way, I want you to send round the neighborhood circular." (PL2) In Hands: iJ' \t' I? k Kairan (For) Circulation
0
Ja.
Mawasu?
" Bve then." (PL2)
Send round? Performer: H n <:: t -? ::: ~'"' 1 -To
Mother: b - ,
itsumo yori
always more than
yokei ni more
o
mawashite masu-. is spmmng
" He's keepingitgoing even longer than usual." (PL3) Sound FX: 7 7 7 / 7 /
.
• mawasu means " turn/spin/rotate," and it's also used idiomatically to mean "circulate," so in Japanese the pun betwee n the two is a natural one- though in English it requires a bit of a stretch. Mawashite-(i)masu is the PL3 form of mawashite-iru, from mawasu: the man literally says "He's spinning it/sending it round even longer than usual."
Shin-chan: tr -r iJ' L \t' o
"Whew! Good 2riefl" (PL2) yare-yare is the verbal equivalent of a sigh of relief, typi cally following something exasperating or worrisome.
~ Shin-chan: t'.:. ~= b?""C( lv t!.
? ft? Doko ni motte ku nda kke ? where to take (explan.) (recollection)
" Where did you say I was supposed to take it?" (PL2) Mother: l;h' Ltv', ~ ;>(.:CL1T iJ' Go
Teke ten ten (effect of twangy accompanimen t)
Hai
hai,
"Okay, okay, wait a second while I write it down (for you).'' (PL3) SoundFX: t! lv t!. lv t!. k Dan dan
"This is hard." (PL2) Mother: t t:t I') {/) :t 1 { ~ k t,
dan
Bam bam bam (effect of roughly slapping paper on table and writing note)
1:
OnPa~r:
obasan chi ni lady's house at/to
\t'v'
ima memo shimasu kara.
yes/okay yes/okay now make a note because/so "Okay, okay, now I'll write a note, so (wait)."
Muzukashii.
tlv'""CCttli
-?h-?ho
Fa, yare-yare (sigh of relief) (interj. of relief)
Omedeto gozaima-su.
"Co.ngratulations!" (PL3-4) '-'' -:::> t J: fJ J: th'l: 1 b L -c 1 T-)
Tonari no next to of
mo110 wasurete-ru
crucial/essential thing are forgeuing (ernph.)
mawashite kite chodai. spin/circulate-and-come please " By the way, please go and spin/circulate the neighborhood circular."
G
V'?""C~1-T o
ltte kima-su.
tt:t~ (J) HI!~ k
Tonari no
{/)
obasan
t, chi
The lady next door .l: o
oite kureba ii no yo. if leave-and-come is good/okay (explan.) (emph.)
" You just need to eo leave it with the lady next door." (PL2)
FX: 171717
..
Ira
ira ira (effect of irritation/annoyance)
motte ku = motte iku = lit. "carry and go" --+ " take" kke impUes he's trying to recall something that he should know but can't immediately remember.
Mangajin 67
~
68 Mangajin
v3
/
L ;,_ t:, -'(, ;,_ • Crayon Shin-chan
1 t..- 3 / L lv -t:,
~
lv • Crayon Shin-chan
Neighbor: f- ~
Sound FX: t::. t::. t::. Shin-chan:
Ho
Sound FX:
If~-=>
Flop (effect of folder or similar flat and somewhat heavy object flopping down) Sound FX: \:!/;¥-/ \:!/;¥-/ pin-pon
Ding-dong ding-don~ (door chimes) Sound FX: .::\'- "\' .::\'- "\' Kya kya (squeals of glee/delight)
~
Father : t::. t.!. 1t' i
" Coming, coming." (PL3)
c:
(PL2)
oya is an interjection of mild surprise. do shita =do shita (lit. "did how/what?"), which asks for an explanation of something that seems out of the ordinary or unexpected: "what happened?/what's the matter?/what's going on?" Do mo shinai is the negative form of the same expression. :tolf~/v
1:
Obasan auntie/me
ni nanika to something
1j: 1: 1.1'
-r -r
-::> ~ < ;h. t::. !v t.~1j:lt>(J)? ja nai no? motte kite kureta II brought for me (explan.) isn't it? " Isn ' t it that you brought me something?"
" Did you brinl!.me something, maybe?" (PL2)
-t-?
f!-::> f::. o
0,
so (interj.) that way
datta. was
"Oh, that's right." (PL2) SoundFX:
1J'f~
..:·-t-
Gasa goso
. .
Crinkle crinkle (sound of paper crinkling) obasan ("aunt/auntie") can be used to refer to any woman past her mid-twenties or so, and such women often refer to themselves as obasan when speaking to children. motte kite is from motte kuru (lit. "carry and come" -> "bring"). Kureta is the past form of kureru ("give [to me]"), which after the-re form of another verb means ''do (the action) for me." -Te forms don't have tense, but kureta makes the whole phrase past tense: "brought for me."
Shin-chan: !i It' , Hoi,
:I V o
kore.
"Here, this." (PL2) On Paoer: i::7j:IJ (/) :to ';f ~ !v 1? Tonari
110
n Wr 1? -r t::.
i''o
obm·an
The lady next door
"That nincomp_QQp. When~ets home, he's gonna get it." (PL2) :T- "/ Bo! (effect of fire ig nit ing with a burst - here representing he r burning rage)
" Nothinl!'s the matter." (PL2)
Shin-chan: :to :to '
1: ..:
Ano o-baka. Kaetlara ushioki da. that (hon.)-fool/idiot returned when punishment is
~X:
t
L7j:1t'o 1110 shinai. Do what/how even not do
*
o ill
In Hand: n' It' G !v Kairan (For) Circulation Mother: th (J) :to 1 { tJ o 1\it -::> t::. G :to L :to ~ t.!. o
" Oh, Shin-chan, what's the matter?"
Neighbor:
7
"I'm home. This was lying in the street."
Lt::. (J)? :to~' L.lv-l?~lv, Oya, Shin-chan, do shita no? (i nterj.) (name-dimin.) what/how did (explan.)
..
n' I? lv o
(PL2)
hai. yes
Shin-chan: t ' ?
b
7
Tadaimli. Miclri ni kore oclrite-ta zo. just now road/street on this was fallen (emph.)
Neighbor: liv ' li lt' o Hai yes
t::.
• yaru is an informal word for ''do." and kotli is a contraction of koto ("things")+ wa ("as for," to mark the topic). Kodama no yaru ("kids do") modifies koro for the meaning ''things kids do"-> ''what kids do.'' • wakarmr is a colloquial contraction of wakaranai, the negative form of wakam ("[can] understand/comprehend").
Basa!
Pin-pon
~ J., ..:
" The mysteries of what kids_@_," (PL2)
" Oh." (PL2)
0.
(J)
Kodomo no yaru kotli wakaran. child (subj. ) · do as for things can't teiUunderstand "You can't fathom what kids do."
Ta ta ra (effect of running)
chi
• tadaima (lit. "just now'') is the standard greeting spoken when arriving home/back at the office: "I' m homeW m back." • oclrite-(i)w is the plain/abrupt past form of oclrite-iru ("is fallen/lying on the ground''), from ochim ("[something] falls/ drops"). Any relatively small thing lying on the ground that doesn't belong there may be described as oclrite-iru. usually preceded· by some indication of its location - i.e., in the street, over there, in front of the house, etc.
-r
1:: t ~ G L. !v 1? ~ k (j: So to mo shirazu Shin-e/ran wa so/that way (quotc)even not know (name-dim.) as-for Not knowing it was so , Shin-chan was ...
Narration: -t- ?
UnawareLof what lav in store for him1 Shin-chan was . . . (PL2) Shin-chan: X 1? ~ ;..., 1:: ffJ: t;, {' lv !i ~ 4 -T ='- - T J.> Toclum Dad
to Kiiclran wa rokidoki chii suru. and Mom as-for sometimes kiss
" M y dad and mom smooch sometimes." (PL2)
Neighbor: -f :11.
-r,
-t- h \:?
Sore de, sore de? that with that with
" Yes? Go on." (PL2) :J='--A P,kh.bv' 0 ~-1· ltv'.t.lv' o Ji'isu JUtce
numinei. drink
Kashi snacks
kuinei. eat
" Drink some iuice. Have some cookies." (PL2)
• -zu is a classical equivalent of negative -nai, so slrirazu = slriranai ("not know"). • clnl represents the sound of a kiss, and adding suru (''do'') makes it a verb: cirri suru = ''to kiss/smooch." • sore de. literally "with that,'' is used as a conjunction to mean "and/and then/and so/because of that." Here she's essentially trying to encourage him to go on and tell more. • nominei is a dialect/slang form (usually masculine) of 110· mina, the shon form of nominasai, which is a gentle command form of 11011111 ("drink"). Similarly. kuinei = kuina = kuinasai =a gentle command form of kuu (an informal word for "eat").
