NHKニュースで学ぶ現代英語 2025年1月勉強分③
ブラジル版の“紅白歌合戦”
< 見出し>JAPANESE BRAZILIANS CARRY ON JAPAN’S CULTURE IN SONG
・Japanese Brazilian：日系ブラジル人
・carry on：引き継いで［継承して］行う
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.
・Sao Paulo：[ˈsaʊ ˈpaʊloʊ]
The event is aimed at passing on Japanese songs and culture to younger generations.
・pass on ～：～を引き継ぐ、伝える ※豆知識参照
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.
・contestant：コンテストの出場者、参加者、競争相手
・range from A to B：（物事などの幅が）ＡからＢに及ぶ、ＡとＢまでの幅がある、ＡとＢの間で変動する
※例) The price ranges from 10,000 yen to 20,000 yen.「その価格は１万円から２万円までの間で変動する」
The singers included some who had won karaoke contests in Brazil.
“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.”
【 豆知識：伝統を受け継ぐ表現の違い 】
pass on
人から人へ受け渡していくイメージ
hand down
は伝統や慣習を自分より若い人に託していく
政府 アフリカと経済面の連携強化へ
< 見出し>JAPAN PLANNING TO DEEPEN ECONOMIC TIES WITH AFRICA
NHK has learned that Japan’s government plans to deepen cooperation with the African Development Bank.
・NHK has learned that ～：「ＮＨＫの取材で～ということが分かった」
※このニュースが独自ネタであることを示す表現
The goal is to help Japanese companies boost their investments on the continent.
Africa is projected to grow into a major market with a population of two-and-a-half billion by 2050.
・grow into ～：～に発展する、成長する
The continent also has the potential to become a major supplier of mineral resources.
・mineral resources：鉱物資源
Sources say officials from Japan’s economy and industry ministry will sign a memorandum with the African Development Bank.
・memorandum：覚書 [mèmərǽndəm]
：複数形は、memorandums / memoranda
More than 80 countries are members of the bank.
One initiative the ministry is considering involves NEXI, a government-affiliated trade insurer.
・initiative：「率先して新しい行動を始めることで」→「構想、計画」
・NEXI：Nippon Export and Investment Insurance「日本貿易保険」の正式な英語名
※株式会社だが政府が全額出資している。
・～-affiliated：～関連の
・trade insurer：貿易保険業者
It would underwrite loans taken out by Japanese businesses from the bank when they invest in the development of mineral resources, hydrogen, ammonia, and the auto sector.
・underwrite：（保険で）保証責任を負う
・take out a loan：資金を借りる、ローンを組む
・hydrogen：水素 [háidrədʒən]
・ammonia：アンモニア [əmóuniə]
・auto sector：自動車部門
インドの18歳 史上最年少チェス世界王者に
< 見出し>INDIAN TEEN BECOMES YOUNGEST-EVER WORLD CHESS CHAMPION
And now, check this out: An Indian teenager is the youngest-ever world chess champion after edging out the Chinese titleholder in their showdown in Singapore.
・edge out：僅差で押しのける、僅かな差で勝つ
・showdown：最終決戦、最後の対決、決着の場
Eighteen-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju burst into tears after clinching victory Thursday.
・clinch ～：～を確定する、固定する [klíntʃ]
・clinch victory：勝利を収める
He fought 14 intense matches over three weeks against 32-year-old Ding Liren.
・fight a match against ～：～と対戦する
・intense：激しい
The series was expected to go to a tiebreaker, but a shock blunder by Ding handed Gukesh the win.
・go to a tiebreaker：タイブレーク、同点決勝ゲームに持ち込まれる
・blunder：大失敗、しくじり
・hand ～ the win：～に勝利を与える
The bearded prodigy told reporters he had dreamt about the moment for years.
・prodigy：（若い）天才
※人並み外れた才能を持つ子どもや若者を表す言葉
・dreamt：dreamの過去分詞
“I want to play for as long as I can, and I want to have a very, very long career and to stay at the very, very top.”
