Japanese Lessons: Japanese Reading Practice with Manga 1-3-1

Manga: Give My Regards to Black Jack 1-1-1

*These Japanese lessons are created based on the Terms of Use of the Copyrights of them; TITLE: Give My Regards to Black Jack, AUTHOR: Shuho Sato, and WEBSITE: Manga on Web.

Japanese Lessons 1-3-1 75ななじゅうご歳さいの値ね段だん / The Price of Being 75

A scene in Give My Regards to Black Jack

You can browse all of the pages by clicking the picture above and then move to any page via 「目もく次じ」 at the left. When you need English translations or explanations, please return here and refer them. This article covers from page 87 to page 108.

Japanese Script with English Translation

「先生せんせい、まだ残のこってらしたんですか?*」「はい、ちょっと気きになったもので…。」

“Doctor? You’re still here?” “Yes, I was... a little worried...”

One Point Lesson: Japanese Vocabulary

「いらした」 is the contracted word from 「いらっしゃった」. This is an honorific expression and is equivalent to 「行いく」「来くる」「いる」 and  「ある」.

「お早はようございまーす!お早はようございまーす!」「どうしたんだ斉藤さいとう?今日きょうはやけに気き合入あいはいってんじゃねーか…」

“Good morning! Good morning!” “What’s up with you, Saito? You sure are pumped up today.”

「血小板けっしょうばん60ろくじゅっ単たん位い、プラズマネート・カッター6本ろっぽん、ベニロン5ごgぐらむ。これを全ぜん部ぶあの金かね子こ老ろう人じんにやったのかね?* 斉藤先生さいとうせんせい。」「はい!おかげで患者かんじゃは今日きょうも良好りょうこうです!」「よけいな事ことはしなくていい…。治ち療りょうの指示しじは私わたしが出だす。」

“60unit of blood platelets. 6 vials of plasmanate cutter. 5 grams of globulin. You used all of these on that old man? Dr. Saito?” “Yes, sir! As a result, he is in the best of shape today!” “Don’t go overboard. I will tell you everything you need to do.”

One Point Lesson: Japanese Vocabulary

「~かね?」 is a formal word, but cannot be used from inferior people to superior people. Nowadays, the younger generation seldom use this phrase.

「ありがとうございます、先生せんせい!こんなに偉えらい先生せんせいに手術しゅじゅつしていただいて、じいちゃんもきっと満足まんぞくしとるとです*!」「術じゅつ後ごの経けい過かは順調じゅんちょうです。手術しゅじゅつは100ひゃく%ぱーせんと成功せいこうですが、心臓しんぞうに合併症がっぺいしょうがありますので…ここから先さきは正直しょうじき言いって本人ほんにんの生命力せいめいりょくしだいです。肺塞栓はいそくせんを起おこさずに回復かいふくできるかどうか…心しん不ふ全ぜんもあるし。ちなみにこちらは手術しゅじゅつの助手じょしゅをつとめた白鳥先生しらとりせんせい…あっち*は受うけ持もちの研修けんしゅう医いで、えー…と…。」「斉藤さいとうです!」

“Thank you, professor! I’m sure he is happy to have been operated on by such an esteemed doctor!” “His condition has been pretty good since the operation. The operation itself was 100% successful, but since there have been complications to his heart… To be honest, how it goes from here will really depend on his ability to stay alive. I’m not sure if he can recover without suffering a pulmonary embolism or heart failure. This is the man who assisted me on the operation, Dr. Shiratori. And the resident intern in charge of Mr. Kaneko, Dr. ,uhm...” “Saito, sir!”

One Point Lesson: Japanese Vocabulary

「しとるとです」 is a dialect in a rural area and is equivalent to 「しています」.

「あっち」 should actually not be used toward people. It sounds rude. The professor should have said 「あちら」 as he said 「こちら」 toward Dr. Shiratori.

