ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 オッペンハイマーの孫が来日会見
6月24日(月)
In today's lesson, let's learn about some differences between a and the.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
オッペンハイマーの孫が来日会見
OPPENHEIMER GRANDSON RAISES ALARM ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS
The grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the development of the atomic bomb in the U.S., is raising the alarm about nuclear weapons just as his grandfather did. Charles Oppenheimer spoke to Japanese media in Tokyo on Monday.
(Charles Oppenheimer / Grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer)
“My main message is to listen to Robert Oppenheimer: we could have avoided the arms race and not been under the terrible danger that we are today from nuclear weapons.”
His grandfather opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb and the spread of nuclear warheads in response to the catastrophic consequences of the bombings on Japan in World War II.
Oppenheimer met with atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and reflected on the impact.
(Charles Oppenheimer / Grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer)
“My personal observation is that I hope it shows the world that we should never use the bombs again.”
---
- physicistは「物理学者」
- atomic bombは「原子爆弾」= A-bomb
nuclear weaponは「核兵器」 - raise the alarm about …は「～について警告を発する、警鐘を鳴らす」
= sound the alarm about - just as …は「～と全く同じように」
- armsは「兵器、武器」
arms raceは「兵器開発競争、軍備（拡張）競争」 - could have＋過去分詞は「～をするという選択もあった、～をすることもできたはず」
「（もしもロバート・オッペンハイマーの言葉に耳を傾けていたら）～することができていただろう」 - be under/in danger from …は「～の危険にさらされている、直面している」
- hydrogen bombは「水素爆弾」= H-bomb
nuclear warheadは「核弾頭」 - in response to …は「～を受けて、～に対応して」
- catastrophicは「壊滅的な、悲惨な」
- consequenceは「結果、結論、もたらされたもの」
---
The grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is raising the alarm about nuclear weapons just as his grandfather did.
The grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
is raising the alarm about nuclear weapons
just as his grandfather did.
---
★the grandsonとa grandsonのニュアンスの違い
-> When I hear the grandson in this sentence, I feel like we are talking about this specific person. He is the grandson of physicist J Robert, Oppenhieimer and there is only one of him.
The grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the development of the atomic bomb in the U.S., is raising the alarm about nuclear weapons just as his grandfather did.
●the ＝ the onlyが省略されたもの
the grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer ＝ the (only) grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
●a ＝ one of many「たくさんあるうちの（どれか）１つ」
-> In this case, it sounds like he's one of several grandsons of physicist, J, Robert Oppenheime.
a grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
＝ one of the grandsons of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
●孫息子が複数いる場合に、それでもtheが使われているとき the grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer ＝ the (publicly known) grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
-> Now, it soulds like that grandson of physicist J, Robert Oppenheimer is a famous or well-known person.
●孫息子は１人だけなのに、aが使われている
a grandson of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
孫息子が１人しかいない場合には、the grandsonと言うのが具体的で正確な表現になります。しかし、a grandsonも間違いというわけではありません。
I learned a lot form today's lesson. I usually use the and a without thinking. So when I 'm asked why I used one of the other, I have to really think about it. It's actually quite difficult.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
合計特殊出生率 1.20で過去最低
JAPAN'S TOTAL FERTILITY RATE HIT RECORD LOW IN 2023
We start with some worrying figures from Japan's government. The latest data shows the country's total fertility rate has been on the decline for eight straight years.
The number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime fell to 1.20 in 2023. It's the lowest it's been since records began in 1947.
The total fertility rate dropped in all prefectures. Tokyo posted the lowest figure of 0.99, and Okinawa had the highest rate of 1.60.
The number of Japanese babies born last year was the lowest since records began in 1899.
Health ministry officials said the declining birth rate is critical. They pointed out that the period before 2030 will be the last opportunity to reverse the trend, as the young population is expected to drop sharply after that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
インド モディ政権3期目発足
INDIA'S MODI SWORN IN FOR THIRD TERM AS PRIME MINISTER
Narendra Modi has begun a third consecutive term as India's prime minister. This comes after a coalition led by his party won a majority of seats in the latest general election.
Modi took the oath of office at the presidential palace in the capital on Sunday.
Five-hundred and forty-three seats in the lower house were contested in the election. The voters gave 293 of them to the coalition spearheaded by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. That was more than enough for a majority. But the prime minister's party suffered a setback by failing to secure a majority on its own.
