Left over from last century, shop soiled the next.

[OverTheMemories]

The sentence is:
• Left over from last century, shop soiled the next.

CONTEXT: Two friend are talking about a rich, old woman who they met a few hours before. She used lipstick, which I guess was unusual at that time and she had beed very antipatethic with them.

Background: Japan, end of the meiji period, beginning of the 20th century. Two poor intellectuals are talking.

Dialogue:
<-----Excess quote removed by moderator (Florentia52. Remaining text edited for legibilit.)----->
A: That painted mouth like a hungry maul!
B: Lipstick smeared all over.
<...>
B: That face is a crime.
A: Left over from last century, shop soiled the next.

Thanks!

 

[Florentia52]

Please tell us the name of the film. Is it Wagahai wa Neko de Aru ("I Am a Cat") by Toshio Yasumi?

Have you copied the dialogue from the subtitles, or did you write down what you heard?

 

[OverTheMemories]

The name is exactly "I am a cat". I've copied and pasted the subtitles here.

 

[hectacon]

The sentence is:
• Left over from last century, shop soiled the next.

CONTEXT: Two friend are talking about a rich, old woman who they met a few hours before. She used lipstick, which I guess was unusual at that time and she had beed very antipatethic with them.

Background: Japan, end of the meiji period, beginning of the 20th century. Two poor intellectuals are talking.

Dialogue:
<-----Excess quote removed by moderator (Florentia52. Remaining text edited for legibilit.)----->
A: That painted mouth like a hungry maul!
B: Lipstick smeared all over.
<...>
B: That face is a crime.
A: Left over from last century, shop soiled the next.

Thanks!

I am just curious to know .What kind of help do you need? It seems to me as a conversion only. probably they are talking about the shabby state the woman is in. <-----Comment and image not relevant to language question removed by moderator (Florentia52)----->

 

[OverTheMemories]

I don't understand the meaning of "Left over from last century, shop soiled the next." Or, even better, I know they're negatively talking about the woman, but I don't understand anything further.

 

[hectacon]

I don't understand the meaning of "Left over from last century, shop soiled the next." Or, even better, I know they're negatively talking about the woman, but I don't understand anything further.

I am not a native English speaker. And I doubt whether a native speaker can be of any help to you in this case.
Left over I believe, you know usually means unused food or other items. Since I haven't watched the movie so I can only assume. They are probably hinting that the woman is very old or her condition is very poor which might resemble a thing from the past century. She not at all looking decent or half decent.

 

[OverTheMemories]

I am not a native English speaker. And I doubt whether a native speaker can be of any help to you in this case.
Left over I believe, you know usually means unused food or other items. Since I haven't watched the movie so I can only assume. They are probably hinting that the woman is very old or her condition is very poor which might resemble a thing from the past century. She not at all looking decent or half decent.

Yes, probably it's so, but I don't know how to translate "shop soiled the next (century I presume)".

 

[suzi br]

Yes, probably it's so, but I don't know how to translate "shop soiled the next (century I presume)".

Yes, I'd assume that too. Shop-soiled means an item for sale which has been battered about from being on display too long, in a literal sense. They are applying some of this idea to the woman.

 

[hectacon]

Yes, probably it's so, but I don't know how to translate "shop soiled the next (century I presume)".

Sorry I can't help you here. But It is already written in English. Probably many new shops opened at that place which made the place look very dirty as many people crowded the place quite regularly.

 

[OverTheMemories]

Sorry I can't help you here. But It is already written in English. Probably many new shops opened at that place which made the place look very dirty as many people crowded the place quite regularly.

I think instead that they are talking about the woman's look, but I can't understand how to translate it precisely.

 

[suzi br]

She looks out-dated and worn-out. Translate that!

 

[OverTheMemories]

She looks out-dated and worn-out. Translate that!

OK, I'll do that, thanks!

 

[GreenWhiteBlue]

There are clearly errors in the subtitles. For example, what in the world does "like an angry maul" mean in reference to a red mouth? I suppose "like an angry maw" could make sense, but who knows?

 

[OverTheMemories]

There are clearly errors in the subtitles. For example, what in the world does "like an angry maul" mean in reference to a red mouth? I suppose "like an angry maw" could make sense, but who knows?

I know for sure it is so, and it happens really often, that's why it is difficult.