こなすだけの時間

English translation: spending one's time in apathetic routines

15:02 Aug 3, 2016
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Other / 一般
Japanese term or phrase: こなすだけの時間
First of all thanks to all those who answered my questions last week. I'm working on a massive blog project (over 200,000), which is not an area I am massively experienced in.

Today's question is also from a blog post titled 人の登用. Is occurs in the following context. I will include the two sentences before and the sentence after.

その問題が表れていることに周りが気づかないのは、周りもゆで蛙になっているとハッキリと思ったほうがいいのです。人の登用については武士道の書である西郷隆盛の「南洲翁遺訓」宮本武蔵の「五輪書」にも全く同じような教えがあります。ただ、こなすだけの時間を過ごすことほど空しいことは私にとってありません。そこに自らの時間を奪われるのは、命の無駄です。

Can anyone suggest what is could mean. My gut feeling is that is is kind of like "spending time just doing what you have to" or something along those lines.

Thanks a lot
Nicholas Hallsworth
Japan
Local time: 06:46
English translation:spending one's time in apathetic routines
Explanation:
would readily associate ”こなす” with the image of nearly mechanical "routine", and ”だけ” with the negative connotation of absence of any purposeful commitment, which I think the notion of "apathy" sumarises rather well....
Selected response from:

Marc Brunet
Australia
Local time: 07:46
Grading comment
Thank you
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3spending time doing your duties passively
Port City
3spending one's time in apathetic routines
Marc Brunet
Summary of reference entries provided
FYI
cinefil

  

Answers


6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
spending time doing your duties passively


Explanation:
I think you're right. It's the opposite of spending time doing things constructively.

Port City
New Zealand
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 55
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you. I'm thinking about using the word "non-constructive."

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1 day 15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
spending one's time in apathetic routines


Explanation:
would readily associate ”こなす” with the image of nearly mechanical "routine", and ”だけ” with the negative connotation of absence of any purposeful commitment, which I think the notion of "apathy" sumarises rather well....

Marc Brunet
Australia
Local time: 07:46
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you
Notes to answerer
Asker: It definitely has a sense of apathy or indifference. Thank you for your insightful contributions every time.

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Reference comments


1 hr
Reference: FYI

Reference information:
http://teamoflegend.hamazo.tv/e6826289.html

とんでもない悪文ですね。


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Note added at 1 hr (2016-08-03 16:58:38 GMT)
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「ゆでガエル理論」とは? - 『日本の人事部』
https://jinjibu.jp/keyword/detl/737/
2015年8月31日 ... ゆでガエル理論」とは、ゆっくりと進行する危機や環境変化に対応することの大切さ、 難しさを戒めるたとえ話の一種で、おもに ... 徐々に熱すると、カエルはその温度変化に 慣れていき、生命の危機と気づかないうちにゆであがって死んでしまうという話です。 ... に満足して問題の本質から目を反らす現場のリーダーなども、慣れたぬるま湯に浸かり すぎたゆでガエルの典型例といえます。 ... ような目に見える変化ではないために、危機 を危機として自覚できず、手をこまねいている状態といってもいいでしょう。


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Note added at 1 hr (2016-08-03 17:01:48 GMT)
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http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q114...

cinefil
Japan
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 161
Note to reference poster
Asker: ありがとうございます。ゆでガエルというイメージがよく分かります。 悪文ですかね。発想をそのまま素直に吐き出すという感じがします。翻訳に取り組むとき、直訳が難しいなので、できるだけキーとなるアイディアを押さえて英語で書き直そうとしています。20万文字もありますけどね!

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