ペルソナ４ - Persona 4

This scene taken from the Playstation 2 game "Persona 4".



Background: Set in a small town where a murder has occurred. Among the students of the high school, there is a rumour going around saying that if you look at a TV with the power off at midnight on a rainy day, you will see an image of your soul mate on the screen. The protagonist and his friends decided to try it out for themselves.

(Smart.fm list)

Formatting:
- Japanese text (original)
- Japanese text (in kana)
- English breakdown
- English translation (*taken from the English version of the game, except one part)
- Notes



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ショートの女子生徒
「逆さにぶら下がってたって何なの？　ヤバくない？」

ショートのじょしせいと
「さかさにぶらさがってたってなんなの？　ヤバくない？」

「逆さに・ぶら下がってた・って・何なの？　ヤバくない？」
Female student with short hair: “Upside-down – was hanging – [the thing] – what? Is it not freaky?”
(SHORT GIRL: What's up with the body being hung upside-down? That's so freaky!)

Notes:
ショート refers to a short hair style (ショートカット).

ヤ バい can be used in various situations. Originally it’s used in a negative sense (‘bad, dangerous, scary’). But younger people also use it in a positive way, meaning ‘cool,
good (so good/cool that you’re surprised by how good it is)’. But in this scene, it’s the former usage.

～くない？ is used to see if the other person agrees with you. You might also see this as ～くね？ (やばい　→　やばくない？　→　やばくね？)

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座っている女子生徒
「処刑とか、そういうアピール？　怖すぎ～。」

すわっているじょしせいと
「しょけいとか、そういうアピール？　こわすぎ～。」

「処刑・とか・そういう・アピール？　怖すぎ～」
Sitting girl student: “Execution – or such – that kind of – appeal? Too scary~”
(SITTING GIRL: Is it supposed to be like, mimicking an execution? It's messed up...)

Notes:
ア ピール means to show off something, such as the good points of something. In this case, the girl is asking if the killing was showing off that this was an execution (as opposed to just a murder) by doing that to the body.

Using とか and そういう like this shows she’s uncertain and just guessing.

す ぎ comes from 過ぎる（すぎる）, meaning ‘to go beyond, to pass’. Adjective~すぎる means ‘too [adjective]’. In casual situations, the る is dropped. Used for emphasis.

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ショートの女子生徒
「死体見つけたの、３年の小西って人らしいよ。先輩が言ってて～…」

ショートのしょしせいと
「したいみつけたの、さんねんのこにしってひとらしいよ。せんぱいがいってて～…」

「死体・みつけた・の・3年の・小西・って・人・らしいよ。先輩が・言ってて～…」
”[Dead] Body – found – the one who – [of the] 3rd year – Konishi – [called] – person – apparently. [A/my] senior – say [it]...”
(My senpai told me it was a third-year named Saki who found the body.)

Notes:
Written without leaving out anything:
「死体を見つけたのは、３年の小西と言う人らしいよ。先輩が言っていて～…」

の is ‘the person’ (who found the body) here.

Trailing off like this line and leaving it unfinished (言っていて…) is a casual way of speaking. Lengthening the sound at the end of the word (in this case 言ってて～) is more of a feminine way of speaking.

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花村陽介
「よ、よう。あのさ…」
「や、その、大した事じゃないんだけど…」

はなむらようすけ
「や、その、たいしたことじゃないんだけど…」

「よ、よう。あのさ…　や・その・大した事・じゃない・んだけど…」
Yousuke Hanamura: “H-hey. Umm... No – well – important thing – isn’t – but...”
(YOSUKE: Y-yo. Um...　 It's uh, it's not really that important, but...)

Notes:
よう is a casual way of greeting or calling out to people used by men.

さ here is being used to delay and draw out what’s been said, and to get or keep the listener’s attention. Used in casual situations.

や＝いや（＝いいえ）, a contracted way of saying ‘no’.

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花村陽介
「実は俺、昨日、テレビで…」
「あ、やっぱその…今度でいいや。あはは…」

「じつはおれ、きのう、テレビで…」
「あ、やっぱその…こんでいいや。あはは…」

「実は・俺・昨日・テレビで…」
“The truth [is] – I – yesterday – on TV...”
「あ・やっぱ・その…こんどで・いいや。あはは」
“Oh – I guess [after all] – that... at another time – is fine. Ahaha...”
(Well, yesterday on TV, I... Oh, uhh... Never mind. Look, I'll tell you later. Ahaha...)

