At A Park

At A Park

Once upon a time, there was a man who taught Japanese to people in Hello Park. 

He had been unemployed for several years. He had applied for a job offers at several language schools, but his resume was always rejected with the words, "Overqualified, we wish you good luck with your job search."

When he taught people Japanese expressions in the park, he used his ideas which he got from his daily life instead of any grammar books sold on the market.

One day, a professional Japanese teacher from a school came to the man as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you teaching in a way which is different from the schools? Why don't you use the formulas that are written in the grammar books?" 

The man said to him, "I, too, will ask you one question. Was the Japanese language created by grammarians, or did it evolve from the communication between people?" 

The professional teacher said to him, "I don't want to answer such a question!" 

And the man said to him, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am teaching like this."

(Mt. 21:23-27)




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公園にて

ある時、ハロー公園で、日本語を教えている男がいた。

彼は、地元のいくつかの語学学校の求人に応募したが、何処にも採用されず、数年間無職であった。彼がそれらの学校に送った履歴書は、毎回、お決まりの文言を添えて返送された。「今後のご健闘をお祈り申し上げます。」

彼は、公園では、市販の文法書を用いず、日々の生活で思い付いたアイデアをネタにして、日本語の表現を人々に教えていた。

ある日、地元の日本語学校のプロの先生が公園に来て、男に言った。「あなたは、何の権威が有って、ここで、学校と違う方法で教えているのですか？ 何故、文法書に書いてある通りに教えないのですか？」 

男は言った。「それでは、私も、あなたに質問致します。日本語は、文法学者が作ったものですか？ それとも、日本人の民衆の間で自然に出て来たものですか？」 

プロの先生は、「そんな質問には答えたく有りません」と言った。

それに対して、男は、こう言った。「それでは、私も、何の権威で、ここで、この様に日本語を教えているのか、答えない事にします。」

(Mt. 21:23-27)

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Once upon a time, there was a man who taught Japanese to people in Hello Park. 

ある時、ハロー公園で、日本語を教えている男がいた。

ある時 (あるとき): once upon a time, a certain time

ハロー！ : Hello!

公園 (こうえん) : a park

ハロー公園 : Hello Park (the name of a park in this story)

公園で : in a park

日本語 (にほんご) : Japanese (language)

教える (おしえる) : to teach (verb)

教えた。: You taught someone. (past tense)

公園で教える : You teach in a park.

教えている。: You are teaching. (present progress), You teach regularly, always, usually, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity), You are a teacher. (current job, occupation)

ハロー公園で、教えている。: You are teaching in Hello Park. (current situation), You teach in Hello Park. (current and recent activity)

日本語を教える : You teach Japanese.

日本語を教えた。 : You taught Japanese. (past activity)

公園で日本語を教える : You teach Japanese in a park.

日本語を教えている : You are teaching Japanese. (present progress), You teach Japanese regularly, usually, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity)

公園で、日本語を教えている。: You are teaching Japanese in a park. (current situation), You teach Japanese in a park usually, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity)

男 (おとこ) : a man

日本語を教える男 : a man who teaches Japanese (noun clause), a male Japanese teacher

日本語を教えている男 : a man who is teaching Japanese (noun clause), a man who teaches Japanese (noun clause)

居る (いる) : Such a person or animal is here/there. (current and recent situation)

居た。(いた) : Such a person or animal was here/there. (past situation)

男がいる。: There is a man. A man is here/there. (current situation)

男がいた。 : There was a man. A man was here/there. (past situation)

日本語を教える男がいる。: There is a man who teaches Japanese. (current and recent situation)

日本語を教える男がいた。: There was a man who taught Japanese. (past situation, The part "教える" sounds like present tense. However, as the last part "いた。" is past tense, the whole sentence is the past tense.)

日本語を教えている男がいる。: There is a man who is teaching Japanese. (current situation), There is a man who teaches Japanese regularly, usually, often or sometimes. (current and recent regular activity), There is a Japanese teacher. (current job, occupation)

日本語を教えている男がいた。: There was a man who was teaching Japanese. (past situation), There was a man who taught Japanese regularly, usually, often or sometimes. (past regular activity), There was a male Japanese teacher. (past job, occupation)

He had been unemployed for several years. He had applied for a job offers at several language schools, but his resume was always rejected with the words, "Overqualified, we wish you good luck with your job search."

