With regard to the difficulty of the ITs for beginners…sure, it’s true that they’re way too advanced for a beginner to translate word-perfect, but that’s kind of the point. To be able to get the gist of a colloquial exchange, not understand word-for-word. Better to get some minimum exposure to Japanese as it’s really spoken, rather than the text-book forms that we all know happen only in text-books.

If someone more advanced offers a full translation, all the better, but the rest of us beginners should probably just give it a once- or twice-listen for effect only.

すみません、ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか。いいえ、ここは撮影禁止だ。ちょっと、駄目だよ、何してるんだか、駄目と言ってでしょう、ごめん、日本語がわたるんだ。身分証明書を出して。はい、どうぞ、あなた、日本人でしょう、はい、東京出身だ、お父さんは北海道出身、お母さんは九州出身、もういい、今の写真を消して、帰ってください。わかりました、出口はここ。

また、明日、

Just to expand on Jessi’s comment a bit - you’re totally right about the formality of “haha” and “chichi” (I myself almost never use those words except in very formal situations - ie. the immigration bureau or speaking to a university lecturer). There are almost as many ways in Japanese to say “mum” and “dad” as there are in English. You’ll hear “papa” and “mama” from young women right into their late twenties/early thirties, and even things like “Yuki-mama” and “Yuki-papa” from a girl called Yuki, for example, to refer to her own mother and father!

“Komatta hito” is actually an idiom which is often used to mean “a troublesome person”, rather than someone who is actually troubled!

In my opinion, this is one of those areas that is not too difficult to master, and, when properly used, can make your Japanese sound more natural and more refined to a native Japanese speaker. (According to a number of Japanese speakers I have asked about this.)

First of all, using “otousan” and “okasan” to refer to one’s own mother and father to others is something acceptable from children, and becomes less acceptible as the person heads towards young adulthood. I’ve also heard young people use “uchi no otousan” and “uchi no okasan.”

As for “chichi” and “haha,” in formal situations, this is the proper usage for adults speaking with other adults. However, in less formal, more relaxed situations, “chichi” and “haha” can sound a bit too stiff or stuffy. What I have heard adults use in those situations is “uchi no chichi-oya” and “uchi no haha-oya.”

That is just my opinion, and it might be a good topic for discussion with your Japanese friends!

But, gee, they *shoot* you if you take a picture in a 写真禁止 zone??

I think next trip maybe it is better if we go to アフガニスタン.

One thing I would really like is a translation of the informal track. The reason I don’t usually listen to it is because I won’t understand most of it and even if I think I’ve figured it out I’ll never really know if I got it right.

相変わらず、　ありがとう！

ミクジ