Mangajin 69
Warau Serusun~an b ~-T/f'=tit (A) Y Fujiko Fujio (A) Title:
~ (J)
1J 7 ::t J;- ·
*-
Jt-
Yume no Karaoke Horu The Karaoke Hall of Dreams On Kimono: ~~ii\IJ(i§)
Moguro Fuku(zo) Moguro Fukuzo (name)
Warau Serusuman ("The Laughing Salesman" ) features a kind of black humor not generally associated with Japanese manga. Nevertheless, this title, moderately successful in print form, enjoyed a huge boom in popularity when it was shown in animated form on the TV series " Gimme a Break" ( .:¥' ~ 7 · ~ tlv'(). To provide background and help put this manga in perspective, we have an interview with Fujiko Fujio (A), the creator of "The Laughing Salesman,"by none other than manga authority Frederik Schodt (see page 28).
Warau Serusuman © Fujiko Fujio (A). All rights reserved. First published in Japan in 1969 by Chuo Koronsha, Tokyo. English translation rights arranged through Chuo Koronsha.
70 Mangajin
7'~?
-tt .t 7.:. i" ;t A-
------------------
• Warau Serusuman
GJ ~ver Street :
Kosugi Shoren-Kai: lnslwku-gai
Kos u g i S hop Association: T avern a nd Re staurant District Other Signs : (clockwise from lower le ft)
Pasura Bon I Soba I
Clu7ka Tainan
Pasta B on I Noodles I Tainan Chinese C uis ine
Yakitori Kuni Kuni's Skewer ed C h ick e n • sho1en =··store/shop:· most typically referring to retail shops. but a shiilen-kai (""shop association'') would include reMaurants. taverns. and other small businesses as well. • inshoku is written with kanji meaning "drink" and ''eat,"' and -gai means ''district.''
On Awning Over Door:
• stmakku is an abbrcviation of s tmakku bii. Karaoke S n ack Bar from English ··snack Bar." but in Japan the Sign: term most commonly Snack Ako evokes the image of a A ko's S nac k Ba r /G rill relati vely small drinking establishment. alway~ with counter seating (sometimes with a few tables as well), where the principal libations are whiskey and beer rather than sake.
Karaoke Swwkku
Onchi: (sing ing) A-, A me no furu yo wa renki ga waru-i . .. " Ohhh, on nig h ts when rain com es down the weathe r it is bad .••" (PL2) Narration:
Onehi Hideshi ( Yonjussai), Sarariiman Onchi Hideshi (age 40), Salar y m a n • ame no furu is a complete thoughllsentence ("rai n falls/comes down" or "it rains") modifying yo ("night"). The subject marker ga often changes to no in sentences used as modifiers. • the singer's name is a pun on ]~·Iii onchi. which means ''to ne deaf( ness)."
Onchi: (singing)
Hon-ni kono ro wa mama naranu- ... ''Truly this w·orld does not go as wished:' " H ow true it is tha t in this world nothing goes your way." (PL2)
• hon-ni is a colloquial equivalent of the adverb homo ni ("'really/truly"). • mama naranu is a "literary" form of mama ni naranai, ·'docs not go according to one's wishes." Collea~ J :
Oi, sorosoro. " Hey, (maybe) it' s about time." " H ey, w h a ddya s a y we get out ta h e r e?" (PL2) C_plleagu e 2: Un. soda 1w. "Uh-huh, l !>uppose you're right." "Yeah, le t 's." (PL2) • sorosoro literally mean~ "slowly/gradually/by and by." but it'~ frequently used idiomatically to imply "It's about time for" ~orne action - here. the action of leaving. • the colloljuial/masculine ua is like the tag "(that's right). i~n·t it'l/1 gue~~.-·
Pro()!ktress:
Warui 11 ja nai no? Onchi-clwn ga anna-ni no((e llfa((e-iru no ni. " T h at's n ot ver y nice, is it?-- w h e n d ear Mr. O n ch i is r e a lly getting into his s ingin g like that." (PL2) CQUe~-ue
1: linda yo. Aro wa Ma111a ni 111akaseru kara.
" It's o k ay. W e'lllcave the r est to y ou (to e n terta in him)." ( PL2) • wami ="bad" • "not nice" • 11 is a contraction of explanatory 110. and another explanatory 110 replaces the question marker l..a at the end. Asking questions with no is common in informal speech. e'>pccially that of women: using ka here would ~ound very abrupllrough. • -chan is a diminutive equi1alent of -.mn ("Mr./Ms.") mo;,t typicall} u;,ed 11ith children·, munc;,. But dose friends u~e it among them~ehc;, at almost any age. and bar nwmas and hoMesses often u;,c it endearing!) \\ ith their regular cu~tomcr~ • "dear Mr. Onchi.'' • 1101/e is from uoru. literall y "ride" but in the context of music. "get into the beattnow." The - tl! form makes this an adverb for 11/a//e-iru ("i'> sin!!ing"). from /1/l/1/ r·~ing''). • 110 ni "' "even though/if/when" • "when"
-------
-- -----------------
Mangapn 71
'J;;.? -tt
;t ~
-t 1
/-v • Warau Serusuman
~= ~~'IJ~•-:{~ } :to:-.= ffi~\l~~~~:ii!~ Q] Onchi: (singing) ~ 'IJ· ~- n q) U-, a me no furu yo wa ore hitori, q)
{J
~
.t
-r
~
{}
~
I)
if 11
" Ooh, on nights when rain comes down, I'm all alone," hiza o kakaete sake o nomu- . "Hugging my knees to my chest and drinking sake." (PL2)
c 1.>
0 ~=~~==~~~~~~~~ .-----..------~~11 0
Sound FX: Soro- (effect of sneaking away) Onchi: Fu-! Kokora de hito-iki ireru ka? "Whew, hereabouts, shall I take a break?" " Whew, maybe this is a good time to take a break." (PL2) • kokora = ·'hearabouts/at about this point'' • lliro-iki =literally ·'one breath," and ireru = "put in/take
~
~~~~~~~~~~t~~!~~~~~;;~~~~~~~ 0
in''; hito-iki ireru is an expression for "take a break."
Onchi: Arya? Futari wa? (PL2) " Huh? (What happened to) the other two?" Proprietress: Futari 1omo o-saki ni kaet/a wa. "They both went home/left ahead of you." "They both excused themselves early." (PL2) • kaetta is the plain/abrupt past form of kaeru ("go/come home," or in a case like this, simply "leave/depart"). Osaki ni echoes the expression o-saki 11i shitsurei s11rul shimas11, "excuse oneself ahead.of another/others" (from saki ni, "[do] first/ahead/earlier than others"), so o-saki 11i kaetta is like "excused themselves to go home early."
0
Onchi: He he he. Kore wa osore-irimasu. "(Self-satisfied chuckle) You' re very kind." (PL4)
0
• kaerareta is the past of kaerareru. the PL4 form of kaeru ("go home/leave"). • kiite-(i)rasslwru is the PL4 equivalent of kiite-iru. from kiku ("hear/listen to"). • umasa is a noun form of umai (''good/tine/skillful/masterful"). • osore-irimasu is the polite form of the PL4 verb osore-iru, which can express either gratitude (''thank you/you're very kind/l'm much obliged") or apology ("I'm sorry/! beg your pardon").
Moguro: Demo, mottainai desu na, ana/a no uta o koko dake de u/au no wa. "But it seems like a waste, you know, for you to be singing your songs only here." (PL3) • mottainai ="wasteful/a shame" • no after utau ("sing") turns the entire preceding phrase into a noun: "singing your songs only here: · and wa marks that noun as the topic. The syntax is inverted; normal order would be a11ata no uta o koko dake de utau 110 wa mottai11ai destt na.
72 Mangajin
0
Onchi: Nan da yo? Damalte kie-yagatte! "What's with them? Disappearing without a word!" (PLI) Ore no utalte-ru tochii ni . .. "Right in the middle of my singing!" (PL2) • damatte is the -te form of damaru ("fall silent"), serving as an adverb: "silently/without saying anything." • kie is the stem of kieru ("vanish/disappear"), and -yagatte is the -te form of the derrogatory/insulting suffix -yagaru. • utatte-(i)ru ="is/was singing," from 111£111 ("sing"), and rochii ni ="in the middle of/during."
Sound FX: Pachi pachi pachi Clap clap clap (applause) Moguro: lyli, o-jozu desu nli. (PL3) "Say, you' re really good." Onchi: Do- domo. "Th- thanks." (PL3)
• iyli is a kind of "warm-up" word for exclamations of either consternation or delight/approval, here the Iauer.
Moguro: Saki ni kaerarela o-futari waitsumo kiile-rassharu no de anata no uta no umasa ga wakaranai n desu. "Those two who left early probably don' t appreciate how fine your singing is because they hear it all the time." (PL4)
'it'/ -tt X. 7.> T ;i A- • Warau Serusuman
---------='-'----
[Q
Moguro: Do desu ? Hitotsu basho o kaele mouo chan-to shita suti!ji de waue mimosenka?
