JAPANESE BRAZILIANS CARRY ON JAPAN'S CULTURE IN SONG
Japanese Brazilians have demonstrated their skills singing Japanese songs at an annual event inspired by NHK's year-end music festival. The 26th Grand Kouhaku singing contest took place in Sao Paulo on Sunday. The event is aimed at passing on Japanese songs and culture to younger generations. Brazil has the world's largest population of people of Japanese descent outside of Japan. This year, 64 contestants, ranging from five to over 80 years old, took part. The singers included some who had won karaoke contests in Brazil.
(Ebihara Tadao / Organizer) “The number of people in the first generation is gradually decreasing. But there are many young people who love Japanese culture, and we'd like to pass it on to them.”
（2024年12月9日のニュース）
SYRIAN REBELS SAY THEY HAVE OUSTED ASSAD
Anti-government forces in Syria have announced on state television that they have freed Damascus and ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The president has reportedly fled to a Russian military base in Syria.
Rebel forces began to step up their offensive on November 27. Opposition forces also moved toward Damascus from the north and the south by taking control of key cities. The Assad government quickly weakened in the face of the offensive.
The conflicts in Lebanon and Ukraine have hampered efforts by the Lebanon-based Shia Muslim group Hezbollah and Russia to provide it with military support.
Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali posted a video on social media on Sunday. He said the government was ready to “extend its hand to the opposition.”
(Mohammad Ghazi Jalali / Syrian Prime Minister)
“We will leave this matter to any new leadership chosen by the Syrian people. We are ready to cooperate.”
（2024年12月8日のニュース）
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 韓国 ユン大統領の“弾劾”廃案に
12月25日(水)
MOTION TO IMPEACH S. KOREAN PRESIDENT YOON FAILS
We begin with the latest in South Korea's political drama. The National Assembly speaker has announced that the motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol has failed due to a lack of voters. The country has been in turmoil since his surprise declaration of martial law.
The bill was submitted by six opposition parties. They did not have the two-thirds majority required to pass the bill and needed the support of at least eight ruling party members. But most members of the ruling People Power Party left the assembly hall ahead of the impeachment vote.
Fewer than 200 of the assembly's 300 lawmakers ended up voting. The speaker said that due to a lack of voters, the bill was automatically scrapped. The result means Yoon will continue his duties as president. Local media report the opposition will try to file another impeachment motion.
Yoon plunged South Korea into chaos late on Tuesday after declaring emergency martial law. The measure was lifted after being overturned in parliament.
（2024年12月7日のニュース）
- National Assembly 韓国の「国会」speakerは国会の「議長」で、です。
- motionは「議案、動議」という意味です。
- impeachは「弾劾する」名詞形は、impeachment「弾劾」
- turmoilは「騒動、混乱」/in turmoil「混乱状態で」/has been in turmoilは、混乱状態が現在まで継続している
- declarationは「宣言、布告、申告」
martialは「軍の」で、martial lawは「戒厳令」
martial arts「武術、武道」 - two-thirds「３分の２」/「３分の１」one-third/ a third
- ruling party「与党」
- People Power Party 韓国の与党「国民の力」
- dutiesは、通例複数形で「職務、任務」
「（法的・道徳的な）義務」という場合には、単数形のduty
plunge「（悪い状態に）追い込む、突き落とす、陥れる」
lift「（禁止令などを）解除する、撤廃する」
martial law「戒厳令」
political activity「政治活動」
house search「家宅捜索」
plunge
Let's go to this sentence on that point from today's story: Yoon plunged South Korea into chaos late on Tuesday after declaring emergency martial law.
This sentence uses a distinctive verb: “plunge.” It originally comes from the Latin word for “lead.”
lead
[lɛd]
Lead was used to make things like fishing nets heavy so that they'd sink deep, deep down into the water.
So a lot of the words that developed out of those Latin roots have to do with lead 鉛, depth, sinking, or immersion.
Other words in the same family include “plumbing” and “plummet.”
There's also a good idiom that uses the word plunge. Imagine you're hesitating for a long time to do something — but then you decide to just “dive into the deep end” and see how it goes. That's what we'd call “taking the plunge.” Here's an example: After 15 years of dating, my sister and her boyfriend finally took the plunge and got married.
It's hard to guess where this situation is going to end up.
Maejima-san, how do you think it's going to affect relations between Japan and South Korea?
-How it's going to affect relations between Japan and South Korea. Well, I think if President Yoon is impeached and a President is elected from the opposition democratic party, it is inevitable that polisies will differ greatly from those of the administratio relationship between South Korea and Japan have been favorable under the Yoon administration, but the relationship could change drastically too.
---
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 クリスマス前に“おもちゃ病院”が活躍
12月24日(火)
Oh, how wonderful. Today's Chrismas Eve, isn't it?
BROKEN TOY? YOU BETTER NOT CRY …
Nobody likes to see a broken toy, especially at Christmas. But help is at hand from a group of generous volunteers across Japan. They're not elves, but they are skilled.