彼は、地元のいくつかの語学学校の求人に応募したが、何処にも採用されず、数年間無職であった。彼がそれらの学校に送った履歴書は、毎回、お決まりの文言を添えて返送された。「今後のご健闘をお祈り申し上げます。」

彼(かれ): he

地元(じもと): a local town

いくつかの : several (adjective)

語学 (ごがく) : studying languages

学校(がっこう): a school

語学学校 : a language school

地元の学校 : a school in your local town

いくつかの学校 : several schools

地元のいくつかの学校 : several schools in your local town

数多く (かずおおく) : many (adverb)

数多くの : many (adjective)

数多くの学校: many schools

求人(きゅうじん): a job offer

数多くの求人 : many job offers

学校の求人 : an job offer at a school

いくつかの求人 : several job offers

地元のいくつかの学校の求人 : job offers at several schools in your local town

応募 (おうぼ) : applying an offer (noun), submitting your resume to an organization or a company because you want to be hired by them (noun)

応募する : to apply, to submit your resume (verb)

応募した。: You applied the offer. You submitted your resume. 

彼は、応募した。: He applied to it.

彼は、求人に応募した。: He applied to the job offer.

彼は、地元のいくつかの学校の求人に応募した。: He applied to the job offers at several schools in his local town.

したが、... : You did it but ......

彼は、地元のいくつかの学校の求人に応募したが、..... : He applied to the job offers at several schools in his local town but .....

何処？ (どこ？) : Where?

何処にも : any place, any group, any organization, any company, any school, anywhere (used for a negative expression)

何処でも : any place, any group, any organization, any company, any school, anywhere (used for a positive expression), everywhere

採用 (さいよう) : hiring someone as your employee (noun)

採用する : to hire someone as your employee (verb), You hire him/her.

採用しない : You don't hire such a person.

採用される : to be hired as an employee (verb), You are hired.

何処でも採用される : You can find a job wherever you go. ("何処でも" is used for a positive expression in this way.)

採用されない : You are not hired. You will not be hired.

採用されなかった。: You were not hired.

彼は、採用されなかった。: He was not hired.

何処にも採用されない : No one hires you. ("何処にも" is used for a negative expression in this way.)

彼は、何処にも採用されなかった。: He was not hired by anyone.

彼は、何処にも採用されず、.... : He was not hired by anyone and/then ......

数日間 (すうにちかん) : for several days

数カ月間 (すうかげつかん) : for several months

数年間 (すうねんかん) : for several years

無い (ない) : It is not here/there. You don't have it.

職 (しょく) : a job, your occupation

無職 (むしょく): unemployed, a situation that you don't have a job

彼は、無職である。: He is unemployed. He does not have a job.

彼は、無職であった。: He was unemployed.

彼は、数カ月間無職であった。: He was unemployed for several months.

彼は、何処にも採用されず、数カ月間無職であった。: He had been unemployed for several months because no one wanted to hire him.

送る (おくる) : to send (verb)

送った。(おくった) : You sent.

彼が送った。: He sent.

それらの学校 : those schools

履歴書 (りれきしょ) : a resume which you submit to a company or an organization as you apply to a job offer

彼が送った履歴書 : the resume which he sent

彼が学校に送った履歴書 : the resume which he sent to the school

彼がそれらの学校に送った履歴書 : his resume which he sent to those schools

毎回 (まいかい) : every time, each time

決まり (きまり) : a rule

お決まり : something which you do or say as usual

文言 (もんごん) : a word or phrase

お決まりの文言 : a word or phrase which you always or usually say at the same situation

添える (そえる) : to attach, to add (verb)

返送 (へんそう) : sending something back to the sender (noun)

返送する : to send something back to the sender (verb)

返送される。: It will be sent back to you from the recipient.

返送された。: It was sent back to you from the recipient.

履歴書は返送された。: The resume was returned to you.

彼が送った履歴書は返送された。: His resume which he had sent was returned to him.

お決まりの文言を添えて返送された。: It was returned to you with the same words.

毎回、返送された。: Each time you sent something, it was always returned to you.

