The speaker is experiencing unusual levels of politeness after visiting the house of a relative who wants them to do a favour (he didn't visit with the knowledge that she wants a favour):
「来たとたん何か用かよ」
As soon as I came can I help you?
I'm not sure which part I'm failing to understand. I was sure とたん meant 'the moment that'/'as soon as'. And I thought that 何か用か meant 'can I help you?', but when I put the two together it makes no sense at all.
Answer
While "Can I help you?" is one good way of translating 「何{なに}か用{よう}かよ？」 in some situations, this is not one of those situations.
Here, something like "So, you want a favor, eh?" would fit much better.
"As soon as I arrive(d), you want a favor, eh?"
I should perhaps mention the fact that "You want a favor (or something), eh?" is a far more literal TL of 「何か用かよ？」 than "Can I help you?" is. The latter is a fairly free translation.
That is because the 「よ」 part of the 「かよ」 ending makes the phrase feel/sound more like a statement than a question. 「かよ」 adds a mildly exclamatory or even accusatory tone to the sentence.
No comments:
Post a Comment