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N2 · Upper intermediateShort passagePassage #519
2

そもそも働はたらくとは「得える」ことなのでしょうか。

私わたしたちは働はたらくとき、何なんらかの社しゃ会かい的てき役やく割わりを担になって（注1）いて、その役やく割わりに応おうじた結果けっかが求もとめられます。そして、期き待たいに応こたえたときに得えられるものが報ほう酬しゅう（注2）や自じ身しんの成せい長ちょうです。要ようするに、私わたしたちは働はたらくとき「得える」前まえに求もとめられているものを「与あたえる」ことになります。仕し事ごとの本ほん質しつ（注3）は得えることではなく、自じ分ぶんに求もとめられているものを人ひとに与あたえる、すなわち「人ひとの役やくに立たつ」ことなのです。

（山やま藤ふじ賢けん『社しゃ会かい人じんになるということ』による）

（注ちゅう1）担になう：持もつ

（注ちゅう2）報ほう酬しゅう：ここでは、給きゅう料りょう

（注ちゅう3）本ほん質しつ：本ほん来らいの性せい質しつ

Questions

0/1 answered
  1. 1筆者によると、働くとはどういうことか。

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Vocabulary2 words
  • 本来ほんらい
    • ·originally; primarily
    • ·essentially; intrinsically; naturally; by nature; in (and of) itself
    • ·proper; rightful; legal; normal
    N2
  • 性質せいしつ
    • ·nature (of a person); disposition; temperament; character
    • ·quality; inherent characteristic; property; nature; (chemical) behavior
    N2
Other levels33 words
  • 働くはたらく
    • ·to work; to labor; to labour
    • ·to function; to operate; to be effective; to work (i.e. ... works); to come into play
    • ·to commit (e.g. a crime); to perpetrate; to do; to act; to practise; to practice
    • ·to be conjugated
    N5
  • その
    • ·that; the
    • ·part (as in "part two")
    • ·um ...; er ...; uh ...
    N5
  • もの
    • ·thing; object; article; stuff; substance
    • ·one's things; possessions; property; belongings
    • ·things; something; anything; everything; nothing
    • ·quality
    • ·reason; the way of things
    • ·used to emphasize emotion, judgment, etc.; used to indicate a common occurrence in the past (after a verb in past tense); used to indicate a general tendency; used to indicate something that should happen
    • ·item classified as ...; item related to ...; work in the genre of ...
    • ·cause of ...; cause for ...
    • ·somehow; somewhat; for some reason
    • ·really; truly
    N5
  • 前まえ
    • ·in front (of); before (e.g. a building)
    • ·before; earlier; previously; prior; ago; (minutes) to (the hour)
    • ·(the) front; frontal part; fore; head (e.g. of a line)
    • ·forward; ahead
    • ·(in the) presence (of); in front (of someone)
    • ·previous (e.g. page); prior (e.g. engagement); first (e.g. half); former (e.g. example)
    • ·portion; helping
    • ·front (of one's body or clothing); breast (of a coat, kimono, etc.)
    • ·privates; private parts
    • ·criminal record; previous conviction; (a) prior
    N5
  • なるAs it appears here: なります
    • ·to become; to get; to grow; to turn; to reach; to attain
    • ·to result in; to turn out; to end up; to prove (to be)
    • ·to consist of; to be composed of; to be made up of
    • ·to be completed; to be realized; to succeed; to be attained; to be accomplished
    • ·to change (into); to turn (into); to transform
    • ·to come (to do); to begin (to do); to grow (to do)
    • ·to come to; to amount to; to add up to; to make
    • ·to play (the part of); to act as
    • ·to be used for; to be useful for; to serve as
    • ·to be promoted
    • ·to do ...
    N5
  • 仕事しごと
    • ·work; job; labor; labour; business; task; assignment; occupation; employment
    • ·work
    N5
  • 自分じぶん
    • ·myself; yourself; oneself; himself; herself
    • ·I; me
    • ·you
    N5
  • 人ひと
    • ·person; someone; somebody
    • ·human beings; mankind; man; people; humans
    • ·human (Homo sapiens)
    • ·(other) people; others
    • ·character; personality; nature
    • ·capable person; competent person; suitable person; right person
    • ·adult; grown-up
    • ·I; me; one
    N5
  • なる
    • ·to become; to get; to grow; to turn; to reach; to attain
    • ·to result in; to turn out; to end up; to prove (to be)
    • ·to consist of; to be composed of; to be made up of
    • ·to be completed; to be realized; to succeed; to be attained; to be accomplished
    • ·to change (into); to turn (into); to transform
    • ·to come (to do); to begin (to do); to grow (to do)
    • ·to come to; to amount to; to add up to; to make
    • ·to play (the part of); to act as
