Gintama 173

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. I was encouraged by Silver_Sea to post translations here for Gintama, so here I am. :) This is the latest chapter, 173. Any corrections/suggestions woiuld be greatly appreciated.

Gintama Chapter 173

Page 01

Man: Hey, did you hear?
Man: That Takasugi guy had a fight with the Shinsengumi.
Man: It seems that he sent a spy into the Shinsengumi to disturb the troops, and tried to take Chief Kondou's head during the confusion.
Man: But it just ended with the Shinsengumi and Kiheitai fighting each other.
Man: Guys who don't know anything except how to wield a sword should just fight it out.
Man: We aim to achieve a supreme bloodless revolution, so of course the Shinsengumi is our enemy, but so is the military faction's Takasugi.
Man: But a spy, huh... We need to be careful as well. We don't know where the enemy's spies lurk.
Yamazaki: Um, excuse me.

Page 02

Men: Wh... Who are you!?
Yamazaki: Pl... please wait a minute.
Yamazaki: I'm not anyone suspicious.
Man: Who are you? State your name!!
Yamazaki: Umm... For samurai to carry swords in this age of sword prohibition...
Yamazaki: I suppose you must be the Joui Shishi who are moved to work because of the country's state.
Man: ...What do you want?
Yamazaki: Please!!
Yamazaki: Can you...
Yamazaki: Can you let me join the Joui Shishi?

Chapter 173: Life is an exam

Page 03

Yamazaki: The most dangerous job among spy missions
Yamazaki: is said to be an infiltration investigation.
Yamazaki: To slip into the enemy's interior, to eat and sleep with them, and to send that secret information to your allies.
Yamazaki: The profit can be large, but if you fail, the loss will be large as well.
Yamazaki: Therefore, the person who carries out this mission must be the most skilled amongst spies.
Yamazaki: While exposing his life to the enemy's naked blade, he must have the intrepidity to not let his face change color one bit.
Yamazaki: While in the enemy's camp, where not even a tiny mistake will be forgiven, he must have the sensitivity to carry out his job as accurately as possible.
Yamazaki: He must also have...

Page 04

Yamazaki: The overwhelming plainness that melts into everything.
Yamazaki: No one in the Shinsengumi possesses these traits besides Yamazaki Sagaru.
Yamazaki: To think that the Joui had infiltrated this town.
Yamazaki: The underground city Akiba Neo.
Yamazaki: It is referred to as the otaku's holy land. Edo's greatest mechanics town. With booths lined up messily along the labyrinth-like streets, it's true that this may be the perfect town to hide in.

Page 05

Yamazaki: The Nobleman of Madness.
Yamazaki: Katsura Kotarou.
Yamazaki: Somehow, I need to approach him and find the location of their headquarters
Yamazaki: And then arrest all of the Joui Roushi at once.
Katsura: I see.

Page 06

Katsura: All right then.
Katsura: Your interview will begin now.
Yamazaki: ...Huh?
Katsura: Take out your resume.
Yamazaki: ...Huh? Um... Do you have to pass an interview to become a Joui Shishi?
Katsura: It's a guard against spies. We cannot entrust our backs to people of unknown backgrounds in battle.
Yamazaki: What's up with that? Why do terrorists have an interview?
Yamazaki: I... I'm sorry, I forgot my resume. But my greiving heart for the country should not lose to anyone.
Katsura: No, I don't care about that, I need your resume.
Katsura: I'm going to ask this bluntly, but do you have any common sense?
Katsura: Normally, it's natural for someone bring their resume when job hunting.
Katsura: It's natural to come in a recruiting suit. What did you come here for?
Yamazaki: Job hunting!? I'm job hunting!?

Page 07

Katsura: This doesn't apply to just us, any company is the same. They all say the same thing.
Yamazaki: This isn't a company.
Katsura: Also, you sat down before I told you to. Usually, you should sit down when the interviewer says "Sit down."
Yamazaki: I... I'm sorry.
Katsura: Even though this society is said to emphasize education, every employer wants people with common sense.
Katsura: Work is something that anyone will remember eventually if they do it.
Maids: Welcome back, Master.
(Small text: If you pay a special fee, you can play with the maids.)
Katsura: I'm not Master, I'm Katsura.
Yamazaki: I don't want to be told that by you!! Why do I have to be lectured by a guy who conducts interviews in a maid cafe!?

