Translation pointers

[an1m3n00b]

ok, so armed with nothing more than a kanji dictionary i tried to translate elfen lied (manga) because i've been dying for some real text to sink my teeth into rather than reading just a dictionary. these are the first two phrases and my translation. if someone who knows how to really do this could give me pointers on how to make a jumble of words into an english sentence. Also, there must be a better way to look up kanji than looking through every n-stroke character.
here goes:
今日はまた嫌機だ悪いですね
Today, I hate that evil machine.
村上が死んだのもこういう時だった
When Murakami died...

I know these are probably totally off-kilter, since that doesn't make much sense to the plot. Who's Murakami? Is it some reference to heaven (village above?)

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by an1m3n00b

ok, so armed with nothing more than a kanji dictionary i tried to translate elfen lied (manga) because i've been dying for some real text to sink my teeth into rather than reading just a dictionary. these are the first two phrases and my translation. if someone who knows how to really do this could give me pointers on how to make a jumble of words into an english sentence. Also, there must be a better way to look up kanji than looking through every n-stroke character.
here goes:
今日はまた嫌機だ悪いですね
Today, I hate that evil machine.
村上が死んだのもこういう時だった
When Murakami died...

I know these are probably totally off-kilter, since that doesn't make much sense to the plot. Who's Murakami? Is it some reference to heaven (village above?)

今日はまた嫌機だ悪いですね makes absolutely no sense. Check the original.

村上が死んだのもこういう時だった means "It was a day (or time) like this when Murakami died."

[an1m3n00b]

今日はまた機嫌だ悪いですね <- I transposed some characters *face-palm*
"I'm in a bad mood today"?
Either way, thanks, and it's back to studying for me :P

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by an1m3n00b

今日はまた機嫌だ悪いですね <- I transposed some characters *face-palm*

I knew it but I wanted you to correct it yourself. Still, the particle following 機嫌 is wrong. It needs to be が: otherwise it makes no sense. Studying Japanese means studying its particles.

今日はまた機嫌が悪いですね means "You look kinda cross today."

[an1m3n00b]

Originally Posted by masaegu

I knew it but I wanted you to correct it yourself. Still, the particle following 機嫌 is wrong. It needs to be が: otherwise it makes no sense. Studying Japanese means studying its particles.

今日はまた機嫌が悪いですね means "You look kinda cross today."

ok, maybe i'm being stupid here, but where's the "you" coming from, is it assumed from context?

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by an1m3n00b

ok, maybe i'm being stupid here, but where's the "you" coming from, is it assumed from context?

Since I am a native speaker, it is just clear from the words used in the phrase. I am not even assuming it; It is perfectly clear. You just do not use も combined with ですね to talk about your own mental state. It is more like a tag question.　"You are looking kinda cross today, aren't ya?"

You are looking at the the drawings as well, are you not?　Is it not two guys talking to each other with one guy saying the first line and the other the second?

Not to scare you or anything, but I can also "see" the guy saying the first line being younger than the other guy.

[an1m3n00b]

ok, that makes sense. I've never explicitly read that the ね makes the verb into a negative question "aren't you, isn't it, etc" but from listening to people say it, it makes sense. I guess this is also a question, is that what it means?