NHKニュースで学ぶ現代英語 2025年9月勉強分③

2025-09-21

ガザ地区 物資投下の限界と混乱

< 見出し>AIRDROPPING FOOD TO COMBAT GAZA FAMINE

In addition to intense Israeli strikes, people in the Gaza Strip are being hit by severe food shortages.

Countries are airdropping food and aid supplies as Israel is restricting road deliveries.
・aid supplies：支援物資
　※suppliesは「必要とする食料・医療品・燃料・日用品などの物資」で、この意味では通常は複数形。
・restrict ～：～を制限する

Pasta, canned food, and other items are gathered at an air force base in Jordan.

The pallets weigh up to one ton. They’re loaded onto a military transport aircraft.
・pallet：（貨物を載せる）木枠、荷台（ここでは「その上にまとめられた荷物全体」）
・weigh ～：重さが～（数字）ある

Airdropped food and aid supplies are one of the lifelines for people in Gaza.
・lifeline：（困難難な状況において人や組織、地域が）生命や生活を維持するために必要な極めて大事な物

A cameraman at NHK’s Gaza office captured the situation on the ground.

People run to reach the supplies. One package lands on the roof of this house.
・reach：そこに到達するまでに困難を伴う、あるいは労力を要するといったニュアンス。

At another location, people are fighting over the food.

Children at the scene are picking up beans. They’re desperately collecting food that has fallen out of the boxes.

The airdropped supplies are said to be far smaller than the amount that can be delivered by trucks.

A spokesperson for the Jordanian government acknowledges the limitations of the airdrops.
・acknowledge：事実だと認める、認識する

But he says countries have no choice but to continue the operations for now.
・have no choice but to ～：（～する以外に）選択肢はない、～せざるをえない

スマホ“1日2時間” 条例案提出

< 見出し>JAPANESE CITY PROPOSES CAPPING SCREEN TIME AT 2 HOURS
・screen time：（スマートフォンやタブレット、ゲームなどの）画面を見る時間

Everyone seems to be staring at their smartphones these days.

But how much screen time is too much?

That’s a question being taken up by a city in central Japan.
・take up：（問題などを）取り上げる

The government of Toyoake City in Aichi Prefecture submitted a proposal to the municipal assembly on Monday.
・proposal：提案、提議、企画案
・assembly：議会

It calls for a two-hour limit on screen time outside work and studies.

The draft ordinance warns prolonged use of phones, tablets, video games, and other devices may lead to a lack of sleep and other health problems.
・ordinance：（市町村の）条例
・prolong：長引かせる

It says it can also have a negative impact on households by reducing communication and hindering the healthy development of children.
・household：家庭、世帯
・hinder：妨げる、邪魔する [híndər]

But city officials say there will be no penalties for exceeding the limit.

The city says it received a total of 110 phone calls and emails on the proposal after the announcement came out on Thursday until noon on Monday.

About 70 percent were reportedly against the ordinance.
・be against ～：～に反対している、～を好まない



【 豆知識：動詞 “cap" の使用例 】
cap：(動)かぶせる、ふたをする、頂点を覆う、上限を定める、制限する

例
「ふたをする」
“Please cap the pen when you are done using it."「ペンを使い終わったらキャップをはめてください」

「覆う」
“Mount Fuji was capped with snow."「富士山は雪で頂上が覆われていた」

「上限を定める」
・"They should cap oil prices, or people won’t be able to afford gas."：「石油価格に上限を設けるべきだ、そうしないと人々はガソリンを買えなくなる。」
・"Monthly data usage is capped at 5GB."「月ごとのデータ使用量は５ＧＢが上限です」

“to cap it all (off)"「あげくの果てに、極めつけに」
・"First, we got lost. Then it started to rain. And to cap it all off, the museum was closed."「私たちは道に迷い、それから雨が降り出し、極めつけに美術館は閉まっていた」

タイ憲法裁判所 首相の解職を命令

< 見出し>THAI COURT RULES TO DISMISS PM PAETONGTARN
・rule：（法廷などが）判決・判断を下す、決定する

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled to dismiss Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
・dismiss：解職する、解雇する　※豆知識参照

