Talk:Suzumiya Haruhi:Volume2 Chapter5

spotted cat

While the initial description as "spotted" is ambiguous, Shamisen turns out to be a tortoiseshell cat, aka tricolor or calico. This is immediately obvious in the anime. As a tricolor male, his pedigree must be in some sense unusual, as tricolor in cats is a sex linked characteristic not seen in normal males. A tricolor male would be either XXY, with an extra sex chromosome, or a chimaera formed by the fusion of two embryos. With Haruhi involved, though, it might be something else entirely...

Koizumi and Kyon appear to appreciate this anomaly immediately. Haruhi appears to overlook it, which is a bit anomalous itself.

Confinement or Framework

" "The structure of the story can be divided into three parts. First, it could occur within a certain confinement. Second, it could break through this confinement and create a new confinement. Third, it could repair the broken confinement back to its original state."

As expected, he began his lengthy speech in Martian, which would lead people to think, "What the hell is he talking about?" Asahina-san, you don't have to seriously listen to his bullshit!

"As we exist within this confinement, if we want to understand this world, we would need to think rationally, or understand it through observation."

What on earth is this confinement then?"

First of all, shouldn't this be three (alternative) forms rather than three parts?

Second, I think that "framework" would work much better than "confinement" here. Would this be an equal or better translation, Smidge?--Nutcase 11:27, 11 February 2007 (PST)

Now I'm making command appearances? :p

The word used in this paragraph is "framework" (枠組). I'm not comfortable with the grammar, though. My first impulse would be to describe the story as three phases but the original text clearly uses "or" to conjoin three clauses, rather than a series of events. I'd like to defer this to someone who actually knows the language. Original text is as follows:

物語の構造は大まかに分けて三つに分類することが出来まず。物語世界の｜枠組みの中で進むか、枠組みを｜破壊して新たな枠組みを作り上げるか、破壊した枠組みをまた元通りに直してしまうか

Smidge204 12:13, 11 February 2007 (PST)

Smidge, by no means am I anything other than a humble supplicant at your feet, utterly dependent on your continued interest and good humor to achieve any glimmer of enlightenment within the dark fog of my ignorance about the original text. All kidding aside, I've come to expect your prompt and cogent responses, but I do not for a moment take them for granted. I know you don't owe me anything. Domo Arigato gozaimasu, and all like that there. ;)

On the first point, I can see both interpretations, as alternatives and as phases. I can even see the author jerking our chain by meaning both interpretations, as with a pun. I lean toward the alternatives interpretation in the overall context.

On the second point, "framework" it is. I'll revise accordingly. Thanks. --Nutcase 20:43, 11 February 2007 (PST)

more livelier?

I hate to be picky, so I'll just throw this out there: "...the atmosphere within the school has begun to get more livelier...." Shouldn't that be "more lively" or simply "livelier?" Wouldn't that be more better? --Richard 23 12:51, 3 September 2007 (PDT)

I then said what I needed to be say to her

Shouldn't be "I then said what I needed to say to her" or "I then said what it needed to be said to her"?