佐々木：「表紙のデザインは決まりましたか？」
カーチャ：「あれこれ考えてみましたが、まだ決まっていないんです」
Are kore kangaeru
Sasaki: Hyooshi no dezain wa kimarimashita ka?
Kaacha: Are kore kangaete mimashita ga, mada kimatte inai n' desu.
Sasaki: Have you decided on a design for the cover?
Kachya: I've come up with various ideas, but I haven't decided on one yet.
Are kore kangaeru means to come up with various ideas, the 'are kore' in this expression refers to things, people or ideas. In this case, it is being used to refer to designs for the cover of a book.
I have had more than 10 books published over the years, and in the majority of cases my experience has been that the publishers usually deal with designing covers without consulting the author.
Hyooshi ni tsuite are kore soodan sareta koto wa, hotondo nai. (I've hardly ever been consulted about the various matters related to cover design.) However, in the case of my latest book, the editors have involved me in every aspect of design, from the cover down to the pictures between each chapter.
Dare ni dezain wo onegai shiyoo ka to are kore sagashite mita n' desu ga, kono kata de ikaga desu ka. (We've thought of various people we could ask to do the design, but how about this person?) the editors asked me.
The book is about my experience of teaching Japanese to foreign students, so I decided I would like to have a foreign student do the design work if possible. Luckily, a Russian student I taught two years ago was particularly talented at graphic design, and was making a living from holding exhibitions and illustrating books.
When I recommended this person, the editors were delighted. Wa. ' Sonna subarashii kata ga seito de irashita n' desu ka. Are kore kangaem koto nakatta desu ne (Huh. We didn't realize you had such a remarkable person as one of your students. We needn't have wasted so much time thinking of various possibilities, need we?), they said.
"Let's have a picture of falling leaves at the end of this chapter, and a picture of someone taking a dog,for a walk at the end of this chapter."
Sitting in a cafe, this is how the three of us together ocha wo nominagara are kore soodan shita. (discussed various points over a cup of tea.)
Eventually, the book was ready for publication. The cover, too, are kore hanashi-atta kekka, yatto kimatta. (after lots of discussion, was finally decided on.) I hope that the book appears in the book shops before Kachya goes home this month.