せっかくなので一緒に回りませんか?

English translation: Seeing as/ might as well

18:05 Nov 28, 2020
Japanese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Transport / Transportation / Shipping
Japanese term or phrase: せっかくなので一緒に回りませんか?
Long time reader but first time poster on ProZ.

I was just wondering what people's preferences were for translating the phrase 「せっかくなので」.

The full context was two people who had been sitting next to each other on the train finding themselves at the same platform for their next connection. This dialogue followed: 「すごい偶然ですね~」「せっかくなので一緒に回りませんか」とお誘いを受けました。

It's one of those terms which is a simple and clear concept in Japanese but I'm having difficulty making it sound natural in English. Does anyone have any suggestions or phrases which they like to use? I personally would have gone with something like "Seeing as we're both taking the next train, fancy travelling together?"


Thank you for your time!
Alexander Howell-Jackson
Japan
Local time: 19:40
English translation:Seeing as/ might as well
Explanation:
I agree with your proposed translation. It feels like a natural way to say "let's take this chance/ opportunity to...", or "we might as well".
Selected response from:

Bridgette Mitchell
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:40
Grading comment
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4Seeing as/ might as well
Bridgette Mitchell
4Since we met by chance, shall we travel together?
Akihiko Takeda
4do you allow me to take this opportunity to travel with you?
Soliman Hassan
3 +1It's great that we are both taking the next train. Why don't we travel together
Yuki Okada
Summary of reference entries provided
FYR
cinefil

  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Seeing as/ might as well


Explanation:
I agree with your proposed translation. It feels like a natural way to say "let's take this chance/ opportunity to...", or "we might as well".

Bridgette Mitchell
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: "we might as well" definately fits well in context here!

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Since we met by chance, shall we travel together?


Explanation:
"回りませんか?”means traveling for sightseeing, rather than "ご一緒する”. If they take the same train together to the next connection, just "travel" is a better word. I am not sure what kind of co-incidence on their meeting on the train it is here but I applied "by chance" for general meaning.
"since" covers "せっかく” for a reason of "meeting in the train by chance, although I don't know of those two people's relationship.

Akihiko Takeda
United States
Local time: 06:40
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Japanese
Notes to answerer
Asker: It was a strange case as someone was commuting but taking a longer route than necessary to do a bit of sightseeing. In English however, I'm not sure that sightseeing sounds natural when travelling in a train... That might just be me though.

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
do you allow me to take this opportunity to travel with you?


Explanation:
It's a great chance! Do you allow me to take this opportunity to travel together?

Soliman Hassan
Egypt
Local time: 12:40
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 day 11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
It's great that we are both taking the next train. Why don't we travel together


Explanation:
It literally means something like: It's a shame not to take advantage of the fact that we both happen to be taking the same train. Would you mind traveling with me?
However, what is coming up in the speaker's mind is quite positive, even though it may not sound like it. He (or she?) wants to travel together and he does not want to miss this opportunity.
Translation is basically "what would the speaker say if he were able to speak the target language?" I would think an English speaker in an English-speaking country like Canada is likely to say something like I am suggesting.

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 03:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Port City
3 hrs
  -> ありがとうございます。
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Reference comments


7 hrs
Reference: FYR

Reference information:
私は、この「せっかくなので」の使い方に違和感を感じる日本人です。
https://biz.trans-suite.jp/1164

cinefil
Japan
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 28
Note to reference poster
Asker: ありがとうございます!

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