" How about it? Wouldn' t you like to go somewhere el e and try singing on a proper stage?" (PL3) Onchi:
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E? Chan-to shita swi!j i ?
" What? A proper stage?" (PL2) • kaere is the -re form of kaeru (''change/switch''), and basho o kaem ="change places:· in thi s case meaning
"move on to another location/go somewhere else." • 11/a//e is the -re form of wau ("sing"), and mimasen is the PL3 negative of miru ("look/see"). which after a -te form means " try (doing the action)." Negative ques-
tions are used for invitations/suggestions, like "won' t you try (singing)?" or "wouldn't you like to try (singing)?"
l2J
Moguro: So desu! Puro no yo-ni isho o tsukete choshii no mae no swi!j i ni agaru 110 desu.
" Yes. You dress up like a professional and get up on a stage in front of an audience." (PL3) • rsukete is the-re form of tsukem ("attach/put on"); the -reform essentially functions like "and."Jsho o rsukere
= "put on a costume and . . ." -+ ''dress up and ..."
0
Moguro: A11ata wa supouo raito to choshilno dai-hakuslw o ukete 111011. " You sing bathed in a spotlight and the audience's thunderou applause."
" You stand in the spotlight and sing to the audience's thunderous applause." (PL2) • ukere is the -re form of ukeru ("receive" - • "be bathed/ enveloped in"); the -re form in this case makes what
precedes it into an adverb for 111au ("sing").
0
Moguro: Sore wa sore wa ii kibu11 desu yo.
" lt's really, really a great feeling." (PL3) Onchi: So- sonno koto dekimasu ka?
" Is something like that actually possible?" (PL3) Moguro:
0
" I fill the emptiness in people's hearts, Moguro Fukuzo ..." Nan desu ka. kore? " What i thi T
On Card:
" What does it mean?" (PL3)
( Koko)ro 110 sukima ... (o-u)me shimasu
I fill the emptiness ... in people's hearts (PL4) Moguro Fuku::.o
Moguro Fukuzo • sukima refers to a "crack/opening'' in a fence/wall/door/ window/etc. Using the word with kokoro ("heart") is
figurative. • o-wne shimasu is a PL4 form of wneru (''fill in").
• Moguro is written with kanji meaning "mourning" and "black." while the kanji for Fukuzo mean ''happiness" and "make/create."
Onchi: Kokoro 110 sukima o-ume shimasu. Moguro Fukuzo . ..
Watashi II'O ko iu mono desu. " I am this kind of a person." " Here's my card" (PL3)
0
Moguro: Boramio de o-vaku 11i latent to omoimosu vo. "As a volunteer. I think I can be of service. to you."
" I' d like to volunteer my services to you (at no charge)." (PL3 > • o- is honorific. and yakuni rareru is the potential ("can/able to") form of yaku11i rarsu ("be useful/helpful/of service" ). (cominued on 11e11 pa~~~
Manga}in 73
1'.;? -tt
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Warau Serusuman
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Onchi: Kore wa?
' 'What is it?" (PL2-3) Moguro: Mli, 1011ikaku o-nori kudasai. " Well, in any case, please get i n."
' 'You' ll see. Please get in." (PL4) • mii is u!>ed as a kind of "verbal warm-up:· that adapts to fit the context: "well/you knowll mean/let's see/of course." • tonikaku = "in any case/at any rate" • o-nori kudasai is a PL4 equivalent of the request 1101/e kudasai. from noru ("get onto/into").
[2] Onchi: A-!
"Wow!" (PL2-3) Moguro: Ugoku karaoke rt7mu desu yo.
" It's a moving karaoke room." (PL3) • the panicle yo is often used to emphasize information that is new to the listener.
0
Sound FX: Ca gaga-
Vr-vr-vroom (sound of truck starting up)
[£] Onchi: A- , kita e kita e to yogisha 1va hashiru-
" Ahh, northward, northward the night train races ..." (PL2-3) • e marks the place/destination toward which a move"nonhward.'' ment occurs. so kiw e ="to the nonh" • yogi.fha combines yo ("night'') and kisha ("train"; k changes tog for euphony).
'~~lffi~~~iil /
0
Onchi: Mado 110 muko 11ya ie no akari ga- . ..
"Outside the window, the lights from (nearby) houses ..." (PL2-3) • muko = "over there" and ... no mukii ="the other/opposite side of ... ... ~o mado no mukii = "the opposite side of the window"-> "outside the window."
• nya is a contraction of ni wa, in which ni marks the place/location where something is. and wa marks that place as the topic of the sentence. (continued from pre•·iml\
ITJ
pa~e)
Mog.uro: Do::.o. kochira desu.
" Please (come) this way."
0
( PL3)
Moguro: Are o vo11de okimashita.
"I calied for that a while ago."
(PL3)
• ronde b the -te form of robu ("call/~ummon"). and okimashita is the PL3 past form of oku ("\et/phice/lea,e"). OJ..u after the -te form of a verb implies doing the action beforehand/in anticipation of ~ome fuwre need.
74 Mangajin
~ '7 -tt ;t 7.> ----------------------------~~~~
[Q
-t i
lv • Warau S§rusuman
-------------- - - - - - - -
Onchi: lya-, ugoku karaoke n7mu to iu no mo nakanaka ii desu nii.
"Boy-o-boy, this moving karaoke room is really great, too!" (PL3) Ugoku riz.umu ni awasete utau tone.
"(EspeciaJiy) if you sing along with the rhythm of the motion!" (PL3) Mo uro: Mel. kokora de hito-iki irete kudasai. Ho! ho! ho. " Well now, at this point, please take a break. Ho ho ho!"
" Well now, why don't you come over here and catch your breath a bit. Ho ho ho." (PL3) • iyli is a kind of "warm-up" word for exclamations of either consternation or delight/approval. • to iuno mo is literally "a thing called ... , too," but it can be thought of merely as a fancy mo ("too/also''). In English. saying "too/also" here is a little awkward, but mo is better than wa in Japanese because it implies that the moving karaoke room belongs among many "really great" things ("this. too. is really great"). whereas using wa would sound more like he was setting it apart in its own exclusive category ("this, in contrast to other things. is reall y great"). • nii and ne. both with long vowels. give the feeling of exclamations: "it really is so. isn't it?" • riwmu is the katakana rendering of English "rhythm." and awasete is the -te form of awasem ("match/conform to"). so rizumuni awasete implies ··conforming/ keeping in time with the rhythm." The -te form allows the preceding phrase to act as an adverb for utau ("sing"). • to after a non-past verb can make a conditional ''if/ when" meaning. • mii is used as a kind of "verbal warm-up," that adapts to fit the context: "well now/you know/1 mean/let's see/ of course/all right.'' ho ho ho is often a demure, feminine laugh. but with the lengthener and small tsus. and coming from this character. we imagine a shrill. almost grotesque laugh. It's most likely not a warm. Santa Claus laugh.
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Onchi: Demo, Moguro-san, anata wa tashika suteji to chosht7 ga iru . .. to osshatta no de wa?
' 'But Mr. Moguro, if I'm not mistaken, didn' t you say there would be a stage and audience?"
0
Kore wa ido-sha desu.
"This is (merely) our transportation." (PL3)
(PL4)
Mo sugu mokuteki-chi e tsukimasu yo.
Moguro:
"We will reach our destination soon." (PL3)
E. so desu.
• ido refers to a "movement/transfer/migration" from one place to another. and the suffix slw means "vehicle." so ido-sha essentially means "cran~pon vehicle/means of transponation." • mokw eki "aim/goal" and -chi "(geographical) place/region/locaht) :· so mokweki-chi ="destination." • tsukimasu is the PL3 form of tsuku ("arrive").
" Yes, that's correct." (PL3) • tashika means "sure/certain." and iro means "exists/ there is" so tashika iru looks like "certainly exists." But when tashika is used as an adverb without the particle ni after it like this. it implies a more tentative ·'I think/if I'm not mistaken/I'm pretty sure." • normally sweji. an inanimate object, would require aru ("exists/there is"). but since he's speaking of the stage and audience in combination. he omits aru and makes do for both with iru ("exists" for people and other animate things). • osslw11a is the plain past form of the honorific verb ossharu ("say"). • no de wa? implies something like no de wa nai !naka11a ka, "is/was it not the case that (you said.. .)" -> "did you not say . .."
Moguro:
=
0
=
Sound FX: Kii-!
Screech (sound of brakes squealing as u-uck stops}
0
Moguro: Tsuita yo desu.