「すっかりよくなりましたね。午後ごごには退院たいいんできるように手て続つづきをとっておきましょう。」「ねえ先生せんせい、せっかくだから最さい後ごに一本点滴いっぽんてんてきを打うってよ!あれをやるとぐーんと*元げん気きが出でるんだ。オレはいっつも調ちょう子しが悪わるいと近ちかくの診療所しんりょうじょで打うってもらってんだ。」「うーん…点滴てんてきですか…。点滴てんてきの中なか身みが何なにかご存ぞん知じですか?桑沢くわさわさん。500ごひゃくccしーしーの中なか身みは要ようするに25にじゅうごgぐらむのブドウ糖とうに過すぎません。牛乳ぎゅうにゅうコップ半分程はんぶんてい度ど、わずか100ひゃっキロカロリーの栄養分えいようぶんですよ。」「するってーと*何なにかい?点滴てんてきってやつは意味いみなんかないのかい?」「ええ…おまじないのようなものです。脱水症状だっすいしょうじょうもないのに点滴てんてきを打うつのなんて日に本ほんだけですよ。」

“Well, you certainly have gotten better. I’ll work on the paperwork to have you released from the hospital this afternoon.” “Hey, Doc. Since I’m here anyway why don’t you give me one more IV? After one of those, I’m raring to go! I always go to the nearby clinic and have them give me an IV.” “Hm… an IV, huh…? Do you know what is in an IV? Mr. Kuwazawa. A 500cc IV contains no more than 25 grams of glucose. That’s a mere 100 calories of nutrition, about the same as half a cup of milk.” ”Meaning that… there’s no reason to do an IV?” “Yes… It’s a placebo. Japan is the only place in the world that actually gives an IV to someone who isn’t dehydrated.”

One Point Lesson: Japanese Vocabulary

「ぐーんと」 is a Japanese onomatopoeia which indicates something increasing, growing, improving, or stretching. It is used in this way; 「アクセス数すうがぐーんと増ふえた。The number of access has increased very much.」

「するってーと」 is a contracted word from 「そうすると言いうと」. This is sometimes used by middle aged men.

「意い外がいだったな…。白鳥先生しらとりせんせいって患者かんじゃさんの前まえでは笑え顔がおもみせるんだ…。だけど、点滴てんてきをすすめない医い者しゃなんて珍めずらしいよね…。」「点滴てんてきの成分せいぶんなんてそんなもんだし、注射料ちゅうしゃりょうも入いれると一本千円いっぽんせんえん以い上じょうするからな…。患者かんじゃは一割いちわり負ふ担たんだから100ひゃく円えんしか払はらわないけど…確たしかに病院びょういんはちゃんと千円せんえんもうかってる…。そういうムダが積つもり積つもって国くにの医い療財政りょうざいせいを圧迫あっぱくするんだよな…。」「僕ぼくも今朝けさよけいな治ち療りょうをするなって怒おこられたんだ…。それも医い療りょう費ひのムダ遣づかいをやめろって事ことなのかな…?」「無理むりしてがんばる事ことねーよー…。どうせ給料きゅうりょう3万8千円さんまんはっせんえんのままだし…。」「違しがう!僕ぼくは今こん度どこそ*あの当直とうちょくでの失敗しっぱいを乗のり越こえたいんだ!」「だったら当直とうちょくのバイトいけよ。」「そ…それは…。」

“I didn’t expect that... Dr. Shiratori can actually smile in front of a patient. But a doctor that doesn’t recommend doing an IV sure is rare, huh?” “Well, he wasn’t joking about what is in an IV, and when you add in the injection fee, it can cost over $10. The patient only has to pay 10% of that, about a buck or so. The hospital makes $10 though. Those unnecessary things just keep building up until they threaten the nation’s medical finances...” “Dr. Shiratori got mad at me this morning for doing unnecessary treatment… I wonder if he was telling me to stop wasting medical fees on things that didn’t matter...” “You don’t have to go out of your way and try so hard… hell, we’re only making $450 a month, anyway...” ”No!! This time I really want to get over those mistakes I made on my shift!” “Then go back to that part-time job.” ”Uh… It’s… Just...”

