Lesson 153: 新聞の 記事を 読む

N2 · Lesson 153 · 20 min — Read a local newspaper story about Rin and review the patterns from Lessons 148–152 in one go

No new grammar in this lesson! Read a newspaper story about Rin with Rin, Kumata and Neko-sensei at the station newsstand, and practice the patterns from Lessons 148–152 (adding, judging, occasions, order and change) all together.

After this lesson, you can:

• Use ばかりでなく・うえに・のみならず to say "not only ~ but also ~"
• Use どころか・どころではない・にすぎない・にほかならない to say "let alone ~ / no time for ~ / only ~ / nothing but ~"
• Use に 際さいして・に あたって・た 上うえで・る 上うえで to read "on the occasion of ~ / after ~ / when it comes to ~"
• Use 次第しだい・末すえに・か〜ないかの うちに・かと 思おもうと to put events in order
• Use あげく・つつ ある・一方いっぽうだ・やら〜やら to talk about change and a pile of chores

Rin Makes the News!

More signatures keep coming, and the construction plan is being prepared. By the end of the year, the local paper runs a story about Rin! (記事きじ = article, 取材しゅざい = interview by a reporter)

Articles use のみならず and うえに to pile things on, and 末すえに and 次第しだい to put things in order. Rin is famous now, but some people in the neighborhood association are not so happy…

Reading a News Article

The text in 「」 is the original article. Find where the patterns from Lessons 148–152 are used! Tap each line to hear the Japanese.

Vocabulary for This Lesson

• 記事きじ (kiji): article, news story
• 見出みだし (midashi): headline (of a newspaper or article)
• 取材しゅざい (shuzai): interview (by a reporter)
• 記者きしゃ (kisha): reporter
• 活動かつどう (katsudō): activity, campaign (continuing effort for a goal)
• 中心ちゅうしん (chūshin): center
• 店主てんしゅ (tenshu): shop owner
• 歩道ほどう (hodō): sidewalk
• 一部いちぶ (ichibu): a part, a portion
• 挙あげる (ageru): to raise, to lift
• 当日とうじつ (tōjitsu): the day itself (the day that was planned)
• 教科書きょうかしょ (kyōkasho): textbook
• 緊張きんちょう (kinchō): nervousness, tension
• 迷まよう (mayou): to hesitate, to be unable to decide
• 写うつる (utsuru): to appear in a photo
• 読よみ終おわる (yomiowaru): to finish reading
• 部ぶ (bu): counter for copies (newspapers, documents)
• たいやき (taiyaki): taiyaki (fish-shaped cake)

Grammar 1 / 5: ばかりでなく・うえに・のみならず

ばかりでなく = not only ~ but also ~; うえに = on top of ~ (adding in the same direction); のみならず = not only ~ (formal)

• ばかりでなく (ばかりか): Plain form + ばかりでなく、〜も: not only A, but B too. A noun connects directly or with である (漢字かんじばかりでなく). A na-adjective uses な／である (有名ゆうめいな ばかりでなく). You can also say ばかりか (also formal-sounding). In speech, people often say だけじゃなく.
• うえに: Noun-modifying form + うえに: on top of ~. A and B must point the same way: good + good (安やすい うえに おいしい) or bad + bad (雨あめの うえに 寒さむい). A noun connects with の.
• のみならず: Plain form / noun + のみならず: not only ~. The meaning is the same as ばかりでなく, but it is more formal and is very common in news articles and academic papers.

• この 町まちは 静しずかな ばかりでなく、食たべ物ものも おいしい。 — This town is not only quiet, the food is also delicious.
• 今日きょうは 雨あめの うえに、風かぜも 強つよい。 — It's raining today, and on top of that the wind is strong.
• この 問題もんだいは 日本にほんのみならず、世界せかいの 問題もんだいだ。 — This problem is not only Japan's problem, but also the whole world's problem.

Grammar 2 / 5: どころか・どころではない・にすぎない・にほかならない

どころか = let alone ~, even ~; どころではない = no time for ~; に すぎない = nothing more than ~; に ほかならない = nothing other than ~

• どころか: Plain form / noun + どころか: (1) let alone A, even (the easier) B (not) ~: 新聞しんぶんどころか ひらがなも. (2) far from A, rather B: 休やすむ どころか 忙いそがしく なった.
• どころではない (どころじゃない): Dictionary-form verb / noun + どころではない: you are too busy or in trouble, so you have no time or energy for that thing: 試験しけんが 近ちかくて、遊あそぶ どころでは ない.
• に すぎない・に ほかならない: Plain form / noun + に すぎない = nothing more than ~ (makes something small, modest); noun + に ほかならない = nothing other than ~ (emphasis, a conclusion): 努力どりょくの 結果けっかに ほかならない.