This workshop in Tokyo is known as a “toy hospital.” There are others nationwide. And they're especially busy at this time of year. The volunteers breathe new life into gifts from Christmases past.
This man in his 70s brought a Santa Claus doll that belonged to his daughter, who died seven years ago.
(Man brings in Santa doll)
“She loved it when he moved. This doll is filled with memories of my family.”
Japan's “toy hospitals” have been running for decades. Some gifts just keep on giving.
（2024年12月3日のニュース）
- elvesはelf「小人」の複数形
- this time of yearは「（毎年、１年のうちの）この時期」
- 現代ではpast Christmasesという語順にすることが多い、
Christmases pastは古風な響き
Christy, what exactly is gift just keep on giving?
-In U.S advertaisements you may hear the gift just keep on giving. It usually means that the gift will continue to bring joy for a long time or a gift that is used quite often. Personally, I love giving useful gifts.
--
This doll is filled with memories of my family.
This doll
is filled with memories
of my family.
--
She loved it when he moved. This doll is filled with memories of my family.
--
★現代のサンタクロース伝説を作ったポエム
I wonder what that poem is.
“The Night Before Christmas” < Christmas Eve
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
それはクリスマスの前の夜だった、そして家じゅう隅から隅まで、
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
生き物ひとつ動いていなかった、ネズミさえも眠っていた。
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
ストッキングは吊り下げられていた、暖炉のそばに注意深く、
In the hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
聖ニコラス（サンタクロース）がすぐに来てくれると期待して。
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
子どもたちは心地よくベッドで眠っていた、
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
甘いお菓子が踊る夢を見ながら。
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
彼はそりに飛び乗った、トナカイたちに口笛で発進を合図、
And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle;
そしてみんなが飛んで行った、アザミのダウンのようにふわっと；
But I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight,
でも私はサンタが叫ぶのを聞いた、そりが見えなくなる前に、
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
「みんなにメリークリスマス、そしてみんなにおやすみ！」
Christmas is such a magical time. expecially for children. I still remember as a child tying to wait up at night for Santa to come. But I always fell asleep before he came. I hope everyone listening has a Merry Christmas.
were nestled: くるまって、抱きかかえられていた（過去形）
all snug: 全員が心地よく、ぴったりと
- nestled: 通常、鳥が巣に身を寄せる様子を表しますが、ここでは子供がベッドに包まれている、安心した様子を表しています。
- snug: 暖かくぴったりとフィットしている、心地よい、という意味です。
ニュースで学ぶ「現代英語」 ルーマニア憲法裁“大統領選挙は無効”
12月23日(月)
Today, we will cover news from Romania, whic shares a border with Ukraine and is located close to Russia.
ROMANIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS ANNULLED
Romania's constitutional court has annulled the results of the first round of the country's presidential election, which was won by a pro-Moscow candidate. The move follows allegations that Russia interfered in the vote.
Calin Georgescu ran as an independent and campaigned heavily on TikTok. His victory took many by surprise in Romania. Georgescu responded on Friday to the court's announcement, saying the decision is a betrayal of democracy.
A runoff vote had been scheduled for Sunday. But authorities must now set a new date for the election. The court says it will seek to ensure that the process is fair and legal.
People in the capital, Bucharest, say they feel uneasy over what comes next for Romania.
On Wednesday, the Romanian government declassified documents that say Georgescu's election campaign videos were systematically promoted on social media to spread pro-Russia sentiment.
（2024年12月7日のニュース）
- annul「無効にする」
- run as an independentは「無所属候補として立候補する」
「自民党の公認候補として出馬する」と言う場合には、run on the Liberal Democratic Party ticket - take＋人＋by surprise「～（人）を驚かせる、～（人）に不意打ちを食らわす」
- runoff voteと言えば「決選投票」
- seek to …は「～するよう努める」
seekには「探し求める、努力する」
--
Romania's constitutional court has annulled the results of the first round of the country's presidential election.
Romania's constitutional court
has annulled the results of the first round
of the country's presidential election.
--
The results of the first round of Romania's presidential election have been annulled by the country's constitutional court.
--
★「神」を表すgod
the goddess of water（水の女神）という表現
Is this a god or just god?
-Well, in this case, we are talking about one of many gods. So it woould be a god or actually a Goddess as she is female.
godは、最初のgを大文字にするか小文字にするかで、使い方が異なります。
●最初のgを大文字にしたGodは、キリスト教などにおける唯一無二の「神」を表します。一方、
●全て小文字にしたgodは、複数の神を信仰する宗教での「神」を表すのに使われます。
a godと言えば「ひとりの神」（一柱の神）、
the godならば「その神」、
そして複数形のgodsは「神々」で、神道やギリシャ神話などに登場する神々も広く表すことができます
The ancient Greeks believed in many gods
英語では、大文字で書き始める名詞（固有名詞）と、小文字の名詞（普通の名詞）をはっきりと区別するのが大切なルールです。大文字には「これは名前です！」
・In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.