3

日本語

日本語の練習をしようと思ったので初めて日本語で質問を書きました。文法の間違いがあったら編集していただけませんか？

僕はここでこんな会話を読んでいました。

アリス）　図書館はどこ？
ボブ）　ここが図書館だ。
アリス）　そこは図書館じゃない？
ボブ）　そこじゃない。図書館はここだ。

僕はこう翻訳しました。

Alice) Where is the library?
Bob) Here is the library.
Alice) Is there (where Bob is) not the library?
Bob) No, there (where Alice is) is not the library. Here is the library.

見ての通り、これは矛盾があります（むしろ矛盾だらけです）。一体図書館はどこにあるのでしょうか？アリスのところかボブのところか？

ここによると、「ここ」は話し手の近くにある場所で、「そこ」は聞き手の近くにある場所です。

ですから、アリスの言った「そこ」とボブの言った「ここ」は同じ場所を指すはずではありませんか。それと、ボブが最後に言った「そこ」はアリスのところを指すのではありませんか。そこで、二つの質問があります：

  1. どうして自分のところについて聞かれると、ボブは相手（アリス）のところについて答えたのですか。

  2. まさかアリスの「そこ」とボブの「そこ」は同じ場所を指すのでしょうか？

English

I read this conversation here.

アリス）　図書館はどこ？
ボブ）　ここが図書館だ。
アリス）　そこは図書館じゃない？
ボブ）　そこじゃない。図書館はここだ。

And this is how I translated it:

Alice) Where is the library?
Bob) Here is the library.
Alice) Is there (where Bob is) not the library?
Bob) No, there (where Alice is) is not the library. Here is the library.

As you can see, the translation is (full of) contradictions. Where on earth is the library? Is it where Alice is at or where Bob is at?

According to here, 「ここ」refers to a place near the speaker whereas 「そこ」 refers to a place near the listener.

So if I understood correctly, the そこ that Alice said should refer to the same place as the ここ that Bob said. And that the そこ that Bob lastly said should refer to Alice's place, right? This raises two questions:

  1. Why did Bob answer something about Alice's place when being asked whether his own place is the library?

  2. Does this mean that actually the そこs said by both refer to the same place (Bob's place)?

Chocolate
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Sweeper
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2 Answers2

2

Just a speculation, as there is not much context to this conversation. If Alice and Bob are standing together, 'here' would be the same for both of them and 'there' (そこ) would be a place other than 'here', but still nearby. Does that make sense?

BJCUAI
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2

First, there is a few mistakes in your translation:

Alice) Where is the library?

Bob) Here is the library.

Alice) Isn't there (a place both of them know) the library?

Bob) No, there (ditto) is not the library. Here is the library.

The differences in demonstrative pronouns are not rigorous, though, there are not glaring issues in statement like "「ここ」は話し手の近くにある場所で、「そこ」は聞き手の近くにある場所です。"

Q1: Alice didn't ask whether Bob's place is in the library, she asked about a place which Bob could grasp.

Q2: What you think is right, but it's not referring to Bob's place; it means a place which Bob and Alice could both understand.

Surreal
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