ばか！バカ！　馬鹿ー月！

Haruhi has also undergone this process, like a carp that just managed to jump over the hoop that gradually became a dragon.



I am trying to figure out exactly what this sentence is trying to say. As written now, it is a carp jumping over a hoop, and that hoop becoming a dragon, which I don't think is correct.

Is it trying to say that the carp progressed from barely being able to jump over a hoop to being an actual dragon?

Did it jump over the hoop, and by doing so was able to start the process of becoming a dragon?

(On an unrelated note, I gained new respect for the translators. Editing takes enough time; translating must take forever.)

Oh participles, why must you dangle so?

Even if the grammar is ugly, I think it's clear that the carp is becoming a dragon and not the hoop...

To answer any further I'd have to read the whole context, which I'm trying to avoid reading the prologue until it's done.

Edit: Also, why did you change all the "quadrangle" to "courtyard"? 中庭 can be either, and since the area is completely surrounded by building, "quadrangle" fits slightly better. Either is correct, but why not go with flavor?
=Smidge=

There is an ancient mythology that when carps successfully swim upstream/up a waterfall and make a giant leap over the 'dragon's gate', they magically transform into a Dragon. I forgot what it means, but I'm guessing it refers to someone who has gone through lots of hardship and has managed to prevail.

Extra tidbit: Ever wondered why Magikarp (a carp) evolves into Gyarados (a Dragon)? Now you know why

in a chinese legend, a carp that swimmed up a waterfall finally transforms into a dragon.
it means she has totally changed since the last spring like a carp changed into a dragon.
but in the line, waterfall is modefied to a hoop.
actually in the original(japanese),there is no hoop.so it seems a mistake.

Yeah that base on a focklore
I'm not remember correctly but it like that :
Every year the Chinese God (I don't know what it called in English I'm not a Chinese) open a competition. Any sea creatures that able to jump over the hoop can turn into the dragon.This year competion there were The crap and the Shrimp ,which are good friend , compete.The crap trying hard to able to jump over the hoop while the shrimp is very lazy.At the end the crap able to jump over the hoop and became the dragon while the shrimp fail.In the next year competition,the shrimp asked the crap to help him won by cheating,The crap will throw the shimp over the hoop.As Shrimp good friend the Crap agree to help.With the halp of the Crap the Shrimp success in flying over the hoop but The god knew that and punished the Shrimp by giving him the Shrimp's sharp which resemble the dragon
BTW sorry for my Engrish.Hope that you can understand :p

My guess went totally off target

But at least I was right aout the carp and dragon part

I will try to rework that sentence then.

@Smidge: Courtyard was used in the earlier volumes, so I go with it. And nobody knows what quadrangle is.