Japanese · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 4 of 12
Science and technology
科学と技術Kagaku to gijutsu
Explain how something works: the written である style, the passive with things and によって, and cause and effect with ため, ことにより and につれて.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Read and write the formal である style
- Describe a process with the passive and name the agent with によって
- Link cause and effect with ため, ことにより and その結果
- Describe gradual change with につれて and とともに
Listen
At a car museum in Toyota, engineer Kimura Aki explains how an electric car's battery works to a retired visitor, Hattori Shigeru, 70. Panels are in the である style. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Mr Hattori
すみません、この電気自動車の電池は、どういう仕組みになっているんですか。
Sumimasen, kono denki jidōsha no denchi wa, dō iu shikumi ni natte iru n desu ka.
Excuse me, how does the battery in this electric car work?
Ms Kimura
ご興味をお持ちいただき、ありがとうございます。まずは、こちらのパネルをご覧ください。
Gokyōmi o omochi itadaki, arigatō gozaimasu. Mazu wa, kochira no paneru o goran kudasai.
Thank you for your interest. First, please have a look at this panel.
Panel
電気自動車は、電池に蓄えられた電気でモーターを回して走る。ガソリン車はエネルギーの多くが熱になってしまうが、電気自動車はエネルギーの消費が少なく、効率が高いのが特徴である。
Denki jidōsha wa, denchi ni takuwaerareta denki de mōtā o mawashite hashiru. Gasorinsha wa enerugī no ōku ga netsu ni natte shimau ga, denki jidōsha wa enerugī no shōhi ga sukunaku, kōritsu ga takai no ga tokuchō de aru.
An electric car runs by turning a motor with electricity stored in a battery. In a petrol car much of the energy turns into heat, but an electric car uses little energy: its great feature is its high efficiency.
Mr Hattori
なるほど。でも、その電気はどうやって電池に入るんですか。
Naruhodo. Demo, sono denki wa dō yatte denchi ni hairu n desu ka.
I see. But how does the electricity get into the battery?
Ms Kimura
ご家庭や充電スタンドで充電します。電気は化学エネルギーに変換されて、電池に蓄えられます。走るときは、それがまた電気に変換されて、モーターを動かすんです。
Gokatei ya jūden sutando de jūden shimasu. Denki wa kagaku enerugī ni henkan sarete, denchi ni takuwaeraremasu. Hashiru toki wa, sore ga mata denki ni henkan sarete, mōtā o ugokasu n desu.
You charge it at home or at a charging station. The electricity is converted into chemical energy and stored in the battery. When you drive, it's converted back into electricity, which drives the motor.
Mr Hattori
ブレーキをかけると電気がたまる、と聞いたことがありますが、本当ですか。
Burēki o kakeru to denki ga tamaru, to kiita koto ga arimasu ga, hontō desu ka.
I've heard that braking builds up electricity. Is that true?
Ms Kimura
よくご存じですね。スピードを落とすときは、モーターが発電機の役割をします。そのため、ブレーキをかけるだけで、電池が少しずつ充電されるんです。
Yoku gozonji desu ne. Supīdo o otosu toki wa, mōtā ga hatsudenki no yakuwari o shimasu. Sono tame, burēki o kakeru dake de, denchi ga sukoshi zutsu jūden sareru n desu.
You know a lot. When the car slows down, the motor works as a generator. So just by braking, the battery is charged little by little.
Mr Hattori
へえ、面白いですね。ただ、昔の電気自動車は、あまり遠くまで走れなかったと思いますが。
Hē, omoshiroi desu ne. Tada, mukashi no denki jidōsha wa, amari tōku made hashirenakatta to omoimasu ga.
Well, that's interesting. But I seem to remember that electric cars in the old days couldn't go very far.
Ms Kimura
おっしゃるとおりです。ですが、電池の性能は年々上がっています。技術が進むにつれて、一回の充電で走れる距離も長くなりました。
Ossharu tōri desu. Desu ga, denchi no seinō wa nennen agatte imasu. Gijutsu ga susumu ni tsurete, ikkai no jūden de hashireru kyori mo nagaku narimashita.
You're quite right. But batteries get better every year. As the technology has advanced, the distance a car can go on one charge has become longer too.
Panel
この新型電池は、国内の研究チームによって開発され、数年前に実用化された。太陽光で発電した電気を使うことにより、CO2の排出をさらに減らすことができる。
Kono shingata denchi wa, kokunai no kenkyū chīmu ni yotte kaihatsu sare, sūnen mae ni jitsuyōka sareta. Taiyōkō de hatsuden shita denki o tsukau koto ni yori, shī ō tsū no haishutsu o sara ni herasu koto ga dekiru.
This new type of battery was developed by a Japanese research team and came into use a few years ago. By using electricity generated from sunlight, CO2 emissions can be reduced even further.
Mr Hattori
つまり、どうやって電気を作るかも大事だということですね。よくわかりました。今度は孫を連れてきます。
Tsumari, dō yatte denki o tsukuru ka mo daiji da to iu koto desu ne. Yoku wakarimashita. Kondo wa mago o tsurete kimasu.