One Point Lesson: Japanese Expression

「今こん度どこそ」 can be translated as “this time”. However, it includes a nuance which is something like “by utilizing the experience of failure , I will not make the same mistake this time”.

「今こん夜やはもうお帰かえりですか?先生せんせい…。」

“Are you going home now, doctor?”

アパートへ帰かえるとハガキが一枚届いちまいとどいていた…。この間あいだ当直とうちょくのバイトをした病院びょういんの先生せんせいからだった。

When I got back to my apartment, there was a postcard in my mail box… It was from the doctor I had worked with at my part-time job.

「メッセージは一件いっけんです。」「もしもーし、お母かあさんでーす。元げん気きかい英えい二じ郎ろう~。もうすぐお盆ぼん*だね~。会あえるの楽たのしみにしてるわよ~。」

“You have 1 message” ”Hellooo? It’s Mom. How are you doing, Eijiro? It’ll be the Bon Festival pretty soon. We’re looking forward to seeing you, honey!”

One Point Lesson: Japanese Culture

「お盆ぼん」 is a Japanese traditional custom to pray for ones’ ancestors. It is held on the 15thof August. People usually take the day off and go to their hometown.

「あの…白鳥先生しらとりせんせい、昨日きのうから無む尿状態にょうじょうたいが続つづいていて…BUNが110ひゃくじゅうまで上昇じょうしょうしました…。腹膜透析ふくまくとうせきを開かい始ししたいのですが。*」「何なにもしなくていい…。」「ですが先生せんせい…このままでは金かね子こさんの容体ようだいは…。」「君きみにはまだ分わからないのか?あの手術しゅじゅつの意味いみが…」「え…?」「患者かんじゃは自じ宅たくで倒たおれ、意い識しき不ふ明めいのままここへ運はこばれてきた…。それにもかかわらず手術しゅじゅつが行おこなわれたのは一日いちにちたった後あとだ。今いまにも死しにそうな患者かんじゃを前まえに、すぐに手術しゅじゅつしなかった理り由ゆうが何なにか分わかるか?常識的じょうしきてきに考かんがえて手て遅おくれだったからだ。」「だ…だけど…結局手術けっきょくしゅじゅつはしたじゃないですか…?」「教授きょうじゅの指示しじだ。教授きょうじゅが患者かんじゃの家か族ぞくから100ひゃく万円まんえんを受うけとったというのは言いったはずだ。我々われわれはその100ひゃく万まんのためだけに無意味むいみに老人ろうじんの体からだを切きり刻きざんだ。つまり…、これ以い上じょうの治ち療りょうは無駄むだだ。保ほ険けん制せい度どのおかげで、患者かんじゃの支し払はらう医い療りょう費ひは月数万つきすうまん程てい度どだが…現実げんじつにはその末期医療まっきいりょうには一千万いっせんまんもの金かねがかかる。その金かねを全国民ぜんこくみんが出だし合あってストックした医い療りょう費ひの中なかから出だすんだぞ…。君きみは回復かいふくの見込みこみがほとんどない老人ろうじんを数すうヶか月延命げつえんめいするためだけに、何千万なんぜんまんもの国民こくみんの金かねを使つかうのか?現在げんざいの日に本ほんの医い療りょう費ひは50ごじゅっ兆ちょう…15じゅうご年ねん後ごには80はちじゅっ兆ちょうと言いわれている…。その金かねを君きみはどこからひねりだす…?このままでは日に本ほんの医い療りょう財政ざいせいは崩壊ほうかいする…。無駄むだな延命えんめい治ち療りょうは社会悪しゃかいあくだ…!」