Analysts say Modi's government will need to take into account the interests of the regional parties in the coalition before it makes policy decisions. Observers are waiting to see whether Modi will steer his government in a stable manner.
Some wonder if he'll be able to take measures against wealth inequality, youth unemployment, and many of the country's other economic challenges.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
中国の大学入試 出願最多
CHINESE TAKING COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM JUMPS TO RECORD
The number of students taking China's national college entrance exam has hit a record high.
China's education ministry says more than 13.4 million high schoolers registered for the two-day exam that started Friday. That's an increase of 510,000 students from last year.
Chinese youth face severe competition in the labor market, and even university graduates are struggling to find jobs amid growing economic uncertainties. Observers say more students are seeking to enter universities that can give them an edge in the job market after graduating.
The ratio of Chinese high school students who advance to universities or other institutions of higher education has been rising. It has grown from 30 percent in 2012 to more than 60 percent last year.
Household expenditures on education have also increased. China's National Bureau of Statistics says parents will spend more than 63,000 dollars on raising their children until they reach 17 years of age.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
フランス議会 解散選挙へ
MACRON BETS BIG ON SNAP ELECTION
French President Emmanuel Macron has seen far-right parties triumph in voting for the European Parliament. He's responded by calling a snap election at home.
(Emmanuel Macron / French President)
“This decision is serious, a hard one. But it is, above all, an act of confidence ― confidence in you, my fellow citizens, in the capacity of the French people to make the fairest choice for themselves and for future generations.”
More and more Europeans have grown opposed to accepting immigrants. They've been unsettled by an economic slump and an energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine.
Voters delivered another majority to the three major centrist parties in the European Parliament. But many in France sided with the far-right National Rally. The group captured more than double the votes of Macron's Renaissance party.
Some voters say Macron is taking a chance.
(French Voter)
“The dissolution of the Assembly seems like a very dangerous game to me.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 生成AI使った世論操作の危険性
6月21日(金)
OPENAI: OVERSEAS GROUPS USING AI TO SHAPE PUBLIC OPINION
U.S. firm OpenAI says it's identified five online campaigns based overseas that used its generative artificial intelligence technologies in an attempt to manipulate public opinion. OpenAI developed the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. It said in a report the latest campaigns were run by groups based in Russia, China, Iran, and Israel. The groups used generative AI for a number of tasks, such as making up names and biographies for social media accounts, creating comments, and translating texts. The content posted by the groups focused on a wide range of issues, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and politics in the United States. OpenAI said a group based in China criticized Japan's release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean. The comments were posted on online platforms in English, Japanese, and other languages.
---
- dilutedは「（液体が）薄められた、希釈された」
U.S. firm OpenAI says it's identified five online campaigns based overseas that used its generative artificial intelligence technologies in an attempt to manipulate public opinion.
- online campaign 「オンラインの（組織的な）活動」
-> Right. That's the sense of the word in phrased like election campaign or a cmpaign to end world hunger.
- run 「実行する」
- manipulate 「操作する、操る」
- public opinion 「世論」
-> When you say someone manipulates something, you're suggesting that they're influencing it unfairly or dishonestly.
manipulate->
making up names and biographies for social media accounts, creating comments, and translating texts.
firehose of falsehood 「虚偽の消防ホース」
（真実性や一貫性を気にせずにホースの水のように大量の（虚偽の）情報を流すこと）
---
Takeshita: So Tom, do you use ChatGPT?
Tom: I have, yeah. It's pretty fascinating.
Takeshita: And overseas actors are using ChatGPT to manipulate public opinion. AI can generate comments that look like a human wrote them.
Tom: Right. If you showed me something ChatGPT wrote and told me a human did it, I wouldn't doubt it for a second. It's disturbingly natural, even. Takeshita: But there are many positive uses. For example, businesses can use AI to generate customer-service responses or help with content creation. It can save a lot of time and resources.
Tom: True. But technology sounding exactly like a person can be a double-edged sword, right?
Takeshita: Absolutely. One concern is that people might use AI to spread misinformation, disinformation or fake news. Also, if we can't tell whether a comment is from a human or an AI, it can be unsettling. I think there should be a rule regulations to label AI-generated content.
Tom: Definetely. Absolutely. Right now, AI is playing catch-up with humans — but at some point, it could easily go past us. We'll be playing catch-up with AI. Who knows what'll happen then. I hope we can find a way to control the technology we've created in a helpful way.
