Hello! I am studying English now!

祇園精舎（ぎおんしょうじゃ）の鐘の声、
諸行無常（しょぎょうむじょう）のひびきあり。
娑羅双樹（しゃらそうじゅ）の花の色、
盛者必衰（じょうしゃひっすい）のことわりをあらわす。
おごれる人も久しからず、
ただ春の夜の夢のごとし。
たけき物もついには滅びぬ、
ひとえに風の前の塵(ちり)に同じ

The above mentioned are the opening part of a famous Japanese classic literature called “The Tale of the Heike.” This tale depicts the rise and fall of the Heike clan, who put Japan under control around the year 1100 to 1200. I haven’t yet read through the whole of this long tale, but I like the opening sentences which are well known here. The other day, I happened to spot them in my son’s Japanese text book. I am in the mood for translating them into English. Let me give it a try now.

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The sound of the bell of Gionsyozya’s announces that everything is constantly changing.
The color of the flower named Syarasozyu reveals the truth that even the prosperous undoubtedly wither.
The proud can’t prosper forever. Their time is like a dream on a spring night.
The strong finally perish, just like dust blown away by wind.
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It is said that this view is based on Buddhism. This idea attracts me for some reason.

Now, my family friend is here in Japan. He has come here many times so far. This time, his main purpose is to take part in a marathon race. This coming Sunday, he will run 42.195 km. The start time is 10 o’clock in the morning. Currently, he predicts that he will reach the goal by 3 o’clock at the latest. I hope that he will finish the full marathon with a big smile. My husband, my son and I will cheer him on along the road near the goal.

Don’t ask how many kilometers I can run. If you push me to run only 100 meters, no doubt that I will be out of breath. If you order me to run 1 km, I will be hospitalized just after the race. It is very scary to even imagine that.

My friend invited my son to join him to run the last several hundred meters of the full marathon. I believe that running such a distance contributes to losing some weight. But my cubby son flatly turned down my friend’s kind offer. I just secretly imagine that my son, who isn’t good at sports, can run lightly like a butterfly.

About a week ago, my son asked me to make lunch for him. Usually, his school serves school lunch, but they sometimes ask mothers to prepare lunch for special occasions.
I wondered what kind of side dishes his lunch box should contain this time. Suddenly, a good thought occurred to me.
“You like cherries very much, right? Every time you ask me for a box lunch, you want cherries in it. What do you say if you see only cherries in your lunch box?” I asked my son.
He instantly answered, “No! Don’t be silly. Don’t do that… Wait… If my lunch box is filled with countless cherries, I might be happy.”
His answer was intriguing. As a matter of fact, what I prepared for his lunch was normal as usual. How can cherries satisfy the stomach of a boy who complains “I am hungry.” all day? Don’t get me wrong. I prepare enough meals for him. His chubby figure proves it for sure.

When he got home that day, my son said, “Mom, I expected a different lunch box today. But you failed to meet my expectation. There were only four cherries in it! Next time, please give me a special cherry lunch, which would entertain me.”

Mission impossible…

明日は友人のために、プチ通訳をするかもです。
でもしなくてもいいかも。。。
この友人からは、かわいい傘をもらっていますので、頑張らないとですね。

「Yukoさん、***っていう英訳が、あるお偉方にとってはどうもしっくりいかないみたい。何かもう少し違う表現というか、より簡単な表現ってない？」
って聞かれました。でもこの英訳は、お役所が提示したものなんですけどね。
ということで、もう少しわかりやすい英訳を提供してみました。