" We seem to have arrived." (PL3) • tsuita is the plain/abrupt past form of tsuku ("arrive"). • ... yo daldesu ="seems/appears to be the case that .. :· Mangarn 75
___
_ ;t_·? _ ~_~_o _ T i_ ~
_·__~_ar= a~ u_S ~ e~ r~ u~ s~ u~ m ~a ~ n_________________________________
[Q Moguro: lkaga destt? Koko ga yum e no karaoke horu desu.
" What do you think? This is the Karaoke Hall of Dreams." (PL3) Onchi: Hie-! Su- sugoi!
" Wow! It- it's incredible!" (PL2) • ikaga is a PL4 equivalent of do ("'how"'). so ikaga desu? =do desu? /kaga desu (ka) can imply either " How are you/things?" or " How about it?!How is (the specified item) in your opinion?" "What do you think?"
k::::::;;;;:::;r:::;:::=;r===y=:;:;=;;;;;;;;;;;;,~] IT] Hostesse~:
lrasshamrase- .
• irasshaimase is a polite command form of the PL4 verb
" Welcome!" (PL4) irassharu (''come"). It's the standard expression for welcoming a visitor to one' home, or customers to one's place of business.
0
Moguro: Menbli:,u kiido. Kochira geslllo desu.
"(Here's) my membership card. This ma n is my guest." (PL2) Hostess: Hail Sore de wa do ka enjoi shire kudasaimase.
"Okay! Well then, by aJJ means enjoy yourselves." (PL4) • membiizu kiido is a katakana rendering of English ·'member's card'' .... " membership card."
• kochira (li terally "this side/direction") is the polite way to refer to someone you are introducing to another person. • gesuto is from English "guest." • sore de wa literally means "if it is that" "in that case/then/weJithen."
Hostess: Dewa, kosucht7mu rt7mu e dozo.
" Well then, please go to the costume room." (PL3-4) Onchi: Kosuclu7mu nlmu?
"Costume room?" (PL2) Moguro: • era11de is the -te form of erabu ("choose/select"). and kudasai after a -te form makes a polite reque~t.
0
Moguro: Watashi wa enka o hitotsu ...
"1 (will sing) an enka." (PL2-3) • enka arc sometimes called the Japanese equivalent of country and western songs. They are typically sentimental pop songs about lost love. separation from home. hard luck. etc.. with me lodies based on traditional Japanese musical scales.
CZJ
Onchi: Sore ja watashi wa I madorosu-mono demo ...
" Well then, perhaps I' ll do a sailor's song." (PL2-3) • sore ja i~ a contraction of sore de ll'a, seen above. • modnro.w is from Dutch "matroos," referring to a " sailor/seaman." The suffix -mo11o (literally "thing/item'') here essentially refers to a "genre/category." • demo literally means "or something:· but it's often used merely as a "softener'' without carrying its literal meaning. Here it does renect the fact that he had many possibilities to choose from, but it doesn't mean he' s still trying to make up his mind. He is in fact stating his decision.
76 Mangajin
Ho! ho! ho. Suki-na ishiJ o kiru. no desu. " Ho ho ho. You put on a costume you like."
" Ho ho ho. You dress up in the costume of your choice." (PL2) • dewa is a conjunction deriving from sore de wa een in the previous panel: " in that case/then/well."
• kosuchtlmu nlmu is from English ''costume room.'' • ... e dii:.n politely urges the listener to go to the specified place.
Moguro: Senkyoku ni yotte suki-na kosuchumu o erande kudasai. "According to your choice of tune, please select a costume you like."
''Please select a costume to go with your choice of tune." (PL4) • senkyoku is written with kanji meaning "select" and " tunc/song" "your choice of tune/song." • ... ,; yone ("according to/depending on") is the -te fom1 of ... 11i yoru ("depends on/is founded on").
~?
-tt
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lv • Warau Serusuman
MogtJ_ro: Kosuchiimu ga kimarrara meiku o dozo.
" Once you've settled on your costume, please (proceed with your) make-up." (PL3) Onchi: Meiku ? " Make-up'?" (PL2) Stxlist: Maw. ogushi kara ararasere iradakimasu.
"First I will have you let me undertake your hair." " I'll start with your hair." (PL3) Onchi: lya-, nandaka sutii ni natta ki ga shire kita.
" You know, I' m beginnin g to feel like I've become a star." (PL2) Moguro: So desu. Koko de wa anara ga sutii desu.
"That's right. Here, you are the star." (PL3) • atarasete is the causative ("make/let") -te form of ataru. here meaning " undertake/apply oneself to." The causative -te form+ itadakimasu is a roundabout and polite way of saying ··1 will (do the action)."
Jiin Ta daa (effect of striking a pose; oftentimes the person wi ll actually say jiin, like an English
speaker might say "Ta daa.") Sound FX: Pachi pachi Clap clap (applause) Moguro: Hya-, kimalle-ru-!
" Wow! A dashing figure indeed!" (PL2) • kimatte-(i)iru is a colloquial expression meaning a person's appearance/manner/etc. are ·'just ri ght."
0
Hostess: Dewa Onchi-sama, mein horu e dozo.
" Well then, Mr. Onchi, please proceed to the main hall." (PL3) Moguro: Mein hi5ru wa nakanaka rorenai n desu yo.
"The main hall is very hard to get, you know." (PL3)
0 0
Onchi: A-! "Oh no!" Sound FX: Waf (sound of cheering crowd) Hostess:
O nchi: Da- dame da! Anna-ni kyaku ga iran ja Ll/aenai. " It- it's no good. If that many spectators are there, I can' t sing."
"N-no! [ can't sing in front of an audience that big." (PL2) Moguro: Shinpai irimasen yo. Are wa mina biicharu riaritii no o-kyaku desu kara.
Dewa minasama, o-matase shimashita.
"Well then, everyone, we have kept you waiting." "All right, ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you have been waiting for." (PL3) Umi no otoko no uta no nanbii wan! Onchi Hideshi no li5ji5 de-su! " It is (now time for) t he appearance of Onchi
Hideshi! - the number one singer of sailors' songs! " (PL3) • minasama = "everyone"; when the word is used as a term of address before a large group. it's often the equivalent of "'ladies and gentlemen."
m
''There's no need to worry. T hey're all only virtual (reality) spectators." (PL3) • 11/aenai is the negati ve potential
l\1_qgyrQ=
Sora! "There!" (PL3) Sound FX: Don
Boom (effect of pushing hard) Onchi: Waf " Yikes!" (PL2)
(" can't/am unable") form of utau ("sing''). • kyaku means ·'guest/visitor," or in a business contex t "customer/client. .. For a show/performance. kyaku refers to the "spectators/ members of the audience." • /xlclwru riaritii is a katakana rendering of English "virtual reality.'·
To be continued .. . Mangajin 77
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( A) -f / ~ ~ .:>.----------------~~~~~~-----~~~dfrom :
•
Fujiko Fujio ( A) Interview
--------
------ -----
page 32)
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strongest, and that's why I chose him for the animation. T his gets a little off the subject, but on Japanese TV until then, animation was used mostly in programming for kids, and it appeared during the 6 o'clock and 7 o'clock time slots. "Gimme a Break" was scheduled for a muc h later s lo t, between 9 o'clock a nd I I o'clock, o, of course, I animated the Salesman with an adult audience in mind. Actually, at first, I didn' t think this kind of unconventional animation would go over all that well, but contrary to my expectations, it became a huge hit. The animation o f The Laughing Salesman! Out of all o f "Girnme a Break ," Moguro's ten minutes got the highest ratings.
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the kind of story or theme society was looking for. ® Abiko: I suppose so. And the great majority of the fans were women. T his struck me as really fascinating. Schodt: That seems rather surpr ising. <1> Abiko: Yes, it was.
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majority.
® Abiko: Well. when I did it as a manga 20 years
u~
ago, almost all of the fans were men, but when I did it on TV fi ve years ago, as an animation, there were lots more women. Women have a bit of a, you know, mean streak in them (laughs), so I think maybe they really enjoyed seeing stories like The Laughing Salesman, where all kinds o f people get done in by Moguro.
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Schodt: But wou ldn' t women 25 years ago have been the same? ® Abiko: Well, maybe, but ...
(!)
® Sc hodt: Is there some sp ecial reason why there are m o r e women fan s this time a r ound? ® Abiko: I don' t know. I think it probably owes to the difference in medium. Before, it appeared in a men 's magazine called Manga Sunday, so the audience was almost all men. Women probably had very little opportunity to see it. But when it came on TV, the viewers were mostly women. and I think the high rarjngs show that it received their approval.
i:> >b "'~Tit c'o
This interview will be continued in Mangajin No. 37, along with Part II of our manga story The Karaoke Hall of Dreams, from The Laughing Salesman. 78 Mangajin
Naniwa Kin'yudo The series:
* -
Naniwa Kin 'yildi5 first appeared in Kodansha's Weekly Comic Morning (~flj :J ~ 'J 7 .:C 7.) in 1990. It was an immediate hit and has run continuously ever since. The appeal of this series seems to be a combination of the subject matter (the unethical dealings of an Gsaka loan/finance company), the gritty Gsaka dialect used by most of the characters, and the rough but oddly detailed style of drawing.