Gukesh began playing chess aged 7.
・aged ～：～歳で
※＝ at the age of ～
He is the second Indian grandmaster to be crowned champion of the world.
・crown：(動)栄誉を与える、栄冠を与える
TPPにイギリスが正式加盟
※関連ニュース：英がＴＰＰに正式加入
< 見出し>UK JOINS KEY ASIA-PACIFIC TRADE PACT
・key：重要な
・pact：協定、条約
The United Kingdom has formally joined a key trade pact centered on the Asia-Pacific region.
・centered on ～：～を中心とした
This expands the bloc’s sphere to Europe.
・bloc：（政治・経済上などの特殊な利益で結ばれたいくつかの国や団体の）圏、集団、ブロック [blɑk]
※例) free trade bloc：自由貿易圏
・sphere：範囲、領域
※例) sphere of influence：（ある国などが影響力を持つ）勢力範囲、勢力圏
The UK’s membership has been formalized in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP.
・formalize：正式なものにする
・comprehensive：包括的な、総合的な
・the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership：「環太平洋パートナーシップに関する包括的及び先進的な協定」の英語名（略称CPTPP）
※= TPP「環太平洋パートナーシップ協定」
A protocol on the pact came into effect on Sunday to include the country as its 12th member.
・protocol：（外交上などの）儀礼、典礼、協定、議定書
※例) the Kyoto Protocol：「京都議定書」
・come into effect：（法律や条約などが）効力を発する、発効する、実施（施行）される
※= go into effect / take effect
The UK is the first country to join since the pact was founded in 2018 by 11 signatories including Japan, Australia, Singapore, and Canada.
・signatory：署名者、調印者、（条約などの）加盟国
The members have a combined population of about 580 million and a total GDP of around 14.7 trillion dollars, or about 15 percent of the global figure.
・trillion：１兆
・figure：数字 [fígjər]
British whisky and other products will no longer be subject to tariffs when exported to Malaysia, with which the UK didn’t have a free trade agreement.
・be subject to ～：～の対象になる、～を課せられる
・tariff：関税 [tǽrif]
・free trade agreement：自由貿易協定（略称FTA）
Tariffs will also end on Japanese exports to the UK of rice and rice flour, as well as tires for construction vehicles.
【 豆知識：「ウイスキー」の綴り 】
whisky「ウイスキー」は、アメリカやアイルランド産のものには（一部の銘柄を除いて）whiskeyとeを加えたつづりも使われる。
イギリス特産の「スコッチウイスキー」はScotch whisky
コーセー タイの化粧品企業を買収へ
< 見出し>JAPAN’S KOSE COSMETICS GROUP TO BUY THAI BEAUTY BRAND
Japanese cosmetics group Kose says it is acquiring a Thai beauty brand to capitalize on growth in Asian markets.
・capitalize on ～：～を利用する、～を活用する
Kose announced it will pay about 12 billion yen, or roughly 80 million dollars, for a 79-percent stake in Puri.
・◯ percent stake in ～：～の◯％の株
The company is known for its Panpuri cosmetics brand.
Once the deal is completed, Puri will become a Kose subsidiary.
Puri has outlets in Thailand and Hong Kong. Kose plans to use Puri as a springboard to enter emerging markets in Southeast Asia and India.
・springboard：踏み切り板、飛び板
・emerging：新たに出現した、新興の
※emerge：出現する、浮上する
The Japanese company is hoping to reduce its reliance on its business in China.
・reliance：頼みにすること
What was once one of the firm’s main businesses has been struggling due to sluggish consumption and fierce local competition.
・sluggish：のろのろした、活気のない、低迷する、不景気な [slʌ́giʃ]
・fierce：激しい、猛烈な、どう猛な
Kose is also aiming to branch out into emerging markets in what is known as the Global South.
・branch out：「枝を出す」→「（商売の）手を広げる」
The business environment in China is also hurting the performance of another major Japanese cosmetics maker, Shiseido.
The company generates a quarter of its sales there.
・a quarter：４分の１