A question about the english translation for「通行人の傘が一斉に___ったという事は、...」

Japanese
#1

So, i have a question about the english translation given for this sentence.
The translation is “All of the pedestrians’ opened up their umbrellas at once, meaning the rain picked up.”
But to me the english sentence seems to focus on the pedestrians opening the umbrellas, not the umbrellas opening. (so ONLY looking at the english translation, it seems like i have to use 広げる instead of 広がる)

Also the "pedestrians’ " part seems off to me, shouldnt the noun umbrellas follow it instead of the verb opening up? > All of the pedestrians’ umbrellas opened up….

(had to shorten the title, full japanese sentence was 通行人()の傘()が一斉()に広()がったという事()は、雨脚()が急()に強()まってきたという事()だ。)

4 Likes
#2

Thanks so much for your thoughtful feedback! Great catch as well. The verb 広がる is intransitive, meaning the umbrellas opened on their own (as a natural reaction to the rain), rather than being actively opened by the pedestrians (which would be 広げる, a transitive verb).

The original English sentence: “All of the pedestrians’ opened up their umbrellas at once…” indeed sounds like the pedestrians are the ones doing the action. A better and more faithful translation would be:

“The fact that all of the pedestrians’ umbrellas opened at once means the rain must have suddenly picked up.”

This revision more accurately reflects both the grammar and nuance of the Japanese sentence, including the subject (傘が広がった) and the inference drawn from that observation.

I’ll go in and update our translation as well!

8 Likes