=- /
by
Aoki Yuji Part 3
The title:
=-
Naniwa (written here in katakana T r;, but sometimes written with the kanji ilit:ft or ilit~) is an old name for the Gsaka area, where this series is set. Kin 'yii (~~) means "money/finance," and the ending do (:i:i[) written with the kanji for "road/path," can be thought of as meaning "the way of ..." Given the content of the stories, the title could be rendered as "The Way of the Gsaka Loan Shark."
The story: In the beginning of the story, our hero, Haibara Tatsuyuki, takes out a personal loan from a shady sarakin loan company so his boss at the print shop can pay the shop's bills. Soon after he obtains the loan, however, a major customer goes bankrupt, and his boss, in financial straits again, skips town. Haibara is left without a job-and probably in debt for the amount of the loan. After studying up on finance, Haibara applies to a loan company for a job and aces the written test. But his application is rejected when the company
runs a credit check and learns that he has taken out personal loans in the past. The manager won't tell Haibara why he was
rejected, but does warn that he might have trouble getting hired at a legitimate finance company. Sure enough, everywhere Haibara applies turns him down. Confused and dejected, he happens to notice an advertisement for Empire Finance, lnc., on the back of a free packet of tissues he has
a tap on his shoulder and is brought in for an interview.
been handed on the street. The company is hiring, and he decides to give it one last shot. On his way up to the office, Haibara passes by two gangster types threatening a third man for having defaulted on a loan; then, at the door to the office, he overhears loud threats and abusive language coming from inside. Just as he begins to wonder about this place, he feels
This month's installment opens with Haibara, Empire Finance's newest employee, performing the menial cleaning chores often expected of new hires. Then he gets his first real assignmentcold-calling Gsaka-area construction companies in an effort to lure them into high interest loans. Initially, Haibara meets with ridicule and hostility from those he calls, but then ...
© Aoki Yiiji. All rights reserved. First published in Japan in 1990 by Kodansha, Tokyo. English translation rights arranged through Kodansha.
Mangajin 79
-t =- 7
80 Mangajin
~~:@: •
Naniwa Kin 'yudo
- - --t =- '7 1;. M il'.i • Nani wa K in 'yiidl5
Sign: BANK Jv ..A 1- -t 1 Jv 1-' Banku Rusuchairudo (bank name)
~ti~
xfr5
Kitahama Shiten (place name) branch
Bank Ruthschild Kitahama Branch Sign: fJ ffl ft#
(f:l;)
Shin"_riJ Kashitsuke. Jiko Tegata Waribiki. Fudosan Kashitsuke trust/credit loans
private biiVdrafl discounts
real estate loan~
Credit Loans, Private Bill Discounts, Real Estate_Loans
( Kabu)
%-~ikhl!
Teikoku Kin "yil
joint stock co. empire finance
Empire Finance, Inc. ..A 1--\'" 1 iv r· Rosuchairudo =
• the bank's name is imended to be close to. but not quite the same as, D " Rothschild." • shiten is literally "branch store," but it's also used for bank branches and sometimes for other kinds of corporate branch offices. • jiko ="personal/private" and tegata refers to a variety of ''bills/notes/drafts" of payment, typically with a due date sometime in the future when the payment is to be made. Waribiki ="discount," referring to the practice of "selling" these bills/notes to a finance company at a discount in order to receive immediate payment. For more details, see our first installment of thi s story in Mangajin No. 34. • the kanji ~ kabu (="stock") in parentheses before or after a corporate name denotes a ~A: ~ II kttlmshikigaisha, or "joint stock (type) company." • the company apparently prefers to use the o ld kanji ~ (kuni: read koku in combinations) in its formal name rather than the simplified 1•1.
[D
Sound FX: -'¥ .:1.
..;
Gru!
(twisting/squeezing effect- here of squeezing excess water out of the washrag) • it's quite common for the newest employee(s) to be expected to take care of clean-up chores.
Haibara: }.; (;i. J:: -? ::: ~--v, ;t t' o Ohayo
gozaimasu.
" Good morning," (PL3-4) Takayama: }.; (;i. J:: -? ~ lv o 0/raro-san.
Harikille-iru
good moming-(hon.) working hard/enthusiastic
nii. (colloq.)
" G'mornin' . You' re raringjogo, aren' t you!" (PL2) • ohayo go::.oimasu is the traditio nal "good morning" greeting. Though go;:aimasu generally belongs to PL4 and sounds very formal and polite, its feeling in ohayo go:aimasu can range down to a quite informal PL3 - or even lower in various con tracted forms. 0/wyo-san is an informal shorthand for the same greeting; it' s best considered PL2 even though -san is the honorific title used with names ("Mr./Ms.") and usually belongs to PL3. • lwrikiue-iru is the progressive ("is/are - ing") form of harikiru, w hich refers to being "enthusiasti c/zealous/ gung ho" at work or some other acti vi ty. • the colloquialnii, here a masculine equivalent of nif, adds emphasis to make a mild exclamation.
0
Sound FX: ?
1 - /
Uii-n
Vroooom (sound of vacuum cleaner)
Mangajin 81
-T:::. r;
-----------------------
82 Mangajin
~M!il:i.
• Naniwa Kin 'yDdo
- - - - --
;-.::. 7
Yoshi.
"'*-r
.:. ~c.,
JAIJli:tL
Kuwata : 3 :.--,
• Nan i wa Kin 'yudo
~iMill
Haibara· k111r, kochira
e
kite kureru ka?
• yoshi is an exclamatory/interjectory form of the adjective ii/yoi ("good/fine"). It's interjectory use
10 will you come? typically ~hows that the time i~ right for some " O kay, Haibara could vou come over her e?" action. either by the speaker or the listener: (PL2) ''okay/all right (now's the time)." • kite is the -te form of kuru ("come''), and kureru ka after the -te form Haiba ra : li \, ' 0 of a verb makes a slightly less-abrupt request than using just kure. its Hai. non-question form . -Te kure and -te kureru ka are both masculine. yes/okay • hai is used to express assent/compliance with a request/command. " Yes sir:." (PL3)
okay/all right (name-fam.) 1h1s direction
1:
7- ;{. .o
n' c., o
kimi ni
ataeru
kara.
Kuwata: .:. (J) .-$: Kono hon rh is
o
book (obj.) you
• ataeru essentially means "give/bestow''; in the
context of work 10 do. it's often equivalent to "allot/assign."
to will give/allot because/so
" I ' m_going__tu ive ou this book." (PL2)
• kara ("because/so'') is probably best regarded here as a colloquial ·•softener" to make the end of the sentence less
abrupt. Though, in effect, the thought continues 2 frames below (''So I want you to .. ."),after the insertion of a parenthetical statement in the next frame, the grammar does not really create a continuous sentence.
[2]
On Book: ill.!J: Kensetsu
~~ '90 Meikan Kyiijii
conqruction directory
li -t.!f
Doken-ya
wa mina
general contractors as-for all
•
• •
• •
[I)
Kuwata:
rtfT ·fttka
illJ~
Kensetstt
~:?f
G_rosha
Osaka wnhin prefecture con~trucuon comractors
'90
1990 Construction Directory
Kuwata : tillR
:kt'li Osaka
G eneral Cont ractors Located in Osaka :fl:j\t)Jl£ 7;{ H~ tj./v'v'o suki
nan va.
rough/slipshod accouming (subj.) like
donburi kanjo
ga
(cxplan.)
"Ge nera l contractors all like rough accounting.'' " G ener al con tractors a re a ll pref.!Y.Mlpshod in their accounting." (PL2-K) j u is the suffix for "prefecture" used for Osaka and Kyoto Prefecture~. and -l..a (lit. "under") implies "within" (i.e.. "under the administration of"). The Japanese word that encompasses all of the prefectures is l:llilll{f!!,~ todofuken: one prefecture is known as a til to (Tokyo-to), one as a j[f do (Hokkaidii), two as f{f fu, and 43 as V.~ ken (e.g.. Chibaken) toka ="within T okyo";fuka ="within Osaka/Kyoto"; kenka ="within (this/the named) prefecture." gyosha literally means "industry/trade person"; it refers to members of whatever industry is indicated. donburi kanjo refers to figuring by rough estimates and dispensing with any kind of precise accounting. The term comes from tradesmen who simply kept their money in a pouch (called a donburi) in their work vests (called haragake) and never bothered to keep track of income or expenses. This donburi does not refer to the large bowb with lids in which traditional Japanese eateries serve many a delectable dish. with ruki ("like"), the liked object is marked with ga. and the person who likes it is marked with ll'a. nan ya is Kansai dialect for the explanatory na n(o) da (''the situation is that ..."). -f(J)
r, ~
Sono meikan
~ o
Q't', f1·-?Jffii n't, mite, katappashi kara
that directory/list (obj.) look at-and one end
fl.t~IS
~ n'IT~
demva
o kakeru
from telephone call (obj.) make
lv'Y>o 11
ya.