    • ·to be used for; to be useful for; to serve as
    • ·to be promoted
    • ·to do ...
    N5
  • 持つもつ
    • ·to hold (in one's hand); to take; to carry
    • ·to possess; to have; to own
    • ·to maintain; to keep
    • ·to last; to be durable; to keep; to survive
    • ·to take charge of; to be in charge of
    • ·to hold (meeting, etc.); to have (opportunity, etc.)
    • ·to have "it"; to have that special something; to be blessed with good luck
    N5
  • ここ
    • ·here; this place
    • ·this point; here; now
    • ·these past ... (e.g. three years); these last ...
    • ·the next ... (e.g. few days); these next ...
    N5
  • 役に立つやくにたつ
    • ·to be helpful; to be useful
    N4
  • 得るえる
    • ·to get; to earn; to acquire; to procure; to gain; to secure; to attain; to obtain; to win
    • ·to understand; to comprehend
    • ·to receive something undesirable (e.g. a punishment); to get (ill)
    • ·to be able to ..., can ...
    N3
  • こと
    • ·thing; matter
    • ·incident; occurrence; event; something serious; trouble; crisis
    • ·circumstances; situation; state of affairs
    • ·work; business; affair
    • ·after an inflectable word, creates a noun phrase indicating something the speaker does not feel close to
    • ·nominalizing suffix
    • ·pretending to ...; playing make-believe ...
    • ·alias; also known as; otherwise known as; or
    • ·necessity; need
    • ·you should ...; I advise that you ...; it's important to ...
    N3
  • とき
    • ·time; hour; moment
    • ·occasion; case
    • ·chance; opportunity; season
    • ·the times; the age; the day
    • ·tense
    N3
  • 役割やくわり
    • ·part; assigning (allotment of) parts; role; duties
    N3
  • 応じるおうじるAs it appears here: 応じた
    • ·to respond; to satisfy; to accept; to comply with; to apply for
    N3
  • 結果けっか
    • ·result; consequence; outcome; effect
    • ·as a result of ...; as a consequence of ...; after ...; following ...
    • ·bearing fruit; fruiting
    N3
  • 求めるもとめるAs it appears here: 求められます
    • ·to want; to wish for
    • ·to request; to demand; to require; to ask for
    • ·to seek; to search for; to look for; to pursue (pleasure); to hunt (a job); to find (a solution)
    • ·to purchase; to buy
    N3
  • 期待きたい
    • ·expectation; anticipation; hope
    • ·promising; rising; up-and-coming
    N3
  • 得るえるAs it appears here: 得られる
    • ·to be able to ...; can ...
    • ·to get; to acquire; to obtain; to procure; to earn; to win; to gain; to secure; to attain
    N3
  • 自身じしん
    • ·(one's) self; oneself; yourself; himself; herself
    N3
  • 成長せいちょう
    • ·growth; development; growing up; becoming an adult
    • ·growth (of a company, the economy, etc.)
    N3
  • 要するにようするに
    • ·in short; in a word; to sum up; to put it simply; to make a long story short; after all
    N3
  • 求めるもとめるAs it appears here: 求められて
    • ·to want; to wish for
    • ·to request; to demand; to require; to ask for
    • ·to seek; to search for; to look for; to pursue (pleasure); to hunt (a job); to find (a solution)
    • ·to purchase; to buy
    N3
  • 与えるあたえる
    • ·to give (esp. to someone of lower status); to bestow; to grant; to confer; to present; to award
    • ·to provide; to afford; to offer; to supply
    • ·to assign
    • ·to cause
    • ·to pass (a variable to a function)
    N3
  • すなわち
    • ·that is (to say); namely; i.e.
    • ·precisely; exactly; just; nothing but; neither more nor less
    • ·(and) then
    N3
  • 注ちゅう
    • ·annotation; explanatory note; comment
    N3
  • 給料きゅうりょう
    • ·salary; wages; pay
    N3
  • 担うになうAs it appears here: 担って
    • ·to carry on one's shoulder; to shoulder; to bear
    • ·to bear (a burden, responsibility, etc.); to take upon oneself
    N1
  • 報酬ほうしゅう
    • ·remuneration; recompense; reward; toll
    N1
  • 本質ほんしつ
    • ·essence; true nature; substance; reality
    N1
  • 担うになう
    • ·to carry on one's shoulder; to shoulder; to bear
    • ·to bear (a burden, responsibility, etc.); to take upon oneself
    N1
Grammar3 patterns

Example sentences are translated by AI.

