Please help me translate this picture

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Sep 19th 2011 04:21

Hello. My Japanese is extremely limited but I'm trying to translate what it says and what it means in this image for a friend. I know it's supposed to be something funny, but what I translate it to doesn't make much sense and it nowhere near of being funny because I can't read half of what it says and I don't understand the context very well.

On the top I read: "At the 3rd they can freely walk by"

On the bottom I read: "At the 2nd they go down"

Hola. Mi japones es extremadamente limitado pero estoy tratando de traducir para una amiga lo que dice en esa imagen y lo que significa. Yo se que debes ser algo chistoso, por lo que yo traduzco no tiene mucho sentido y para nada es chistoso por que no puedo leer la mitad de lo que dice y no entiendo muy bien el contexto.

Arriba leo: "A la tercera pasan libremente"

Abajo leo: "A la segunda caes"

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Sep 19th 2011 04:49 hiro

Japanese
English

「三歩進んで、二歩下がる」is very common expression in Japanese.
It means, even when you go ahead three steps, you often have to go back two steps, by un-expected reasons... But finally, you could go ahead one-step.

The pictures are funny, but do not correspond to the expression, 「三歩進んで、二歩下がる」.

Sep 19th 2011 04:52 Josue

Arigatou gozaimasu. Now it makes sense.

Sep 19th 2011 04:59 miya

Japanese
English , Korean

三歩進んで二歩下がる means 「Move 3 steps forward and 2 steps backward」
But i can't understand these pictures.

Sep 19th 2011 05:16 Josue

Thank you. That's okay. Now that I know what it says I can understand the context of the picture.

Sep 19th 2011 05:02 grinsekatze

German
English , Japanese

In Germany there is a proverb: 'one step forward, two steps back' i think this is an alteration: 'three steps forward two steps back'. This is what i read here. (I hope you don't mind me for trying to answer your question even though i am also just a beginner to japanese)

Sep 19th 2011 05:14 Josue

No. I don't mind. It's a common proverb worldwide.

Sep 19th 2011 08:24 KORO

So, basically, "3 steps forward 2 steps back" in Japan means there're a lot of hardships to make progresses, but as long as you are making an effort, you are making a progress little by little. So, even though you think you moved backwards, you will eventually come ahead. Don't be discourage. Keep working hard :)

Sep 19th 2011 08:51 Niko

Japanese
English

This phrase is a part of the famouse song "365steps march" of Kiyoko Suizenji.

しあわせは　歩いてこない
Happiness doesn't walk to me (automaticaly).
　
だから　歩いてゆくんだね。
So I walk to see it (by myself).

一日一歩
(I walk ) one step in one day.

三日で三歩
(I walk ) three steps in three days.

三歩進んで二歩下がる
I could go three steps ahead, but (next time) I had been two steps backward.

人生はワン・ツー・パンチ
A life is one, two, punch.
(you need punches to live)

汗かき　べそかき　歩こうよ
Let's walk with a sweat and a tear.

あなたのつけた足跡にゃ　きれいな花が咲くでしょう
It would bloom beautiful flowers after your trace.

腕を振って　
(walk with) a swing of your arms

足をあげて
lift your legs
　

ワン・ツー　ワン・ツー
one-two one-two

休まないで歩け
Walk without a pause.

I would be happy, if I could help you.
Good luck.