ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 大阪・関西万博 パビリオンの内容発表
9月20日(金)
DETAILS OF EXPO 2025 'FUTURE CITY' PAVILION UNVEILED
The organizer of the Expo 2025 in Osaka has unveiled details of a giant pavilion that is now under construction. “Future City” is the theme of the structure, where people can create a happy lifestyle while resolving global issues, such as climate change. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition will operate the 4,800 square-meter building along with 12 corporate sponsors. Industrial technology conglomerate Hitachi and telecom carrier KDDI are setting up a theater in the pavilion. The movie to be shown features a 10-year-old boy living in 2035. He resides in a world where people in the past failed to take measures to achieve a sustainable society. The two firms say viewers will discover the future can change for the better if they choose proper measures using their smartphones. Shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines will display a model of a ship that harnesses wind power to produce hydrogen and run the vessel.
（2024年8月29日のニュース）
- expoは、exposition「博覧会、展覧会」
- pavilionは「（博覧会の）展示館、パビリオン」
- issueは「（議論すべき）問題、（世間の）関心事」
problemがより直接的な「（解決すべき）問題、困ったこと」
issueは「話し合うべきこと、（社会的、政治的な）議論の対象」というニュアンス - square meterは「平方メートル」
ハイフンでつないで「平方メートルの」という形容詞
「立方メートル」ならcubic meter - corporate sponsorは「協賛企業、企業スポンサー」
- conglomerateは「複合企業、コングロマリット、集合体」
- carrierはもともと「運搬者、輸送業者」などの運び手
- telecom carrierは「通信事業者、電話会社」
- 乗客を運ぶことから「航空会社」もcarrier / aircraft carrier「航空母艦」
- featureは「（人を）主役にする」
- show a movieは「映画を上映する」
- failだけなら「失敗する」=> fail to …を「～することに失敗する」
- change for the betterは「より良い方向に変わる、改善する」
- shipping companyは「船会社、海運会社」
- modelは「模型」
- 動詞harnessは「（馬に）馬具をつける」=>「（自然の力を動力源に）利用する」
- wind power「風力」solar power「太陽光、太陽熱」
powerはenergyで言いかえられます。
「水力」hydropower/ hydro energyと言います。
hydrogenは「水素」 - vesselは「（大型の）船、船舶」= ship <>「小型の船」ならboat
expo（Expo）/ exposition「博覧会、展覧会、万博」
universal exhibition「（万国）博覧会」
global issue「地球規模の問題」
climate change「気候変動」
poverty「貧困」
environmental pollution「環境汚染」
global financial collapse「世界的な金融崩壊」
epidemic「伝染病」
He resides in a world where people in the past failed to take measures to achieve a sustainable
fail to …
When you hear the word “fail,” the first word that comes to mind in Japanese is probably “失敗する,” right? Trying to do something but not succeeding at it, but that's not what “fail to” means. It actually just means “to not do something that you should do or are expected to do.”
Let's take another look at the sentence in today's story.
“He resides in a world where people in the past failed to take measures to achieve a sustainable society.”
So here, it's not that people in the past tried to take measures but weren't successful — it's that they didn't take any measures at all, even though they should've.
--
Here are the word that I want to use, global issues, tackle and fail to.
->
If we faill to tackle global issues, the situation will get worse for all of us.
Yeah, there's a lot of situations where you have a verb and then you want to put wat we call a preposition, in, with, at etc. on to it. But takle is one of those verbs that does not need anything like that.
I can just imagine them walking into the room with a big smile on their face saying you know, You guys won't beleve what I saw. Listen up...
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ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 宮崎駿監督にマグサイサイ賞
9月19日(木)
Okday, everybody make yourself a bowl of popcorn and get ready for today's lesson.
MIYAZAKI HAYAO WINS PRESTIGIOUS MAGSAYSAY AWARD
Japanese animation master Miyazaki Hayao has won this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award, also known as “Asia's Nobel Prize.” The Studio Ghibli co-founder is being recognized not only for his filmmaking but for what they say is his lifelong commitment to illuminating the human condition and inspiring the imagination of children. The foundation praises Miyazaki for tackling complicated topics like environmental protection, peace advocacy, and women's rights. It credits the director for using his art to make these issues comprehensible to children. Miyazaki's films often feature children and female characters who confront challenges. His works are also known for their deep respect for nature and profound warnings against human arrogance. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is given every year to individuals and groups for tackling challenges in Asia.
