NHKニュースで学ぶ現代英語 2025年1月勉強分①
“塩水で分解”プラスチック開発
< 見出し>JAPAN-LED TEAM DEVELOPS OCEAN-DEGRADABLE PLASTIC
・degradable：分解可能な [digréidəbəl]
An international team led by a Japanese researcher says it has developed a new type of plastic that breaks down in seawater.
・break down：壊れる、崩壊する、（話し合いが）決裂する、（化学的に）分解される
It says the material is durable and recyclable and can help reduce pollution by keeping microplastics out of the oceans.
・durable：耐久性に優れた、永続的な [djúrəbəl]
Aida Takuzo at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science heads the team.
・RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science：理化学研究所創発物性科学研究センター」の英語名称
It published its results in the U.S. journal Science on Friday.
・journal：（専門分野の）学術誌、刊行物
The researchers sought to develop a material to replace conventional plastics made from fossil fuels.
・seek to ～：～を追い求める、～しようと努める
They say their new type of plastic is colorless and transparent and has the same strength and thermal resistance as polypropylene.
・polypropylene：ポリプロピレン [pɔ̀lipróupilìːn]
※従来型のプラスチックの１つ、ＰＰ（樹脂）。
They call the new material supramolecular plastic – “polymers with structures held together by reversible interactions.”
・supramolecular：超分子の
※supra-「超えた、上の」＋molecular「分子の」
・polymer：ポリマー、高分子化合物、重合体
・interaction：相互作用
They made the substance by combining two ionic monomers, one of which is a common food additive.
・substance：物質
・ionic：イオン性の
・monomer：モノマー、単量体
※小さな分子から成る化合物（低分子化合物）
・additive：添加物、添加剤
The plastic’s main ingredients can both be broken down by bacteria.
【 豆知識："plastic" の様々な意味 】
様々な形に成形しやすいという特性 → 「（形）さまざまな形に成形できる」
例
・plastic material：プラスチックな素材
・plastic surgery：整形外科
合成で人工的な素材である →「偽物」、「うわべだけの」
例
・ plastic smile：作り笑顔
クレジットカードを指す
例
・"pay with plastic"：クレジットカードで払う
イスラエルとレバノン 停戦合意発効
< 見出し>ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE IN EFFECT
・ceasefire：停戦 [sisfáiər]
※cease「やめる、終わらせる」+ fire「砲火」
・(be) in effect：発効して、施行されて
※cf. go into effect / come into effect：発効する、効力を生じる
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is in effect.
The Israeli and Lebanese governments arranged the deal after over a year of clashes, including exchanges of airstrikes and rockets in just the past few days.
The ceasefire began 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden announced it.
・shortly after ～：～のあと間もなく
The U.S. says Hezbollah will withdraw from the south.
・withdraw：撤収する、撤退する、引き揚げる
Lebanon’s army and security forces will regain control.
・security forces：治安部隊
They’ll prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding infrastructure as Israeli forces gradually pull out over the next 60 days.
・prevent ～ from ･･･：～が･･･するのを防ぐ ※豆知識参照
・pull out：撤収する、引き揚げる
Israel’s prime minister said his country agreed to the deal to focus on threats from Iran, as well as Hamas in Gaza.
・as well as ～：～と同じように
※ここでのようにandの代わりに使われることがある。
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati says the agreement is a fundamental step toward establishing calm and stability.
And he says it will lay the groundwork for the return of people who have been displaced by the fighting.
・groundwork：（建物の）基礎工事、土台工事
・lay the groundwork for ～：～の下地を作る、～の土台を築く、～の準備をする
Violence between Israel and Hezbollah began after Hamas launched its October 7 attack from Gaza.
【 豆知識："from" は「起点から離しておく」イメージ 】
fromは、起点から距離がある（離れている）イメージの中で、その対象から引き離すニュアンスがある。
例
・prevent A from B
・stop A from B
・keep A from B
・prohibit A from B （離しておく → 禁止する）
※fromには原因の意味もあるが、これも同じ理由から。
ALS新薬 製造販売を了承
< 見出し>JAPAN HEALTH MINISTRY PANEL GREENLIGHTS ALS DRUG
A new drug to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, has cleared a major hurdle on the path to being produced and sold in Japan.