Page 08

Katsura: Well anyway, common sense is essential for Joui Shishi.
Katsura: Revolutionaries destroy common sense. That is why revolutionaries must understand common sense more than anyone else.
(Small text: Rock paper scissors, look that way!)
Katsura: You need to keep that in mind if you become a Joui Shishi.
Katsura: Well then, the interview is over now.
Katsura: Hey, take him.
Yamazaki: Huh? I thought I was done for already, but... it seems that I might be able to do it?
Yamazaki: Even though he said it was an interview, it was really more like an introduction to each other.
Yamazaki: That's right, there's no way terrorists would have something like an interview.
Man: Let's go.
Yamazaki: Ah, okay.
Yamazaki: Thank goodness~ It seems that I've succeeded in infiltrating.

Page 09

Sign: Joui Shishi Employment Exam Hall
Yamazaki: Why do terrorists have to take an exam!?!
Yamazaki: On top of an interview, this time it's an exam!?
Yamazaki: It's no different from a normal job!! This is weird!! Really weird!!

Page 10

Yamazaki: This is bad. I never thought that becoming a Joui Shishi would be so hard.
Yamazaki: What kind of questions are going to be on the test!? I haven't studied at all!! What kind of studying has everyone done!?
Man: Hey, did you study? I'm in trouble, I didn't study at all. I'm totally going to fail. This is bad.
Yamazaki: He totally pulled an all-nighter studying!! A class always has a guy like him.
Katsura: All right, be quiet.
Katsura: Well then, the Joui Shishi Employment Exam will now begin.
Katsura: Close your textbooks. It's too late to cram now!
Katsura: You can't win against people who study regularly.
Yamazaki: What's with the textbook?
Yamazaki: What would you study?
Katsura: All right, look at this.
Katsura: Starting now, the questions will appear on the screen one by one.
Katsura: Use the panel in front of you to answer the question.
Katsura: You will have three minutes to answer each question. After the question, the correct answer will be announced.

Page 11

Katsura: An exam official will be watching in the back, so don't try to be cunning.
Katsura: Please do your best.
Katsura: So then
Katsura: Exam start!

Question #1: Write down the way to read this kanji.
Kanji: Shinsengumi

Yamazaki: What is this!?
Yamazaki: It's really easy!!
Katsura: Common sense is essential to the Joui Shishi.
Yamazaki: I see!! Even though he says it's a test, it's just a question to measure your common sense!
Yamazaki: Even I can pass this without having studied! The answer is simple, "Shinsengumi."
Katsura: Okay, time's up.
Katsura: The answer is here.

Page 12

Correct answer: Scum
Katsura: The answer is "Scum."
Yamazaki: What planet's common sense is this!?
Katsura: This is common sense among us Shishi. Other answers that will be specially accepted are "Idiots", "Trash", and "They've been appearing too much recently".
Random guy: Yeah, I got it right!
Yamazaki: Do the Joui usually call us that!?
Man: Che, a trap, huh.
(Man's answer: "Maeragumi")
Yamazaki: You just plain got it wrong, what did you pull an all-nighter studying for?
Yamazaki: This won't work, even if I answer with common sense I won't get it right.
Yamazaki: I have to answer like a terrorist.
Katsura: Now the second question.

Question #2: Write down the way to read this kanji.
Kanji: Shogun

Page 13

Yamazaki: Normally, the answer would be "Shogun", but these guys are terrorists. The shogun is the enemy's boss. Which means... This has to be right.
Yamazaki's answer: Pervert
Katsura: The correct answer is
Katsura: Matsudaira Ken.
Yamazaki: Why is a kanji being read with kanji!?
Katsura: This is common sense among Shishi. Other correct answers include "Hooligan" and "Daichi Mao's former husband". [Daichi Mao is an actress who used to be married to actor Matsudaira Ken.]
Yamazaki: Why are there people getting these questions right!? What kind of brains do they have!?
Katsura: Next is question three. Write the following word in kanji.

Word: Jackie Chan

Yamazaki: There's no longer any connection to the Joui! Jackie!? I don't know, this is just hard!
Katsura: The correct answer is
Katsura: "Nose".
Yamazaki: That's just because you're concerned about Jackie's nose!!
Katsura: This is common sense among Shishi.
Katsura: Other correct answers include "Chair" and "Saeba Ryou was really strong". [saeba Ryou is a character in City Hunter.]
Yamazaki: The last part is just your impression!! Don't talk about City Hunter!!

Page 14

Katsura: That's all for Japanese. The next questions will be on math.
Yamazaki: This is bad. I still haven't gotten a single question right.
Yamazaki: But for math, no matter how hard it is, if you use formulas you should definitely arrive at the answer.

