Jungle no Ouja Taa-chan 23

Living in the jungle doesn't mean you're cut off from all civilization, particularly with those going about to sell you what (you think) you need!

No. 23: The Traveling Market

52.
Jane: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
(TN: Jane’s counting here is in Japanese actually a strange expression used for counting in twos in Japanese that goes “chuu chuu tako kai na”; but I decided to just get straight at it)
Narrator: Today, the traveling market from a town in far away Kenya, is coming as it does once a year.
Ta-chan: Now that you mention it, I first bought a necklace for Jane with the money I saved as a guide in our newlywed period.
Jane: It’s dreamy, Ta-chan; it will be valuable all my life.

53.
Jane: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
Ta-chan: Ja…Jane, do you remember the necklace I bought and gave you long ago?
Jane: I remember it. (2, 4…)
Ta-chan: It really suited you. You did lock it away valuably somewhere.
Jane: Shut up.
Jane: Haven’t I worn it a—ll along?
SFX: Yo
SFX: Ki—
Jane: Old Man Chubett’s traveling market has come!!
(TN: I ended up keeping his name as “Chubett” since it appears to be tied to a name, but somehow the name also seems to be the Japanese name for “Chew Bahir”, a former salt lake of Ethiopia that has since dried up.)
SFX: Gata gata

54.
Chubett: Ta-chan, Jane-san, are you doing well--?
Jane: Welco—me.
Chubett: Well, my shoulders have stiffened having left driving for thirty hours. My car and my body are rattling.
Chubett: I even have to stick a
SFX: Peri peri
Chubett: Salonpas on it!!
SFX: Peta!!
(TN: A “salonpas” is a line of over-the-counter pain reliever stuck on the body to relieve pain)
Chubett: Buhahahahaha: I’ve come to the depths of these mountains and easily don’t have reason to give the same half-price as the outside--!!
Narrator: Old-Man Chubett: 78 years old. He goes around the towns of Africa and does commerce with them.
Chubett: Well—this Yves Saint-Laurent, Louie Vuitton-designed neckerchief is 300 dollars. (about 40,000 yen)
(TN: A couple of notes regarding the designers mentioned here:
-Yves Saint-Laurent: A famous French fashion designer notable as influencing design of the 20th century, making “prêt-a-porter” fashion reputable.
-Louis Vuitton: One of the most famous fashion houses, emerging in the late 19th century, originally specializing in hand bags and later in various aspects of fashion)
-Incidentally, the objects on the “neckerchief” he is selling is the King piece in Shougi)

55.
SFX: Gacha gacha
Narrator: Even so, Jane finds enjoyment in the traveling market.
Jane: So then, I’ll have this lipstick, the skin conditioner, the lotion and the night cream.
Chubett: Calculating it quickly, it’s a total of 1000 dollars.
Caption: Othello Game
SFX: Bi bi
Chubett: By the way, Ta-chan, how about these shoes? They’ll be fine even if iron gets into them or an elephant steps on them.
SFX: Gusha
Chubett: E—h e—h, there shouldn’t be any person who seriously have them stepped on by an elephant. Isn’t that tormenting the elderly?
Caption: African Elephant

56.
Ta-chan: Since there isn’t anything that I want, sell things that Jane loves.
Ta-chan: So then, I’ll be going to search the jungle for fruit that will be feasted on by old-man Chubett tonight.
Chubett: Wh…what sympathy and love.
Jane: Oh—well.
Chubett: What I know from long ago was he was a kind man. Even so, even Ta-chan has made his second wife important.
Chubett: Somehow the pinup of his first wife is still put up and in this regretful place.
Chubett: My pardons, current wife. You are a delicacy to Ta-chan, but I can’t stay here. I have to run and go home. (The rest—will be a—secret)
Jane: Old—man, do you remember staying here, night-crawling to the old wife and getting kicked in the testicles long ago?

57.
Chubett: By the way, I’ve been worried about it some time ago, but Ta-chan’s knife seems to have become extremely rusty.
Chubett: Oh—it’s here, it’s here.
Chubett: If he doesn’t have a knife that’s like it’s glittering, he can’t be called king of the jungle. How about it: if you occasionally gave a present to your husband…take a loss of 200 dollars.
Chubett: This is a first-class product that isn’t how it is seen on the inside. Even if you look at it, this isn’t a thing which can have a conclusion of quality by a woman.
Jane: …………
Jane: An expensive knife. That’s all of the remaining money.
Jane: But I’m certain Ta-chan will be pleased with it.

58.
Ta-chan: I’m home; huh? The old man has
Jane: He had urgent business and went home.
Jane: But, here…I bought this.
Caption: Newspaper yarn
Ta-chan: Wa—it’s what I wanted: A Toishi.
(TN: A “toishi” is a stone that is used by blacksmiths for sharpening weaponry like knives. Incidentally, “toishi” is merely “stone” in Japanese)
SFX: Zui
Narrator: A half-month later…Kenya
Chubett: Can’t you have this—if you polish even a dull knife on this toishi, it’ll be shiny and sparkly. Only two dollars!

TN: Its tough to say whether this was one of my better translations, but the chapter was a tad tougher with some of the expressions used here. It's like Tokuhiro is doing all of this to peeve me off...it's not really working but it is frustrating me. Chubett is rather strange...but then again most of this series are as such so that's par for the course. I do find it weird he doesn't even realize that Jane isn't "some new woman" but the same one who he met prior, but so few don't realize what has happened to her so maybe it's for the better...or not. At least Jane does realize that he is a jerk and gets rid of him appropriately, even with most of their funds gone...but when you live in the jungle, what need do you have with money when you have...well, each other and a lot of fruit?