Help with translation, 綺麗事 and 奴の方


Context: Person A has been talking about how they will spend their life making
better some wrong by dedicating their life to helping others. In fact it's not
really A's fault but something their subordinates did without their knowledge,
but A is still accepting responsibility for it. In the course of the incident
in question B also did bad things to A as part of trying to stop what A is now
taking the blame for.

Person B is, I think, not impressed with it, and might think A is dishonest.
So B says:

> そんな綺麗事、通じない奴の方が多いぞ。 大人の社会にはな。

As far as I can figure out this means more or less:

> Such whitewashing. There are so many people who simply aren't open. In the
> world of the adults.

But I'm not sure about this at all. For one, the A is really young and could
not be considered adult. So I'm not sure what that part is supposed to
indicate? That there are people who are dishonest in the adult world too?

Also I'm not sure what the 奴{やつ}の方 construct is supposed to mean. Right now I
consider 方 to be used here in it's "side of argument/group" type of meaning.
So "other group of people" would be the meant meaning here. Possibly
indicating that the speaker is not one of these people. But I'm not sure at
all.

And I assume 綺麗事 is just B saying to A that they are whitewashing events, that
is they aren't being honest.




> 「そんな綺麗事{きれいごと}、通{つう}じない奴{やつ}の方{ほう}が多{おお}いぞ。 大人{おとな}の社会{しゃかい}にはな。」

And your TL of that is:

> "Such whitewashing. There are so many people who simply aren't open. In the
> world of the adults."

The first thing I would like to point out is the possibility that you might
**_not_** be parsing the 「通じない奴の方が多いぞ」 part. Your translation of "open" kind
of worries me. It is saying that:

> "there are **_more_** people who **would not** understand or practice such
> whitewashing/lip service **_than_** those who would.

「Aの方が多い」 means "A outnumbers (the other group)." 「方」 is used for comparison
between two items.

That is to say that 「そんな綺麗事が **通じない** 奴」 outnumber「そんな綺麗事が **通じる** 奴」.

So, the entire quote means:

> "There would be more guys who would not understand or practice such
> whitewashing than those who would. In the adult world, that is."

Regarding your questions:

> "A is really young and could not be considered adult. So I'm not sure what
> that part is supposed to indicate? That there are people who are dishonest
> in the adult world too?"

B is not saying or implying A is an adult. B is simply trying to explain to A
what happens in the adult world. In fact, it sounds like B is actually
implying that A is **not** thinking like an adult.




> 「そんな綺麗事{きれいごと}、通{つう}じない奴{やつ}の方{ほう}が多{おお}いぞ。 大人{おとな}の社会{しゃかい}にはな。」

And your TL of that is:

> "Such whitewashing. There are so many people who simply aren't open. In the
> world of the adults."

The first thing I would like to point out is the possibility that you might
**_not_** be parsing the 「通じない奴の方が多いぞ」 part. Your translation of "open" kind
of worries me. It is saying that:

> "there are **_more_** people who **would not** understand or practice such
> whitewashing/lip service **_than_** those who would.

「Aの方が多い」 means "A outnumbers (the other group)." 「方」 is used for comparison
between two items.

That is to say that 「そんな綺麗事が **通じない** 奴」 outnumber「そんな綺麗事が **通じる** 奴」.

So, the entire quote means:

> "There would be more guys who would not understand or practice such
> whitewashing than those who would. In the adult world, that is."

Regarding your questions:

> "A is really young and could not be considered adult. So I'm not sure what
> that part is supposed to indicate? That there are people who are dishonest
> in the adult world too?"

B is not saying or implying A is an adult. B is simply trying to explain to A
what happens in the adult world. In fact, it sounds like B is actually
implying that A is **not** thinking like an adult.

