しげりごと "Shigerigoto" Photo & Essay Translation 2
Sorry for falling off the face of the earth! Midterms are done now... although I can't say that I did as well as I thought. Anyways, I translated the next two essays this morning because I know that everybody looks forward to the pamphlet being translated more than anything else.
Highlights:
-Shige talks about the idea of people asking stupid questions.
-Finally, we hear his opinion on him being called an old man.
こんなんやってみました！ Pamphlet Translation
しげりごと "Shigerigoto" Photo & Essay
Scans by inala
"Stupid Question"
Everyone seems to use a certain motto or phrase. Even me, when I’m talking with my friends, I unintentionally end my phrases using “~though.” As in, “He seems to be really popular though.” Whenever I realize that, I feel like I’ve plunged into a gyaru! feeling. Well, if I had commuted to Shibuya during those six years of middle and high school I might have thought that way, but I think the meaning behind it is because I like the word “though.” Though why is that?!! That’s another feeling I’ve fallen into. There are many chances especially when writing sentences though, that I realize that I shouldn’t say that, but I would soon let my guard down and end up saying it. That’s the kind of word it is, I think. Meanwhile if I asked my friend whose name is Yayoi “When is Yayoi’s birth month?” I’d be told “That’s a stupid question.” When I heard that, I exploded with laughter. It probably is a dumb question. It goes without saying that Yayoi was born in the month of March*. It's a stupid question because of the kanji, the meaning is that it's a foolish question, so I was probably stupid when I heard the birth month from Yayoi. I was so stupid, so the words "stupid question" came out, and I ended up laughing. Since then, I became really interested in those words. That's because life is unexpectedly full of stupid questions. If you take me for example, if I'm asked things like, "Kato-kun is in Johnny's right?" or "Shige is in NEWS right?" I'd laugh and answer, "That's a stupid question!" It's not a bad thing, but the one who asks would do so seriously, so it would be such a dumb question that I would laugh because the answer is too obvious. For me, a stupid question wouldn't be a foolish question, it would mean that the question is so foolish that someone would laugh because the answer is so unmistakeable. In that case it would be OK to use the words "stupid question." But, if it so happens that someone asks "But what does that mean?" it's OK to answer with this. "That's a 'stupid question'!"
*Yayoi literally translated means the third year of the lunar calendar.
[Sorry if this makes your head go in circles. I tried to make it as understandable as possible while trying to not sound like a broken record.]
"Shige, The Old Man"
I am blessed to have friends, and all of them have various different words they use to describe me.
For example, blue sky. "Shige is a blue sky," is what I've been told some times. I feel a little embarrassed by writing this but, my smile seems to lift people up like the blue sky. But in the back of my mind I'd think to myself about the song "Aozora" by Blue Hearts. Now that I think about it, there are people who have told me, "Shige is a very dignified young boy." I became interested in finding out the real meaning of the word "dignity," so I tried looking it up in my electronic dictionary. The meaning is "In their looks, attitude, or voice, someone who is very manly or handsome. Someone who follows order and discipline." Yes yes. It a very good worldly feeling isn't it. Well, I don't think I'm that much of a playboy flirty type, so I agree with this opinion.
Then, the next person said this. "Shige seems like a little old man." The person who said that told me that I appear to be aging three times faster.... but it's not my face that does! It's my head, my head! No no, I'm not even growing gray hair! The things I think about don't seem to be what 20 year olds think of. Even though I have discussions with people about trifling subjects, when I say my opinion I feel excessively knowledgeable and persuasive, and I also seem to be very assured about my confidence. Because of that person, I'm called "Shige, the Old Man" because I have the habits of a 50 year old.
In the end, from those who know me, if you total everything up, I'd become, "A little old man with a heart and a smile like the blue sky, and a young dignified boy." At one glance it's a complete contradiction though: still and moving, young and aging, combining the extremes together into a person with two different faces. It doesn't seem bad. If I stay as this person forever I think it would be good. However, about aging three times faster, now inside my brain I'm 60 years old, so when I turn into a real 60 year old man, my brain would be 180 years old. What would I be called that time, I wonder. Maybe it would be "Shige, the Hermit." If I reverse that, the 20 year old brain called "Shige" has become a old man, na .
[And I didn't even realize it, but the next two essays are really long! :| Le sigh.
Also, this is sort of a shot in the dark, but: is there anybody within the NY-NJ area that happens to have an extra pamphlet that I could buy? I realize that as I'm translating this I really would like to have one just for the sake of having one. I don't think I can pay for it through paypal or other means, so if anybody within the area has an extra one, please leave a comment or msg me and let me know. Thanks!]
