Guests and Fish / 客と魚は - Learn Japanese with Yuko

Guests and Fish

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Contents

“Guests and Fish”: The Japanese original text
“Guests and Fish”: The English translation
Notes on useful expressions

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1. “Guests and Fish”: The Japanese original text

客きゃくと魚さかなは

　八はち十じゅうを過すぎた母ははが日に本ほんにいるので、年ねんに一いち度ど帰き省せいすることにしています[See Note 1]。日に本ほんにいる時ときは、できるだけ[2]、母ははの家いえに泊とまります。

　今回こんかいは、1月いちがつに行いこうと思おもいました。

　でも[3]、夫おっとは行いかないで働はたらきます。それなのに[4]、私わたしだけ遊あそびにいくのは、ちょっと悪わるい[5]気きがします。それで[6]、足あし掛かけ[7]11じゅういち日にちの短みじかい予よ定ていを立たてました。移い動どうの時じ間かんが長ながいので、家か族ぞくと一緒いっしょに過すごせるのは八よう日か間かんだけ。

　夫おっとは、「たった[8]八よう日かでいいの？　もっと長ながくいたら[9]？」と言いってくれました[10]。　

　ところが[11]、メールで相談そうだんすると[12]妹いもうとは、「八よう日か？　それで十じゅう分ぶんでしょう。『客きゃくと魚さかなは』って言いう[13]し‥‥[14]」

　何なんだか [15]、向むこうでもこちらでも自じ分ぶんはいなくていい[16]と言いわれている[17]ような気きがしましたが、それはともかく[18]、「客きゃくと魚さかなは」の意い味みがよくわかりませんでした。どうも[19]ことわざか格言かくげんらしい[19]。

　妹いもうとは日に本ほんや韓国かんこくや中ちゅう国ごくや世せ界かいの格言かくげんが大だい好すきで、ノートにたくさん集あつめています。「客きゃくと魚さかなは」はもちろん文ぶんの一いち部ぶですが、最初さいしょを言いえば私わたしが全ぜん部ぶわかると思おもったのでしょう。でも、私わたしは知しりませんでした。

　調しらべてみると、正確せいかくには [20]、

「客きゃくと魚さかなは三みっ日かで[21]腐くさる」英えい語ごでは、Guests, like fish, begin to smell in three days. で、直ちょく訳やくすると「客きゃくは、魚さかなのように、三みっ日かで変へんな匂においがし始はじめる」でした。

　知しっていましたか？

　その意い味みは、訪問ほうもんは短みじかい方ほうがいい。お客きゃくは一日いちにち、せいぜい[22]二ふつ日かいるぐらいが喜よろこばれる。三みっ日か以い上じょうも[23]いると、もてなす人ひとの重おも荷にになったり、主客しゅきゃくの関係かんけいが気きまずく[24]なったりするかもしれないということです。

　面白おもしろいことに[25]、これは1じゅう8はっ世せい紀きの米国べいこくの知ち識しき人じん、ベンジャミン・フランクリンの言こと葉ばだそうです。とても頭あたまのいい人ひとだったと聞きいていますが、社交しゃこうでもよく気きがつく人ひとだったんですね。

　この格言かくげん、あなたの国くにや文ぶん化かでは、どう思おもうでしょうか。「その通とおり」「ちょっと冷つめたい」「人ひとによる」「昔むかしは違ちがったけど今いまは変かわってきた」など、よかったら聞きかせてください。

2. “Guests and Fish”: The English translation

My mother is over eighty, and I make it a rule to visit her in Japan once a year. When I am in Japan, I try to stay at my mother’s as much as possible.

This time, I thought of going in January.

However, my husband is not going and will be working. I feel a little guilty to go and have fun just by myself. Therefore, I planned a short, eleven-day trip. Since the transportation takes a lot of time, I will only be able to spend eight days with my family.