毎回、お決まりの文言を添えて返送された。: It was always returned to you with the same word.

今後 (こんご) : hereafter / from now on/ in the future

健闘 (けんとう) : putting up a brave fight / doing something very well

ご健闘を! : Good luck!

今後のご健闘 : you future good luck on your business/life/study

祈り (いのり) : a prayer / praying

祈る (いのる) : to pray (verb)

申す (もうす) : to tell (verb)

上げる (あげる) : to raise something (verb), to lift up something (verb)

申し上げる (もうしあげる) : to tell (verb) / to state (verb) *business like expression

申し上げます。: Here, I tell you. (polite, business like expression)

お祈り申し上げます。: I pray for you.

ご健闘をお祈り申し上げます。: I pray for you good luck!

今後のご健闘をお祈り申し上げます。: I wish you good luck on your business/work/study/life.

When he taught people Japanese expressions in the park, he used his ideas which he got from his daily life instead of any grammar books sold on the market.

彼は、公園では、市販の文法書を用いず、日々の生活で思い付いたアイデアをネタにして、日本語の表現を人々に教えていた。

彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

公園 (こうえん) : a park

市販 (しはん) : goods which are sold on the market (noun), selling goods on the market (noun)

市販する: to sell goods on the market (verb), You sell it on the market.

市販される: to be sold on the market (verb), It is sold on the market.

文法 (ぶんぽう) : grammar

文法書 (ぶんぽうしょ) : a grammar book

市販の文法書 : grammar books which are sold on the market

用いる (もちいる): to use, to hire, to employ something as a method or a tool (verb)

彼は、用いる。:  He uses it.

彼は、文法書を用いる。:  He uses grammar books.

市販の文法書を用いる。: You use grammar books sold on the market.

公園では、文法書を用いる。: In the park, you use grammar books.

公園では、市販の文法書を用いる。: In the park, you use grammar books sold on the market.

用いない : You don't use it.

彼は、文法書を用いない。:  He doesn't use grammar books.

公園では、文法書を用いない。: In the park, you don't use grammar books.

市販の文法書を用いない。: You don't use grammar books sold on the market.

公園では、市販の文法書を用いない。: In the park, you don't use grammar books sold on the market.

彼は、公園では、市販の文法書を用いない。: In the park, he doesn't use grammar books sold on the market.

彼は、公園では、市販の文法書を用いなかった。: In the park, he didn't use grammar books sold on the market.

彼は、文法書を用いず、... : He doesn't/didn't use grammar books and/then ......

日々 (ひび) : day by day, each day, every day

生活 (せいかつ) : your daily life

日々の生活で : in your daily life

思う (おもう) : to think, to guess, to imagine, to consider, to wonder (verb)

付く (つく) : to stick, to be connected (verb)

思い付く (おもいつく) : to get an idea (verb)

思いついた。: You got an idea.

日々の生活で思い付いた。: You got an idea from your daily life.

アイデア : an idea

思い付いたアイデア : an idea which you got (noun clause)

日々の生活で思い付いたアイデア : ideas which you got from your daily life (noun clause)

ネタ: see food for sushi (noun, literal meaning), material, news, information for you to use to make a new story (noun, idiomatic expression)

ネタにする : to use something to make a story, a joke, an essay, etc. (verb)

アイデアをネタにする : You use an idea to make a story, a joke, an essay, etc.

彼は、日々の生活で思い付いたアイデアをネタにする。: He uses ideas which he gets from his daily life. (current and recent situation)

彼は、日々の生活で思い付いたアイデアをネタにした。: He used ideas which he got from his daily life. (past situation)

彼は、日々の生活で思い付いたアイデアをネタにして、...... : He uses/used ideas which he gets/got from his daily life and/then .......