(explan.)
"(So I want you to) look at that directory_ a nd call every listing in it." (PL2) Ha ibara: li "'
• katappashi kara is literally "from one edge/end.'' implying '·to the other." and deml'll o kakeru means "make phone call(s)." so he's essentially telling Haibara to call evel) number in the book. • n ya is Kansai dialect for the explanatory n(o) da. Following a plai n. non-past verb with n yaln da can serve as a command.
Hai_
:rc
" Yes sir ." (PL3) Kuwata: I OO;!>: Hyappon demva shitara 100 (count)
Phone lt
Other Books:
• • •
•
if call
kanarazu
ichi-niken
delinircly/for sure I or 2 (count)
wa
hikkaka11e kum
a~- for
will take the bait
kara
110.
because/so (colloq.)
"(llecause) if_you ma ke a hundred calls you' re sure to get I o r 2 pla ces that take the ba it." (PL2) Q~ gtJ '41(,~~) 1 1'// ~-:JI;,o-~-:J • hon (changes to -ppon or -bon with Shokug_ro -betsu Demva-cho I Taun Peji I Haro Peji some numbers) is often used as the occupation classified by telephone book town pages hello pages counter suffix for telephone calls. Yellow Pages I Town Pages I Hello Pages Denwa (o) shitara is a conditional "if/when" form of demva (o) sw·u. -r- 1 7 1 1J AH~ J: 1 1g essentially the same as denwa o Di!ta Banku I Shi11 'vo-roku Jo I Shin 'vo-roku Ge kakeru above: "make phone call(s)." Data Ba nks LCr edit Directory Vol. 1.1 Credit Directorv Vol. 2 ken (tf) is the counter suffix for houses as well as shops/restaurants and other business establishments. hikkakaue is the -te form of hikkakaru ("get hooked" • "take the bait"): kum (''come") after a -te form can be used to imply the action moves/will move toward the speaker. Taun Peji is the name NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) has used since 1984 for its "Yellow Pages... formerly called Shokugyo-betsu Demva-clro. so either this office has kept a very old phone book arou nd for reference, or the artist has slipped up. The ''Hello Pages:· are NTT's equivalent of the "white pages.'' i.e.. the alphabetical listing- or in the Japanese case. the kana-order listing. two volume books in Japan are of1en designatedjo Md ge. lilerally the "upper" and "lower" volume~.
1' /
mu r
Mangapn 83
_ _ __ _ __ _____:_-T .::. '7 ~ · ·Ill! _ill~
· N aniwa Kin 'yud~
1>'\uft'l. 1o9l
~
;! U
,I,~ y p :I. '[. flS J'll' j <'f l'l "
11r 1
q
- J. . . ~i.ffl.llt:ltY•V \ )IY' '7n~
j:~l ~fiB\~ ~l'-9(\1'
.r.,.1""' t{:t~
;Ali~~
-c:-ti-
84 Mangajin
rot: t. !tll! t.-.~,..,_,. ~~>-l••5 -n't~- !ll(~t.lh'·rv ~·•-'••8 \~u-tt_ ~ >t.'lt~t :.•· Y•V l.U •bn') ;!.~:0~
ltt'
I1>:tl.. t~ll.ll'ir.'"'"" b'l.'l<· ~o\-'\k. 1;1\>t~
~t~llio~•-Y•V
)Jy
+n·OtYi
-x;t'IC~y--.·Y l 'l
~ 1o~" \'2J.tt~..,..,
I. ~J-8.-A Ql('ll·~··'
-r::.. '7 ~lit ill •
Nanlwa Kin 'yDdo
Kuwata: 'bl'bL.. , H~ 1:> "\ "t'? Moshi-moshi. slzacho oide? hello presidcnllowncr presen1? " H e llo is the own er in?" ( Pl.A-info nnal)
.. U R .
moshi-moshi is the standard way for the person initiating a phone call to say " hello." shacho combines the second kanji of ~U kaisha ("company'') with the suffix for indicating the " head/ chief/leader'' of a group. ~ clro, to give the meaning "company president/owner." aide is a PL4 word that is strictly speaking a noun ("presence/arrival/depanure'') but is often better thought of as a verb ("is present/comes/goes''). Here oide is short for oide desu ka or the slightly more polite oide desho ka ("is he present?"). The word is not Kansai dialect as such, but Kansai speakers probably use it in place of irassharu (which has essentially the same range of meanings- ee below) more than Tokyo speakers do.
-c ",
(J) :,!iiJ iJ I i:>i"'-lv iJ'? I i:>1i:< Kuwata: =Fff~ ~ -tt t..: t..: ~ i T 3 o ka? 0-yasuku sasete itadakimasu yo. Tegata no waribiki omahen drafllnote of discoun1 nOl have (?) (hon.)-cheapllow rate will have you allow me to make it (emph.) " Do you have any notes you ' d like discounted ? I'll g ive y_ou a low rate." ( P L3- K)
. . .
Kuwata:
.. .
Listin~:
omalren is Kansai dialect for arimasen. the PL3 form of nai (''not have/not exist"): omahen ka = arimasen ka = "do you not have?" o-yamku is from yasui ("cheap/inexpensive" or when speaking of interest/discount rates, "low"). Since the context is tegata no waribiki, i.e., the "discounting of a promissory note" (see frame I). he is offering to keep the discount rate low, which is to say. pay more for the note. Yasuku suru ="make (something) cheap/low in cost or rate." sasete itadakimasu is a roundabout and polite way of saying suru ("will do/make"), often used when the action mentioned constitutes an offer of favors/favorable treatment.
-t-1 "'{'? n'o -rn-m Mit
(J)
ti
1J
c·~j:
", -c:-:) t... ~ 7.>?
so dekka. Shin 'yo yfishi 110 hi5 wa do11ai dessharo? that way is it? credit loans 's direction as-for how about it? " I s that rieht? H ow a bout a loan on c redit? " ( PL3-K) so dekka is a Kansai dialect contraction of so desu ka, " is that so?/is that right?" hii is literally "direction/way"; ... 110 ho is frequently used to direct someone's attention toward one (or in this case a second) of several choices/possibilities. donai dessharo is Kansai dialect for do desha (ka)? ("how about it?").
±1:
I
ilifi
I
A*.
crY
I
Kariwaku Ni11p11 Tobi temporary frame laborer scaffolding worker Ex~~vating I Concrete Framing I Laborers I Scaffold Worke r s
DokO eanhworks
n'
.. . Sound FX:
~Hi>: JHt I t.:.--? 't I Kaitai Kata:.uke Tekkin clean up/pulling away steel/reinforcement rods dismantlement Dismantling I C lea n Uo I Rod Work
kariwaku refers to the temporary frames/molds/forms constructed for pouring concrete. tobi can refer to constntction workers in general, but o ften specifically indicates those who build scaffo lds . these appear to be want ads placed by construction companie~ looking for workers in each of these categories . Kuwata is simpl y using the ads as a source of construction company phone numbers. !!~!!·;t
Pi pi pi! (sound o f dialing pus h-butto n phone)
Haibara: 'b L..'bl , u~ v'l?? L..~~'iT? Moshi-moshi, slraclro irasslwimasu ? hello presiden!lowner present? " H e llo is the owner in?" ( Pl.A)
Othe r P art y
.
ry:_,
~
-!Jf'
c' -t? e::.
.
~ lv?
Waslri ya ga, dochira-san ? lime is but which direction/who-(hon.) " I'm the owner.jJJutl w h o is t his?" ( PL 3-K )
irasshaimasu is the polite form of the PL4 verb irassharu ("is present/comes/goes"). Dropping the question panicle ka and a king with j ust the intonation of a question feels slightly less formal than asking irasshaimasu ka?. but it remains very polite.
. .
waslri is a word for "Ume" used mostly by middleaged and older men. ya typically replaces da ("is/are") in Kansai dialect, so waslri ya is equivalent to waslri da ("is me").
doclrira literally means "which direction/way:· In formallpolite conversation, the di rection words koclrira ("this direction") and sochira ("that direction") often serve as polite personal pro nouns, " llwe" and " you," respecti vely. Doclrira is the equivalent polite word for asking "who?" Adding -san is also polite. but using this shon fom1 instead of the full sentence doclrira-san desu ka lends a slight note of informality.
Mangajin 85
-r =- '7 ~ ~ l1i •
Nani wa Kin 'yudo
/ 7 \.'a ~ t~
t:;; */ ~s? 1(t'>?> fiJ• ~
'jj
~· fJ v~ !I
I
IJ'
7'8
*'iiii ?~
'h'
!!
L- § 7 >??