So how the electricity is produced matters too. I understand now. Next time I'll bring my grandchildren.
Ms Kimura
ありがとうございます。お孫さんとご一緒に、ぜひまたいらしてください。
Arigatō gozaimasu. Omagosan to goissho ni, zehi mata irashite kudasai.
Thank you. Please do come again with your grandchildren.
Understand
The written style: だ and である
Articles, reports, textbooks and museum panels use plain forms instead of です／ます. The most formal written style replaces (da) with (de aru): (tokuchō de aru), it is a feature. Verbs and い-adjectives simply stay in the plain form: (hashiru), (takai). んです (n desu) becomes のである (no de aru), and the negative is (de wa nai), never (ja nai).
Written sentences often join clauses with the ます stem instead of the te-form: (kaihatsu sare, jitsuyōka sareta), it was developed and came into use. And there are no sentence-ending particles such as (yo) or (ne).
| です／ます | だ style | である style |
|---|---|---|
| (tokuchō desu) | (tokuchō da) | (tokuchō de aru) |
| (benri desu) | (benri da) | (benri de aru) |
| (takai desu) | (takai) | (takai) |
| (hashirimasu) | (hashiru) | (hashiru) |
| (tokuchō de wa arimasen) | (tokuchō de wa nai) | (tokuchō de wa nai) |
| (daiji na n desu) | (daiji na no da) | (daiji na no de aru) |
The passive with things, and によって
In explanations, things are often the subject of a passive verb, much as in English: (denki ga takuwaerareru), the electricity is stored; (denki ni henkan sareru), it is converted into electricity.
To say who did it, formal Japanese uses (ni yotte), by, especially with verbs of making, discovering and writing: (kenkyū chīmu ni yotte kaihatsu sareta), it was developed by a research team. (ni yotte) also means “depending on”: (kuni ni yotte chigau), it differs from country to country.
- この車は日本のメーカーによって作られた。Kono kuruma wa Nihon no mēkā ni yotte tsukurareta.This car was made by a Japanese manufacturer.
- 充電の時間は電池の種類によって違います。Jūden no jikan wa denchi no shurui ni yotte chigaimasu.The charging time depends on the type of battery.
Cause, effect and change
ため（に） (tame ni) after a plain form, or noun + (no), gives a reason in formal language: (ōame no tame), because of the heavy rain. At the start of a sentence, use (sono tame), for that reason. ～ことにより (koto ni yori), by doing …, is written style, and (sono kekka), as a result, introduces the outcome.
～につれて (ni tsurete), as …, says that one change brings another: (gijutsu ga susumu ni tsurete), as technology advances. ～とともに (to tomo ni) means the same in writing, and also “together with”.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ～ため（に） (-tame ni) | because of, owing to | (ōame no tame) |
| (sono tame) | for that reason, so | at the start of a sentence |
| ～ことにより (-koto ni yori) | by doing …, through … | (taiyōkō o tsukau koto ni yori) |
| (sono kekka) | as a result | at the start of a sentence |
| ～につれて (-ni tsurete) | as … (gradual change) | (gijutsu ga susumu ni tsurete) |
| ～とともに (-to tomo ni) | as …; together with | (jidai to tomo ni), with the times |
More in the grammar: Plain and polite forms · The passive
New words
- 電気自動車denki jidōshaelectric car · でんきじどうしゃ
- 仕組みshikumihow something works, mechanism, system · しくみ
- 電池denchibattery · でんち; in cars and phones also (batterī)
- 蓄えるtakuwaeruto store, to save up · たくわえる
- 熱netsuheat · ねつ; also a fever, as in (netsu ga aru)
- 消費shōhiconsumption · しょうひ; (shōhi suru), to consume, to use up
- 効率kōritsuefficiency · こうりつ; (kōritsu ga ii), efficient; (tokuchō), a (distinctive) feature
- 充電jūdencharging (a battery) · じゅうでん; (jūden suru)
- 変換henkanconversion · へんかん; (henkan sareru), to be converted
- 発電hatsudengenerating electricity · はつでん; (hatsudenki), generator
- 性能seinōperformance, capability (of a machine) · せいのう; (kyori), distance: (hashireru kyori), the distance a car can go
- 開発kaihatsudevelopment · かいはつ; (kaihatsu suru), to develop
- 実用化jitsuyōkaputting into practical use · じつようか; (jitsuyōka sareru)
- 太陽光taiyōkōsunlight, solar (power) · たいようこう
Practise
1.Which is the である-style version of (Denchi no seinō wa jūyō desu.), the battery's performance is important?
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.As the technology has advanced, the distance a car can go has become longer too.
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Which fits? ___ (This battery was developed by a research team.)
5. (Ōame no tame, densha ga tomatta.) What does (tame) mean here?
6.A panel should say “What matters is how the electricity is produced” in the である style. Which ending is right? ___
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
どういう仕組みになっているんですか。
Dō iu shikumi ni natte iru n desu ka.
How does it work?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.