“Uhm… Dr. Shiratori. Mr. Kaneko’s anuria has continued since yesterday and his bun is elevated up to 110… so I’d like to perform a peritoneal dialysis.” “You don’t have to do anything...” “But, doctor, if we don’t to anything, Mr. Kaneko is going to...” ”You still don’t get it, do you? What that surgery was all about...” “Huh…?” ”The patient was brought here unconscious after collapsing. Despite that, we performed the surgery an entire day later. Do you have any idea why we didn’t immediately operate on a man who was about to die? It was because it was already too late for the beginning.” “B… But... but we did the operation, didn’t we…? “Under instructions from the professor. I thought I told you the professor received $10,000 from the patient’s family. We opened up that old man’s body for no other reason than the $10000 they gave him. In other words… whatever we do for him now is meaningless.” “Thanks to the insurance system, the fees paid by the patient are only in the tens of thousands of dollars each month… But in reality, this kind of terminal care costs about 100 thousand dollars. Those costs are taken from the stock of medical money all of Japan’s citizens have contributed. Do you really want to spend tens of millions of citizens’ money just to keep an old man with virtually no chance of recovery? The current medical costs in Japan are around 500 million dollars… It’s said that they will increase to 800 million dollars 15 years from now… Where are you going to get the money? If things go that way, Japan’s medical economy will collapse… Unnecessary life-prolonging treatment is a social evil!”

One Point Lesson: Japanese Grammar

This expression;「~のですが。」 can be often seen. Some words are supposed to be continued, but that is omitted here. This is usually used for making a request and we guess that 「よろしいでしょうか?」 may be omitted.The whole sentence would be 「腹膜透析ふくまくとうせきを開かい始ししたいのですが、よろしいでしょうか?」


だったらなんで手術しゅじゅつなんかしたんだ…?延命えんめい治ち療りょうが社会悪しゃかいあくだなんて言いい切きる*くらいなら…何なんで教授きょうじゅの指示しじには逆さからわなかったんだ…!?

Then why did we do the surgery? If you can call life-prolonging treatment a “social evil”... then why didn’t you oppose the professor’s instructions?

One Point Lesson: Japanese Vocabulary

「言いい切きる」 is a strong word. It can be translated as “to say ~ clearly”, “to declare”, or “to affirm”.

「僕ぼくも同おなじだ…。僕ぼくも…白鳥先生しらとりせんせいには一言ひとことも言いい返かえさなかった…。患者かんじゃさんの事ことなんて考かんがえてなかった…”これは試し練れんだ” ”この人ひとを救すくえば自じ分ぶんは一人前いちにんまえの医い者しゃだ”…僕ぼくが考かんがえていたのは自じ分ぶんの事ことばかりだ…。当直とうちょくの時ときだって自じ分ぶんの失敗しっぱいにばかりこだわって…ハガキが来くるまで患者かんじゃさんの事ことなんてすっかり忘わすれてた。この人ひとの家か族ぞくは一体いったいどんな気持きもちで100ひゃく万円まんえん出だしたんだ…?おじいさん*…あなたは…生いきたいですか…?」

“I’m the same. I… I didn’t say a single word to Dr. Shiratori… I wasn’t thinking at all about the patient himself… “This is a test…” “If I can save this man, then I’m a real doctor”. I was only thinking about myself. I couldn’t help but think about anything but my own mistakes. I had forgot about the patient until that postcard came. What kind of feelings made this man’s family give someone $10,000? Mr. Kaneko… Do you want to live…?”

One Point Lesson: Japanese Culture

Even though a person is out of your family, Japanese people sometimes call him or her 「おじいさん(ちゃん)」「おばあさん(ちゃん)」 .

夜よ中なかの病院びょういんには死神しにがみが歩あるく。永禄大学えいろくだいがく附ふ属病院ぞくびょういん病床びょうしょう数すう1千いっせん100ひゃく…、平均へいきんして一晩ひとばんで二人ふたりの人ひとが亡なくなる…。

Death strides through hospitals at night… From the 1,100 beds in Eiroku University’s Hospital… 2 patients die per night on average…

「先生せんせい、大変たいへんです!起おきて下ください、先生せんせい!金かね子こさんの容体ようだいが急変きゅうへんしました!起おきて下ください!」

“Doctor, it’s an emergency! Doctor, please wake up! Mr. Kaneko’s condition has taken a sudden turn for the worse! Please wake up!”

「脈みゃくがない。」

“He has no pulse.”

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