# つきあって損をする



## IsaacDMQ

Can anyone say me which is the meaning of つきあって損 ?


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## Flaminius

Can you quote the whole sentence please?


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## IsaacDMQ

Flaminius said:


> Can you quote the whole sentence please?


やって損をするという研究は非常にまれであるし,つきあって損をするという人間も非常に少ない.  If you need more context just tell me.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

*>やって損をするという研究*は非常にまれであるし、*つきあって損をするという人間*も非常に少ない。

* やって(やる　こと　に　よって）損をする　と　いう　研究*:_ 
The research which one suffers a loss by doing_
*つきあって（つきあう　こと　に　よって）損をする　と　いう　人間*:
_The person whom one suffers a loss by associating with_


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## gengo

IsaacDMQ said:


> やって損をするという研究は非常にまれであるし,つきあって損をするという人間も非常に少ない.



My attempt:
It is the rare research that is a waste of time, and it is the rare person who is not worth spending time with.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

＠gengo:
I just realized that your sentence meant just the opposite from my interpretation.
Without any more context, that seems to be rhetorical.
If I say that more directly, it would be:
_Most researches are not a waste of time, and most people are worth spending time with._

Of course, it depends totally on the context though.


Do you say that your sentence is also rhetorical and the meaning is the opposite of the superficial interpretation?


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## gengo

SoLaTiDoberman said:


> If I say that more directly, it would be:
> _Most researches are not a waste of time, and most people are worth spending time with._



That is basically what my translation means.  Research that is a waste of time is rare, so most research is not a waste of time.  Your translations didn't include the まれである of the original, so I assume that you and I agree on the meaning.

By the way, research is a non-count noun that doesn't take a plural form, like "information."


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## SoLaTiDoberman

Thank you for letting me know about "reserches" is grammatically incorrect. 

If "*it* is the rare research that is a waste of time" stood alone as one sentence, it would be the same as my sentence.
However, probably there must be a previous context, right?

For example, the writer was talking about funny research about, for example, "the relationship of the color of the poop and their skin color."

_I thought the research was quite *funny*. But most research is not a waste of time._
vs
_I thought the research was quite *funny*. But *it* is the rare research(,) that is a waste of time.


うんこの色と肌の色の研究なんてくだらない研究があったものだ。しかしやって損をするという研究は非常にまれであるので、この研究にも何かの得になるのかもしれない。
vｓ
うんこの色と肌の色の研究なんて愉快な研究があったものだ。しかし、これはやって損をするという非常にまれな研究に該当する。_

Might your translation mean the latter?
There is no comma before "that", so your sentence can mean only the former interpretation, right?

I'm asking about the bold "*it*"'s interpretation might be different according to the context.

Thanks!


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## gengo

SoLaTiDoberman said:


> _I thought the research was quite funny. But it is the rare research(,) that is a waste of time._



No comma is needed (or correct) there.



SoLaTiDoberman said:


> _うんこの色と肌の色の研究なんてくだらない研究があったものだ。しかしやって損をするという研究は非常にまれであるので、この研究にも何かの知見が得られるかもしれない。
> 
> うんこの色と肌の色の研究なんて愉快な研究だ。しかし、これはやって損をするという非常にまれな研究に該当する。_
> 
> Might your translation mean the latter?
> There is no comma before "that", so your sentence can mean only the former interpretation, right?



No, only the former one.

My translation is a set construction that has a rather high register, and is more often seen in writing than heard in speech.

Other examples:
It is the rare man who is as critical of himself as of others.
(他人と同じ程度に自分自身を批判する人間は珍しい/非常に少ない。)
It is the rare car that can exceed 200 mph.
(時速200マイルを超えることが可能な車はまれである。)


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## SoLaTiDoberman

Okay, I see. Thanks!


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