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N2 · Upper intermediateShort passagePassage #94
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仕し事ごと人にん間げんという言こと葉ばは、人じん生せいを会かい社しゃにささげてしまい、定てい年ねん後のちに何なにもできないようでは困こまるという意い味みで使つかわれることが多おおい。確たしかに人にん間げんとして、会かい社しゃでの仕し事ごとだけしかできないというのはある意い味みでさみしいことかもしれない。けれど、私わたしはそうとばかりも言いえない気きがする。もしその人ひとが、たとえば船せん長ちょうが船ふねとともに沈ちん没ぼつしたいと思おもうように会かい社しゃとともに生いきたいと思おもうなら、それはそれで素す晴ばらしいことではないだろうか。一生いっしょう目もく標ひょうがみつからず、「合あわない」「向むかない」と繰くり返かえすよりも、ずっと素す直なおで幸しあわせと言いえるかもしれないではないか。

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  1. 1この文章で筆者が最も言いたいことは何か。

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Vocabulary1 words
  • 素直すなお
    • ·obedient; meek; docile; unaffected
    • ·honest; frank; upfront (about one's feelings)
    • ·straight (e.g. hair)
    • ·without peculiarity; without mannerisms; standard; neat (e.g. handwriting)
    N2
Other levels36 words
  • 言葉ことば
    • ·language; dialect
    • ·word; phrase; expression; term
    • ·speech; (manner of) speaking; (use of) language
    • ·words; remark; statement; comment
    • ·learning to speak; language acquisition
    N5
  • 会社かいしゃ
    • ·company; corporation; firm
    • ·one's workplace
    N5
  • できるAs it appears here: できない
    • ·to be able to do; to be possible; to be permitted (to do)
    • ·to be good at; to do well; to be proficient (in); to be capable
    • ·to come into existence; to form; to appear; to come up (of a matter); to be born; to make (a friend); to get (a girlfriend, free time, etc.)
    • ·to be made; to be built; to be constructed; to be formed; to be established; to be set up
    • ·to be finished; to be completed; to be done; to be ready
    • ·to grow (of a crop); to be produced
    • ·to be mature and well-balanced; to be of fine character
    • ·to be by nature; to be born ...
    • ·to become (sexually) involved (with); to become intimate (with); to take up (with someone)
    • ·to get pregnant
    N5
  • 困るこまる
    • ·to be troubled; to have difficulty; to be in a fix; to be at a loss; to be stumped; to be embarrassed
    • ·to be bothered; to be inconvenienced; to be annoyed
    • ·to be badly off; to be hard up; to be in straitened circumstances
    N5
  • 意味いみ
    • ·meaning; significance; sense
    N5
  • 使うつかうAs it appears here: 使われる
    • ·to use (a tool, method, etc.); to make use of; to put to use
    • ·to use (a person, animal, puppet, etc.); to employ; to handle; to manage; to manipulate
    • ·to use (time, money, etc.); to spend; to consume
    • ·to use (language); to speak
    N5
  • 多いおおい
    • ·many; numerous; a lot
    • ·large amount of; large quantity of; a lot; much
    • ·frequent; common
    N5
  • 仕事しごと
    • ·work; job; labor; labour; business; task; assignment; occupation; employment
    • ·work
    N5
  • ある
    • ·to be; to exist; to live
    • ·to have
    • ·to be located
    • ·to be equipped with
    • ·to happen; to come about
    • ·to exist (in a completed state); to be (something unchanged in its current state)
    N5
  • 私わたし
    • ·I; me
    N5
  • その
    • ·that; the
    • ·part (as in "part two")
    • ·um ...; er ...; uh ...
    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
  • するAs it appears here: したい
    • ·to do; to carry out; to perform
    • ·to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into)
    • ·to serve as; to act as; to work as
    • ·to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
    • ·to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as
    • ·to decide on; to choose
    • ·to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.)
    • ·to be (in a state, condition, etc.)
    • ·to be worth; to cost
    • ·to pass (of time); to elapse
    • ·to place, or raise, person A to a post or status B
    • ·to transform A to B; to make A into B; to exchange A for B
    • ·to make use of A for B; to view A as B; to handle A as if it were B
    • ·to feel A about B
    • ·verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs")
    • ·creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go")
    • ·to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to
    N5
  • それ
    • ·that; it
    • ·then; that point (in time); that time
    • ·there
    • ·you
    N5
  • さみしい
    • ·lonely; lonesome; solitary; desolate
    N4
  • もし
    • ·if; in case; supposing
    N4
  • たとえば
    • ·for example; for instance; e.g.
    N4
  • 生きるいきるAs it appears here: 生きたい
    • ·to live; to exist
    • ·to make a living; to subsist
    • ·to be in effect; to be in use; to function
    • ·to come to life; to be enlivened
    • ·to be safe (in baseball, go, etc.)
    N4
  • 思うおもう
    • ·to think; to consider; to believe; to reckon
    • ·to think (of doing); to plan (to do)
    • ·to judge; to assess; to regard
    • ·to imagine; to suppose; to dream
    • ·to expect; to look forward to
    • ·to feel; to be (in a state of mind); to desire; to want
    • ·to care (deeply) for; to yearn for; to worry about; to love
    • ·to recall; to remember
    N4
  • みつかるAs it appears here: みつから
    • ·to be found; to be discovered
    N4
  • 合うあうAs it appears here: 合わない
    • ·to come together; to merge; to unite; to meet
    • ·to fit; to match; to suit; to agree with; to be correct
    • ·to be profitable; to be equitable
    • ·to do ... to each other; to do ... together
    N4
  • 人生じんせい
    • ·(one's) life
    N3
  • 何もなにも
    • ·(not) anything; (nothing) at all; (not) any; nothing
    • ·and everything else; and all
    • ·(not) at all; (not) in the least; (not) especially; (not) to that extent
    N3
  • よう
    • ·appearing ...; looking ...
    • ·way to ...; method of ...ing
    • ·form; style; design
    • ·like; similar to
    • ·thing (thought or spoken)
    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
  • 人間にんげん
    • ·human being; human; person; man; mankind; humankind
    • ·character (of a person)
    N3
  • 船ふね
    • ·ship; boat; watercraft; vessel; seaplane
    • ·tank; tub; vat; trough
    • ·counter for boat-shaped containers (e.g. of sashimi)
    N3
  • 素晴らしいすばらしい
    • ·wonderful; splendid; magnificent; amazing; superb
    • ·exceeding; incredible; remarkable; striking; immense
    N3
  • 一生いっしょう
    • ·whole life; a lifetime; all through life
    • ·(the only, the greatest, etc.) of one's life
    N3
  • 目標もくひょう
    • ·goal; target; aim; objective
    • ·mark; sign; landmark
    N3
  • 向くむくAs it appears here: 向かない
    • ·to turn toward; to look (up, down, etc.)
    • ·to face (e.g. east) (of a building, window, etc.); to look out on; to front (on)
    • ·to point (of an arrow, compass needle, etc.)
    • ·to be suited to; to be fit for
    • ·to go towards; to turn to (of one's interests, feelings, etc.); to be inclined (to do)
    N3
  • 繰り返すくりかえす
    • ·to repeat; to do over again
    N3
  • 幸せしあわせ
    • ·happiness; good fortune; luck; blessing
    N3
  • ささげるAs it appears here: ささげて
    • ·to lift up; to hold up; to hold above eye level
    • ·to give; to offer; to consecrate
    • ·to devote; to sacrifice; to dedicate
    N1
  • 定年ていねん
    • ·(compulsory) retirement age; age limit
    • ·(compulsory) retirement (on reaching retirement age); mandatory retirement
    • ·minimum years of service at a particular rank before eligibility for promotion (in the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy)
    N1
  • 沈没ちんぼつ
    • ·sinking; foundering; going down; submersion
    • ·getting dead drunk
    • ·having too much fun (esp. in a red-light district, etc.) and missing work or neglecting one's duties
    • ·staying in one place for a long time
    N1
Grammar3 patterns

