Between the Cohn and the Sasaki translation, I’d say I like some of the phrasing of Cohn more, but not so much to confidently say it’s a better translation. Sasaki retained certain Japanese words and provided their definitions in-line, which is disruptive at times, but then it is more accurate; I don’t remember it so much in Cohn’s, he must have made more comfortable but inaccurate renderings of those words. Sasaki reminds us, the Western reader, that this is a foreign land with their own customs.
Botchan presents us something rare in stories, but not an uncommon reality; the powerlessness of the honest and good-natured against connivers, when they engage them on their terms. He is dragged into conflicts by others he has no idea how to manage because he’s never dealt with this type of character. How are you supposed to do anything at all, in fact? I imagine myself as Botchan, and would be as helpless in his position as well.
His ultimate solution is to just remove himself from it. With such people, there is no such thing as ultimate satisfaction. Even the revenge he and the Porcupine has, does nothing to reverse the tragedies that happened, nor change the ways of Red Shirt. Moving away, being considerate of yourself, is the only rightful strategy with such people.