Kotoba no Hibiki

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The purpose here is not to translate the storybook of “The Velveteen Rabbit”. I will use scenes from the story as examples to help students be on the same page. That allows students to learn more accurate expressions for everyday Japanese conversation.

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Let’s translate the following sentences into Japanese in a natural way!

Note: This is not a word-for-word translation.

/ The mechanical toys were very superior,
/ and looked down upon every one else;
/ they were full of modern ideas,
/ and pretended they were real.

Formal

/ 機械きかい仕掛じかけのおもちゃたちはとても傲慢ごうまんな態度たいどで、

/ 他ほかのおもちゃを見下みくだしていました。

/ 彼かれらには現代的げんだいてきなアイデアがたくさん使つかわれていて、

/ あたかも自分じぶんたちは本物ほんものであるかのようにふるまっていました。

Casual

/ 機械きかい仕掛じかけのおもちゃたちはすっごく偉えらそうに、

/ 他ほかのおもちゃを見下みくだしてて。

/ 新あたらしいアイデアもいっぱい入はいってて、

/ まるで自分じぶんたちは本物ほんものと言いわんばかりで。

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Advanced Tips

superior

The word ‘superior’ means the following in this context. Its synonym is ‘arrogant.’

showing by your behaviour that you think you are better than others

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries

In Japanese, we can also say the following.

高慢こうまん（ちき）な、横柄おうへいな、高飛車たかびしゃな、尊大そんだいな、居丈高いたけだかな、不遜ふそんな

I feel like that 高慢こうまん（ちき）な and 高飛車たかびしゃな are more likely to be used for women.