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.
Let’s translate the following sentences into Japanese in a natural way!
Note: This is not a word-for-word translation.
/ The model boat, who had lived through two seasons
/ and lost most of his paint,
/ caught the tone from them
/ and never missed an opportunity of referring to his rigging in technical terms.
Formal
/ 船の模型は、ツーシーズンを経て、
/ 塗装がほとんど剥げていましたが、
/ 彼らのやり方をまねて、
/ 機会さえあれば専門用語で彼の索具について触れるのでした。
Casual
/ 船の模型は、ツーシーズン経って、
/ ペンキがはげちょろけになってるのに、
/ 彼らと同じ感じで、
/ 機会さえあれば小難しい言葉で船の道具のことを言うんだから。
Advanced Tips
The word ‘two seasons’, which means ‘two years’, can be said ツーシーズン in Japanese.
The same expression ツーシーズン sometimes means ‘two kinds of seasons’, such as spring and summer.
The latter is often used to indicate the season when it is appropriate to wear certain clothes.
For example,
このコートは秋冬のツーシーズン着ることができます。
You can wear this coat in two seasons, autumn and winter.
このドレスは夏のワンシーズンしか着られません。
You can only wear this dress in only one season, summer.
このスカートはオールシーズン着ることができます。
You can wear this skirt in all seasons.