Notes:
やっ ぱ is a contracted form of やっぱり（which is a casual form of やはり）. It implies that he thought about saying it, but when make to an earlier decision (not to say).

や (in いいや) expresses the feeling of being said in a carefree/casual manner.

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里中千枝
「花村―、ウワサ聞いた？」
「事件の第一発見者って、小西先輩らしいって。」

さとなか・ちえ
「はなむら―、ウワサきいた？」
「じけんのだいいちはっけんしゃって、こにしせんぱいらしいって。」

「花村・ウワサ・聞いた？」
Chie Satonaka
“Yousuke – rumour – heard?”
「事件・の・第一発見者・って・小西先輩・らしいって」
“[The] case/incident – [of] – first discoverer – [quoting] – [senior] Konishi – [I] heard.”
(CHIE: Yosuke, did you hear the rumor? Saki-senpai's supposedly the one who discovered that body.)

Notes:
Written out in full, this would be:
「花村、噂を聞いた？
事件の第一発見者は、小西先輩らしいと（いう噂だ・言われている・聞いている）」

ら しい shows that the speaker believes what they had said to be very certain. These are objective views based on information from other sources or their own observations, and not what they suppose or guess.

って is reporting what she has heard from elsewhere.

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花村陽介
「だから元気無かったのかな…　今日、学校来てないっぽいし。」

「だからげんきなかったのかな…　きょう、がっこうきてないっぽいし。」

「だから・元気・無かった・のかな…　今日・学校・来てない・っぽいし」
“Because [of that] – energy/spirits – did not have – [I] wonder... Today – school – has not come – [it] seems.”
(YOSUKE: I wonder if that's why she looked so down... She doesn't seem to be at school today either.)

Notes:
っ ぽい here is used like みたいだ, showing the speaker’s guess based on what they’ve experienced (seen, heard, etc.) themselves rather than what others have told them or such.

かな gives a sense of talking to yourself, asking yourself a question.

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里中千枝
「あれ？　雪子、今日も家の手伝い？」
天城雪子
「今、ちょっと大変だから…　ごめんね」

「あれ？　ゆきこ、きょうもいえのでつかい？」
あまぎ・ゆきこ
「いま、ちょっとたいへんだから…　ごめんね」

「あれ？　雪子・今日・も・家・の・手伝い？」
Chie: “Huh? Yukiko – today – [as well] – home – [at] – helping?”
「今・ちょっと・大変・だから…　ごめんね」
Yukiko Amagi: “Now – a little – difficult – because... sorry.”
(CHIE: Huh? Hey Yukiko, are you helping out at the inn today too?
YUKIKO: Things are really out of hand right now... I'm sorry.)

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花村陽介
「なんか天城、今日とっくべつ、テンション低くね？」

「なんかあまぎ、きょうとっくべつ、テンションひくくね？」

「なんか・天城・今日・とっくべつ・テンション・低くね？」
“Somewhat – Amagi – today – especially – tension – is not low?”
(YOSUKE: Is it just me or does Yukiko-san seem way stressed out today?)

Notes:
Here is the ～くね？ construction mentioned above again.

なんか is used to say that you kind of get an impression of something, but might not be sure exactly why.

とっくべつ is the same as 特別（とくべつ）.

テ ンション, in this case at least, is nothing to do with the English ‘tension’. As a word used by young people, テンション refers to spirits, mood, excitement.

テンションが低い　＝ low spirits
テンションが高い　＝ high spirits
テンションを上げる（下げる）　＝ to raise (lower) spirits
ハイテンション　＝ ‘high tension’(＝テンションが高い)

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里中千枝
「忙しそうだよね、最近…」
「ところでさ、昨日の夜…見た？」

「いそがしそうだよね、さいきん…」
「ところでさ、きのうのよる…みた？」

「忙しいそう・だよね・最近…」
Chie: “Seems busy – doesn’t she – lately....”
「ところでさ・昨日の・夜…見た？」
“By the way – yesterday[‘s] – night... saw [it]?”
(CHIE: I guess they're running her ragged... By the way, did you see... it... last night?)

