# 近づくほどの価値のない



## IsaacDMQ

What's the correct translation of this text of kokoro novel?: 傷ましい先生は、自分に近づこうとする人間に、近づくほどの価値のないものだから止せという警告を与えたのである.


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## gengo

IsaacDMQ said:


> What's the correct translation of this text of kokoro novel?: 傷ましい先生は、自分に近づこうとする人間に、近づくほどの価値のないものだから止せという警告を与えたのである.



Which part is giving you trouble?  This forum isn't intended to be for the translation of entire sentences.


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## IsaacDMQ

gengo said:


> Which part is giving you trouble?  This forum isn't intended to be for the translation of entire sentences.


近づくほどの価値のない


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## gengo

Literally, it means that he was warning that he was a useless man, not worth getting close to.

One of the official translations gives:  I realize that he was in fact sending a warning, to someone who was attempting to grow close to him, signaling that he was unworthy of such intimacy.


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## IsaacDMQ

Still the phrase have not sense to me.Can you give me a more literally word by word translation  of : 近づくほどの価値のない?


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## gengo

IsaacDMQ said:


> Still the phrase have *does* not *make* sense to me.  Can you give me a more literally word by word translation  of : 近づくほどの価値のない?



Xの価値がない means that it is not worth doing X.
近づくほど means something like "so far as to approach" or "hasta acercar."
Something like No vale la pena acercarle.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

*傷ましい（←かわしそうな）*先生は、*自分（＝先生）*に近づこうとする人間(←主人公）に、「*私（＝先生）は、あなたが私に*近づくほどの価値のない*もの（←者＝人間）*だから*（私に近づくのは）*止せ」という警告を与えたのである.

The pitiful Sensei gave warning to those who were trying to come closer to him; _"I'm not as valuable a person as you come closer to me."_

The pitiful Sensei was just indicating a signal, "you should not become my friend because I'm not worthwhile to be your friend," to those who tried to be his friend.

The pitiful Sensei made gestures indicating:
1. He thought of himself as a valueless person.
2. He thought that I should keep my distance from him because he was valueless.

There are a lot of ways to make "_*correct*_" translations.

近づく literally means "come closer" which actually means "become intimate," "become friends," or "become a closer friend than just an acquaintance."
It's a figurative expression from a certain viewpoint.
And a figurative expression may not make sense in another language/culture.
So, you should think about the translation which makes sense in that language/culture.
Therefore, you cannot get only one "correct" translation, which is absolutely correct.
Persuing one absolutely correct translation is merely an illusion, IMHO.
Hope this helps!
Thank you.


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## IsaacDMQ

Thanks, solatidoberman. You always explain well. Leaving aside the issue of correct translation, what is your explanation of the phrase that troubled me?:  近づくほどの価値のない


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## SoLaTiDoberman

近づくほどの価値のない＝『近づくほどの価値』のない
＝『近づくに値するほどの価値』のない
= there is no value in getting close (to him)

If you don't understand that expression, it might be your help if you think about the opposite.

近づくほどの価値のない者
＝someone who is not valuable to be getting close

<---->　近づく価値のある者
＝someone who is valuable to be getting close to
=someone is very valuable, so he is worthwhile to get close to.
=someone is very valuable, so you may want to become their friend.


cf) 掘り出すほどの価値のない宝
＝the treasure which is not so valuable that you don't even dig it out.
=the treasure is not so valuable that you do not dare dig it out.

<---->  掘り出す価値のある宝
＝the treasure is so valuable that you definitely want to dig it out.


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## Flaminius

Syntactically, 価値がある is expanded into 近づくほどの価値のない like below:

1. 価値がある denotes the worth of something.  E.g., この皿には200万円の価値がある。
2. Sprinkle some about-ish nuance to the statement: この皿には200万円ほどの価値がある。
3. The worth of a person can be expressed by what one wants to do with that person: あの作家には会いに行くほどの価値がある。
4. Apply the simple negation to the above, and show how useless this writer is: あの作家には会いに行くほどの価値がない。

[5. Additionally, modify あの作家 by the 価値がない.  Notice in an adnominal clause が can be replaced by の, almost without apparent reasons: 会いに行くほどの価値のないあの作家]


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## IsaacDMQ

Thanks to both of you

I have discovered now that "ほど" was that confused me.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

近づく*ほどの*価値のない者=近づく価値のない者
近づく*ほどの*価値がある者＝近づく価値のある者

近づく価値のない者
＝those who are valueless to get close to.

近づく*ほどの*価値のない者
＝those who are valueless, *the level of which would be* "not valuable to get close to."
=those who *would *be valueless to get close to.

You may think that the function of ほどの here is to make the sentence a little *indirect*, *mild*, or *modest*.
The meaning is still the same between with or without ほどの.


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## IsaacDMQ

SoLaTiDoberman said:


> 近づく*ほどの*価値のない者=近づく価値のない者
> 近づく*ほどの*価値がある者＝近づく価値のある者
> 
> 近づく価値のない者
> ＝those who are valueless to get close to.
> 
> 近づく*ほどの*価値のない者
> ＝those who are valueless, *the level of which would be* "not valuable to get close to."
> =those who *would *be valueless to get close to.
> 
> You may think that the function of ほどの here is to make the sentence a little *indirect*, *mild*, or *modest*.
> The meaning is still the same between with or without ほどの.


Indeed I was confused because I didn't find "hodo no" as to make the sentence mild, indirect in grammar books.


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