日本語 (にほんご) : Japanese (language)

表現 (ひょうげん): an expression

日本語の表現 : a Japanese expression

教える(おしえる): to teach (verb)

日本語を教える : to teach Japanese to someone (verb)

人々 (ひとびと): people

人々に教える: to teach something to people (verb)

彼は、教えている。: He is teaching. (present progress), He teaches regularly, usually, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity)

彼は、教えていた。: He was teaching. (past progress), He taught regularly, usually, often or sometimes. (past activity)

彼は、日本語の表現を教えていた。: He was teaching Japanese expressions. (past progress), He taught Japanese expressions. (past activity)

彼は、人々に教えていた。: He was teaching to people. (past progress), He taught to people. (past activity)

彼は、日本語の表現を人々に教えている。: He is teaching Japanese expressions to people. (present progress), He teaches Japanese expressions to people. (current and recent activity)

彼は、日本語の表現を人々に教えていた。: He was teaching Japanese expressions to people. (past progress), He taught Japanese expressions to people. (past activity)

One day, a professional Japanese teacher from a school came to the man as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you teaching in a way which is different from the schools? Why don't you use the formulas that are written in the grammar books?" 

ある日、地元の日本語学校のプロの先生が公園に来て、男に言った。「あなたは、何の権威が有って、ここで、学校と違う方法で教えているのですか？ 何故、文法書に書いてある通りに教えないのですか？ 」

ある日 (あるひ): one day

地元 (じもと) : your local town or area

日本語 (にほんご) : Japanese (language)

学校 (がっこう) : a school

地元の学校 : a school in your local town

日本語学校 : a Japanese language school

プロ : a professional (noun), professional (adjective)

プロの : professional (adjective)

先生 (せんせい) : a teacher

プロの先生 : a professional teacher

日本語学校の先生 : a teacher from a Japanese language school

地元の日本語学校 : a teacher from a Japanese language school in your local town

公園 (こうえん) : a park

来る (くる) : to come (verb)

来た。(きた) : You came.

先生が来た。: The teacher came. The teacher has come.

公園に来た。: You came to the park.

先生が公園に来た。: A teacher came to the park.

学校の先生が公園に来た。: A teacher from a school came to the park.

日本語学校の先生が公園に来た。: A teacher from a Japanese language school came to the park.

地元の日本語学校の先生が公園に来た。: A teacher from a Japanese language school in the local town came to the park.

ある日、地元の日本語学校の先生が公園に来た。: One day, a teacher from a Japanese language school in the local town came to the park.

地元の日本語学校のプロの先生が公園に来た。: A professional  teacher from a Japanese language school in the local town came to the park.

来て！(きて！) : Come! Come on! Come in! (depends on the context)

先生が来て、…… : The teacher came, and/then ……

地元の日本語学校のプロの先生が公園に来て、……  : A professional  teacher from a Japanese language school in the local town came to the park and ........

言った。(いった。) : You said. You told.

先生が言った。: The teacher said.

男に言った。: You said to the man.

先生が、男に言った。: The teacher said to the man.

ある日、先生が、男に言った。: One day, the teacher said to the man.

先生が公園に来て、男に言った。: The teacher came to the park and said to the man.

ある日、日本語学校の先生が、男に言った。: One day, a teacher from a Japanese school said to the man.

地元の日本語学校の先生が、男に言った。: A teacher from a Japanese school in his local town said to the man.

ある日、地元の日本語学校のプロの先生が公園に来て、男に言った。: One day, a professional teacher from a Japanese language school in his local town came to the park and said to the man.

あなた : you/your

何？ (なに？) : What?

権威(けんい): an authority

何の権威？(なんのけんい？) : What authority?

有る (ある) : Such a thing is here/there. You have it.

有って、 (あって) : It is here/there and ..... , You have it and ...

何の権威が有って : by what authority

ここで : here

学校 (がっこう) : a school

違う (ちがう) : different

学校と違う : different from the school

方法 (ほうほう) : a method, the way of doing something

違う方法 : a different method, the way which is different from it

学校と違う方法 : a way which is different from the school (noun clause)

教える (おしえる) : to teach (verb)

教えている : You are teaching. (present progress), You teach regularly, usually, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity)

あなたは、教えている。: You are teaching. (present progress), You teach regularly, usually, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity), You are teacher. (job, occupation)

あなたは、ここで教えている。: You are teaching here. (present progress), You teach here regularly, usually, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity)

学校と違う方法で教える : to teach in a way which is different from the school (verb)

違う方法で教える : to teach in a different way (verb)

あなたは、学校と違う方法で教えている。: You teach in a way which is different from the school.