My husband kindly said, “Are only eight days enough? What about staying longer?” But when I asked my younger sister’s opinion by e-mail, she said, “Eight days? That would be enough. They say ‘guests and fish’, you know…”

Somehow I felt that I was told I wouldn’t be missed at both homes in Japan and in the US, but that aside, I didn’t understand what “guests and fish” meant. It seemed to be a proverb or an adage.

My sister likes adages, from Japan, Korea, China and all over the world. She has even been collecting and writing them in notebooks. “Guests and fish” must of course be a part of a sentence, and she thought I knew the rest if she gave me the first part. I didn’t.

When I looked it up, the correct expression was:

“Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” (In Japanese, “kyaku to sakana wa mikka de kusaru”)

Did you know it?

That means a shorter visit is better. Having guests is pleasant for a day, at most two days. If we stay for more than three days, we may become a burden on the host, or the host-guest relationship may become strained in the end.

Interestingly, this was said by the 18-Century American intellectual, Benjamin Franklin. We hear he was a very smart person, but he was also very attentive and considerate in social life, too!

What do they think of this proverb in your country or culture? Tell us, “That’s true.” “It’s a little too dry.” “It depends on the person.” “Long time ago it was different but we have changed now.” or any other opinions you may have.

3. Notes on useful expressions in “Guests and Fish”

Here is a list of useful expressions and uses of words in the sentences in Section 1. We didn’t put translations of words you can easily find on the dictionary.

〜することにしている have made it a rule to…
できるだけ as much as possible
でも however 　　　Note: This is a writing of casual tone, so でも is fine. For more formal writing, we use しかし more often.
それなのに in spite of that
([someone]に) 悪わるい　feel sorry or guilty for someone
それで therefore
足あし掛かけ including the first and the last day of travel
たった only, mere　
Verb in たform +ら? how about doing…? Note: This is a rather casual way to suggest something or give friendly advice. The full sentence would be [Verb in た form + ら+ どうですか?] (What would you think if you would do…?)
〜てくれた (he) was nice enough say this (without being solicited)
ところが however, on the other hand
〜すると and then [my sister said the following in reaction] Note: We use “〜と” when we say after an action or happening, another thing happens in reaction.
〜って言いう They say “……” Note: This is a popular way to refer to an adage or a proverb.
〜し‥‥ and… [there are other reasons…]
何なんだか～よう(です) I feel… Note: “なんだか” means to the effect that “for an unknown reason” and is often followed by “I feel or wonder as follows.” Therefore, when you hear (or read) “なnだか” at the beginning of a sentence, you can guess that the sentence will end with “…ようです (it seems)” or of a similar meaning. They often come as a set. Note 2: There are many adverbs like “なんだか” in Japanese. They don’t have particular meaning by themselves but work as a flag for heads-up to tell you what kind of sentence ending is coming. In this site, we call them “flag words” for convenience.
いなくていい＝いなくてもいい don’t have to be/stay/exist (!)
言いわれている　being said Note: This is in the passive voice.
それはともかく that aside, anyway, to return to the topic
どうも……らしい it seems… Note: “どうも” is a “flag word” (see Note 7) and it means to the effect that “considering from every angle, I am pretty sure that…”. In other words, after “どうも”, you can expect a sentence ending “…らしい (it seems)” or of a similar meaning.
正確せいかくに precisely
三みっ日かで in three days Note: The particle “で” can indicate that the preceding word expresses a limit in a range or an extent
せいぜい at most, at longest
三みっ日か以い上じょうも more than three days or so Note: This particle “も” indicates the stay reaches a particular point in the duration.
気きまずい Feeling awkward or embarrassed between or among people [about atmosphere, situation and/or relationship]
おもしろいことに interestingly Note: This is an expression you can put before you tell the listener something interesting. This is rather a literal expression, so use “おもしろいんですが omoshiroi-n-desu ga” instead in speaking, or in writing in a more casual tone.