I am having some trouble understanding the beginning of a story


i would like some help fixing my translation of a few sentences, if possible.

落語は今から三百年以上前の江戸時代に始まりました。

Our story begins over 300 years in the edo period.

この時代にたくさんの人の前で面白い話をして、お金をもらう人がいました。

In this time, in front of many people, talked about interesting thing's and
people who received money existed. ( i assume this somehow means that, in the
edo time period there were people who received money for telling interesting
stories in front of many people.)

この面白い話を落語と言い、落語をする人を落語家と言います。 i have no idea how to translate this, it seems
to say this interesting talk was about comic monologue said someone?, then it
goes on about the comic monologue person says some nonsense.

落語家は一人で色々な声や身ぶりを使って、面白い話をします。 by himself various voices, gestures, etc and
interesting talk.

basically the entire thing seems like gibberish to me save for the first line.
oddly the story makes more sense after these first few lines.




> 落語は今から三百年以上前の江戸時代に始まりました。
>
> Our story begins over 300 years in the edo period.

You must have had a reason for using "our story", so I will not argue that. If
I were you, however, I would use "rakugo" and start with "Rakugo start **ed**
~~~" in the past tense as in the original.

> この時代にたくさんの人の前で面白い話をして、お金をもらう人がいました。
>
> In this time, in front of many people, talked about interesting thing's and
> people who received money existed. ( i assume this somehow means that, in
> the edo time period there were people who received money for telling
> interesting stories in front of many people.)

The second half is good because 「たくさんの人の前で面白い話をして、お金をもらう」 is a relative clause
that modifies the noun 「人」.

「面白い」 in this context, however, means "funny" instead of "interesting".

> この面白い話を落語と言い、落語をする人を落語家と言います。
>
> i have no idea how to translate this, it seems to say this interesting talk
> was about comic monologue said someone?, then it goes on about the comic
> monologue person says some nonsense.

**「言う」 here means "to call", "to name", etc. It does not mean "to say"**.

"We call この面白い話 '落語' and 落語をする人 '落語家{らくごか}'."

Or, use passive voice and say:

"These funny stories are called 'rakugo' and the persons who do rakugo are
called 'rakugoka'."

> 落語家は一人で色々な声や身ぶりを使って、面白い話をします。
>
> by himself various voices, gestures, etc and interesting talk.

You translate every part in the Japanese word order. The word order is
_**completely**_ different between Japanese and English.

"A rakugoka (story-teller) tells funny stories all by himself using various
voices and gestures."

That is because a rakugoka has to play all of the characters that appear in
the story.

> basically the entire thing seems like gibberish to me

To you, perhaps, but I assure you that it is perfectly written Japanese.

There is a good introduction to rakugo given in English by 桂{かつら}三輝{サンシャイン},
the second professional Caucasian rakugoka in history.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbt0jAYDVOw>




> 落語は今から三百年以上前の江戸時代に始まりました。
>
> Our story begins over 300 years in the edo period.

You must have had a reason for using "our story", so I will not argue that. If
I were you, however, I would use "rakugo" and start with "Rakugo start **ed**
~~~" in the past tense as in the original.

> この時代にたくさんの人の前で面白い話をして、お金をもらう人がいました。
>
> In this time, in front of many people, talked about interesting thing's and
> people who received money existed. ( i assume this somehow means that, in
> the edo time period there were people who received money for telling
> interesting stories in front of many people.)

The second half is good because 「たくさんの人の前で面白い話をして、お金をもらう」 is a relative clause
that modifies the noun 「人」.

「面白い」 in this context, however, means "funny" instead of "interesting".

> この面白い話を落語と言い、落語をする人を落語家と言います。
>
> i have no idea how to translate this, it seems to say this interesting talk
> was about comic monologue said someone?, then it goes on about the comic
> monologue person says some nonsense.

**「言う」 here means "to call", "to name", etc. It does not mean "to say"**.

"We call この面白い話 '落語' and 落語をする人 '落語家{らくごか}'."

Or, use passive voice and say:

"These funny stories are called 'rakugo' and the persons who do rakugo are
called 'rakugoka'."

> 落語家は一人で色々な声や身ぶりを使って、面白い話をします。
>
> by himself various voices, gestures, etc and interesting talk.

You translate every part in the Japanese word order. The word order is
_**completely**_ different between Japanese and English.

"A rakugoka (story-teller) tells funny stories all by himself using various
voices and gestures."

That is because a rakugoka has to play all of the characters that appear in
the story.

> basically the entire thing seems like gibberish to me

To you, perhaps, but I assure you that it is perfectly written Japanese.

There is a good introduction to rakugo given in English by 桂{かつら}三輝{サンシャイン},
the second professional Caucasian rakugoka in history.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbt0jAYDVOw>