Example sentences are translated by AI.

  • ようではN2

    Conditional presenting an (often undesirable) state of affairs that leads to a bad outcome — "if things are such that ~," "if you keep ~."

    仕事人間という言葉は、人生を会社にささげてしまい、定年後に何もできないようでは困るという意味で使われることが多い。

    The expression “company man” is often used to suggest that it is a problem if someone devotes their whole life to a company and then is unable to do anything after retirement.

  • 確かにN2

    concedes a point as true before countering it, or asserts certainty, 'admittedly / certainly (~ but)'.

    確かに人間として、会社での仕事だけしかできないというのはある意味でさみしいことかもしれない。

    Certainly, from a human point of view, being capable of nothing but one’s work at a company may, in a sense, be rather sad.

  • ではないかN2

    Rhetorically seeks agreement or expresses a realization — 'isn't it? / right? / surely.'

    一生目標がみつからず、「合わない」「向かない」と繰り返すよりも、ずっと素直で幸せと言えるかもしれないではないか。

    Compared with spending one’s whole life unable to find a goal and repeatedly saying, “It doesn’t suit me” or “I’m not cut out for it,” such a life might be far more straightforward and happy.

Other levels16 patterns
  • というN32 times in this passage

    Quotative marker plus 'say' that introduces a name, definition, or reported content — 'called', 'known as', 'that (one) says'.

    仕事人間という言葉は、人生を会社にささげてしまい、定年後に何もできないようでは困るという意味で使われることが多い。

    The expression “company man” is often used to suggest that it is a problem if someone devotes their whole life to a company and then is unable to do anything after retirement.

  • としてN3

    Marks the role, capacity, or status in which someone or something acts — "as (a doctor / a rule / etc.)".

    確かに人間として、会社での仕事だけしかできないというのはある意味でさみしいことかもしれない。

    Certainly, from a human point of view, being capable of nothing but one’s work at a company may, in a sense, be rather sad.