Takeshita: I agree. It's a fascinating field — and a challenging one — with a lot of potential. Thanks for the chat, Tom. It's always interesting to hear your thoughts on these topics. Talking to a real human being is always great!
---
- ture absolutely definitely I agree.
- can be a double-edged sword
-Something that can be both beneficial and problematic.
It's always great to get messages, isn't it? And listners, feel free to send your messages in English too.
---
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」“晴海フラッグ” 2割近く賃貸や転売に
6月20日(木)
20% OF TOKYO ATHLETES VILLAGE CONDOS UP FOR RENT, RESALE
Officials in Tokyo had big plans for the athletes' village built for the 2020 Olympics. They wanted to convert the village after the Games into affordable housing. But an NHK investigation has found corporations have bought up some of the units, putting them beyond reach for families. NHK looked into register records of the waterfront housing district called Harumi Flag. It found companies bought nearly 500 of the some 2,700 units for investment and other purposes. Resale units were offered at one-and-a-half to two times the original price. One priced at about 700,000 dollars was purchased for more than double that figure. An expert says precious land set aside for Tokyoites has been used to make money.
(Nozawa Chie / Professor, Meiji University) “It's a serious problem the residential towers are too pricey for ordinary people who want to live there.”
- put … beyond reach
「～を手の届かないところに置く」
ここでは住戸が購入できない価格まで高騰することや抽選倍率が上がったことで手に入らなくなる状況などを表しています。 - look into …「～を調べる」「中をのぞき込む」
- register recordは文脈から「（不動産）登記簿」
registerには「登録」、recordには「記録」
register book / registry「登記簿」 - nearly 500 of the some 2,700 units <-nearly 500 of the (some 2,700) units
- Resale units were offered at one-and-a-half to two times the original price.
at … price「～の価格で」
X times …「～のＸ倍」 - One priced at about 700,000 dollars was purchased for more than double that figure.
- Tokyoite「東京都民、東京人」
New Yorker「ニューヨーク人」、Muscovite「モスクワ人」、Londoner「ロンドン人」、Osakan「大阪人」
- affordable 「（価格が）手の届く、手ごろな、無理のない」
- housing 「住宅」
Well, if something is affordable, it's not expensive. But when you use affordable with housing, it normally means able to be bought or rented by people who don't make much money.
- controversial 「物議を醸す、賛否が分かれる」
Just a little correction,
class's play ... that's easier.
resale 「転売、再販」
reseller 「転売者」
scalper 「（転売して）利ざやを稼ぐ者、転売ヤー」
- figure 「（価格、金額、数量などの）数字」
One priced at about 700,000 dollars was purchased for more than double that figure.
“Figure” is a common word when you’re talking about money or statistics. You might hear something like “She makes six figures a year,” which means her yearly salary has six digits.
Sports is another area where “figure” shows up a lot. Here's a baseball example: “One of the pitcher's goals this season is to reach double figures in wins.”
The word I wanted to talk about today is ...
- Tokyoite「東京の人、都民」-> ite アイト
The word I wanted to talk about today is “Tokyoite” — the word for a Tokyo resident. This pattern, where it's the city name plus “ite,” is pretty common. A person from Seoul is a “Seoulite.” Likewise, a person from Vancouver is a “Vancouverite.”
Another common pattern in English involves adding “-er” after the city name: New Yorker, Londoner, and Hamburger all follow that one.
Then there are very unusual ones. Someone living in Sydney, for example, is a “Sydneysider.” A resident of Moscow is a “Muscovite.”
And resident of Osaka is an Osakan「大阪人」
Hamburger ? It's maybe not common, but if you look in the dictionary, it's there.
We can't wait to have you back!
---
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 メキシコに初の女性大統領
6月19日(水) Ready to get going to today's story?
MEXICANS ELECT FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT
Voters in Mexico have broken with the past. They've elected Claudia Sheinbaum as their first woman president in their 200-year history.
(Claudia Sheinbaum / Mexican President-elect)
“I didn't get here on my own. We all got here together: our female heroes who created the nation, our female ancestors, our mothers, our daughters, and our granddaughters.”
