Brody wrote:How would you translate: そこは巨大な図書館のような場所で、すごく静かで、清潔で、整然としている。
I know a good translation is probably: "It's a place like a giant library, really quiet, and clean, and orderly." Yet, I want to delve deeper into the last part 整然としている because I don't understand how としている works here. Is it a form of として as in "as," or is としている part of 整然, or is it like volitional + としている "trying" ???
My guess is that it is just a part of the adjective 整然 and thus, "orderly" in English. I know 整然と is the adverb form, meaning "orderly;" would it be [literally] "are doing orderly" ???
I'm wicked confused. [/b]
Some adverbs take "と" instead of "に". Often, these are onomatopoeic/mimetic, but not always. 整然 is one such adverb. So you say "整然と" instead of "整然に".
So, "整然とする" literally means to "to do/be in an orderly manner". You will often see these "と" adverbs used like this: "整然として〜". Another way of expressing the same thing.
To change the base to an adjective, you use it as a verb, by adding たる: 整然たる (orderly; lit. to be orderly)
You have to think of these as different beasts altogether than your normal な/に adverb.
Your sentence, properly translated, reads:
"That place is like a giant library: it's extremely quiet, clean and well-organized."