  • というのはN3

    Introduces an explanation or definition of the topic just named — 'the thing called…' / 'what … means is'.

    確かに人間として、会社での仕事だけしかできないというのはある意味でさみしいことかもしれない。

    Certainly, from a human point of view, being capable of nothing but one’s work at a company may, in a sense, be rather sad.

  • 例えば（たとえば）N3

    Introduces an illustrative instance, 'for example / for instance'.

    もしその人が、たとえば船長が船とともに沈没したいと思うように会社とともに生きたいと思うなら、それはそれで素晴らしいことではないだろうか。

    If that person truly wants to live together with the company, much as a captain might wish to go down with his ship, could that not be something admirable in its own right?

  • と共に（とともに）N32 times in this passage

    Links two things that happen together or change at the same time — "together with; along with; as ~ does".

    もしその人が、たとえば船長が船とともに沈没したいと思うように会社とともに生きたいと思うなら、それはそれで素晴らしいことではないだろうか。

    If that person truly wants to live together with the company, much as a captain might wish to go down with his ship, could that not be something admirable in its own right?

  • よりもN3

    Emphatic comparison marking one thing as exceeding another — 'even more than, rather than'.

    一生目標がみつからず、「合わない」「向かない」と繰り返すよりも、ずっと素直で幸せと言えるかもしれないではないか。

    Compared with spending one’s whole life unable to find a goal and repeatedly saying, “It doesn’t suit me” or “I’m not cut out for it,” such a life might be far more straightforward and happy.

  • 〜てしまう / 〜ちゃうN4

    Verb te-form plus しまう, marking an action as fully completed or done regrettably/by accident — 'end up ...ing' / 'finish ...ing'; ちゃう/じゃう is the casual contraction.

    仕事人間という言葉は、人生を会社にささげてしまい、定年後に何もできないようでは困るという意味で使われることが多い。

    The expression “company man” is often used to suggest that it is a problem if someone devotes their whole life to a company and then is unable to do anything after retirement.

  • かもしれないN42 times in this passage

    Expresses possibility or conjecture — 'might', 'maybe', 'perhaps'.

    確かに人間として、会社での仕事だけしかできないというのはある意味でさみしいことかもしれない。

    Certainly, from a human point of view, being capable of nothing but one’s work at a company may, in a sense, be rather sad.

  • ばかりN4

    Limits or emphasizes a thing — 'only / nothing but' — or after a past-tense verb means 'just (finished) doing.'

    けれど、私はそうとばかりも言えない気がする。

    Yet I feel that this is not necessarily the whole story.

  • がするN4

    With a perception noun (sound, smell, taste, feeling), expresses that such a sensation occurs — 'there is a smell/sound', 'I sense that'.

    けれど、私はそうとばかりも言えない気がする。

    Yet I feel that this is not necessarily the whole story.

  • と思う（とおもう）N42 times in this passage

    Quotative plus 'think', stating the speaker's opinion or guess — 'I think that'.

    もしその人が、たとえば船長が船とともに沈没したいと思うように会社とともに生きたいと思うなら、それはそれで素晴らしいことではないだろうか。

    If that person truly wants to live together with the company, much as a captain might wish to go down with his ship, could that not be something admirable in its own right?

  • だけN5

    Limiting particle marking 'only / just' — restricts to the stated amount, degree, or item.

    確かに人間として、会社での仕事だけしかできないというのはある意味でさみしいことかもしれない。

    Certainly, from a human point of view, being capable of nothing but one’s work at a company may, in a sense, be rather sad.

  • けれどもN5

    More formal contrastive conjunction linking two clauses — "but / however / although."

    けれど、私はそうとばかりも言えない気がする。

    Yet I feel that this is not necessarily the whole story.

  • 〜たいN52 times in this passage

    Expresses the speaker's own desire to do something — “want to do”.

    もしその人が、たとえば船長が船とともに沈没したいと思うように会社とともに生きたいと思うなら、それはそれで素晴らしいことではないだろうか。

    If that person truly wants to live together with the company, much as a captain might wish to go down with his ship, could that not be something admirable in its own right?

  • じゃない・ではないN5

    Negates a noun or na-adjective with the copula, "is not / am not".

    もしその人が、たとえば船長が船とともに沈没したいと思うように会社とともに生きたいと思うなら、それはそれで素晴らしいことではないだろうか。

    If that person truly wants to live together with the company, much as a captain might wish to go down with his ship, could that not be something admirable in its own right?

  • だろうN5

    Presumptive expressing conjecture — 'probably', 'I think', or seeking agreement 'right?'; plain だろう / polite でしょう.

    もしその人が、たとえば船長が船とともに沈没したいと思うように会社とともに生きたいと思うなら、それはそれで素晴らしいことではないだろうか。

    If that person truly wants to live together with the company, much as a captain might wish to go down with his ship, could that not be something admirable in its own right?

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