ARM Backup/Ar Portal translation/Firefly Alley Citizen's BBS/Issue 18

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こんにちは、土屋です。ほたる横丁町民会報「ゲームでは語られることのない、 設定思惑裏の裏！」第4回目です。今回は、ヒュムノスの設定についてのお話と、文章を組む時に大切にしていることをお伝えしようと思います。

Hello everyone, it's Tsuchiya. This is the fourth issue of the Firefly Alley Citizen BBS special "we won't be talking about the game, but about the secrets of the secret setting intentions!". This time around, we'll be talking about the setting of the Hymmnos language, as I wanted to tell you all what should be taken in special regard whenever you make sentences using it.

■ヒュムノスの特徴 ヒュムノスの構文はとても特徴的です。中でも一番特徴的なのは、文章の最初の４つの単語でしょう。お手元に歌詞カードや設定資料集がある方は、ヒュムノス語の文章を見ながらこのお話を読むとわかりやすいと思います。 例えば、 Was yea ra chs hymmnos mea. という文章がよく出てきます。最初の４単語というと「Was yea ra chs」の４つですね。このうち最初の３つは「今の自分の気持ち」を表現していて、次の１つは「自分が何をしたいか（するのか）」を表現しています。そして、ヒュムノスでこの先頭４単語の文法は、絶対に変わりませんし省略もできません。何故こんな文法体系なのか、これからその想いをお伝えします。

■The Traits of Hymmnos The Hymmnos grammar has a very characteristic form. And the most characteristic part of it is the four words placed at the start of a sentence. If you all have either the lyric sheets or the setting materials collection book at hand, it'd make much easier for you to continue reading this while you check the Hymmnos language sentences written in said materials. For example, Was yea ra chs hymmnos mea. is the sentence that comes up the most often. In this case, its four first words are "Was yea ra chs". Among them, the first three words serve to express "your current feelings", while the word following them serves to express "what you want to do (or will do)". Thus, since this syntax of four initial words is so prevalent in Hymmnos, it'll never change nor they should be omitted in its sentences. The reason for it having this kind of grammar is because it allows to convey these feelings coming after these words.

■事象主体の言葉と自分主体の言葉 最初の４単語が全部、喋っている「自分」の事を伝えている部分である、という事はお分かり頂けるでしょうか？「Was yea ra」とは「とても嬉しい、ずっとこの気持ちに浸っていたい」という意味で、次の「chs」は「変わる、～になる」 という意味です。そして、この4単語で「～になれることをとても嬉しく思っている」という意味になります。この４単語が外せない、という事は、自分の事を伝えない文章は作れない、という事になります。 日本語を始めとする世界の言語は全て、事象主体の言語です。「近所の子が泣いていました」とか「この機械は壊れています」というように、目の前で起こった事象を伝えるのに最も効率の良い形に最適化されてきました。しかし、これらの文章からは、この事を伝えている人が、何を考えているのか、どんな気持ちで伝えているのか…そして、その事に対して自分は何をしたいのか、という事が全然伝わりません。 ヒュムノスは「自分はこうしたい！こう思っている！」という事をメインに据えた言語です。例えば「近所の子が泣いていました」と発言するとき、喋ってるには何らかの感情があるはずです。しかし、この文章からは「可愛そうに…」と思ってるのか、「ざまあみろ」と思ってるのか、さっぱりわかりません。そして、現代の地球の言葉では、その「本来の想い」が伝わらないために様々な誤解が生じ、誤解による不和や争いが絶えません。誰もでもありますよね？「あの言葉はそういう意味で言ったんじゃ無いのに…」という経験が。

■Based on Phenomena and Based on Yourself All of the initial four words speak about "yourself", so is it clear that they serve as the part that conveys your current emotional state? "Was yea ra" means "I'm very glad, and I always want to continue immersed in this feeling", while the following "chs" means to "to change, to become ~". So together, these words mean "I feel very happy to become ~". That's why none of these four words can be omitted, as otherwise, you won't be able to make sentences that convey your own emotions. All of the languages in the world, beginning with Japanese, are languages based on phenomena. That is, they are optimized in a good form to convey events that happen in front of your eyes in an efficient way, such as "The neighbor's child cried" or "This machine is breaking down". However, these sentences don't convey at all how you're feeling about these events... in other words, how the people saying these sentences feel about the event or what thoughts they have running through their minds what this happens. Hymmnos is a language developed to give priority to things such as "I want to do this! I feel like this!" For example, you must feel something when you say "The neighbor's child cried". However, it's completely impossible to know from this sentence if you're thinking "Poor thing..." or "He deserves that." And since the currently existing languages on Earth can't convey these "true feelings", it causes misunderstandings which in turn lead to incessant discord and fights. This happens to all of us, right? We all have experienced situations where "We didn't mean that when we said these words".