Notes:
さ is used here to get the listener’s attention.

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花村陽介
「エッ…？」
「や、まあその…　お前はどうだったんだよ。」

「や、まあその…　おまえはどうだったんだよ。」

「エッ…？」
“Huh...?”
「や・まあ・その…　おまえは・どう・だったんだよ」
“No – well – that’s... you – how – was [it].”
(YOSUKE: Huh...? Uh, well... What about you?)

Notes:
や、まあその… are just filler words here, stalling for time.

Ending with んだよ is a more masculine manner of speech. Here, it makes him sound like he’s being a bit defensive and deflecting the question, trying to change the subject as to not talk about himself.

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里中千枝
「見た！　見えたんだって！　女の子！」

「みた！　みえたんだって！　おんなのこ！」

Chie: “[I] saw [it]! [I could] see [it]! [A] girl!”
(CHIE: I did! I seriously saw a girl!)

Notes:
んだって is being used for emphasis.

The difference between 見 and 見えた is that, while you can use 見る for something you intentionally looked at or watched as well, 見える means that something was visible without you necessarily trying to see it. Or alternatively, that she was able to see it, since she didn’t know if she would or not.

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里中千枝
「…けど運命の人が女って、どゆ事よ？」

「…けどうんめいのひとがおんなって、どゆことよ？」

「…けど・運命の人が・女・って・どゆ・事よ？」
Chie: “... But – person of fate – woman – [that thing] – what [sort/kind of] – thing?”
(CHIE: But... my soul mate’s a girl? What's that supposed to mean?)

Notes:
って here is an abbreviation of というのは or ということは.

どゆ事 is an abbreviation of どういう事.

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里中千枝
「誰かまでは分かんなかったけど、明らかに女の子でさ…」

「だれかまではわかんなかったけど、あきらかにおんなのこでさ…」

「誰か・までは・分かんなかったけど・明らかに・女の子・でさ…」
“Who – as far as – didn’t know – but – clearly – [a] girl – was [and]...”
(CHIE: I couldn't quite tell who it was, but it was a girl for sure...)

Notes:
分かんない is an abbreviation of 分からない.

The で at the end comes from だ, and is the conjunctive tense which shows she still has more to say.

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里中千枝
「髪がね、ふわっとしてて、肩ぐらい。で、ウチの制服で…」

「かみがね、ふわっとしてて、かたぐらい。で、ウチのせいふくで…」

「髪がね・ふわっとしてて・肩・ぐらい。で・ウチの・制服・で…」
“[Her] hair – fluffy [and] – shoulders – about. And – our [school’s] – uniform – [it] was [/she had] [and]...”
(CHIE: Her hair was brown, about shoulder length. She was wearing our school uniform, and...)

Notes:
ふわっとしてて＝ふわっとしていて

～（ふわっ）とする is used with adverbs to describe characteristics (in this case, her hair being fluffy/puffed up). For example:

きちんとした部屋 ＝ a tidy [neat] room
体がほっそりとしている ＝ [Her/his] body is slim

These adverbs can use used with verbs other than する.

ウチ is used to refer to a group the speaker belongs to (in this case, the school).

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花村陽介
「それ…　もしかしたら、俺が見たのと同じかも。」

「それ…　もしかしたら、おれがみたのとおなじかも。」

「それ…　もしかしたら・俺が・見た・の・と同じ・かも」
“That... perhaps – I – saw – [the one] – the same – maybe.”
(YOSUKE: Hey... I think that's the same person I saw.)

Notes:
かも is short for かもしれない（かもしれません）.

の here refers to ‘the thing/what [I saw]’.

もしかしたら…かも（しれない）is a set phrase for expressing the speaker’s guess (but they don’t have much certainty about their conclusion).

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花村陽介
「俺にはもっと、ぼんやりとしか見えなかったけど…」

「おれにはもっと、ぼんやりとしかみえなかったけど…」

「俺には・もっと・ぼんやりと・しか・見えなかった・けど…」
“[To] me – more – blurry – only – couldn’t see – but...”
(YOSUKE: I couldn't make out that much detail, though. The image I saw was much blurrier.)

Notes:
し か…ない means ‘only.../nothing except... [whatever is mention]’. As in ひとつしかない, there’s only one (and no more). So here, the only way he could see it was dimly/vaguely. しか will always come with a negative verb.