The court found she violated ethical standards in her handling of border disputes with neighboring Cambodia.
・handling：対処、対応
・dispute：紛争
・border dispute：国境紛争

The Lower House will now move to choose a new prime minister amid lingering tensions with Phnom Penh.
・linger：長引く、居残る、手間取る
・Phnom Penh：プノンペン（カンボジアの首都）

Paetongtarn spoke to reporters following the court decision on Friday.
・speak to reporters：会見や囲み取材などで発言すること
・following ～：～の後に

The former premier said she never asked for anything that would benefit herself personally.
・benefit ～：(動)～（人物）に利益をもたらす

Paetongtarn got into hot water when her phone conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen in June was leaked.
・get into hot water：窮地に立たされる、苦境に陥る
・Senate：上院 [sénət]
・Senate President：上院議長
　※参考「豆知識：（自分で）アメリカの議会関連の語彙の整理」

Paetongtarn appeared to appease Hun Sen and disparage a Thai Army commander during their discussion about the border disputes.
・appear to ～：～のようにみえる、思える
・appease：おもねる、相手の気に入るような言動をとる [əpíz]
・disparage：過小評価する

A group of senators filed a petition with the Constitutional Court demanding her removal from office.
・senators：上院議員
・petition：申し立て
・file a petition with ～：～に申し立てをする
・removal from office：免職、職務からの解任・解職

The court suspended her premiership last month.
・premiership：首相の職務

The 39-year-old is the daughter of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

She became the country’s youngest prime minister only a year ago.


【 豆知識："dismiss" の色々な意味 】
dismissのコアイメージは「向こうへ追いやってしまう」。
ややフォーマルな場面で使われる傾向がある

例
「（提案・アイディアなどを）却下する」
“He dismissed my proposal as unrealistic."「彼は私の提案を非現実的だと却下した。」

「（要求・訴えなどを）退ける、棄却する」
“The court dismissed her appeal."「裁判所は彼女の控訴を棄却した。」

「（クラスを）解散させる」
“The teacher dismissed the class early."「先生は早めに授業を終わらせた。」

茨城 カジキ釣りの国際大会

< 見出し>JAPANESE, FOREIGN ANGLERS JOIN MARLIN TOURNAMENT
・angler：釣り人
　※特に釣り針と釣り糸などの釣り道具を使って趣味で魚を釣る人を指す。
・marlin：カジキ

Anglers from Japan and overseas have gathered north of Tokyo for a marlin fishing tournament.

Two hundred thirty-three fishers in 46 teams are competing based on the number and weight of their catches.

Boats set out from Oarai Port in Ibaraki Prefecture shortly after 6 a.m. on Friday.
・shortly after ～：～の直後に

They trolled for marlin using lures.
・troll：流し釣りをする
　※trolling「トローリング」は、ボートを巡航させて魚を釣る方法
・lure：疑似餌

The local government began the competition three years ago to promote coastal areas as tourist spots.

A team from Chiba Prefecture made the only catch the first day, a single fish that weighed in at 78.5 kilograms.
・make a catch：（魚や動物などを）捕らえる、釣り上げる
　※日付の前に前置詞がない件についてGPT欄参照
・weigh in at ～：計量で～を記録した

“We didn’t give up until the last second, so when we finally made a catch, we were so excited.”

A fish market hosted a demonstration of how the fish are cut.
・demonstration of how the fish are cut：（マグロなどの）解体ショー

Two fishmongers filleted a two-meter-long marlin that weighed over 40 kilograms.
・fishmonger：鮮魚店、魚を売る人
　※monger：屋、商人
・fillet：(動)（魚や肉を）切り身にする [ˈfɪlɪt]
　※名詞の場合はイギリス英語は[ˈfɪlɪt]（フィリット）、アメリカ英語は[ˈfɪleɪ]

The competition wraps up Sunday.
　※曜日の前に前置詞がない件についてGPT欄参照

【 豆知識：前置詞 “for" は「交換」という意味でも使われる 】
前置詞forは「何かを求める」というニュアンス以外に、何かと何かを＜交換＞するという文脈でも使われる。

例
“I traded my sandwich for his chocolate."「私のサンドイッチと彼のチョコレートを交換した。」

これも、チョコレートを「求めて」交換した、と考えることができる。