In today’s excerpt, Murakami is telling what he enjoyed doing after he moved to the US.
Author: Murakami Haruki (村上春樹)
Title: “やがて哀しき外国語” (やがて かなしき がいこくご)
アメリカに来て暮らすようになってから、中古レコード店をまわってジャズの古いレコードを漁ることが、大きな楽しみになってしまった。一番の娯楽と言ってもいいくらいだ。せっかく外国に住んでいるのだから、もう少し有意義で活動的な人生の楽しみかたがあってもいいのにと、ときどき自分でも思うのだけれど。
（アメリカ に きて くらす ように なってから、ちゅうこ レコードてん を まわって ジャズ の ふるい レコード を あさる こと が、おおきな たのしみ に なってしまった。いちばん の ごらく と いっても いい くらいだ。せっかく がいこく に すんでいる のだから、もう すこし ゆういぎで かつどうてきな じんせい の たのしみかた が あっても いいのに と、ときどき じぶん でも おもう のだけれど。）
Comments:
Murakami tells us that since he has started living in America, his hobby has been to go to used records stores and hunt for (漁る – あさる) old records. The expression “～ようになる” (here in te-form before から/once) after a short verb is typically used when a change occurs, or when we start to do something kind of “naturally” and we are focusing on the result. Murakami has started to live in a different country, it is a change, and he is talking about his new life in America. He is focusing on the result of his move to the US. [cf. 新完全マスター文法 (スリーエーネットワーク publishing) N3, p.85]
“～てしまう” is typically used to express a regret after making a mistake or after some misfortune, and often with a unintentional nuance or beyond our power. For example, “別れてしまった” (わかれて – we broke up “unfortunately”) “財布を失くしてしまった'” (さいふを なくしてしまった – I lost my wallet “unfortunately”). That is why we tend to use it a lot when apologizing, to express the fact that we didn’t do it on purpose. (ex: 遅れてしまって、すみません – おくれて – Sorry for being late). It can also be used to express a completion, when we have finished doing something 本を読んでしまった (ほんを よんでしまった – I’ve finished reading the book).
Here, it is used more in a playful way, to express that he has this passion, which he did not necessarily intend to have, and that in a way he would have preferred having another one, more meaningful (有意義な – ゆういぎ). It is not a serious regret and is jokingly complaining about his “meaningless hobby” which he enjoys so much. [cf. Genki 2, chapter 18]
～くらい has many different uses. Here, it is used to make a comparison about a fact, saying that “it is almost like that, but not totally,” in order to emphasize it. The phrase means “I could almost say that it is my favorite amusement (but I’m not, but it kind of is).” [cf. 新完全マスター文法 (スリーエーネットワーク publishing) N3, p.22, no.1]
のにと: The と is the と of citation with 思う (I think that), and のに is a contradictory particle, more or less equivalent to “although, despite, even though” in English. However it has a strong nuance — much more than ～けど、～が、でも for example — and often expresses a disappointment, blame, dissatisfaction or surprise. It is as if the speaker thinks “it should be like this, however it is not.” In English, you could even add a “argh” type of exclamations in certain contexts. For example, “せっかく友達のためにご飯作ったのに、キャンセルされた” (ともだち のために ごはん つくった）”Argh I made food for my friends, however they cancelled.”
Here, Murakami uses it to say that “he could have a bit more meaningful and active way of enjoying life, since he is living in a foreign country.” He gently blames himself for not having a better hobby, or wishes he had a more useful one, to use his opportunity of living abroad better. The せっかく is often paired with, to express the nuance of “wasting efforts or a rare opportunity.” [cf. 新完全マスター文法 (スリーエーネットワーク publishing) N4, p.68, no.2]