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里中千枝
「え、じゃ花村も結局見えたの！？」

「え、じゃはなむらもけっきょくみえたの！？」

「え・じゃ・花村・も・結局・見えたの！？」
“Huh – then – Hanamura – as well – after all – [was able to] see it!?”
(CHIE: Wait, so you saw it too!?)

Notes:
じゃ＝では

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里中千枝
「しかも同じ子…？　運命の相手が同じって事？」

「しかもおなじこ…？　うんめいのあいてがおなじってこと？」

「しかも・同じ・子…？　運命の人が・同じ・って・事？」
“What’s more – the same – girl...? Person of fate – the same – [quoting] – thing?”
(CHIE: And we saw the same girl...? Does that mean... we have the same soul mate?)

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花村陽介
「知るかよ…」
「しるかよ…」

YOSUKE: How should I know?

Notes:
「知るか（よ）」is a phrase similar to “how would I know?”

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花村陽介
「で、お前は見た？」

「で、おまえはみた？」

「で・お前は・見た？」
“So – you – saw [it]?”
(YOSUKE: How 'bout you? Did you see it?)

Notes:
で ＝ それで

By using は here, it contrasts with what Chie has said.

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＞二人に昨晩の事を話した。
＞ふたりにさくばんのことをはなした。

「二人・に・昨晩・の・事を・話した」
“The two [people] – [to] – yesterday evening – [of] – thing/incident – talked [about].”
(NARRATION: > You told them about what happened last night.)

Notes:
You can use 二人 to refer to a pair or couple of them, in addition to using it to count the number of people.

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花村陽介
「お前が見たのも同じ人っぽいな…」

「おまえがみたのもおなじひとっぽいな…」

「お前が・見た・の・も・同じ・人・っぽいな…」
“You – saw – [the thing] – also – the same – person – seems [to be]...”
(YOSUKE: It sounds like we all saw the same person...)

Notes:
見たの =　見たもの
っぽい　＝　みたいだ、のようだ

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花村陽介
「しっかし、妙な声ってのはともかく、テレビに吸い込まれたってのはお前…」

「しっかし、みょうなこえってのはともかく、テレビにすいこまれたってのはおまえ…」

「しっかし・妙な・声・ってのは・ともかく・テレビ・に・吸い込まれた・ってのは・お前…」
“However – strange – voice – [that thing about] – aside – TV – [into] – was sucked into – [the thing about] – you...”
(YOSUKE: But weird voices aside, what was that about getting sucked into your TV...?)

Notes:
しっかし just means the same as しかし, but written like this shows it’s spoken with more emotion or cheerfully. E.g. すっごい for すごい.

っ てのは (short for ということは・というものは) is used to bring up something that has already been mentioned and add something of your own to it.

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花村陽介
「動揺しすぎ？　じゃなきゃ、寝落ちだな。」

「どうようしすぎ？　じゃなきゃ、ねおちだな」

「動揺・しすぎ？　じゃなきゃ・寝落ちだな」
“[Were you] agitated/unsettled – too [much]? If not – falling asleep.”
(YOSUKE: Were you that tired last night? You must've just fallen asleep in front of your TV.)

Notes:
寝落ち is a word meaning to fall asleep in the middle of doing something, or to stop doing something and go to sleep.

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里中千枝
「けど夢にしても面白い話だね、それ。」

「けどゆめにしてもおもしろいはなしだね、それ」

「けど・夢・にしても・面白い・話・だね・それ」
“But – a dream – even for – interesting – talk/story – is, isn't it – that.”
(CHIE: That'd be one interesting dream, though.)

Notes:
けど is just the same as だけど.

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里中千枝
「”テレビが小さいから入れない”ってとことか　変にリアルでさ。」

「”テレビがちいさいからはいれない”ってとことか　へんにリアルでさ」

「”テレビが・小さい・から・入れない”・って・とこ・とか・変に・リアル・でさ…」
“TV – small – because – couldn’t enter – [quoting] – part – such as – strangely – real – is [and...].”
(CHIE: I like the part where you got stuck 'cause your TV was too small. That's pretty realistic.)

Notes:
ってとことか is similar to というところなど.

