[sarvodaya]

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Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

Thank you!
I understand that “when” means two things happen in parallel, and “while” means the term is a bit longer. Is this right?

Broadly speaking, yes, but take note of the examples I gave and remember the phrase "When you are talking about the general case, say 'when', but while she was speaking about a particular case, she said 'while'."

Originally Posted by sarvodaya

However, it can also mean "during the time that..." in particular contexts such as using the present tense to talk about the general case:

"When the weather is nice, I'm happy."

"Sing when you're winning!"

"When you're away, I'm lonely and sad."

If we took these sentences out of the "general-case" sense and particularised them thus:

"I was happy while the weather was nice, but now I'm sad."

"He sang while he was winning."

"While you're away I will be lonely and sad."

Then "while" is more appropriate. Have I explained that well?

So, when you are talking about the general case, say "when"!

Thus, since we are talking about a general case here, I think we can say "when":

When you have lost something dear and feel like giving up,

Thus it's not just a question of the relative duration, but also whether or not we are talking about the general case, as in "what tends to happen" or "what tends to be the case".

I just want to be sure I have explained that well as it is a bit of an oddity!

のに is not <nevertheless>.
“の”means 人in this context.
That meansあとから　来た人に　追い越されて

I see!
So that is what gives us "a person who came from behind", which I have rendered as "your successors".

This is excellent!

ありがとうございました。

Now, about “の”.
When you are pointing your pen, you say “This is mine.” That’s これは私のです。
You can say これは私のものです, and これは私のですmeans the same.
When you are holding one of your books, you can say これは私のです.

When you are in a parking lot, and being asked which your car is, you would say pointing at a car, “That red car is mine.” =「あの赤い車がわたしのです」＝「あの赤いのが私の� �です」

Usually, の doesn’t indicate person or people, but when you speak casually, it can indicate 人.
“The person who is coming from behind is Sukesan.” = 後から来ているのが助さんです。

When you want to say it politely, and Sukesan is not one of your relatives; 後から来ている方（かた）が助さんです。
When Sukesan is one of your relaties; 後から来ているのが助です。

I have written some complicated things. You don’t need to remember the sentences as of now. I just want you to know that “の” can indicate material objects (and sometimes, a person or people), and there is Honorific speech in Japanese which is very complicated.
Honorific speech in Japanese - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yes, I have heard about this; it is quite fascinating to me. I will have to wait to learn more about the details of honorific speech.

Yes, that’s clear now. Thank you.

どういたしまして。

I think you understand my meaning. I don’t accuse the colors of the Americans or the English people.

I don't think the word "accuse" is what you intended here. Perhaps "discriminate against"?

Your attitude must be natural in their country. The problem must be there are great differences between us.


The word “Chicken-hearted” may be not good to describe Japan. I don’t know any right words.
Many Japanese people regard that the Japanese can’t say any “No” to foreign people, and almost always stub our toe over international negotiations.

When you can't say "no", it is often because you are "too polite".

When my mother was a little girl her father would offer her the last biscuit. She would say "no" out of politeness, despite the fact that she wanted it. He would then say "Are you sure? Go ahead." Then she would eat it. One day, to teach her a lesson, he offered her the last biscuit again. When she said "no" he gobbled it up. She expressed her surprise and he explained that you can be too polite, so of course she learned the lesson!

My dictionary says that “cowardice” means 憶病 and卑怯, but憶病 and卑怯 are completely different.
Sometimes we call ourselves 憶病 to foreign people , but we actually might be “not overbearing”.
“Timorous” sounds to be similar to憶病. I think I should have said “timorous” or “not overbearing”.


Oh,yes! “Humility” must be the word! Thank you! I didn’t know it.

We can also say people are "too polite". People are always telling me I'm too polite. Usually politeness is considered a virtue, but by saying "too polite" you can indicate that it is too much of a good thing, which can be a foible.

A friend of mine in school was also very polite and considerate. He used to say "Nice guys always come last." To which I would reply "Yes, that's true, but it's worth it!"

I don’t seem to have seen the sense of the word “chicken –hearted.” Thank you.

どういたしまして。

I don’t mean to say Japan is idealistic. Some Japanese people dislike some foreign people’s spirit who are from a few certain countries, because the people in the countries often do what we call 卑怯. For example; they make imitations of Japanese products illegally.

I see. I know what you mean.

Our religion is polytheism and nobody knows the exact number of our Gods. I think we are relatively generous about other religions. We don’t deny other religions, or say our Gods are only approximately eight million real Gods.

Ah, this is similar to the way of some Hindus.

Our skin is colored. I think we don’t have any color-based prejudice.

I watched the スタジオジブリ version of "Tales from Earthsea". I have not read the originals, although I intend to. I noticed a comment made by Ursula K. Le Guin on her website:

The issue of color:

My purpose in making most of the people of Earthsea colored, and the whites a marginal and rather backward people, was of course a moral one, aimed at young American and European readers. Fantasy heroes of the European tradition were conventionally white — just about universally so in 1968 — and darkness of skin was often associated with evil. By simply subverting an expectation, a novelist can undermine a prejudice.

The makers of the American TV version, while boasting that they were "color blind," reduced the colored population of Earthsea to one and a half. I have blasted them for whitewashing Earthsea, and do not forgive them for it.

The issue is different in Japan. I cannot address the issue of race in Japan because I know too little about it. But I know that an anime film runs smack into the almost immutable conventions of its genre. Most of the people in anime films look — to the American/European eye — white. I am told that the Japanese audience perceives them differently. I am told that they may perceive this Ged as darker than my eye does. I hope so. Most of the characters look white to me, but there is at least a nice variation of tans and beiges. And Tenar's fair hair and blue eyes are right, since she's a minority type from the Kargish islands.

I too had noticed that a lot of anime characters seem to be what I would call "white" or "Caucasian" if I had to put a label on it, which seems curious to me given that, to put it plainly, that doesn't seem to reflect the natural range of skin tones indigenous to Japan.
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