July 26th
6 Likes
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Why all of a sudden to/in a place like Gourmet Town? [go/meet/whatever]
5 Likes
Summary
Why suddenly something like ‘Gourmet Town’?
高価物なんてあまり大事なわけではない。
5 Likes
A lot of ellipsises make this one quite hard to translate…
Translation
Why do we/you go hurriedly to some place like gourmet town?
Summary
それを読むまでグルメタウンを知りませんでした。面白くて美味しい所でしょうからグルメタウンなんかへ行きたいです。
5 Likes
July 26th Translation
Notes: This is another example of a sentence finishing on a particle, instead of the verb. Although we mentioned last time that the verb will usually be いる, or ある in these cases, many other verbs are also possible when the context is clear. Some examples are 来る、行く、言う、やる、する、通う、住む、食べる、and almost anything that would be considered ‘easy’ to guess by the listener in a particular situation.
6 Likes
Summary
However, we are not able to be take/obtain the popular easy way out. The name/title also isn’t interesting/important.
宝くじを当てて信じられない。
Ooph
Oops, 君たち is you guys…
5 Likes
👑
However you can’t take the royal road* to popularity, this draft** also isn’t interesting.
I can’t figure out how to put this all together cleanly.
* I left this as is since the term is actually somewhat common, at least in weeb discussions or in creative media (eg. music theory). It’s usually used when describing a process to success effective to the point of being cliched. Literally anyone can follow the road and find some success so it’s often perceived as an easy way out as s1212z put it. A good example would be I, IV, V, and VI chords which are used to death in popular music (and still work!). Or, because I’m nerding out too hard:
IV△7–V7–iii7–vi progression - Wikipedia.
** I put draft here, but iirc a ‘name’ is used in manga to refer to something closer to storyboards which are submitted for approval/editing before creating a manuscript.
Edit: I’m assuming here that the 君達 means this is either their editor or one of their rival mangaka pushing them to work harder/make something better.
Bakuman is a super awesome series 10/10
5 Likes
Vocab point
ネーム is a publishing specific word that doesn’t actually mean name. It is more like ‘pilot’, or ‘mockup/draft’, and refers to the pitch/story, rather than the name. Great translation!
Vocab point
I also struggled with what 王道 meant. The first time I was exposed to this word was when I watched Bakuman, rather than read it. Basically it means ‘sure-fire method’, and just refers to an easy path to victory or a goal. For example, Because battle manga are super popular, creating a battle manga would be considered the 王道 for becoming a popular manga. (Rather than taking a risk with a different type of plot). Great translation!
5 Likes
translation
You can’t become popular through easy ways and this name is not funny.
use case
まず「王道」の意味が想像できませんでしたから翻訳ができませんでした。でも辞書で見つけられたので翻訳が提案できます。
5 Likes
Thanks @Asher and @ccookf for the cultural and context details. Not knowing this makes this nearly impossible to translate, but it’s interesting stuff.
5 Likes
Vocab point
@s1212z @MZa @ccookf One super small note about 面白い. Japanese people actually struggle translating this word into English as well, sometimes they say funny when they mean interesting, sometimes they say interesting when they mean funny. Something that I have found (through hearing Japanese people make this mistake hundreds of times) is that 99 times out of 100, 面白い translates best as ‘entertaining’.
5 Likes
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But you guys won’t be able to gain popularity in a easy way. And this name is unimposing.
Edit: oh, so ネーム is a draft here. Thanks, @Asher!
4 Likes
July 28th Translation
Notes:
Great job with the translations yesterday again guys! For 取れない, it might help to remember this ‘unobtainable’, as this is a very common use of the word in regard to things that are considered achievable/obtainable (tests, licenses, goals, etc.).
6 Likes
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When you step away from the urinal, it flushes automatically.
5 Likes
Not sure I understand the English on that last one, might need another translation 
Edit: I briefly looked up the plot, I can see the context now. Sounds recommended, will keep it in mind.
Summary
If you step away from the urinal, (it) it will auto flush.
はやくきて、さもないとチャンスがない。
5 Likes
7 Likes
Summary
If you go away from the urinal it will cleanse automatically
5 Likes