（2024年8月31日のニュース）
- Ramon Magsaysay Award「ラモン・マグサイサイ賞」は「アジアのノーベル賞」
- arroganceは「傲慢さ、おごり」>> arrogant「傲慢な、横柄な、思い上がった」
- environmental protectionは「環境保護」、
peace advocacyは「平和推進」・advocacyには「推進、擁護、主張」 - It credits the director for
creditは「（功績などが人にあると）認める」 - comprehensible「理解できる、分かりやすい」
＜＞incomprehensible「理解しがたい、訳が分からない、意味不明、ちんぷんかんぷんの」
inspire the imagination of children「子どもたちの想像力をかき立てる」
lifelong commitment「生涯にわたる強い思い」
deep respect for nature「自然に対する深い敬意」
profound「深い、深遠な」
human arrogance「人間の傲慢さ」
The Studio Ghibli co-founder is being recognized not only for his filmmaking but for what they say is his lifelong commitment to illuminating the human condition and inspiring the imagination of children.
Okay, I'll tory to the first thing that's hard about this sentence is that it uses the "not only A but also B" construction but it omits the word "also". That might be confusing.
Next is the "what they say" in the middle. This is just added in to make it clear who is talking about Miyazaki's lifelong ommitment.
So here's a version of this senence that's much simpler, t doen't use what they say. It follows the standard not only A, but also B pattern and it names Miyazaki directly.
=> The foundation is recognizing Miyazaki, not only for his filmmaking, but also for his lifelong commitment to illuminating the human condition and inspiring the imagination of children.
---
Yeah, you know I like Ghibli movies, too. And if I had to pick my favorite, I'd probably go with two. I can't choose one. Kiki's delivery service and Sprited away. And for me a big part of that reason is music.
Those are easy, Howl's moving castle and Prinsess Mononoke. My neighbor Totoro.
Why do you like those movie so much?
---
It sure is deep — you might even say “profound,” which is another word that showed up in today's story.
“Profound” comes from the Latin word for “bottom.” Basically, we use “profound” for things you feel in the bottom — the deepest part — of your heart, things with deep insight, things with a deep meaning, and things with a deep impact. It's mostly for ideas, effects, emotions, and other abstract concepts.
There are other words with the same Latin root, too. Examples include “foundation” and “fundamental," which both have to do with the very bottom level of something.
宮崎駿監督の作品について、
One thing about Miyazaki films that always resonates with me is how they're so nuanced. For example, they treat children as complex human beings facing unfamiliar, unstable, uncertain realities. That's the human condition, right? I think Miyazaki shows that sensitivity not only in his characters but also in how he sees his viewers. He respects them as people.
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ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 独州議会選挙 “極右”政党が第1党に
9月18日(水)
FAR-RIGHT PARTY PROJECTED TO WIN GERMAN STATE ELECTION
Moving now to Germany, where a party deemed to be far-right is set to win a state election for the first time since World War II. It's a major blow for the ruling coalition government ahead of national elections next year. Provisional results in two former East German states have been announced. They show the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has won about a third of the vote in Thuringia, securing a lead of nearly 10 percentage points. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party has about 6 percent. This is reportedly a record low for the party in a state election. In Saxony, the AfD has won about 30 percent. It trails the largest opposition Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, by a small margin. AfD politicians have made pro-Nazi comments and discriminatory statements about Muslims. The party has gained support for its anti-immigrant policies.
（2024年9月2日のニュース）
- World War IIは「第２次世界大戦」=> IIはtwoと読みます。
the Second World Warと言うこともあります。 - rulingは「与党の」=> ruling partyなら「与党」
coalition governmentは「連立政権」 - provisionalは「暫定的な、仮の」
- 名詞のalternativeは「取って代わるもの、代替物、選択肢」
Alternative for Germany「ドイツのための選択肢」
ドイツ語の政党名 Alternative für Deutschlandの英訳で、AfDと略される
Social Democratic Party SPD
the largest opposition Christian Democratic Union, or CDU
最大野党「キリスト教民主同盟」
- chancellorは「（ドイツの）首相」
- discriminatory statements
- trailは「後を追う、後れを取る、（試合や競争などで）負けている」
anti-immigrant policy「反移民政策」
national policy「国策、国是」
major blow「大きな打撃」
marginについて、
As the story said, it trailed by a “small margin” — and “margin” just happens to be the word I want to talk about today.
The best way to think about “margin” is as a space on the edge of something or the space in the boundary between two things.
