Learning Japanese

[ganbaru]

It'S again me
This one too is causing me problem : 振り返らない後ろ姿。
I know than ''振り返る'' means ''turm round/ look back'' but I block over ''振り返らない後ろ''

[Doraneko]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

This one too is causing me problem : 振り返らない後ろ姿。
I know than ''振り返る'' means ''turm round/ look back'' but I block over ''振り返らない後ろ''

How about "振り返らない+後ろ姿," where the former is a descriptor and the latter is a noun?

[xxanimefan4_ever]

Originally Posted by soka

If you use しか the verb must be in negative form, on the other hand if you use だけ the verb goes in affirmative.

昨夜は三時間しか寝られませんでした
Last night I couldn't sleep more than 3 hours.

昨夜は三時間だけ寝られました
Last night I could only sleep for 3 hours.

for dake it can be negative or affiramative. like
昨夜は三時間だけ寝た

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Doraneko

How about "振り返らない+後ろ姿," where the former is a descriptor and the latter is a noun?

It's helpful but it still leave me confused:
振り返らない+後ろ姿 or ((look back)negation)+(look from behing), Would it mean ''not looking behind oneself '' ? I would not bet anything on this one.

[Doraneko]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

It's helpful but it still leave me confused:
振り返らない+後ろ姿 or ((look back)negation)+(look from behing), Would it mean ''not looking behind oneself '' ? I would not bet anything on this one.

"Look from behind" is not exactly a noun, is it? I have already pointed out that 後ろ姿 is a noun.

Well 振り返らない is the negative form of the verb 振り返る, which in itself means "look back."

後ろ姿 is simply a retreating figure or an appearance from behind.

The whole thing may sound a little bit clumsy in English. But it makes perfect sense in Japanese.

[ganbaru]

The problem is than I am trying to translate a short text in english and this f___ing phrase is on the way. Thank to you I have a idea of that it mean, but the problem is than I am still clueless for translatinng it

[nikorai]

I think the context might help. The first impression is that it means 'a person going away without looking back'. Keep in mind that my level of japanese is terrible, though.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by nikorai

I think the context might help. The first impression is that it means 'a person going away without looking back'. Keep in mind that my level of japanese is terrible, though.

It's probably better than I could get myself.
You are right about the context, this is the translation than I am working on.

Spoiler for the translation sort of spoiler for the light novel 文学少女”と神に臨む作家 下:

Goodbye, I like you so much.
Beloved, this is the word she used for marking the separation.
If it's true than you love me, why can't we be together ?
Why did did you had to shaked our hand so gentlely ?
Turning your back to him than stared with this melancholic look,
why did you go alone foward the narrouw door ?

The spacious and bright road,
where two persons can go holding each other hand,
than we didn't walked together.
The me of my 17 year old,
her word and action than I thought irrational,
absolutely sorroful, than I couldn't understand.

Goodbye.

At the same time,
the one than guided me,
in the middle of pure white petals
stared at me with such dclear eyes and murmured.

Goodbye .

The coming back of the aching in my chest ,
the bathing in the soft golden light of the evening,
a warm smile.
A delicate shouilder, slenders limbs,
two fleeting and shaking swaying long braids.
( the problematic phrase)
a never ending gentle voice, echoing in my ear.

Goodbye

You were my most important person

[Doraneko]

OMG... who can expect spoilers in a thread like this . I am still on the 3rd book of Bungaku Shoujo...

Anyway Nikorai's translation is perfect literally, but my English is too bad to come up with an alternative that fits the poetic tone of your translation.

Btw please also add the title of the source in the spoiler tag if it is going to be a major one.

[MiserySyndrome]

Pimsleur is a good book to learn japanese

[ganbaru]

Sorry Doraneko I didn't want to spoil you or anyone on this thread. I won't say if itwas a big spoiler or not that would be a other spoiler,

BTW, never read the text on my signature, I use mostly translated quote from the serie or ( like my current one) text than could a moment of the story.

[Ryuou]

振り返らない後ろ姿

Hmm...how about "[your] retreating figure that won't look back [at me]." Or "The sight of you walks away without looking back." That might've taken too much liberty.

It's because of stuff like this that I'd never want to become a professional translator. Endless headaches.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Ryuou

Hmm...how about "[your] retreating figure that won't look back [at me]." Or "The sight of you walks away without looking back." That might've taken too much liberty.

It's because of stuff like this that I'd never want to become a professional translator. Endless headaches.

One thing I just thought, and if it's was a expression, like calling independent-minded person a ''maverick'' . Could ''振り返らない後ろ姿'' be used for descriving ''someone far ahead and still going''

[Circular Logic]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

One thing I just thought, and if it's was a expression, like calling independent-minded person a ''maverick'' . Could ''振り返らない後ろ姿'' be used for descriving ''someone far ahead and still going''

It doesn't seem like an expression or anything abstract - 姿 generally means an ACTUAL figure.

I'd translate it a little more idiomatically, something like (I see) you walking away, never turning back.

[Ryuou]

Yeah it's not an expression. It's a pretty simple line; it's just hard to put it together in English. You have the first part, 振り返らない, which just means "don't look back/turn back". Then the second part, 後ろ姿, which is really the sight or figure of someone from behind. Their back-side. We're all inferring that the person is walking away though. Probably because saying something about their back-side wouldn't go over well.

[ganbaru]

The best thing than I could find would ''going away without looking back'' or ''going foward without looking back'' and yet something tell me it's not that . The phrase is for descriving someone .

[Ryuou]

Well literal translation-wise that's getting a bit too far away maybe.

[ganbaru]

Should I try asking in the ''Could Someone Please Translate This? '' thread ? some of those who go on this thread don't go on this one, one of them might find out.

[Rembr]

Can you provide an entire context in Japanese so that the meaning in your particular context can be deciphered. Literal translations given so far is accurate, more or less.

[ganbaru]

It's the full paragraph, don't think we need the full chapter.

Spoiler for text in japanese, saving space, and spoiler for a light novel.:

。。。
さよなら
疼くの内によみがえるのは、夕暮れのやわらかな金色に溶けてゆく、あたたか名微笑み。
細い肩、華奢な手足、儚く揺れる長い三つ編み。
振り返らない後姿
耳の奥に繰り返し響く、切ないほどに優しい声。
。。。