Sheinbaum is also the first Jewish person to be elected leader in a country that's overwhelmingly Catholic. She served as mayor of Mexico City. Sheinbaum has promised to carry on with the social welfare and security policies of the incumbent president, her mentor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Sheinbaum will inherit challenges that have plagued Mexican leaders for generations. She'll have to address widespread poverty and rampant violence among drug cartels. Local media outlets report that during the campaign more than 30 candidates were murdered.
---
Voters in Mexico have broken with the past.
- break with …「捨てる、決別する、縁を切る」
break with the past「過去と決別する、過去のしがらみを断つ」
- get「たどり着く、至る、到着する」
on my ownは「自分で、１人で」
「独学で、自力で」誰の力も借りることなく自分自身で何かをするというニュアンスもあり=> aloneやby myself - Jewish person「ユダヤ人、ユダヤ系の人」
- overwhelmingly「圧倒的に」
overwhelmingly Catholicは「圧倒的にカトリック系である」 - Keep Calm and Carry On「平静を保ち、普段の生活を続けよ」
というスローガンはよく知られています。 - social welfareは「社会保障、社会福祉」
- securityは「安全保障、警備」<- ここでは「治安」
- 形容詞incumbentは「現職の」
the incumbent president「現職の大統領」 - inheritは「受け継ぐ」
- challengeは「（能力を試される）課題」
- 動詞plagueは「悩ませる、苦しめる」
名詞「（害虫の）大発生」や「伝染病、疫病、大きな災難」 - rampantは「横行する、はびこる、まん延する」
- drug cartelは「麻薬組織」
- media outletは「報道機関」
- campaign=> election campaign「選挙運動」
---
“I didn't get here on my own. We all got here together: our female heroes who created the nation, our female ancestors, our mothers, our daughters, and our granddaughters.”
- pave the way 「道を開く」
Pave the way for gender equality
It's also worth noting that pave the way doen't just mean to create a path for something or make it possible. It can also mean to make it easier for something to happen, like paving a dirt road make it smoother.
*dirt
泥, ほこり, ごみ
-Earth or soil.
- A squalid or filthy condition.
- femicide 「女性であることを理由にした殺害」
Sheinbaum will inherit challenges that have plagued Mexican leaders for generations.
- challenge 「（能力を試される）課題」
-> Challenge has lots of different meanings and uses but as a noun we often use it to refer to something that very hard, but many times new or stimulating to do.
- rampant 「横行する、はびこる」
And there's one more word from today's story that I'd like to look at, rampant.
We normally use “rampant” for bad things that are uncontrolled and becoming more and more common — if you remember, the story mentioned “rampant violence among drug cartels.”
One good way to remember a tough word like “rampant” is by looking at its roots. In this case, the root is “ramp,” which means to “go up” or “climb.”
That’s why “rampant” means “increasing” or “growing.” And interestingly, “rampant” has also been used to describe an animal standing on its back legs, kind of looking like it’s going to attack. That might explain the “uncontrolled” or “threatening” connotations of the word.
--
Sheinbaum
->She served as mayor of Mexico City.
I actually read an article saying that she was part of a United Nations panel of climate scientists that won a Nobel Peace Prize.
IPCC 2007
----
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 中国 最先端技術兵器の演習を公開
6月18日(火)
In today's lesson, we learn about new military technology as well as answering a question form one of our listners.
CHINA SHOWS MILITARY DRILL FEATURING ROBOT DOGS, AI DRONES
China has shown off military weapons that look like they've been pulled out of an episode of “Black Mirror”: robot dogs and drones equipped with artificial intelligence. China Central Television reported on the joint drill with Cambodia that has been underway in the Southeast Asian country since May 16. CCTV says the remote-controlled robot dog can walk, jump, lie down, and send real-time reconnaissance footage. A larger one, weighing 50 kilograms, can fire a rifle mounted on its back. The U.S. military has also been deploying robot dogs and AI-capable drones in exercises. Concerns are growing in the international community about lethal autonomous weapons that can select and attack targets without human intervention. Discussions on restricting these weapons are continuing.
--
- reconnaissance [riˈkɑnəsəns]
lethal autonomous weapons
- lethalは「致死性の、殺傷能力のある」
- autonomousは「自律的な」
- interventionは「介入、干渉」
can
walk, jump, and lie down.
---
★they are easy to misplace
The agency believes that as electronic devices get smaller, they're getting easier to misplace.
be forgottenやbe lost
=> misplaceが受け身になっていないのはどうして
This sentence sound very natural to me.
misplaceには、mis-「間違った」、place「場所に置く」
I misplaced my phone.