(J)
'J
tJ' fJ' I {> t: "/ ~
':
c· c·.: -:>-:>
1? 1?
t:
fj, :---
t IJ '(:>
I
86 Mangajin
3
-J I
-J- ::. '7 ~~ill: • Nani wa K in'yiido
Haibara: llf~ ~1 51 q) •;t'j'lij fi\:/M! C. IJtL:'ti" o Tegma ll'aribiki 110 Teikoku Ki11 'yt7 10 moshimasu. note/draft discount~ of empore finance (quOie) 'aylbe called " We're called Empire Finance. (offering) promissory note di!.counts." " This is Empire Finance, offe ring promissorx note discounts." (PL4)
• miishimasu is the pol ite form of the PL4 verb mosu ("say/be called"). The preceding 10 i~ the quotative particle. marking the content of what is said or what something/someone is called.... To miishimosu b the polite way to introduce/identify oneself: " I am ... :·or when speaking for an organization. "this is ..."
~
OtherParty
Sound FX:
ld:lv'(', (.ili;fl]ft -/J'?i<'C:>/..h.L 7*/~v!! Na11 ya. korigashi ka '! Iran li'Cre. alw11dare! what h high intcre~t lender (?) n01 need (colloq. cmph.) idiot/fool " What's this - a loans h ark? Forge t it, you idiot!" (PL 1- K)
if+ -t /
Coelum
(sound of s lamming down receiver)
yo is Kansai dialect for 11a11 da. literally ··what is itT' but often used idiomatically to imply the item mentioned is LriviaVunwonhylbcneath noti ce. • ira11 is a contraction of ira11ai ("not need'") negative of int ("need"). • wae i~ a rough/masculine form of the colloquial emphatic panicle wa. IVai~ usually described a~ feminine, but men can also use it. with a slightly different innection. without ~ounding effeminme. Men·, u~e of wa is especially common in Kansai dialect. • ahrmdare is a variation of alto or aho. meaning "idiollfoollblockhead... Mild as the English equivalents sound, any form of aho can become a powerful insult depending on the tone of voice with which it is said. Here, ahrmdare comes across as a pretty strong epithet. •
@]
A nother__~rty
IWII
H1iii ti 7*? -/)>!! Omae ll'a ahii ka? ) OU a'-for idiot/fool (?) "Are you s ome kind o f a dimwit?" (PLI )
• omae is a rough. masculine word for "you:·
Sound FX: ff-1--t/
Coelum (sound o f s lamming down receiver)
§]
Another Party
:::..q)-- :¥7 -!Jf!! Kono boke fill! tho\ dimwit/moron (emph.) " Moron!" (PL I)
Sound FX: 1!7- -t / Gachmr (sound of slamming down receiver) Haibara : 7 ·;- '/ , § q) -/J' t:. ~ (: L-'(' -/J( J.> o Kuso!. me no kawki ni shiyagam. (curse) eye of enemy to make-(derog.) "Sheesh, they all make me their worst enemy!" "Sh eeslh_the_y a ll tre at m e like I'm the ir wo r s t en e m_y!" (PL I) Sound FX:
!!!!!! Pi pi pi
• hoke is an epithet implying the per<,on's lights have dimmed or he has gone loco/<,enile. so it's essentially a synonym for aho. Bo~e is more commonly u~ed as an insult in the Kansai area than in Kanto/Tokyo. • ga here is best thought of simply a~ providing e mphasis. • kuso!
i~
used widely as a curse of chagrin at moof adversity. Since it literally refers to "excrement." it's undeniably crude. but it's not considered objectionable/unprintable to the extent of its English counterpans. • me no kawki ni sum is an expression for "bear constanlleternal/intense enmity" toward someone. • shiyagam is a derogatory equivalent of suru ("do/make"). ment~
(sound of dialing Jouch-tone phone) :::_ ? ld: I) ~ I:'-? -!:_, ~ {;'-? -!:_, t~ o Haibara : 3 - :/, Yiishi. kO naryadotchi mo dotchi da. all right/okay this way if become> which way al'o which way is "All right, if it comes to this, whichever way, it's all the same." " All right then. Who car es what they think." (PL2)
• yoshi or yiishi is an exclamatory/interjectory form of the adjecti ve iilyoi ("good/fine"). It'' often used when mustering one's strength/energy to meet a challenge. • kli naryii is a contraction of ko nareba, "if it becomes like this," from kii ("like this/this way")+ a conditional "if" form of nam ('"become"). • dmchi is a colloquial equivalent of dochira ("which direction/way"). and dotchi modo/chi i<> an expression meaning ·'whichever way you choose it makes no difference"- "i.e.. "it's all the same." In many cases it corresponds to the Englbh expression "six of one. half-a-dozen of the other." but here he seem<, e~sentially to be saying it makes no difference/he doesn't care what those at the other end of the line think.
Mangapn 87
- --
7=- 7
--
~!~till
• Nani wa Kin'yil do
~t,ii
-? J;: ~lj
-c
< t,
t:'
J;:
~
-?
"' c
88 Mangajm
!!
7::::.. '71fr:r.itill • Naniwa Kin 'yudo
~
Haibara:
t
IJJ tJi ~~.It
L t L,
t: /.,?
Mosili-moshi, Takaraka Kensetsu-san ? hello
(construction co. name-hon.)
" Hello is this Takataka Construction?" (PL3) ~AA'!! c EtJ LiT o Co-worker: 'i'U~I Teikoku Kin")ll7
empire
to
miMzimasu.
finance (quote) saylbe called
"We' re called Empire Finance." "This is EmP-ire Finance." (PL4) • -san is most commonly used with personal names to mean "Mr.fMs.," but it's also often used as a polite suffi x for names of groups/institu tions/corporations/etc.
~
Takahashi:
/\ 1 '
Hai, yes
;g;m
'Z'"T o
Takahashi desu. i;
(name)
" Yes. T his is Takahashooeaking)_," (PL3)
[ill
Haiba~a :
'it:~ %'00 Teikoku Kin 'yfi empire
c
$Li-t
iJ< 0
to
miJshimasu
ga.
finance (quote) say/be called but/and
"We' re called Empire Finance (but)." " This is Empire Finance." (PL4) • ga is a conjunction that can be translated either as "'but'" or ··and." depending on the context. Here the conjunction signals that he has more to say. but he pauses to wait for a response from the other end before proceeding. This is a fairly standard way to identi fy oneself at the beginning of a phone call.
Takahashi: 'it: .fiJ Kinri
u·a
dono gurai
wz.?
interest as-for about how much i.~ it?
"What's your interest ra_te?" (PL2) Haibara: ilZfl]?! t::> .1: , t? .1: -? c fif-? -r
Cho- cho11o a little/a moment
ma11e
kudasai.
wait
please
" Interest rate? Wa- waitjust a moment, pl_ease." (PL3) • ya regularly replaces da in Kansai dialect, but asking questions with ya sounds quite a bit "softer'" than aski ng questions with da in standard Japanese. • matte is the -te form o f matsu ("wait"), and adding kudasai makes a polite request.
Haibara:
~ EB ~ fv ,
'it: :flj
(J)
H
Kuwata-san, kinri 110 ke11 (name-hon.)
de
kawal/e
moraemase11?
interest of matter on/with change/switch couldn' t I have you?
"Mr. Kuwata, could I have you change with me concerning a matter of interest rates?'' "Mr. Kuwata could vou take over for me and tell this P-erson about our interest ratesZ" (PL3)
Kuwata: :;f·;1 , 0 !,
b7
~hiJ'ltt..:
kiJ' o
3:,"\' o
miJ
hikkaketa
11 ka.
Yosha.
(intcrj.) already snared/hooked (ex plan.-?) okay/all right
" Ho, yoy_got one on the hook already? Okay_, sure." (PL2) • ken= "matter/case/affair" ; ... no ke11 de= ··concerning/with regard to a matter of ..." • kawalle is the -te form of kawaru ('"switch/change"), and moraemasen is the PL 3 negative of morau ("recei ve"'). A form of morau after a-te form i mplies having someone do the action for oneself. T o use the negati ve form of the verb when making a request is more polite than using its affirmati ve form. • o! is an interjection o f surprise, like ''oh 1/hey!/ho!/wow!' ' • hikkaketa is the plain/abrupt past form of hikkakeru ("to snare/hook"). • yosha is a variation of yoshi, an exclamatory/ interjectory form of iilyoi ("good/fine'"), expressing his assent to the request: "Okay/Sure thing/Be glad to!"
~
Sound FX: ;f / Pon
Tap (effect of pat/tap on shoulder)
Mangajin 89
-r=- '7¢:/M!.il!
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7.::. '71fr:h\!l!ii1 • N aniwa Kin 'yudo
~ Takavama: X.!?v'
!f-v' ~lj:v'i.P, I*IJlCI3o I ;13
Erai
hayai ya nai ka, Haibara-kun.
