What character means "decided"? Why is "来" part of a sentence that does not involve "coming"?

[cfogelberg]

Hello,

I am trying to read the story "Pinnochio" in Chinese. Can you please help me understand a couple of points about the sentence below?

”冬天很冷，蓋比特却将自己唯一的一外套卖了为皮诺曹买来上学的课本“

As an English translation of this sentence, the book gives: "Although it was a very cold winter, Gappetto decided to sell the only coat he had to buy the books Pinnochio should take to school". There are two things I am confused about:

1) What character(s) means "decided" - is it 将?

2) Why is it it "来上学的课本" to mean "the books Pinnochio should take to school" and not something like “应该拿上学的课本“? Relatedly, why does "来上学的课本" mean "the books Pinnochio should take to school"?

Many thanks for your help with this,

Christo

[imron]

1) What character(s) means "decided" - is it 将?

No character. A good translation will not just be a word for word translation from one language to another, but may add/leave out/rearrange things in order to make it sound more natural in the target language. The Chinese version basically says "...Gappetto sold his only coat to buy...".

Why is it it "来上学的课本" to mean "the books Pinnochio should take to school"

You have parsed this sentence incorrectly. The 来 belongs with the previous 买

为 皮诺曹 买来 上学 的 课本

[andysun731]

1)将 is equal to 把 in this case, like a preposition.

2)来 is bound to 买 in this case.

[cfogelberg]

imron, andysun731 - thanks for your helpful answers!

[andysun731]

You are welcome.

[Scott P]

why use 来though? 买来？ like to sell something to bring something in?

[moonlight]

To Scott,

买来上学的课本 = bought the text books and brought them back

买上学的课本 = bought the text books (that's it)

买来 is a more complete cycle of actions (buy and bring back)