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So in my N4 textbook, I have the following explanation for a grammatical
construct:

> Noun + なら:  
>  Use "〜なら" when you say that options are no good, but "〜" is possible, okay
> or not a problem.  
>

The examples don't make a lot of sense, so I go and google なら. All I can find
is stuff about how なら is a particle used to express conditionals, i.e. it's
one of the ways of saying what 'if' says in English. This is a meaning of the
なら particle that I'm familiar with. I can't find anything about any other
meanings of なら.

Can someone explain what my book is on about? Is this related to なら's 'if'
meaning, or is it an entirely different word/meaning completely?

The book examples are:

> 1) 日曜日 **なら** 時間が取れるから、いっしょに買い物にいこうよ。

I think this is supposed to mean - I have time on Sunday, let's go shopping
together. The なら supposedly implying that days other than Sunday are no good.

> 2) A: 今度のパーティーでつうやくをしてもらえませんか。  
>  B: すみません。手紙のほんやく **なら** できますが、つうやくはちょっと...。

So now it's lost me, I have no idea what this is supposed to mean, and what なら
is doing here.
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question
conditionals auxiliaries
What is the meaning of Noun + なら
なら means "if".

>   1. 日曜日なら時間が取れるから、いっしょに買い物にいこうよ。  
>  Trans: If it's Sunday, ...
>

So yes, he is specifically talking about Sunday being most optimal.

>   2. すみません。手紙のほんやくならできますが、つうやくはちょっと...。  
>  Trans: I am sorry. If it's translation (of letter), I can do it but
> interpretation is a bit (difficult, etc)...
>

Here, translation is no problem but interpretation is difficult.
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Just to add to xeta217's answer, なら is used when the speaker is making an
assertion about what has just been said (or about a current state).

So 日曜日なら has a feeling of "If it's Sunday your talking about then..." Likewise
手紙のほんやくなら "If it's letter translating then...".

A) 店に行く

B) 店に行くなら、卵を買ってください。

A) I'm going to the shop. B) Well _if it is the case that_ you're going to the
shop then buy eggs please.

So when your book talks about an 'option being no good' it's not that なら has
some special meaning in this context. It's just that this form of 'if' is most
appropriate. The condition is an assumption about what has been said.
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answer