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The sentence

私の知識など先生のそれとは比較にならないほどお粗末なものでございます。

is supposed to translate to

My knowledge is not even comparable to that of the teacher's.

However, when I break this down into constituent components:

  • 私の知識など: "my knowledge, etc"
  • 先生のそれとは: "Teacher's in addition to"? (<- this is non-nonsensical, so I'm pretty sure I'm parsing this wrong)
  • 比較にならないほど: "the extent to which doesn't become comparable" (or just "isn't comparable)
  • お粗末なものでございます: "is a poor sort-of-thing"

I'm so far unable to quite combine these into a (literal) English translation that corresponds with the intended translation.

The bold part is particularly difficult for me to parse, so perhaps that's the missing component?

George
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1 Answers1

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That など does not mean etc. It means "things like" in the sense of "looking down" at your own knowledge. It's a humble way of saying: "A knowledge like mine (that is poor).

先生のそれと

That と is the comparison と. Therefore, it is それ＋と(comparison particle) and not それと(additive conjunction). "When comparing to that (knowledge) of the teacher" ... It's a way to avoid repeating 知識 again.

比較にならないほど

To the point it can't be compared. Virtually, when saying "Something does not become a comparison", you're literally saying "it cannot be compared". It's just a way of conveying this kind of meaning.

お粗末なものでございます

Is a modest thing.

More naturaly:

A knowledge like mine is a modest thing that can't even be compared to the teacher's (knowledge).

user3856370
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Manab
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  • If と is acting as the comparison particle after それ to compare with 私の知識など, then why aren't there two と's after each of these (i.e. 私の知識など**と**先生のそれ**と**)? Are they both "there" but the first one is dropped to avoid verbosity? – George Nov 26 '22 at 04:37
  • Thanks for your answer. I managed to assemble an additional translation: "As for knowledge like mine (compared with knowledge like teacher's), it's a poor sort-of-thing **(to an extent incomparible)**". I'm still a bit confused by 「比較にならないほど」 ("to an extent incomparible"), because it just seems to dangle in the middle of the sentence, and it's not clear how it fits into it grammatically, other than as something like a parenthetical. – George Nov 26 '22 at 05:00
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    You are mistaking "enumeration と " as "comparison と". In your sentence 私の知識など is the subject. The subject particle が is omitted and you can think of it as 私の知識などが. The thing you're comparing to the subject (私の知識など) is the part indicated by the particle と (先生のそれ ) "that (knowledge of the teacher). Therefore "comparing the theacher 's knowledge to a knowledge like mine". The rest literally to "It is modest to the point it does not become a comparation". – Manab Nov 26 '22 at 05:31
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    Another example with the comparison と: 田中さんはたけしさんと違って、よく勉強する unlike Tanaka, Takeshi studies often. I think you might be confused with the と+と+どちら pattern. Example: たけしさんと田中さんと、どちらが綺麗ですか Takeshi and Tanaka, which one is pretty?. This is indeed a comparison using と, but in this case, the main function is enumeration. I hope you can understand. – Manab Nov 26 '22 at 05:36
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    Sorry for the typos~~ – Manab Nov 26 '22 at 05:39
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    比較にならないほど modifies お粗末なものでございます adverbially. It's basically intensifying how much it is a modest knowledge. You can ask the verb なる what doesn't became a comparison and it'll give the subject 私の知識など. Comparing to what? Ask the particle と ( 先生のそれ). – Manab Nov 26 '22 at 05:53
  • Your answers have clarified things so much for me. Here's my latest attempt at a literal translation: *"As for knowledge like mine, in comparison with knowledge like teacher's, it's incomparably, a poor sort-of-thing"*. I think this pretty much captures the meaning of the more idiomatic translation (*"My knowledge is not even comparable to that of the teacher's"*). Thanks so much for your help. – George Nov 26 '22 at 06:29
  • @George https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/68717/5010 – naruto Nov 26 '22 at 06:37
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    @George A literal translation would be "A thing like my knowledge is a poor thing to the point where it doesn't serve as a comparison **with that of the teacher**." – naruto Nov 26 '22 at 06:47