could someone double check...

[winampman]

Here are 4 parts... I'm not sure if my translations are correct, so thats why I hope someone can briefly (just briefly!) check what I've done and tell me if its correct. #2 might be a little difficult.. I couldnt translate the last part.
thank you!

-----------------------------------------
-1---------------------------------------
-朝焼けのランプ
(asayake no RANPU)
-また 車を走らせる
(mata kuruma wo hashiraseru)
-どうにか なる ような 気がして
(dounika naru you na ki ga shite)

-The light of the morning glow
-Makes me ride the car again
-I feel like becoming like that, someway or another
*I dont have the Kanji for "naru"... I'm guessing its the usual "to become"...

-----------------------------------------
-2---------------------------------------
-ここまで 遠くへやって来れた じしん 再確認
(koko made tooku e yatte koreta jishin saikakunin)

-Until here, you could come along to somewhere far away... ________??
*I dont have the Kanji for "jishin"...

-----------------------------------------
-3---------------------------------------
-錆び付く 気持ちも殺して もう
(sabitsuku kimochi mo koroshite mou)

-I am already holding back my rusty feelings

-----------------------------------------
-4---------------------------------------
-今以上 これ以上 願う
(ima ijou kore ijou negau)

-More than now, more than this, I want it

-----------------------------------------

btw these are from "Cyber X feat. Tomiko Van - Drive Me Nuts"

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by winampman
Here are 4 parts... I'm not sure if my translations are correct, so thats why I hope someone can briefly (just briefly!) check what I've done and tell me if its correct. #2 might be a little difficult.. I couldnt translate the last part.
thank you!

-----------------------------------------
-1---------------------------------------
-朝焼けのランプ
(asayake no RANPU)
-また 車を走らせる
(mata kuruma wo hashiraseru)
-どうにか なる ような 気がして
(dounika naru you na ki ga shite)

-The light of the morning glow
-Makes me ride the car again
-I feel like becoming like that, someway or another
*I dont have the Kanji for "naru"... I'm guessing its the usual "to become"...

I don't know, being still in limbo on the preceding line, "nani mo umare ya shinai," from last time -- but these obviously don't make very much sense on the face of it in English.

Why wouldn't it read more like "a light like the morning glow makes my car run again/moreover makes my car run (?). I feel like becoming that way as well but am too irresponsible and continuing to look for/step on/hang/lower (?) myself....(ki ga shite tada/Musekininsugiru jibun wo sagashitsuzuke....)

How can anyone study like this

-----------------------------------------
-2---------------------------------------
-ここまで 遠くへやって来れた じしん 再確認
(koko made tooku e yatte koreta jishin saikakunin)

-Until here, you could come along to somewhere far away... ________??
*I dont have the Kanji for "jishin"...

So far, it (I?) was able to come a great distance, it reconfirms my self confidence (?)

-----------------------------------------
-3---------------------------------------
-錆び付く 気持ちも殺して もう
(sabitsuku kimochi mo koroshite mou)

-I am already holding back my rusty feelings

-----------------------------------------
-4---------------------------------------

-今以上 これ以上 願う
(ima ijou kore ijou negau)

-More than now, more than this, I want it

I am hoping for a glorious future as far as the sky reaches (咲き誇る未来を空高く）
which will be much better than the here and now. (?)
-----------------------------------------

btw these are from "Cyber X feat. Tomiko Van - Drive Me Nuts" [/QUOTE]

[tasuki]

Looking at these makes me wonder exactly just how much English lyrics actually make sense...

[mdchachi]

How can anyone study like this

If you want to study, song lyrics are about the last thing you should be looking at!

I don't have much time to beat my head against it but a couple thoughts to help you on your quest:

> Makes me ride the car again
The car is the object here e.g. Make the car run; loosely translated, I'd probably go with pedal to the metal.

dounika naru you na ki ga shite -->
I feel like it'll be all right.
Literally
somehow will-become as-if feeling have-a

koko made tooku e yatte koreta jishin saikakunin -->
here until far did was-able-to-come self-confidence reaffirmation -->
reaffirmation of my confidence that I could come this far
or something like that.

Obviously the sabitsuku shouldn't be taken literally here. Perhaps it means something like moth-eaten, threadbare or worn out. If I had to guess right now I'd probably say "useless feelings".

gambatte.

[tasuki]

Originally posted by mdchachi
If you want to study, song lyrics are about the last thing you should be looking at!

Couldn't agree more...

[winampman]

Ah.. doumo arigatou, Elizabeth and mdchachi.

tasuki and mdchachi -- you guys are absolutely right... lol... its just that to me, lyrics are more fun... but you're right. I guess I'll hit the textbooks again after this...

[tasuki]

I was not criticising the way you study, just agreeing. Hey, I'm the last one to be in a position to criticise--I started learning Japanese by watching anime, which is not a much better learning tool...

[mdchachi]

Nothing wrong with trying to decipher lyrics if you find it enjoyable.

But as a primary means of learning Japanese, I don't think it will be fruitful.

Imagine learning English with this:

Y'all act like you never seen a white person before Jaws all on the floor like Pam, like Tommy just burst in the door and started whoopin her *** worse than before they first were divorce, throwin her over furniture (Ahh!)It's the return of the... "Ah, wait, no way, you're kidding,he didn't just say what I think he did, did he?" And Dr. Dre said... nothing you idiots! Dr. Dre's dead, he's locked in my basement! Feminist women love Eminem "Slim Shady, I'm sick of him Look at him, walkin around grabbin his you-know-what Flippin the you-know-who," "Yeah, but he's so cute though!" Yeah, I probably got a couple of screws up in my head loose But no worse, than what's goin on in your parents' bedrooms Sometimes, I wanna get on TV and just let loose, but can't but it's cool for Tom Green to hump a dead moose "My bum is on your lips, my bum is on your lips"
...

[winampman]

haha!
I do realize that... Sometimes its hard to understand Eminem in English too!

Anyways, in that case... when you were learning Japanese, what did you read? Anything specific that you would recommend?

[mdchachi]

Well I slogged through 6 courses in university so I just basically kept up with the homework. After that I subscribed to Mangajin (which is sadly now defunct however their books are still available http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg.../-/0834804522/ ).
Then I basically slacked off. So needless to say my reading ability is pretty poor.

[Elizabeth]

Winampman,

If you're looking for hiragana print materials and can order or get them from someone there I'd recommend starting from actual first & second grade Japanese textbooks (the way I learned anyway). They are very well designed -- with a lot of large print writing exercises, grammar notes, well-known stories and of course heaps of cultural context. I was also fortunate enough to have been given tapes to go along with them (more or less) which has been an extraordinary boon.

Mitsumura and Kobun Shoin Publishing just happen to be personal favorites and here are their sites for elementary-level textbooks and teachers guides. I'm sure you can pick out something of interest already! Ganbatte from me as well!

http://www.mitsumura-tosho.co.jp

http://www.kobun.co.jp/catalogue/syougakko_ko.html