• 熱ねつが あって、旅行りょこうどころでは ない。 — I have a fever, so there's no way I can travel.
• 彼かれは 謝あやまる どころか、怒おこって しまった。 — He didn't apologize. Instead, he got angry.
• これは 小ちいさい 一歩いっぽに すぎない。 — This is nothing more than a small step.
• この 成功せいこうは、みんなの 協力きょうりょくの 結果けっかに ほかならない。 — This success is nothing other than the result of everyone working together.

Grammar 3 / 5: に際さいして・にあたって・た上うえで・る上うえで

に 際さいして = on the occasion of ~; に あたって = when ~ (an important moment); た 上うえで = after ~, then ~; る 上うえで = when it comes to ~

• に 際さいして・に あたって: Dictionary-form verb / noun + に 際さいして = at the time of ~ (formal situations, procedures). What follows is usually a preparation or action done on purpose for it. に あたって also means "at the time of ~" and is mostly used just before starting something important: 入学にゅうがくに あたって. Both are very formal, so don't use them for small daily things.
• た 上うえで: Verb た-form / Nの + 上うえで: first do A (as a basis), then B: 説明せつめいを 聞きいた 上うえで、申もうし込こむ.
• る 上うえで: Dictionary-form verb / Nの + 上うえで（は）: in doing ~, when it comes to ~: 外国がいこくで 生活せいかつする 上うえで、言葉ことばは 大切たいせつだ.

• 出発しゅっぱつに 際さいして、パスポートを 確認かくにんして ください。 — When you leave, please check your passport.
• 新あたらしい 店みせを 開ひらくに あたって、町まちの 人ひとに あいさつを した。 — On the occasion of opening the new shop, he greeted the people of the town.
• 説明せつめいを よく 読よんだ 上うえで、申もうし込こんで ください。 — Please read the explanation carefully first, and then sign up.

Grammar 4 / 5: 次第しだい・末すえに・か〜ないかのうちに・かと思おもうと

次第しだい = as soon as ~ (then I will do); 末すえに = after much ~, finally; か〜ないかの うちに = just as ~ (almost at the same time); かと 思おもうと = no sooner ~ than

• 次第しだい: Verb ます-stem (出で・分わかり) / noun form of a する-verb + 次第しだい: as soon as ~, (I will) do it right away. What follows is your own intention or a request, common in business messages: 分わかり次第しだい、ご連絡れんらくします.
• 末すえに: Verb た-form / Nの + 末すえ（に）: after a lot of hard work or worry, finally ~: 悩なやんだ 末すえに、決きめた (after worrying for a long time, I decided).
• か〜ないかの うちに・かと 思おもうと: "Dictionary / た-form + か + the same verb's ない-form + かの うちに" = the first thing had almost not finished when the next one happened (撮とり終おわるか 撮とり終おわらないかの うちに; in speech the second verb is sometimes shortened, but in writing repeat it fully). "た-form + かと 思おもうと (かと 思おもったら)" = no sooner ~ than ~. かと 思おもうと describes other people or things, not your own actions.

• 会議かいぎが 終おわり次第しだい、電話でんわします。 — As soon as the meeting ends, I will call right away.
• 三年さんねん 研究けんきゅうした 末すえに、新あたらしい 薬くすりが できた。 — After three years of research, they finally made a new medicine.
• ベルが 鳴なるか 鳴ならないかの うちに、生徒せいとたちは 教室きょうしつを 出でた。 — The bell had barely rung when the students rushed out of the classroom.
• 兄あには 帰かえって きたかと 思おもうと、また 出でかけた。 — My older brother had just come home, and he went out again right away.

Grammar 5 / 5: あげく・つつある・一方いっぽうだ・やら〜やら

あげく = after all the trouble, in the end ~ (bad result); つつ ある = gradually ~; 一方いっぽうだ = more and more ~ (only one direction); やら〜やら = ~ and ~ (a pile of things)

• つつ ある: Verb ます-stem + つつ ある: gradually ~ (a change in progress, written style): 工事こうじの 準備じゅんびが 進すすみつつ ある.
• 一方いっぽうだ: Dictionary-form verb + 一方いっぽうだ: more and more ~, changing in only one direction and not stopping (usually a worrying change): 物価ぶっかは 上あがる 一方いっぽうだ (prices only keep going up).
• あげく・やら〜やら: た-form / Nの + あげく（に）: after worrying and struggling for ages, (not a good) result ~. Noun / dictionary form + やら、〜やら: ~ and ~, showing lots of chores and a busy, messy time.

• 日本にほんの 人口じんこうは 減へりつつ ある。 — Japan's population is gradually decreasing.
• 冬ふゆに なって、寒さむく なる 一方いっぽうだ。 — When winter comes, the weather gets colder and colder.
• 年末ねんまつは 掃除そうじやら 買かい物ものやらで 忙いそがしい。 — At year-end it's cleaning and shopping and more, so I'm very busy.
• 店員てんいんと 長ながく 話はなした あげく、何なにも 買かわなかった。 — I chatted with the clerk for ages, and in the end I bought nothing.