# 麦の粉で白くなりんす



## John_Doe

Hello! Long time no see!

There's a question I'd like for you to answer.

It's a conversation between a girl and a merchant who handles wheat and others cereals (麦):
The girl says:「真相もなにも、わっちゃあ莫大な借金の鎖《くさり》で縛られていんす。明日も見えぬこの鎖は、わっちが走って逃げることすらできぬほどに重い……。もしもぬし様が外してくれるなら、わっちゃあ喜んで麦の粉で白くなりんす」

1. What does 喜んで麦の粉で白くなりんす specifically imply?
2. How do you think, would this expression be immediately obvious for japanese readers?


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## SoLaTiDoberman

もしもあなた様が、借金の鎖を外してくれる（借金を肩代わりしてくれる）なら、わたしは、よろこんで、おしろい（小麦粉）で白くなります。（あなたの情婦/妾（めかけ）になります。または女郎になります。）

白くなります＝I will *make up* (and be your intimate girl, or be a prostitute).

I think it's obvious for native speakers, although I didn't know old women used to make up using wheat flour.


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## kanadaaa

SoLaTiDoberman said:


> I will *make up*


Maybe this is redundant information but that's not a meaningful English sentence.
You have to say "I will *do my make-up *or *put on make-up*".


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## Flaminius

The girl is a prostitute bound to her brothel by debts.  Her sentence-ending _insu_ is a typical prostitutes' speech (廓詞).  Now, she'd like the merchant to redeem her.  If he takes her out of the brothel, she will be glad to use flour for face powder.  In other words, she will be happy with a humble living, probably as the merchant's concubine.


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## John_Doe

Flaminius, she's not exactly a prostitute (far from it, honestly), it is just a stylilistic choice of the author. But I got your idea. It seems that you and SoLaTiDoberman concur with the interpretation that the girl would gladly return the favour. Are there any interpretations other than the girl being the merchant's 'concubine' in return?


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## kanadaaa

In my view, I just thought it was a metaphor for "I would even do such an unbelievable thing if you let go of my burden: my innumerable debts".
But as #2 has pointed out, the sentence-final expression she uses (～んす) was typically used by Edo prostitutes.
If you want us to tell which is actually the case, we need more contexts.


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## Contrafibularity

John_Doe said:


> Are there any interpretations other than the girl being the merchant's 'concubine' in return?


The girl could just mean that she is willing to work really hard in the merchant's business if he clears up her debt.   The girl returning the favour does not have to mean her becoming his concubine or mistress.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

kanadaaa said:


> Maybe this is redundant information but that's not a meaningful English sentence.
> You have to say "I will *do my make-up *or *put on make-up*".


Thanks!


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## Flaminius

John_Doe said:


> Are there any interpretations other than the girl being the merchant's 'concubine' in return?


I thought _shirokunaru_ is to use flour for a cheap substitute of face powder, but it could mean she is willing to work in his flour mill.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

Haha, the "context and background" is very important in this forum again.

Google research brought me that the context probably came from 狼と香辛料.
_"Spice and Wolf" is a *Japanese light novel series* written by Isuna Hasekura. (_Wikipedia)
It is not a fairly tale for kids.
Therefore, using different time background, metaphor, sarcasm, abbreviation or other rhetorical devices may be used in order to satisfy adult readers.
So, the interpretation is impossible without context.


The woman may speak in special Japanese, which seems weird in our real world.

After reading a part of the context in the Internet, I agree with #9. because I found the phrase,
"ぅ！
例えば
あの麦粉の純度とかな。."

I didn't read the whole context, but I thought it would be needed to read the whole context in order to understand the story.
The story seems very difficult to understand because it's a fiction. Anything can happen.
If it was an anime, the tone how the voice-actress spoke and the visual information may help us to understand the story.

Answering your original question, I'd say, "No. it is not obvious for native speakers without knowing the whole context and background."


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