・amyotrophic lateral sclerosis：筋萎縮性側索硬化症（ALS）
・clear a major hurdle：大きな障害を乗り越える、大きなハードルをクリアする
・on the path to ～：～への途上にある
An expert panel at the health ministry on Monday gave the green light to “tofersen.”
The drug was developed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Biogen.
The next step will be formal approval by the ministry.
ALS is a neurological disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness.
It affects an estimated 10,000 people in Japan.
・affect：（ここでは病気が）冒す、襲う
Officials at the firm’s Japan arm say the drug is for ALS patients with a mutation in a specific gene called “SOD1” that accounts for about 2 percent of ALS cases.
・arm：部門、機関
・mutation：（突然）変異
Scientists say the mutations cause the creation of abnormal proteins and lead to symptoms.
・abnormal：異常な
Tofersen is expected to prevent the production of such harmful proteins.
Experts say the new drug will be the first for use in Japan that addresses an underlying cause of ALS.
・address：対処する、取り組む
・underlying：下部の、根本的な、内在する
・cause：原因
※今回放送での学習ポイントは以下
豆知識：抽象的な存在にはtheを付けない
プラスチックめぐる国際条約 合意見送り
< 見出し>UN MEETING DEFERS DRAFT TREATY ON PLASTIC POLLUTION
・defer：延期する、先送りする
・treaty：条約
Negotiators working on the UN’s first-ever treaty on plastic pollution have agreed to postpone a draft agreement.
Delegates remain divided over major sticking points, such as whether to restrict plastic production.
・delegate：代理人、代表者
・sticking point：（交渉などの）行き詰まりになりそうな問題、対立点、支障
The chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, said negotiators had not reached consensus on several key issues.
・intergovernmental：（2ヶ国以上の）政府間の
・committee：委員会
・consensus：（意見などの）一致、合意、（大多数の）一致した意見、総意
※con「一緒に、共に」+ sensus「（ラテン語）感じる」。同類に「consent（同意）」「dissent（異議）」「consensual（合意の）」
・reach consensus on ～：～について意見の一致をみる、合意する
The participants agreed to the postponement proposed by the chair during the final plenary session.
・propose：提案する
・plenary：全員出席の
・session：会議、総会
The chair released a revised draft treaty earlier Sunday, the last day of the weeklong talks in South Korea.
・weeklong：1週間に渡る
One option sided with a proposal by the EU to set a global target to cut plastic output and require countries to report steps they take to achieve the goal.
・side with ～：～の側につく、～に味方する
・output：生産
Another option omitted such restrictions, reflecting strong opposition by oil-producing nations.
Global plastic waste output hit 353 million metric tons in 2019, more than double the amount produced in 2000.
・metric ton：メートルトン、メートル法でのトン（１０００キログラム相当）
※tonと言うと、アメリカなどではshort ton（およそ９０７キロ）、イギリスなどではlong ton（およそ１０１６キロ）を指すことになるため、混乱を避けるため、metric tonという単位の正確な名称を使って重さを表している。
水道水のPFAS濃度 14か所で目標値超え
< 見出し>JAPAN RELEASES RESULTS OF NATIONWIDE PFAS WATER SURVEY
For the first time, Japan’s government has released the results of an expansive, nationwide survey into levels of potentially harmful PFAS chemicals in tap water.
None of the treatment facilities tested this fiscal year found levels beyond the target for safety.
But gaps remain in the overall picture.
・gap：空白、欠落している部分
・overall picture：全体像
PFAS chemicals are a group of organic compounds, which some studies argue lead to cancer risks.
・compound：合成物、化合物
・argue ～：～と主張する、正当だと論じる、根拠を示す
The new survey results cover water quality tests from the 2020 fiscal year up to this September.
・cover：（範囲に）含む、扱う
・up to ～：～に至るまで
It found no facilities detected PFAS levels above the target for tap water in fiscal 2024 so far.
Over the previous four years, 14 water providers reported contaminations beyond that threshold.
・contamination：汚染、汚染物
・threshold：基準値 [θréʃhould]
They solved the issue by making changes, including switching water sources.
The survey shows more and more Japanese water facilities are carrying out PFAS inspections each year.
But as of 2024, about 40 percent have not, or chose not to provide information to the government.