Highlights:
-Shige talks about the idea of people asking stupid questions.
-Finally, we hear his opinion on him being called an old man.
こんなんやってみました！ Pamphlet Translation
しげりごと "Shigerigoto" Photo & Essay
Scans by inala
"Stupid Question"
Everyone seems to use a certain motto or phrase. Even me, when I’m talking with my friends, I unintentionally end my phrases using “~though.” As in, “He seems to be really popular though.” Whenever I realize that, I feel like I’ve plunged into a gyaru! feeling. Well, if I had commuted to Shibuya during those six years of middle and high school I might have thought that way, but I think the meaning behind it is because I like the word “though.” Though why is that?!! That’s another feeling I’ve fallen into. There are many chances especially when writing sentences though, that I realize that I shouldn’t say that, but I would soon let my guard down and end up saying it. That’s the kind of word it is, I think. Meanwhile if I asked my friend whose name is Yayoi “When is Yayoi’s birth month?” I’d be told “That’s a stupid question.” When I heard that, I exploded with laughter. It probably is a dumb question. It goes without saying that Yayoi was born in the month of March*. It's a stupid question because of the kanji, the meaning is that it's a foolish question, so I was probably stupid when I heard the birth month from Yayoi. I was so stupid, so the words "stupid question" came out, and I ended up laughing. Since then, I became really interested in those words. That's because life is unexpectedly full of stupid questions. If you take me for example, if I'm asked things like, "Kato-kun is in Johnny's right?" or "Shige is in NEWS right?" I'd laugh and answer, "That's a stupid question!" It's not a bad thing, but the one who asks would do so seriously, so it would be such a dumb question that I would laugh because the answer is too obvious. For me, a stupid question wouldn't be a foolish question, it would mean that the question is so foolish that someone would laugh because the answer is so unmistakeable. In that case it would be OK to use the words "stupid question." But, if it so happens that someone asks "But what does that mean?" it's OK to answer with this. "That's a 'stupid question'!"
*Yayoi literally translated means the third year of the lunar calendar.
[Sorry if this makes your head go in circles. I tried to make it as understandable as possible while trying to not sound like a broken record.]
"Shige, The Old Man"
I am blessed to have friends, and all of them have various different words they use to describe me.
For example, blue sky. "Shige is a blue sky," is what I've been told some times. I feel a little embarrassed by writing this but, my smile seems to lift people up like the blue sky. But in the back of my mind I'd think to myself about the song "Aozora" by Blue Hearts. Now that I think about it, there are people who have told me, "Shige is a very dignified young boy." I became interested in finding out the real meaning of the word "dignity," so I tried looking it up in my electronic dictionary. The meaning is "In their looks, attitude, or voice, someone who is very manly or handsome. Someone who follows order and discipline." Yes yes. It a very good worldly feeling isn't it. Well, I don't think I'm that much of a playboy flirty type, so I agree with this opinion.
Then, the next person said this. "Shige seems like a little old man." The person who said that told me that I appear to be aging three times faster.... but it's not my face that does! It's my head, my head! No no, I'm not even growing gray hair! The things I think about don't seem to be what 20 year olds think of. Even though I have discussions with people about trifling subjects, when I say my opinion I feel excessively knowledgeable and persuasive, and I also seem to be very assured about my confidence. Because of that person, I'm called "Shige, the Old Man" because I have the habits of a 50 year old.
In the end, from those who know me, if you total everything up, I'd become, "A little old man with a heart and a smile like the blue sky, and a young dignified boy." At one glance it's a complete contradiction though: still and moving, young and aging, combining the extremes together into a person with two different faces. It doesn't seem bad. If I stay as this person forever I think it would be good. However, about aging three times faster, now inside my brain I'm 60 years old, so when I turn into a real 60 year old man, my brain would be 180 years old. What would I be called that time, I wonder. Maybe it would be "Shige, the Hermit." If I reverse that, the 20 year old brain called "Shige" has become a old man, na .
[And I didn't even realize it, but the next two essays are really long! :| Le sigh.
Also, this is sort of a shot in the dark, but: is there anybody within the NY-NJ area that happens to have an extra pamphlet that I could buy? I realize that as I'm translating this I really would like to have one just for the sake of having one. I don't think I can pay for it through paypal or other means, so if anybody within the area has an extra one, please leave a comment or msg me and let me know. Thanks!]