-> Phones are easy to misplace.
考え方としては３通り
●文法的には間違っているが慣用表現である という場合です。
be easy to misplaceは「（～は）置き忘れ（られ）やすい、（～は）なくなりやすい」という意味の慣用表現
●何かが省略されているのでは？ と考えて推測
Phones are easy (for people) to misplace (them).
●この文でのmisplaceは自動詞である
-> misplaceは、辞書には「（～を）置き忘れる」という他動詞の意味でのみ。
しかし実際には、この文では自動詞として機能しています。
->> 英語は語順によって単語の機能が決まる言語なので、他動詞であっても、自動詞としての語順で使われれば自動詞として機能します。-> 目的語がなければ（自らがその動作を行う）自動詞になります。
->> 他動詞であれば「（何かを）置き忘れる」
->> 自動詞なので「置き忘れられた状態になる」
Phones are easy to misplace. 慣用表現
---
茨ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 茨城 “嫁入り舟”に祝福
6月17日(月)
Today, let's learn about a Japanese tradition that appears to come right out of a fairy tale.
---
OLD-FASHIONED RIVERSIDE WEDDINGS REVIVED NEAR TOKYO
Visitors to a riverside garden near Tokyo enjoyed an old-fashioned wedding ceremony procession on a boat amid irises in full bloom.
The Suigo Itako Iris Festival is being held in Itako City in Ibaraki Prefecture. The revived tradition has become a highlight of the annual festival. On Saturday, a boat carrying a bride set out as visitors watching from the riverside applauded.
The area is surrounded by lakes and rivers where boats were once used as a daily form of transportation. Until the 1960s, brides in white wedding kimonos could be seen in rowboats heading to meet their bridegrooms.
(Visitor)
“The ceremony was so beautiful. I was moved to tears.”
(Miyamoto Michiko / Bride)
“It was a valuable experience that so many people congratulated us. It was a very happy day.”
----
I was amazed to see such a wonderful festival. Floating down the river with the irises in full bloom in a beautiful whilte kimono for all to see. What a magical signt.
---
- move to
Yeah, to be moved meand to be greatly affected with emotion. For example, I was moved by the man's kindness. Something that affected your emotions can be moving as well. The film about true love was deeply moving.
- processionは「行列」ですが、特に式典などで人や車両が整然と進む「行進」
- iris「あやめ、アイリス（あやめ科の植物）」
- in full bloomは「満開の」単にin bloomとすることもあり
come into bloom「咲く」Some cherry trees came into bloom last week. - revive「復活させる、よみがえらせる」revived tradition「復活された伝統」
- highlightは「呼び物、目玉」
-> 「（論点などを）強調する、（蛍光ペンで）マークする、（イベントや旅行などの）見どころとなる」
「蛍光ペン」は英語でhighlighter - set out「（旅などに）出発する、出かける」
- form of transportation「輸送形態（形式）、交通手段」
-> こうした場合の「交通」には、trafficではなくtransportation
traffic「交通量、往来」 -> heavy traffic「交通混雑」
-> Yes, transportation is the action of people or vehicles moving between locations. A simillar word is trafic. Trafic refers to the movemient or flow of thowse in transportation.
- bridegroom「花婿、新郎」groom
「新郎新婦」英語ではbride and groomという順番 - (be) in a suit and tie、「眼鏡をかけている」なら(be) in glasses
- congratulate A on …「～についてＡ（人）を祝う」という形
“The ceremony was so beautiful.
I was moved
to tears.”
->
One of the visitors said the ceremony was so beautiful
(that) he was moved to tears.
---
★「とても」と訳されるsoとveryのニュアンスの違い
●veryは「程度」だけを強調するのに対し、
soには何らかの「感情」が込められている
・The ceremony was very beautiful.
・The ceremony was so beautiful.
●so … that …のthat以下が省略されている
soとしか言っていなくても、so … that …「とても～なので～だ、あまりに～なので～だ」というニュアンスが込められている
The ceremony was so beautiful (that) I was moved to tears.
・The ceremony was so beautiful! のように感嘆符を付けたり、
・The ceremony was so beautiful (that) I was moved to tears.
---
It's so great to see our listners commnents after the lessons that I hope everyone continue listening and asking questions. I'm very proud of everyone's hard work.