Question #4: Ten Shisengumi and six Joui Shishi run into each other on the road.
Three Joui Shishi are cut down by the Shinsengumi.
Undauntedly, the Joui Shishi cut down two Shinsengumi.
In the chaotic fight, two more Shinsengumi are injured, but six reinforcements arrive.
Two Joui Shishi are cut down.

Page 15

How many noses does Jackie have?

Yamazaki: One, obviously!
Yamazaki: How much is Jackie going to be pulled in!? You don't need all that stuff about the fight!
Katsura: This question is quite difficult, so you'll have more time.
Katsura: Think about it carefully for one hour.
Yamazaki: That's unncessary!!
Yamazaki: No... Wait... There've been many questions with traps so far.
Yamazaki: If Jackie was in this fight...
Yamazaki: If in the middle of the fight
Yamazaki: ...Jackie's nose got cut off....

Page 16

Katsura: The correct answer is one.
Yamazaki's answer: Zero
Yamazaki: I completely fell for the trap!
Yamazaki: I read into it too deeply and let the correct answer get away.
Man: Che, a trap, huh.
Man's answer: 134
Yamazaki: Just what were you trapped by!?
Katsura: That's it for math.
Yamazaki: That wasn't math.
Katsura: Next is a question on foreign language.

Question #5: Translate the article below.

Yamazaki: What language is this!!? I can't read it at all!! What planet's language is this!?
Yamazaki: An illustration... That's right, an illustration!!
Yamazaki: This illustration must depict the content of the article... I have no choice but to rely on this illustration and translate by intuition!

Page 17

Yamazaki: No matter how you look at it, this is an illustration of a battlefield.
Yamazaki: One person is on the verge of death, and the other person is leaning down to hear his words. There's no doubt.
Yamazaki: There's something in his hand!?
Yamazaki: Paper!?
Yamazaki: No, a photo!!

Yamazaki's translation:
"Leave me alone and run away, you damn insect!!"
The sargeant's body quickly grew cold in my arms. The face of the demon teacher, who was so terrifying and hateful, now seemed kind.
"You're not going to listen to a superior's orders, damn insect!? Say 'I'm a damn insect', you damn insect!!"
"Teacher, I'm a damn insect. Just like a damn insect, I lived on after being abandoned by my parents. No one would mourn the death of a damn insect like me. Please let me do as I like."
"What a coincidence, damn insect!! When I took up arms, I abandoned my family. There isn't anyone who would mourn for me."
Then the sargeant slowly took out a bloodstained photo from his inner pocket.
"But you're different. Someone who would mourn for you... is right here."
In the photo was my mother from when she was still young and healthy. Next to her was the sargeant holding a baby.
"Say that I'm a damn insect too... son."
"Teacher is... a damn insect. A damn insect's... precious... damn father!!"
The sargeant smiled and then stopped moving.

Yamazaki: All right!!
Yamazaki: This should definitely work.
Katsura: Time's up.
Katsura: Now the correct answer...

Page 18

Answer: Isn't Jackie's nose really big?
Katsura: Is this.
Yamazaki: It was a photo of Jackie!?
Yamazaki: How long of an article do you need to describe Jackie's nose anyway!?
Man: You got it wrong, but I was moved.
Yamazaki: Don't look at someone else's answer!! I'm really embarassed!!
Katsura: Now this is the last question.
Yamazaki: The last one already!? Almost all of them have been about Jackie!!

Question #6: Write your motive for wanting to become a Joui Shishi in the Kamuchakka language.
Random guy: Huh!? Kamuchakka language!?
Random guy 2: That's impossible!! There's no way I can write in such a difficult language!!
Katsura: It's a hard question, so if you answer correctly you'll pass with this one question.
Random guy 2: It's impossible, impossible.
Yamazaki: It's over... Mission failed... The vice chief will beat me up.

Page 19

Yamazaki: I'll just answer randomly.
Katsura: There was one person who answered correctly.
Katsura: Exam number eleven.
Yamazaki: But I answered randomly!!
Yamazaki: Seriously!?
Yamazaki: So this means I can fulfill my mission!! Yeeesssss!! I did it!!
Katsura: Let's look at his answer as an example of a correct answer.
Katsura: If you translate it
Katsura: It says, "I came here on an infiltration investigation. I'll beat every single Joui Roushi bastard down to hell."
Yamazaki: Huh!?