Li
Kimi wa
fll:/M!}j: kin'yl7-ya
1: fi'ilv'Cl.> 't'- o ni
muiroru
de-.
very/phenomenally fast/quick is it not? (namc-fam.) you as-for moneylender to/for are suited (emph.) "That's phenomenally quick, Haibara~It means) you' r_e meant to be a monevlender."
(PL2-K)
• erai basically means "admirable/worthy of praise/respect, .. but the word is here being used as an adverb to modify hayai ("fast/quick"). In standard Japanese, the proper adverb form. eraku. is used in th is way as a colloqui al e mphasizer ("very much/considerably/terribly''), but Kansai speakers use erai just as it is. • ya nai ka is Kansai dialect for ja nai ka. wh ich is literally a question: ''is it not?"' The question is pure ly rhetorical, though, and he's actually congratulating Haibara on the speed of his success. • the suffix -ya can refer either to the trade/business itself (most commonly small shops) or to the person/people running it, so kin'yii-ya can mean ·'moneylender" either in the sense of "finance company" or in the sense of someone who works for such a company. • muitoru is Kansai dialect for muite-iru, from muku ("be suited/fit [for]"). De adds strong emphasis, like the masculine zo or ze in standard Japanese but without feeli ng quite as rough.
Books: 7 - 7 ;\ / 7 Difla
Banku
Shikihi5
data
bank
four seasons information
Data Banks Japan Company Handbook {§' Jfl i'l'f¥!1 ~ rJ / «- :; Shinyii credit
Juhi'i
Taun
Peji
information
town
pages
Credit Directory Haibara: v'"\-',
Town Pa_ges
i <"h
l'i' J:,
i <"H.o
magure
desu
magure.
• SliikihiJ (full name Kaisha Shikihi5) contains brief descriptions of Japanese firms, including their latest performance figures and profit outlook. An English edition of the book is called Japan Compcmy Handbook. • Although they are fictiona l publications, Shin'yif ji51ti5 and Shin'yr7-roku (p. 82-3) would seem to be the same sort of company financial directory.
• chigau is literally ·'(is) different," but idiomaticall y it means "that's the wrong idea/conclus ion" no/really fluke/lucky stroke is (emph.) !luke/l ucky stroke --> ·•you're wrong." "No, it's just a fluke, really. A tluke." (PL3) • Willi is an informal anata ("you"). • ya de is a Kansai equi valent of da yo ("is/are" + Takayama: v'~ -J;_,i.J!·?o .:.~1.. l"l ~lvt.:.!! to: 't' 71--:::> tJ' ~ t t.:. lv ~ trade/the business'' --> Shonichi no shoppana de hikkaketa 11 ya. first day 's beginning at snared/hooked (explan.) kono gyi5kai = "this busi" You got one on your hook at the very__beginning of y_our first !I~" (PL2) ness." • fuwata ri refers to "non~AA~~ 1: lj:J.> (J) 1-l ~!vt.:. (!) 1i'l$ "\-' l' ! payment/default" on a Kin'yii-ya ni naru 110 wa anta 110 sl111kumei \'a de! bill/note. money lender to become (nom.) as-for you s destiny ' is (cmph.) Iya,
yo.
" It's your destiny to become a moneylender." (PL2) • washi is a word for "Ume" used mostly by middle-aged and older men, and -ra is an abrupt ending that makes nouns pl ural. so washi-ra ="we.'' • n ya is Kansai dia lect for the explanatory ending n(o) da. • if written in kanji, gen would be written Mi:, meaning "sign/efficacy/omen": ge11 o katmgu is an expression implying that a person sees/clings to almost anything as a sign of good luck, or avoids certain things because he regards them as bringi ng bad luck " is superstitious.'' • no is a " nominalizer" that turns the complete thought/sentence kin 'yi'i-ya ni naru ("become a moneylender'') into a noun, and wa makes th at noun the topic of the sentence: "As for becoming a moneylender, ..."
Lower Left:
=
#; § Hb ~ Nihatsu-me Owari second shot
end
Second Shot: The End • -hatsu is a counter suffix for "shots," most typically shots involving explosions, such as of guns, rockets, and fireworks, but also of such thi ngs as pachinko balls. As we noted in our first installment of Naniwa Kin 'yt7di5 in Mangaj in No. 34, it's a deliberately unconventional counter to use for the parts of a story. • the counter suffix -me is for places in a seq uence, "first/second/third/etc.." so nihatsu-me is litera lly "the second shot."
To be continued ... Mangajin 91
Vocabula r y • Summary
From Furiten-kun, 12· 58
From Basic JaQanese, 12· 38 :f~llJ?j:
f!!
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r..~M
'b O)T .::~.-'
~ilt.O ~;.,..'£>0) {~L'bO)
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!fflir f;t-"Z~
!iM3t
bukiyo-na iro migaku mondai 1110/lOS Ligoi namakeru n omimono otoshimono oya roka ({I be mono taido
clumsy/unski llfu I color (n. ) poli h (v.) problem incredible/tremendous be lazy/idle drink/beverage dropped object landlord hallway food attitude
From Visual Glossary, p. 45 ~'!iili5~1Ht -0
'il1ffiS-t.O 'g"~?/
!ii'fJ' L~t '
1f. llf!l
A=n.
~ili5~
11Ji3(
·NHWm;J8 rlfln'~l.6 ::~-
1-' v.A
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1£/'i"H ;J1i Lv'
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5t.m-t.o
denwa o kakeru denwa suru eigyo-man lra:ukashii hen "i1/1(/ hitogomi juwaki kanojo kei rai denwa kikareru ki5doresu ki5slll7 benjo ky archi-hon nengan no rimokon rusuban denwa ru.mroku sabishii sassoku sltikyt7 suru
make a phone call make a phone call salesman/sales rep embarrassed strange( ness) free/idle/leisure time crowd/thron g of people handset (of telephone) girlfriend/she mobi le phone be heard/overheard cordless (phone) public toilet call waiting longed for remote control telephone answering machine (answering machine) message lonely right away issue/supply (v.)
From OL Shinkaron, 12· 50 (.:·)(:f. ._f 7 '} /
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v'l:h6~
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(go- )dengon fur in gaiJh utsu-chll 1jiwaru-na iyarashii jodan jiJshi nareru sekuhara techo torihiki-saki yasashii
message immorality/affair be out/away mean/unkind d isagreeab le/i ndecen t joke/jest superior(s) (at work) grow accustomed to sexual harassment datebook client kind/nice
From Take 'emon, 77~::1/
j!<~ .:.t>t~6 ~~)1\lj:
~6
tff.A1t.U
famikon guai kowareru 11{1//laiki·lla okuru shinnyL7 slwin
p~
"family compu ter"/Nintendo condition/state break (r.) brazen/audacious/uppity send new employee
I~HH: ~j: '-''
kankei nai nenrei shokugyo yobidashi
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irrelevant ( PL2) age (n. ) occupation paging
From OL Reiko-san, Q.,...Ql MIJ
kaeri umai
-? i "'
way home/retum(ing) skillful
From Crayon Shin-chan, p. 64 Ll't~T ¢
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Ll? t::l? Lv' ~~
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m·J~
clwkkan sunt chL7 suru kanjin -na //la\VGS/1 mega sameru memo suru oshioki shirajirashii toclu7 ukkari yoji
sense intuitively kiss/smooch (v.) crucial/essential tu rnlspi n/rotate/ci rculate awaken/become conscious make a note punishment transparent/obvious midst careless I y/inadvertently chore/errand
From Warau Serusuman, p. 70 ~h-tt-6
lf.'!!tK fl'l-¥ "R'Z: iri X. 6
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< r'o.A ;117
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awaserrt cili5sht7 hakuslw isho kieru kokora madorosu meiku mokureki-chi 0/IC/ti ri:u1111t soro-soro to11ikaku
match/conform to audience applause costume/clothes vanish/disappear hereabouts/at about this point sailor/seaman make-up (11.) destination tone deaf( ness) rhythm slowly/gradually/by and by in any case/at any rate
From Naniwa Kin 'yiido, p. 79 :ff)J~
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lol< A'ft:. niG;i ~00 \!jlj~J
lfil!tt
fudosan f uwatari gen o katsugu gyokai lwrikiru hikkakeru kataki kensetsu kinri kin 'yt7-ya korigashi magure meikan muku ninpu shukumei teikoku waribiki ytlshi
real estate default (11.) be superstitious (a particular) industry be enthu iasticlzealous snare/hook ( v.) enemy constructi on interest (rate) moneylender loan shark(ing) nuke/lucky stroke directory be suited/fit (for) laborer de tiny empire discount(S) loan/financing (n.)
The Vocabulary Summary is taken from material appearing in rltis issue of MANGAJIN. It's not always possible to give the complete range of meanings for a word in this limired space. so our "dejinirio11s" are based on the usage of the word in a particular story.
92 Mangajin
