失わずに済む

English translation: timeless

12:24 Nov 7, 2019
Japanese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Japanese term or phrase: 失わずに済む
Dear ProZ members,

I have a quick grammatical question about the grammatical structure of this sentence. It's a narration from a cartoon where people resurrect dead people and use them for daily life.

最初に死者を受け入れたのは女性たちだった 死者を兵士とすれば自分の息子や夫戦争で失わずに済む
(The first ones who accepted the deads were women. Using them as soldier, they don't lose their sons and husbands in war.)

Does the second sentence finish with a present tense (済む) because that fact is still true in the moment when the narration takes place? Or is it just the usual present/past alternation that often occurs in Japanese narrations?

Would you translate it with a present tense or a past tense?

Thank you!
Riccardo91
Italy
English translation:timeless
Explanation:
I might call it as a timeless "present." You know that the concept of tense is not the same between Japanese and English. The use of the "present" tense here is because it is true regardless of the time - women didn't have lose their sons and husbands and they still don't have to now.

If the statement is "失わずに済んだ" it is referring specifically to the past and what is talked about may or may not be true now.
Selected response from:

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 05:30
Grading comment
Thank you very much!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1timeless
Yuki Okada


  

Answers


4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
timeless


Explanation:
I might call it as a timeless "present." You know that the concept of tense is not the same between Japanese and English. The use of the "present" tense here is because it is true regardless of the time - women didn't have lose their sons and husbands and they still don't have to now.

If the statement is "失わずに済んだ" it is referring specifically to the past and what is talked about may or may not be true now.

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 05:30
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thank you very much!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Port City: It refers to the fact that "holds" true.
3 hrs
  -> ありがとうございます。
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search