NHKニュースで学ぶ現代英語 2025年4月勉強分①

2025-04-15

砕氷艦“しらせ” オーストラリア訪問

< 見出し>JAPANESE ICEBREAKER VISITS AUSTRALIA
・icebreaker：砕氷艦、砕氷船

Japan’s famous icebreaker, the Shirase, has made a port call in Australia, carrying members of its Antarctic research expedition.
・make a port call：寄港する
・Antarctic：南極の [æntɑ́rktik]
　※ant- + Arctic「北極の」
・expedition：探検隊、遠征隊
・Antarctic research expedition：日本の「南極観測隊」

It moored at Fremantle Port on Sunday to reload supplies and replace personnel.
・moor：（船が）停泊する、（船を）係留する
・replace ～：～を交代する
・personnel：人員、隊員 [pə̀ːrsənnél]

The ship left Japan in November last year and operated in waters near Antarctica and at Syowa Station, the country’s Antarctic research base.
・operate：活動する
・waters：海域
　※「豆知識："water" に関する知識」参照
・Antarctica：南極、南極大陸
・Syowa Station：「昭和基地」
　※ニュースなどではShowa Stationとつづることもある。Syowaは「訓令式」というローマ字表記によるつづり。

On Tuesday, local school students were invited on board the vessel to learn about the expedition’s findings.
・on board：（乗り物に）乗って

They touched ice brought back from Antarctica.

“It was really cool touching the ice because it’s really old, and I never thought I would touch something that old before.”
The season is summer in Antarctica.

But this time, the team says there were days when the temperature was close to 10 degrees Celsius, with ice and snow around the base melting.
・days when ～：～する日、～した日

The Shirase will again conduct surveys off the Totten Glacier, which is one of Antarctica’s largest but is increasingly melting.

富士山 “実は5センチ高かった”

< 見出し>MT. FUJI FOUND TO BE 5 CENTIMETERS HIGHER THAN THOUGHT

Japanese land surveyors have made a discovery that could change the way we think about Japan’s tallest peak, at least a little bit.
・surveyor：測量士
・the way we think：考え方

They found that Mount Fuji is actually 5 centimeters higher than previously thought.

The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan conducted a survey to see how deformations in the Earth’s crust may have affected elevations across the country.
・geospatial：地理空間の [dʒìːouspéiʃəl]
・The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan：国土地理院
・deformation：変形
・crust：外側を覆う硬い表面、層
・the Earth’s crust：地殻
・elevation：標高

It used new methods incorporating satellite data, which the organization says not only saves time but is also more accurate.
・incorporate：取り入れる、組み込む

Measurements taken last July at Mount Fuji placed its altitude at 3,775.56 meters.
・place：（ある場所に）置く、（情報などを）位置づける
・altitude：海抜、標高
And that’s not all.

From next month, the survey’s results will also be applied for use in mapping and construction projects.
・map ～：～の地図を作る

オンラインカジノ 初の実態調査

< 見出し>POLICE: ILLEGAL ONLINE BETS IN JAPAN TOTAL $8.4 BIL. ANNUALLY

Police in Japan have conducted their first-ever survey into online gambling in this country.
・first-ever：初の
　※物事が初めて行われたことを強調している
・survey into ～：～（調査対象） を詳しく調査する
　※surveyのストレス位置：《動》sərvéi 《名》sʌ́rvei

They found that millions are likely placing bets at cyber casinos, and many don’t realize what they’re doing is illegal.
・place a bet：金を賭ける、賭博をする
・cyber casino：日本での「オンラインカジノ」
　※英語ではonline casinoや、virtual casinoなど

The National Police Agency surveyed more than 27,000 people in Japan.

Based on the results, the agency estimates over 3.3 million people have bet money online at some point.
・at some point：ある時点で、ある時

Almost 2 million are believed to currently be active users.

And they believe around 8.4 billion dollars’ worth of bets are being placed from Japan annually.

Japanese law forbids online gambling even on websites based in countries where the practice is legal.
・practice：行為、習慣

But police say 44 percent of respondents out of 7,000 gamblers and non-gamblers did not know that it’s illegal to bet money online from Japan.

Police say the survey shows how widespread online gambling has become in Japan, and they plan to raise awareness so more people know it’s against the law.
・raise awareness：意識や関心を高める、啓発する
　※大きな社会問題などへの人々の関心を高めること。

【 豆知識：文法ルールに反した現象 】
英語に接していると、文法の基本ルールが守られていないことがある。
そういったルールの１つが「三単現」で、「s」が付くべきところで付いていなかったり、その逆だったりすることがある。
この現象は、主に話し言葉においてときどき見られる。

＜理由＞
・名詞など近くにある表現に「つられて」動詞を決めてしまう現象が起こる。
・途中に長い語句が挟まれていて、それに影響されてしまう現象が起こる。
※書き言葉であれば目でつながりを確認しやすいため、こういった現象は起きにくい。

教科書や英語教材は模範なので標準的な文法を守った英語で書かれているが、現実の英語ではこのような文法ルールに反しているように思える物も多い。

フィリピン前大統領 ICCに引き渡し

< 見出し>EX-PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT DUTERTE HANDED OVER TO ICC

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has arrived in The Hague to face trial for crimes against humanity.

He was charged for his brutal “war on drugs” while in office.
・brutal：残忍な、残酷な

Duterte was flown from his country to the Netherlands.
・fly ～：～を空輸する、～を飛行機で運ぶ

Officials from the International Criminal Court took him into custody on Wednesday.
・take ～ into custody：～を拘束する、拘留する、拘置する

The ICC has been investigating Duterte over the crackdown that claimed thousands of lives.
・crackdown：取り締まり
　※cf. crack down (on ～)：（～を）取り締まる
・claim：（人命を）奪う
　※この意味でのclaimは、病気や災害、事故などを主語にすることが多い。

The court issued an arrest warrant for him last Friday.

In a statement, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan called Duterte’s arrest a “crucial step” in the court’s work to ensure accountability for victims of the campaign.
・crucial：極めて重要な
・accountability：結果（に対する）責任

Duterte was mayor of Davao in the southern Philippines before serving as the country’s president for six years from 2016.

飲食のインバウンド消費を3倍に

< 見出し>JAPAN AIMS TO BOOST FOOD SALES AMONG TOURISTS, OVERSEAS

The government is said to have set its first targets to boost spending on Japanese cuisine by visitors to the country and in overseas nations.
・cuisine：料理、食事 [kwizíːn]

Sources say the goal is to boost tourist spending on food and beverages to 4.5 trillion yen, or 30 billion dollars, by 2030.

That’s triple the figure for 2023.
・triple the figure：GPT欄参照

The government also plans events in other countries to promote Japan’s food culture.

It has set a goal to boost revenue from Japanese food-related businesses overseas to 3 trillion yen by 2030.

That’s nearly twice the figure for 2022.
・twice the figure：GPT欄参照

The targets are expected to be included in the government’s five-year plan on agricultural policy.
・policy：政策