変に (strangely, oddly): despite being a strange dream, that part is oddly realistic.

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里中千枝
「もし大きかったら…」

「もしおおきかったら…」

「もし・大きかったら…」
“If – it were big...”
(CHIE: Well, if it had been bigger, the-)

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里中千枝
「そう言えばウチ、テレビ大きいの買おうかって話してんだ。

「そういえばウチ、テレビおおきいのかおうかってはなししてんだ」

「そう言えば・ウチ・テレビ・大きいの・買おうか・って・話してんだ」
“Saying that [reminds me] – us [our family] – TV – big [TV] – [how about] buying – [quoting] – have been talking [about].”
(CHIE: Ohhh, that reminds me. Our family's been talking about buying a bigger TV.)

Notes:
ウチ = ‘my family’

テレビ大きいの = テレビ大きい（サイズの）もの

って話してんだ = という話をしているんだ

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花村陽介
「へぇ。今、買い替えすげー多いからな。」

「へぇ。いま、かいかえすげーおおいからな」

「へぇ。今・変え替え・すげー・多い・からな」
“Oh. Now – buying replacements – very – a lot – because.”
(YOSUKE: Oh yeah? Well, a lot of people are upgrading nowadays.)

Notes:
すげー　＝　すごい、すごく

へえ = impressed or surprised at something someone has said or done. Used kind of like そうか or なるほど.

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花村陽介
「なんなら、帰りに見てくか？　ウチの店、品揃え強化月間だし。」

「なんなら、かえりにみてくか？　ウチのみせ、しなぞろえきょうかげっかんだし」

「なんなら・帰り・に・見てくか？　ウチの店・品揃え・強化・月刊・だし」
“If you want – way home – [on] – go look? Our shop – product line-up – strengthening/building up – month – it is.”
(YOSUKE: Wanna go check 'em out on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month.)

Notes:
帰りに見てく = 帰りに見ていく
Here, ～ていく means to go something on the way to somewhere else [i.e., to do something before you go home].

ウチの店 = ‘our shop’

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里中千枝
「見てく、見てく！　親、家電疎いし、早く大画面でカンフー映画みたい！」

「みてく、みてく！　おや、かでんうといし、はやくだいがめんでカンフーえいがみたい！」

「見てく・見てく！　親・家電・疎い・し、早く・大画面・で・カンフー映画・みたい！」
“Go look – go look! [My] parents – home electronics – unfamiliar [with]/not knowledgeable [about] – [and] – quickly/soon – big screen – [on] – kung-fu films – want to see!”
(CHIE: Oh, definitely! My parents don't know anything about electronics, and I've just gotta see my kung-fu movies on the big screen!)

Notes:
見てく、見てく！ = Repeating something twice is a common manner of speech showing excitement and emotion.

家電疎い is a shortened version of 家電に疎い (not knowledgeable about electronics).

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里中千枝
「チョアー、ハイッ！」

CHIE: Hwa-taaaa!

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花村陽介
「だいぶデカいのまであるぜ。お前が楽に入れそうなのとかな、ははは。」

「だいぶデカいのまであるぜ。おまえがらくにはいれそうなのとかな、ははは」

「だいぶ・デカい・の・まで・あるぜ。お前が・楽に・入れそうな・の・とかな・ははは」
“Very – big – [ones] – even/up to – have. You – easily – seem able to enter – [ones] – such as – hahaha.”
(YOSUKE: We've got some pretty big ones in stock. I bet they'd be big enough for you to fit into, hehe.)

Notes:
デカいの = の, here, refers to the TVs. デカい is colloquial word, meaning the same as 大きい (large, big).

まで is used to show the range of TVs they have.

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＞二人は全く信じていないようだ…
＞ふたりはまったくしんじていないようだ…

「二人は・全く・信じていない・ようだ…」
“The two [people] – at all – do not believe [you] – seems....”
(NARRATION: > They don't believe you at all...)

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＞みんなでジュネスに寄って行く事にした。
＞みんなでジュネスによっていくことにした。

「みんな・で・ジュネス・に・寄って行く・事にした」
“Everyone – [with] – Junes – [to] – stop by [and then go home] – decided [to do].”
(> You decided to go to Junes with the others.)

Notes:
事にする means to decide to or be determined to do something.