So in today's story, the “small margin” is referring to the small “space” between the numbers of votes that the AfD and CDU parties got — their boundaries. Here, the “margin” is the amount of the difference between two things.
An election is a race decided by differences in votes, so that's why you'll hear “margin” a lot in stories like today's.
Also, if you remember that basic concept behind the word “margin,” you won't have any trouble understanding why we say things like “page margin,” “profit margin,” and “margin for error.”
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ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 トヨタとBMW 燃料電池車で協力強化へ
9月17日(火)
Have you ever heard of fuel cell vehicles?
Today, we're exploring a business topic all about them. Let's learn how companies are teaming up to shape the future.
TOYOTA, BMW EXPAND COLLABORATION ON FUEL-CELL VEHICLES
Toyota Motor and BMW are stepping up collaboration on fuel cell vehicles. The Japanese carmaker is supplying key components to its German counterpart. The automotive powerhouses first formed the ties in 2012 and have been co-developing hydrogen tanks, motors, and other basic systems for fuel cell vehicles. Sources say joint efforts are expanding, and that Toyota will supply important parts such as tanks and fuel cells to BMW. Fuel cell vehicles are also known as FCVs and use hydrogen to generate electricity. They do not emit carbon dioxide while in motion. Automakers are developing these as an environment-friendly option. FCVs have long cruising distances like gasoline-powered cars and take only a short time to replenish hydrogen. But they are expensive relative to other types of vehicles.
（2024年8月28日のニュース）
- powerhouse 大手企業 <=「強い力や影響力をもった組織や国」
economic powerhouse「経済大国」 - while in motion
- replenish「補充（補給）する、充てんする」
- FCVは、fuel cell vehicle「燃料電池車」
ＥＶ＝電気自動車
gasoline-powered cars - cruising distanceは「航続距離」
---
Fuel cell vehicles are also known as FCVs and use hydrogen to generate electricity.
Fuel cell vehicles
are also known as FCVs
and use hydrogen to generate electricity.
Fuel
[ˈfjuəl]
Fuel cell vehicles are also known as FCVs and use hydrogen to generate electricity. They do not emit carbon dioxide while in motion.
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Now for a spectacular, spiritual, and crowd-pleasing festival right in the heart of Japan's ancient capital.
最後にピリオドが付いているので、１つの文
Hmm. you're right. I don't see a subject or a verb but the sentence still sounds correct in English.
Now (it is time) for a spectacular, spiritual, and crowd-pleasing festival right in the heart of Japan's ancient capital.
Now (it is time) for …は「さて次は～の時間です
Thank you for your insightful question. You have a talent for noticing the details in every sentence. We're always looking forward to more questions from our amazing listners!
I'm excited to say that I did see and FCV during my trip to LA last month. It was especially interesting to see the refueling stations. In the U.S. I don7t think you can see them in many places outside of California yet, but it's great to see technology changing in real life.
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 敦賀原発2号機 初の不合格
9月16日(月)
Today's lesson is about a nuclear power plant in Japan. You may encounter some challenging words in this story, but dont's worry, we're here to learn together.
TSURUGA NUCLEAR REACTOR FAILS EARTHQUAKE SAFETY REVIEW
Japan's nuclear watchdog has decided not to restart a reactor in Fukui Prefecture after it failed an earthquake safety review.
Officials said reactor No. 2 of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant fell short of the safety standards due to concerns of a fault under the building. Since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima, Japan no longer allows facilities where safety is critical to be built over active faults.
It's the first time the regulatory body has failed a reactor in its restart review since it was established. The screening process had been suspended repeatedly over inaccuracies and mishandling of data in reports submitted by the plant's operator, the Japan Atomic Power Company.
The operator plans to apply for a fresh screening, but it's not clear when. The regulator says it needs to assess over 100 faults in and around the plant.
（2024年8月28日のニュース）
- fell short of the safety standards
fall short of …は「～に達しない、～に及ばない」 - a fault 「断層」>> active faults
- fail「（試験・審査などに）不合格になる」
-> 審査を受ける側（Tsuruga nuclear power plant）を目的語に取って、「（～を）不合格にする」 - apply for …「～に申し込む」
apply for an exam「試験に申し込む」、apply for a job「求人に応募する」 - a fresh screening
fresh 新規の・追加の
nuclear
[ˈnukliər]
San Andreas Faultは、アメリカのカリフォルニア州にある巨大な断層です。カリフォルニアで地震があると、faultの「責任」「断層」という２つの意味をかけて、このような表現が使われることがあるようです。
「faultの意味の核心はfailである」