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Help with sentences/grammar 2017/3/7 22:29
I just started into my intermediate level textbook (using minna no nihongo, chukyuu I) and I'd like to have someone who can confirm wether I have understood a sentence correctly or wether my compositions are correct or worthy of correction :D

So here's my first, rather large question to a text I had to work through today :) https://www.docdroid.net/jinG3Od/img-20170306-0002-new.pdf.html The Link to the whole text, just to give you the whole context.

Ia) 電話を発明したグラハム・ベルと作家マーク・とゥエインの間にはおもしろいエピソードがある。 I guess their relationship is meant here? "In the relationship of the inventor of the telephone Graham Bell and the author Mark Twain, there is an interesting episode."

Ib) ベルは、彼が発明した電話をトゥエインにも利用してもらいたいと思ったが、トゥエインは電話が大嫌い。 Ib1) 彼 refers to ベル right? Ib2) how do I write small vowels in katakana, like in トァエイン? I'm currently copypasting from Katakana Japanese Online Keyboard LEXILOGOS "Bell thought that he wanted to receive the favor also from Twain to use the invented telephone, but Twain hated telephones a lot." (Alternatively: Bell thought that he would like Twain to make use of the invented telephone as well, but Twain hated the telephone a lot.)

Ic) 聞きたくもない音を聞かされ、話したくもない時に、話したくもない人と話させられる。 Ic1) も means even here right? Ic2) 聞かされ seems ungrammatical to me. Morphologically it only fits the causative-passive forms, but the inflective る etc. isn't there. "He is made to hear a voice he doesn't even want to hear, (and) when he doesn't even want to talk, he is made to talk with people he doesn't even want to talk with."

Id) いくら断っても、しつこく進めるベルに腹を立て、トゥエインはある文を新聞に発表した。 "Because he (=Twain) got angry at the to no avail advising Bell however often he refused, Twain made certain statement towards a newspaper. (Alternatively: Becoming angry at the to no avail advising Bell the more he refused, he made a certain statement towards a newspaper.)"

Ie) トゥエインが葬式に出席できないのを残念がっていることを知ったベルは、すぐに、トゥエインの家と葬式が行われる教会を電話で接続しようと申し出た。 "Bell, who noticed that Twain looks like he feels sorry for not being able to attend the funeral, instantly suggested to establish a connection with a telephone between (this is how I would translate "家と..." here) Twains house and the church in which the funeral is performed." Ie1) Is the way i resolved the marked passive okay? A relative clause seemed the most comprehensible way to me. Ie2) Intentional form only occured rarely in the texts I've worked with. In this case I didn't add another modifying verb because the intentional semtantics are contained in 申し出る already. Is that okay? "He suggested that he wants to/plans to..." would sound weird to me.

If) トゥエインはなかなか「うん」と言わなかったが、結局、無料だというので、つないでもらうことにした。 "Though Twain barely said 'yes', ultimately, because it was said it is free of charge, he decided to receive the connection/he decided to be connected."

If) 早速, 電話機がトゥエインのベッドのそばに取り付けられ,... Same as in Ic2
by Narktor  

Re: Help with sentences/grammar 2017/3/8 17:39
a) Yes.

b) b1) Yes.
b2) The name Twain is usually written as: トウェイン in katakana.
You press the keys: TO-ULE-I-N to get トウェイン. L plus the vowel gives you the small katakana.

"Bell wanted also Twain to use the telephone which he (= Bell) invented, but Twain definitely hated the telephone."

c)
c1) This "mo" is added for emphasis.
c2) "kikasareru" would be "be made to listen to." The last "ru" is dropped because the sentence continues on to list another verb. You could use "kikasarete" instead as well.
"He is made to listen to sounds that he in no way wants to listen to, and is made to talk with people he doesn't want to talk with, when he in no way wants to talk."

d) The "to no avail" in your English sounds a bit convoluted. Simply put:
"Getting angry at Bell, who persisted in recommending (the phone) no matter how many times he refused, Twain made a certain statament in a newspaper."

e) "Bell came to know fhat Twain was feeling sorry that he would not be able to attend a funeral, so immediately offered that he would (be willing to) connect Twain's home and the church where the funeral would be held."

or, "Bell, who came to know..."

"Moushideru," "to offer/propose" (to do something) for someone already includes the intention on the part of Bell, so yes, that is fine.

f) This "nakanaka... (negative)" is expressing his resistance, so I would say:
"Though Twain would not readily say "yes," but..."
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Help with sentences/grammar 2017/3/8 17:47
Oh, I see that in the link you provided, the name "Twain" is written as トゥエイン.
If that is the case, you type in: TO-LU-E-I-N to get トゥエイン.
by AK rate this post as useful

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