NHKニュースで学ぶ現代英語 2026年1月勉強分①
インフルエンザ 子ども中心に流行
< 見出し>JAPAN’S EARLY FLU SEASON HITS CHILDREN HARD
The number of influenza cases in Japan is rising faster than last year.
Many of the patients are children.
The Japan Institute for Health Security says nearly 200,000 cases were reported by about 3,000 medical institutions in the week through last Sunday.
The average number of cases per medical institution hit 51.12.
The figure topped 50 for the first time this flu season.
The threshold was reached about a month earlier than last year.
・threshold：境目となる値や数値、基準値 [θréʃhould]
The health ministry says during a one-week period in early November, about 80 percent of the cases involved people under the age of 20.
An expert says the pediatric wards of some hospitals have been short of beds.
・pediatric：小児科の [pìːdiǽtrik]
・ward：（ここでは）病棟
・short of ～：～が不足して、乏しい
He says some children have developed encephalopathy and are in serious condition.
・develop：患う、発症する
・encephalopathy：脳症、脳障害 [ensèfəlɔ́pəθi]
The expert is calling for ventilating classrooms, wearing masks in crowded areas, and washing hands frequently.
・ventilate：換気する
He also recommends vaccinations to prevent flu from developing into a serious illness.
・develop into ～：～に進行する、発展して～になる
北陸の冬の味覚“かぶらずし”
< 見出し>FERMENTED SUSHI HERALDS THE HOLIDAY SEASON
・herald ～：～の到来を告げる [hérəld]
Production of a beloved winter delicacy is
ramping up as Japan heads into the year-end season.
・ramp up：増やす、上昇する
※量やペース、規模などが段階的に上がっていくニュアンス
In factories across the Hokuriku region, workers are racing to fill orders for a fermented sushi dish called “kabura-zushi.”
・fill an order for ～：～の注文に応じる
The cold-season classic is made by sandwiching slices of fish between thick, round slices of turnip.
・classic：（伝統に支えられた）定番
・sandwich ～：(動)～を間に挟む
Workers at a long-established factory in Kanazawa are assembling this year’s batches.
・long-established：長い歴史を持つ、長い伝統のある
・assemble ～：～を組み立てる、作る
They slip slices of yellowtail, fermented in salt for about ten months, into turnip that’s been cured for around three days.
・yellowtail：日本の「ブリ」
・cure：（塩漬けなどにして）保存用に処理する
The pieces are then packed into bowls, slathered with a fermented rice paste, and garnished with shredded carrot for color.
The whole package is then left to pickle for about 10 days.
・slather：（どろっとしたものを）塗りつける、べったり塗る [slǽðər]
・fermented rice paste：（ここでは）米麹
Many boxes will be snapped up as winter gifts, and with the holidays approaching fast, the next few weeks will be busy ones in Kanazawa.
・snap up：（人気があって）すぐに買う、さっと買う
・with the holidays approaching fast：「with」について下記GPT欄参照
“Many boxes will be snapped up ･･･, and with the holidays approaching fast, the next few weeks will ･･･." の「with」はなぜ「as」ではない？
「時間の流れを描きたいか」「状況を添えたいか」 の違い。
「～につれて」という時間変化よりも「そういう状況を背景として」を言いたかった。
① as = 変化のプロセスを描く
A が進行する、それと並行して B が変化する、という動的な対応関係を表す。
例：
As winter deepens, temperatures drop.
As the deadline approaches, tensions rise.
★時間の進行が主役
② with = すでにそういう状況にある
with + 名詞 + V-ing は、変化の途中経過ではなく「今まさにそういう状況を背負った状態で主文が成り立つ」という感覚。
with the holidays approaching fast 「休日が目前に迫っているという状況で」
★状態・背景が主役
オープンAI 社内に“非常事態”宣言
< 見出し>OPENAI CEO REPORTEDLY DECLARES 'CODE RED’ TO IMPROVE CHATGPT
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly declared a “code red” to call on employees to improve its flagship product ChatGPT.
This comes as the firm faces increasing pressure from rivals in the generative AI field.
The Wall Street Journal says Altman instructed employees to delay other products and focus on enhancing ChatGPT.
He specifically called for increasing the chatbot’s speed and reliability and enabling it to answer a wider range of questions.
A senior OpenAI official wrote on X that the company’s focus is “to keep making ChatGPT more capable, continue growing, and expand access around the world.”
・capable：能力がある、有能な
The program’s release three years ago kick-started
an era of intense competition in generative AI.
・kick-start：勢いよく始める、弾みをつける
・intense：強力な、激しい
Google last month put out
Gemini 3, the latest version of its AI model.
・put out：発表する、リリースする
And startup Anthropic is also speeding up development.
ウクライナ キーウでクリスマスツリー点灯
< 見出し>CHRISTMAS TREE LIT IN KYIV AMID THOUGHTS OF PEACE
A Christmas tree has been lit in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Many people gathered for the lighting ceremony on Friday and reflected on peace.
・reflect on ～：～について深く考える、振り返る
A Christmas tree has been installed each year
around this time in the square in front of St. Sophia Cathedral since the Russian invasion began.
・each year：everyではなくeachを使うことで「困難な状況にかかわらず、どの年も欠かさずに行っている」というニュアンス。
※「それぞれの年」とはロシアの侵攻が始まってからの２０２２～２０２５各年のことで、１年１年を区切って強調している。
This year’s tree, measuring about 18 meters in height, is the tallest so far.
“We face difficult living conditions and war, but somehow the tree cheers me up and warms my heart. It’s like magic.”
・cheer ～ up：「up」を付ける効果については「参照動詞に付く”up”のニュアンスと句動詞例」参照。
“The Christmas tree is our little delight, as every city has been suffering from major destruction and loss.”
・destruction：破壊すること、破滅すること
Eighteen meters of hope and encouragement.
・この文：動詞などをあえて省略して、厳しい状況の中で「１８メートル（のツリー）が希望と励ましの象徴となっている」という共感の気持ちを強調している。