Quotes
Japanese meaning of 土に根をおろし、風と共に生きよう
— Sheeta ／ Castle in the Sky
Voice sample:
つちにねをおろし、かぜとともにいきよう (Tsuchi ni ne o oroshi, kaze to tomo ni ikiyō.)
English Translation:
Put down roots in the soil, and live together with the wind.
Work: Castle in the SkyCharacter: SheetaEmotion: Resolve & Passion Cool & SeriousScene: Refusal Determination
Original Scene & Cultural Context
Scene in the Original Work:
Near the end of Castle in the Sky, deep inside the floating castle, Muska, who wants Laputa's power, corners Sheeta at gunpoint. Sheeta says she now understands why Laputa fell, quotes this from a song of her home, the Gondoa valley, and tells him people cannot live apart from the soil. Muska shoots off her braids.
日本語で読む
『天空の城ラピュタ』の終盤、城の奥で、ラピュタの力を手に入れようとするムスカが銃でシータを追い詰める。シータは、今ならラピュタが滅びた理由がわかると言い、故郷ゴンドアの谷の歌のこの一節を引いて、人は土から離れては生きられないと告げる。ムスカは彼女のおさげを撃ち落とす。
Cultural Context:
The song goes on: 「種と共に冬を越え、鳥と共に春をうたおう」 (Survive the winter with the seeds, sing of spring with the birds). The people of Laputa had great science and power, but left the sky for the ground. The line is often quoted as the message of the film about living with nature. It may also be quoted when talking about farming, gardening or a slower life in the countryside.
日本語で読む
歌は「種と共に冬を越え、鳥と共に春をうたおう」と続く。高度な科学と力を持ったラピュタの人々は、やがて空を捨てて地上に降りた。自然と共に生きることを説く、この映画のメッセージとして引用されることが多い。農業や家庭菜園、田舎でのゆったりした暮らしを語るときに引用することもある。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
•「土に根をおろす」= to put down roots in the soil; also "to settle in one place". •「おろし」= stem form, linking two phrases like "and". •「〜と共に」= together with ~ (formal). •「生きよう」= volitional form of 生きる: "let us live".
日本語で読む
•「土に根をおろす」は土に根を張ること。一か所に落ち着いて暮らすという意味もある。•「おろし」は連用形で、文をつなぐ。•「〜と共に」は「〜と一緒に」の改まった言い方。•「生きよう」は「生きる」の意志形。
Trap for English Speakers
根をおろす is often used figuratively, as in 地域に根をおろす (to settle into a community). 共に is more formal and poetic than 一緒に, so it suits songs and speeches.
日本語で読む
「根をおろす」は「地域に根をおろす」のように比喩でもよく使う。「共に」は「一緒に」より改まった詩的な言い方で、歌やスピーチに向く。
Example
Example 1Basic Example
祖父は若いころこの町に根をおろし、五十年店を続けてきた。
My grandfather settled in this town when he was young and has run his shop for fifty years.
Example 2Applied Example
（山奥の隠れ里に移り住んだ忍者が）土に根をおろし、畑と共に生きよう。
(A ninja who has moved to a hidden village deep in the mountains) "Put down roots in the soil, and live together with the fields."
Quick check
Meaning
What does 「土に根をおろし、風と共に生きよう」 mean?