■ヒュムノスが大切にしていること ヒュムノスは、そういった「想い」の部分を自然にとけ込ませた文法です。先の例文でも「近所の子が泣いているのを私は見て、自分の事のように悲しい気持ちになった」と言えば、少なくとも悪意や敵意ではないことがわかります。しかし、地球の言葉では普段、ここまでは伝えません。面倒くさいですし、「それくらい察してくれ」と思うからです。ヒュムノスを喋るときは、その「察してくれ」と思いがちな部分も文章にしないと、文法として成り立ちません。だから想いが正確に伝わり、誤解を招きにくくなります。 更に、ヒュムノスは４単語目に、「自分が何をしたいか（自分はどうなのか）」を入れないといけません。これによって、自分の意志も明確に相手に伝わるようになります。例えば、現実世界では「お父さんがダメって言ってる」とか「先生が、あの子が悪いって言ったんだもの！」という会話があります（その最たるものが政治家答弁かと思います）。聞いてる方としては「お前はどうしたいんだよ！」 と思ってしまいますよね。「先生が、あの子が悪いって言った」のが納得いっていないのか、それとも心底そう思うのか、そもそも、だから自分はどうしたいのか、全然伝わらないからイライラするわけです。ヒュムノスは必ず明確に伝えますので、それもありません。

■What Hymmnos Prizes the Most Hymmnos is a language where said "feelings" melt naturally into the grammar of its sentences. From the previous example sentences, if you said "I saw the neighbor's child crying, and I felt very sad, as if I was the one suffering", at least it'd be evident that you didn't have any ill will or animosity against the child. However, this is something that the Earth languages normally can't convey to this extent. Since it's too bothersome, I think everyone is forced "to sense for the most part" the feelings of the speaker. However, when someone speaks in Hymmnos, its sentences won't have any parts that will make anyone "sense" the intentions of the speaker, as the grammar isn't structured for such a thing to happen. Therefore, the feelings are conveyed in an accurate way that won't invite any misunderstandings. Furthermore, the fourth word in Hymmnos, the one indicating "what you want to do (or how you are)" must never be left out. This way, you'll be able to accurately convey your will to your listeners. For example, we have conversations like these in the real world: "Dad told me I'm useless" or "The teacher told me that kid is bad!" (although I think the politicians themselves would respond to the most extreme cases). The listeners most likely would be thinking "And what you want to do about it!?" About the "The teacher told me that kid is bad!" example, maybe you wouldn't agree with it, or maybe you would but confine these thoughts to the depths of your heart. In the first place, if you can't convey what you to do about it at all, the others will get irritated with you. But since Hymmnos allows to clearly convey your feelings no matter what, such things won't happen.

■今後の社会への想いを込めて ヒュムノスは、こうしたコミュニケーション不和の問題の１つである「想いが伝わらない」というものを解決する１つの結論として設計しました。アルトネリコの世界では、ヒュムノスの詩魔法は「自分の想いを具現化する」魔法ですから、自分が主体にならなければ紡げないのは当然です。ですが、現実社会でも、想いを自然に伝え合うのはとても大切なことだと感じています。 嬉しいときに「嬉しい！」と伝える、感謝してるときに「ありがとう」と伝えることは、とても大切なことの筈なのに、今の世の中ではあまり伝え合いません。 「男は黙して語らず」なんて事まで言われるくらいです。でも、それでは何も伝わりませんよね。 とっても小さな事かもしれませんが、自分の想いを伝えること、それがコミュニケーションを円滑にし、世の中を笑顔で一杯に出来る方法だと思います。そして、これからの時代、こういった「想いのコミュニケーション」はとても大切であると思っています。 「自分の想い」を伝え合える言語、「自分はどうしたいのか」を伝え合える言語。 「自分が源」で生きる事を支援する言語、それがヒュムノスです。ですから、ヒュムノス語の文章を作るときは、伝えたいことについて、自分がどう思っている か…ということを、常に考えてみてください。そうすれば、自然に最初の４つの単語は決まってきます。後は英文法に準じていますので、それ程難しいことはありません。 ヒュムノスは、そんな想いを託した言語として創りあげた言語です。

■Putting my Emotions Towards Society from Now On This way, Hymmnos was designed as the only conclusion I arrived at to settle the main problem of communication discord, which is "the lack of transmission of feelings". Given that in the Ar tonelico world the Hymmnos Song Magic is magic "that manifests your own feelings", it's natural that it wouldn't be able to craft anything at all unless you're the core itself of its sentences. However, I feel that communicating feelings in a natural way is of extreme importance in our current society as well. While it should be very important to convey "I'm happy!" when you feel glad, as well as conveying "Thank you" whenever you feel grateful, such things rarely get communicated in our current society. We even get as far as getting told things such "Men should keep quiet and not say anything at all". However, we won't be able to convey anything at all like that. It might be just a grain of sand in the desert, but I think that if I convey my own feelings, it would allow for a more harmonious communication and that would become a method for filling the world with smiles. So I feel that we should prize more this "communication of feelings" in the times to come. A language for communicating your "own feelings", a language for communicating "what you want to do". A language that supports the very "source" that gives you life... that's what Hymmnos is. So, whenever you make sentences in the Hymmnos language, always try keeping on mind... about the things you'd like to convey, about how you want to feel like. If you do this, you'll be able to choose these first four words in a natural way. For the rest, it follows the same base grammar as English, so it shouldn't be difficult at all. Hymmnos is the language I made as a tongue for entrusting your feelings in such a way.

さて、次回ですが…すぐに更新する予感がします（笑）。 そこで、設定資料集に載せられなかった絵を公開したいと思います（１つだけで すが…）。次回は「秘蔵画像プチ公開！」という事で。 それでは、また！

Well then, for the next time... I have plans to update this corner sooner than usual, actually (*laughs*). I thought that I'd display a picture that didn't get published in the setting materials collection (just one, though...). Therefore, the next time will be about "Reveal of a little secret about one of the SD Images." I'll see you all then!