目が不自由です

[chryuop]

Hello everyone....been a while since I bothered you with questions, but I just went on keeping doubts (after all when I learnt English at first I didn't know everything at once hee hee).

I have found the phrase 目が不自由 in a book and as phrasal expression every dictionary says "to be blind". Now while I can see whi of this translation, it really makes no sense in the part of the book I am reading (actually in 2 parts), so I was wondering if it might have a second meaning.
Here are the phrases I found it in:

方一は、幼いころから目が不自由だったため、琵琶の弾 き語りをしこまれ。。。
どなたさまでしょう。わたしはめが不自由ですので。。 。

Thank you very much in advance...

[Nyororin]

In both of these cases, it makes perfect sense as "blind".
Maybe it`s another part of the sentence you aren`t understanding?

In the first, because she has been blind from childhood she was taught to perform (common in the past as a way to make a living for the blind)...
And in the second, she is asking who it is because she cannot see them.

[chryuop]

Thank you. I don't know why in my head wouldn't make sense the relation between "teaching how to play an instrument" and "for the reason that he was blind".
But yes, if the first one is blind the second one makes sense too.

[Columbine]

Sorry to butt in, but can I ask a bit more about what 'しこまれ' means/ how it is constructed? I can't seem to find the form in my grammar dictionary.

Edit: Oh wait, never mind I'm being dumb. It's the passive of しこむ with the る left off. *facepalm* Although I suppose then I could ask why leave the る off?

[Nagoyankee]

Originally Posted by Columbine

Sorry to butt in, but can I ask a bit more about what 'しこまれ' means/ how it is constructed? I can't seem to find the form in my grammar dictionary.

Not Nyrorin but if I may pinch-hit as I think she's probably busy making dinner now.

The verb we're looking at is しこむ/仕込む, which means "to teach or train someone to do something". This is the active voice form.

The passive voice form is naturally しこまれる/仕込まれる = "to be taught or trained". しこまれ is the "-te form" of this.

So, the blind man (then a child) was trained in the singing to his own accompaniment on the Biwa.
________

A video of the 琵琶の弾 き語り



lol You changed your question...

In stories or personal letters (meaning non-business or non-legal writings), it's fairly common to end a sentence that way in the middle (but near the end) of a word. Don't you worry, we don't do this in the middle of a noun. Readers have no trouble understanding it and it provides the sentence with a sense of continuity because each reader will be finishing up the sentence in his mind even if it's only for a syllable or two. We do this in conversations all the time as well. You will hear us finishing a sentence with が or けど, both of which basically mean "but". So, this is all cutural and therefore, the funnest part of Japanese learning.

[chryuop]

Thank you for the video Nagoyankeeさん. I was wandering why 弾き語る and not 弾き歌う. This is what in middle age Europe the minstrels would do, basically singing stories, which was the only way to make stories survive since they were not written.
It is wonderful that somewhere in the world this form of art still exist. I have heard one of my English teachers doing some of the old British ones, but I guess in Europe they are not so common anymore.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Nagoyankee

lol You changed your question...

In stories or personal letters (meaning non-business or non-legal writings), it's fairly common to end a sentence that way in the middle (but near the end) of a word. Don't you worry, we don't do this in the middle of a noun. Readers have no trouble understanding it and it provides the sentence with a sense of continuity because each reader will be finishing up the sentence in his mind even if it's only for a syllable or two. We do this in conversations all the time as well. You will hear us finishing a sentence with が or けど, both of which basically mean "but". So, this is all cutural and therefore, the funnest part of Japanese learning.

Xd and thus my reign of chaos continues.

Riiight, ok, I think I understand it now. I've heard sentences ending が or けど, and even used them myself, but never one where the verb isn't finished. Thanks for the video and explanation!

[chryuop]

Originally Posted by Columbine

Xd and thus my reign of chaos continues.

Riiight, ok, I think I understand it now. I've heard sentences ending が or けど, and even used them myself, but never one where the verb isn't finished. Thanks for the video and explanation!

I am sorry I confused Columbine, I didn't mean to. I thought the phrase was addressed to someone with experience in Japanese language and without wanting it I didn't think about other people reading the post.
As you can see I placed some ..... at the end of the Japanese phrases coz I have cut them. That form that puzzles you is used to link phrases in a logical way. I guess we could say he did this AND did that AND happened this AND happened that.
方一は、幼いころから目が不自由だったため、琵琶の弾 き語りをしこまれ、まだほんの若者ながら、その芸は師 匠をしのぐほどになっていました。
(this is the whole phrase, hoping that it helps you).