【No. 0648】Inu mo arukeba bo ni ataru
Sep 26, 2016 15:12
Today, I'd like to talk about the famous Japanese proverb "inu mo arukeba bo ni ataru."
The literal translation is "dogs that walk around will strike on a stick," but it expresses two different meanings.
One is that if you do something, you may be involved in unexpected misfortune.
This meaning is paired with the proverb "kaho ha nete mate," which means that everything comes to those who wait.
The other is that if you keep doing something, you will have unexpected fortune.
It is said that the latter meaning was established later.
I prefer the latter to the former.
The literal translation is "dogs that walk around will strike on a stick," but it expresses two different meanings.
One is that if you do something, you may be involved in unexpected misfortune.
This meaning is paired with the proverb "kaho ha nete mate," which means that everything comes to those who wait.
The other is that if you keep doing something, you will have unexpected fortune.
It is said that the latter meaning was established later.
I prefer the latter to the former.
犬も歩けば棒に当たる
今日は、日本の有名なことわざ「犬も歩けば棒に当たる」を紹介します。
実はこのことわざ、全く異なる二つの意味で用いられます。
一つは、何かをしようとすると、それだけ災難にあう可能性があるというものです。
この意味は、「気長に待っていればと幸福が訪れる」ことを意味する「果報は寝て待て」と対を成します。
もう一つは、何かをし続けていれば、思わぬ幸運にあうというものです。
後者の意味は、後世に付けられたそうです。
私は後者の意味のほうが好きです。
今日は、日本の有名なことわざ「犬も歩けば棒に当たる」を紹介します。
実はこのことわざ、全く異なる二つの意味で用いられます。
一つは、何かをしようとすると、それだけ災難にあう可能性があるというものです。
この意味は、「気長に待っていればと幸福が訪れる」ことを意味する「果報は寝て待て」と対を成します。
もう一つは、何かをし続けていれば、思わぬ幸運にあうというものです。
後者の意味は、後世に付けられたそうです。
私は後者の意味のほうが好きです。
Corrections (1)
No. 1 tony
- Inu mo arukeba bo ni ataru
- Inu mo arukeba bou/bō ni ataru
- The literal translation is "dogs that walk around will strike on a stick," but it expresses two different meanings.
-
The literal translation is "dogs that walk around will strike on a stick," but it expresses two different meanings.
I would translate it as "Even if a dog just walks around, it will find a stick." The literal translation "strike" for 当たる is very misleading; "hit upon" is a bit better. Your translation is missing the meaning conveyed by も.
- One is that if you do something, you may be involved in unexpected misfortune.
-
One is that if you do something, you may be involved in (an) unexpected misfortune.
For this interpretation, 棒に当たる seems to mean "will be hit by a stick".
- This meaning is paired with the proverb "kaho ha nete mate," which means that everything comes to those who wait.
-
This meaning is paired with the proverb "kahou wa nete mate," which means that everything comes to those who wait.
Yes, I know the kana is は, but you must still render it in romaji the way it is pronounced.
- The other is that if you keep doing something, you will have unexpected fortune.
- The other is that if you keep doing something, you will eventually be fortunate.
- It is said that the latter meaning was established later.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- I prefer the latter to the former.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
Toru
Thank you so much for correcting my post!
Actually, since this proverb was made in the Edo Period, some grammers and nuances might changed a bit.
If I rewrite this modernly, it will be "犬が歩き回ると棒で叩かれる."
In the Edo period, there were many stray dogs, and they were sometimes hit by people.
Thank you so much for correcting my post!
Actually, since this proverb was made in the Edo Period, some grammers and nuances might changed a bit.
If I rewrite this modernly, it will be "犬が歩き回ると棒で叩かれる."
In the Edo period, there were many stray dogs, and they were sometimes hit by people.
tony
犬が歩き回ると棒で叩かれる
When dogs wander around, they get hit (by rods/sticks).
If this is definitely the meaning of the original, then "hit" has to be translated by a passive verb phrase ("they get hit" or "they are hit").
In order to understand the change in interpretation of the proverb, your reader needs to be told that 棒にあたる has changed in meaning from a passive verb phrase to an active verb phrase. The way you explained it in the entry, it seems as if the original proverb was ambiguous in meaning, but from what you're now explaining about the original meaning of 棒に当たる, that isn't true.
犬が歩き回ると棒で叩かれる
When dogs wander around, they get hit (by rods/sticks).
If this is definitely the meaning of the original, then "hit" has to be translated by a passive verb phrase ("they get hit" or "they are hit").
In order to understand the change in interpretation of the proverb, your reader needs to be told that 棒にあたる has changed in meaning from a passive verb phrase to an active verb phrase. The way you explained it in the entry, it seems as if the original proverb was ambiguous in meaning, but from what you're now explaining about the original meaning of 棒に当たる, that isn't true.
Toru
Sorry for my bad explanations.
I wanted to say something like the following:
Originally, it expressed only the meaning of "歩き回ると棒で叩かれる（不運に当たる）," but now it can also mean "歩き回ると幸運に当たる."
("棒に当たる" has been an active verb phrase, but I think that it could imply a passive case.)
Sorry for my bad explanations.
I wanted to say something like the following:
Originally, it expressed only the meaning of "歩き回ると棒で叩かれる（不運に当たる）," but now it can also mean "歩き回ると幸運に当たる."
("棒に当たる" has been an active verb phrase, but I think that it could imply a passive case.)
tony
That's good, but I wouldn't put the last sentence in parentheses, and I would change it as follows:
In modern Japanese, "棒に当たる (bou ni ataru)" can only be understood as an active verb phrase ("hit (upon) a stick"), but I think that in the past, it could also be interpreted as a passive verb phrase ("be hit by a stick").
If you are sure of the original meaning of the proverb, then I don't see how you could not be sure of the statement above. When you say "I think that ...", that means that you aren't sure.
That's good, but I wouldn't put the last sentence in parentheses, and I would change it as follows:
In modern Japanese, "棒に当たる (bou ni ataru)" can only be understood as an active verb phrase ("hit (upon) a stick"), but I think that in the past, it could also be interpreted as a passive verb phrase ("be hit by a stick").
If you are sure of the original meaning of the proverb, then I don't see how you could not be sure of the statement above. When you say "I think that ...", that means that you aren't sure.
Toru
Thank you for teaching me a lot :)
Since I got the information from the Internet, I was anxious about the correctness.
Thank you for teaching me a lot :)
Since I got the information from the Internet, I was anxious about the correctness.
tony
You can express that as follows:
According to what I've read (on the Internet), the original meaning of the saying was "When dogs wander around, they get hit by sticks", which means that the phrase "bou ni ataru" was interpreted as a passive verb phrase ("be hit by a stick"). I modern Japanese, "bou ni ataru" is an active verb phrase meaning "hit (upon) a stick".
You can express that as follows:
According to what I've read (on the Internet), the original meaning of the saying was "When dogs wander around, they get hit by sticks", which means that the phrase "bou ni ataru" was interpreted as a passive verb phrase ("be hit by a stick"). I modern Japanese, "bou ni ataru" is an active verb phrase meaning "hit (upon) a stick".
Toru
Thank you so much for letting me know the expressions :)
Thank you so much for letting me know the expressions :)