  • に応じてN2

    Expresses that something varies or is adjusted in accordance with the preceding condition; 'depending on / in response to'.

    私たちは働くとき、何らかの社会的役割を担っていて、その役割に応じた結果が求められます。

    When we work we carry some social role, and results appropriate to that role are demanded of us.

  • に応えてN2

    Marks acting in response to expectations, demands, or requests — 'in response to', 'living up to'.

    そして、期待に応えたときに得られるものが報酬や自身の成長です。

    And what we obtain when we meet those expectations is our reward and our own growth.

  • 要するにN2

    restates the preceding point concisely as a summary, 'in short / to sum up / in a word'

    要するに、私たちは働くとき「得る」前に求められているものを「与える」ことになります。

    In short, when we work, before we "get" we must "give" what is being asked of us.

Other levels11 patterns
  • だの～だのN1

    Reduplicated listing particle citing examples with a tone of complaint or exasperation ("what with X and Y and all that").

    仕事の本質は得ることではなく、自分に求められているものを人に与える、すなわち「人の役に立つ」ことなのです。

    The essence of work is not getting but giving to others what is asked of you — that is, "being of use to people".

  • のでしょうかN3

    Softens a question to ask for the reason or explanation behind something — 'I wonder why...', 'could it be that...'.

    そもそも働くとは「得る」ことなのでしょうか。

    Is working, in the end, a matter of "getting"?

  • すなわちN3

    Conjunction restating or clarifying the preceding statement, 'namely / that is / in other words'.

    仕事の本質は得ることではなく、自分に求められているものを人に与える、すなわち「人の役に立つ」ことなのです。

    The essence of work is not getting but giving to others what is asked of you — that is, "being of use to people".

  • によって/によるN3

    Marks means, cause, passive agent, or a factor something depends on; 'by (means of)', 'due to', 'depending on'.

    （山藤賢『社会人になるということ』による）

    (From Sandou Masaru, On Becoming a Working Adult)

  • ときN43 times in this passage

    Marks the time at which something happens — "when X, Y."

    私たちは働くとき、何らかの社会的役割を担っていて、その役割に応じた結果が求められます。

    When we work we carry some social role, and results appropriate to that role are demanded of us.

  • ことになるN4

    Expresses that something has been decided or comes about, often through external circumstances rather than the speaker's own will; 'it has been decided that / it turns out that.'

    要するに、私たちは働くとき「得る」前に求められているものを「与える」ことになります。

    In short, when we work, before we "get" we must "give" what is being asked of us.

  • ということN4

    Nominalizes a whole statement into a noun — 'the fact that', 'it means that'.

    （山藤賢『社会人になるということ』による）

    (From Sandou Masaru, On Becoming a Working Adult)

  • 〜ているN53 times in this passage

    Describes an action in progress or the state that remains after an action happened — “is doing” or “is in the state of having done”.

    私たちは働くとき、何らかの社会的役割を担っていて、その役割に応じた結果が求められます。

    When we work we carry some social role, and results appropriate to that role are demanded of us.

  • そしてN5

    Additive/sequential conjunction joining clauses, 'and / and then'.

    そして、期待に応えたときに得られるものが報酬や自身の成長です。

    And what we obtain when we meet those expectations is our reward and our own growth.

  • だ / ですN52 times in this passage

    The copula linking a noun or na-adjective to the subject — plain だ / polite です, 'is/am/are'.

    そして、期待に応えたときに得られるものが報酬や自身の成長です。

    And what we obtain when we meet those expectations is our reward and our own growth.

  • 前に（まえに）N5

    Marks that something happens before an action or in front of a place — "before (doing) / in front of."

    要するに、私たちは働くとき「得る」前に求められているものを「与える」ことになります。

    In short, when we work, before we "get" we must "give" what is being asked of us.

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