ばか！バカ！　馬鹿ー月！

“

Near the stream with the cherry blossom trees, you should recall a very familiar bench. Go there before 10.45 am on Sunday. Bring along a small tortoise with you. Before 10.50 am, throw the aforementioned tortoise into the lake. The tortoise’s species doesn’t matter, but smaller ones are preferred.”

Shouldn't this be a turtle rather than a terrestrial, easily drowned tortoise?

Oh good, an easy one >.>

The kanji used is "亀" which can mean either. It's probably turtle, but until we learn what happens to it I suppose we can't be 100% sure.

I vote for turtle.
=Smidge=

Could it be referring to the kind of terrapin that you can get from the pet shops? Let me get a picture...
The only other kind of turtle / tortoise commonly sold in pet shops would either be the box tortoise (which can swim as well as a brick... and is also endangered), or the soft-shelled turtle.
It's really hard to imagine anything else though... (galapagos tortoise being flung into a river)

Turtles are cuter, so I vote for turtle. What's the difference between the two anyway? If the Japanese can get away with one word for naming an animal with a shell, why can't English speakers?

A terrapin is a specific type of turtle.

There are plenty of words in English that have multiple meanings given context, and in that respect I think many languages have something in common...
=Smidge=

Dan wrote:Turtles are cuter, so I vote for turtle. What's the difference between the two anyway? If the Japanese can get away with one word for naming an animal with a shell, why can't English speakers?

Be glad you're not German?

Okay, since the Japanese text isn't specific as to turtle or tortoise, and there is explicit instruction that "any kind will do," I think "turtle" is closer to the point. Also congruent with a "happy" creature if i recall correctly in the instructional drawing. Going with turtle gets us away from the problematic image of drowning a baby.

Tortoises are a distinct branch of the chelonian family tree. Since they are slow and terrestrial, they rely on their armor for protection exclusively and this armoring function is optimized with the hemispherical shape. Swimming turtles also relay on fairly fast swimming for excape, and thus the flatter, more hydrodynamic shape.

Taxonomically, box turtles are turtles, not tortoises. Some species are on an evolutionary trajectory toward the tortoise niche, so they look "tortoisy" the way that legless lizards look snaky. Other box turtles are still very aquatic.

Box turtles have a hinge in their lower shell, which is one thing that sets them apart from tortoises.

Already probably more than you ever wanted to know...

The reason I translated it as "tortoise" is because, if you read on, Kyon states something about digging up a sleeping tortoise/turtle. I don't remember turtles hibernating, so that's why I used tortoise.

HolyCow wrote:The reason I translated it as "tortoise" is because, if you read on, Kyon states something about digging up a sleeping tortoise/turtle. I don't remember turtles hibernating, so that's why I used tortoise.

You're right HolyCow. If it digs a hole and hibernates, it's a tortoise.

It could be a hikikomori.

Would a hikikomori take all that trouble to dig a hole if it could hide in it's own shell instead? Sounds far too much like hard work to me.

Though I must admit, I am not up to date on turtle hikikomori lifestyle.

It's just a hypothesis, but perhaps they want the extra security that comes from a hole. Like hiding under a cover of blankets inside a room.

I wish I had enough blankets to cover myself with... then maybe these winter nights won't seem so cold...

Then truly, sending this fragile hikki-turtle into the outside world only to be immediately doused in water is cruel indeed. We can only hope and pray for it as the chapter is revealed to us.

Hehehehe... hikki-turtle...

I fear I am becoming far too attached to something that hasn't yet made its debut in the translation. Good luck Hikki-turtle.