流転せり

English translation: "in flux" (Everything flows);

02:09 Mar 9, 2007
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Media / Multimedia / manga
Japanese term or phrase: 流転せり
This phrase was used independently as a title to an article about a manga
Douglas Varenas
Local time: 15:01
English translation:"in flux" (Everything flows);
Explanation:
Don't know what is discussed in the article, and so I will just give some ideas that came to my mind. The word 流転 means, other than ever-changing, wander, linger, adrift, afloat. Perhaps, it reminds many Japanese people of 「方丈記(ほうじょうき)」, one of the famous classic essays, in which the author 鴨長明 (かものちょうめい) starts as follows:

ゆく河の流れは絶えずして、しかも、もとの水にあらず。

He talks about the universality of change (生生流転、万物流転).

So, to express the idea, I took the very similar belief of Heraclitus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclitus).

As for せり, though it is a present perfect form, I think it emphasizes the idea of continuity here (such as "It's been raining for a week."
Selected response from:

RieM
United States
Local time: 18:01
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4has (have) changed constantly
humbird
3 +1"in flux" (Everything flows);
RieM
1has been reborn
michiko tsum (X)


  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
has been reborn


Explanation:
"流転”means to keep changing, to be reborn. The word "せり" is a perfect tense form of "する". I'm not sure what "流転" exactly means here. I guess it depends of the content of the manga they are talking about.


    Reference: http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/search.php?MT=%CE%AE%C5%BE&kind=...
    Reference: http://www2.alc.co.jp/ejr/index.php?word_in=%97%D6%89%F4&wor...
michiko tsum (X)
Canada
Local time: 15:01
Works in field
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in category: 12
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
has (have) changed constantly


Explanation:
流転 "means ever-changing" or "never ending changes" or "never stop changing".
"Reborn" is a Buddhist interpretation.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2007-03-09 05:37:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Please put "constantly" in parenthesis.
Simply put "has changed" would do.

humbird
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
"in flux" (Everything flows);


Explanation:
Don't know what is discussed in the article, and so I will just give some ideas that came to my mind. The word 流転 means, other than ever-changing, wander, linger, adrift, afloat. Perhaps, it reminds many Japanese people of 「方丈記(ほうじょうき)」, one of the famous classic essays, in which the author 鴨長明 (かものちょうめい) starts as follows:

ゆく河の流れは絶えずして、しかも、もとの水にあらず。

He talks about the universality of change (生生流転、万物流転).

So, to express the idea, I took the very similar belief of Heraclitus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclitus).

As for せり, though it is a present perfect form, I think it emphasizes the idea of continuity here (such as "It's been raining for a week."

RieM
United States
Local time: 18:01
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  AkiHofmann (X): 「まんが」もついに哲学の領域に達したんですね。娘の本棚にズラーッと並ぶ「まんが」に溜息をつく必要はもうないんですね。Dragon Knightsはカント、Crescent Moon はニーチェといった風に読めば良いのですね。有難うございました。
8 hrs
  -> えっつ、そんなに難しく考えたことないですよ。実は今、「コーラス」(月刊マンガ誌)を貸してもらって読んでるところです。へへ。なかなか充実?してますよ。
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