教えているのですか？: Are you teaching? (present progress), Do you teach? (current and recent activity), Are you teacher? (job, occupation)

事 (こと) : a thing, an event, an issue, an action, something which you have just mentioned

そんな事 : such a thing, such an activity, such an action, such an event

する : to do something (verb)

するのですか？: Do you do it?

そんな事をするのですか？: Do you do such a thing? Do you really do it?

何の権威が有って、そんな事をするのですか？: By what authority do you do it?

あなたは、何の権威が有って、ここで、学校と違う方法で教えているのですか？: By what authority, are you teaching in a way which is different from the school?

何故？(なぜ？): why?

文法書 (ぶんぽうしょ) : a grammar book

書いて！ (かいて！) : Write!

書いてある : It is written on it.

文法書に書いてある : It is written on the grammar book.

通り (とおり) : the way as it is

通りに : as it is

書いてある通りに : exactly as it is written on it (adverb)

文法書に書いてある通りに : exactly as is is written on the grammar book

教える (おしえる) : to teach (verb), You teach.

教えない : You don't teach.

教えないの？: Don't you teach? (casual, spoken expression)

教えないのですか？: Don't you teach? (polite expression)

何故、教えないのですか？: Why don't you teach?

書いてある通りに教えないのですか？ : Don't you teach exactly as it is written?

何故、文法書に書いてある通りに教えないのですか？ : Why don't you teach exactly as it is written on the grammar book?

The man said to him, "I, too, will ask you one question. Was the Japanese language created by grammarians, or did it evolve from the communication between people?" 

男は言った。「それでは、私も、あなたに質問致します。日本語は、文法学者が作ったものですか？ それとも、日本人の民衆の間で自然に出て来たものですか？」 

男 (おとこ) : a man

言った。(いった) : You said. You told.

男は言った。: The man said.

それでは、…… : Then, …… / So, ....

私 (わたし) : I/my/me

私も、.... : I, too, ........ / I also ..........

あなた : you/your

質問 (しつもん) : a question

質問する : to ask someone a question (verb), You ask someone a question.

します。: I will do it.

致します。: I will do it. (very polite and/or business like expression)

私は、します。: I will do it. (polite expression)

私も、します。: I will also do it. (polite expression)

それでは、私も致します。: Then, I, too, will do it.

私は、あなたに質問します。: I will ask you a question. (polite expression)

私も、あなたに質問します。: I, too, will ask you a question.

私も、あなたに質問致します。: I, too, will ask you a question. (more polite)

それでは、私も、あなたに質問致します。: Then, I, too, will ask you a question.

日本語 (にほんご) : Japanese (language)

日本人 (にほんじん) : a Japanese (person), Japanese (nation or nationality)

学者 (がくしゃ) : a scholar; an academic;

文法学者(ぶんぽうがくしゃ): a grammarian

作る (つくる): to make (verb), to create (verb)

作った (つくった) : You made it. You created it.

文法学者が作った : A grammarian made it. A grammarian created it.

日本語は、文法学者が作った。: Japanese language was created by a grammarian.

文法学者が作ったもの: a thing which a grammarian made, a thing which was made by a grammarian

文法学者が作ったものです。: It was created by a grammarian.

日本語は、文法学者が作ったものです。: Japanese language was created by a grammarian.

日本語は、文法学者が作ったものですか？: Was Japanese language created by a grammarian?

それとも : or

日本人(にほんじん): a Japanese person

民衆 (みんしゅう):the people, the general public

日本人の民衆 : people in Japan

間 (あいだ) : a gap between two things, a gap between two people, a period of time

間で : between them

民衆の間で : between people

日本人の民衆の間で : between people in Japan

自然 (しぜん) : nature (noun)

自然に : naturally (adverb)

くる : to come (verb), It comes.

出て！ (でて！) : Come out! Go out! Get out!

出てくる : to come out (verb), to evolve (verb), It goes/comes out. It gets out.

自然に出てくる: It is made naturally. It evolves naturally.

民衆の間で自然に出てくる : It is made by people naturally. It evolves between people naturally.

来た (きた) : You came.

出て来た : It came out. It went out. It got out.

もの : a thing, something

自然に出て来た : It evolved naturally.

出て来たもの : something which evolved (noun clause)

自然に出て来たもの : something which evolved naturally (noun clause)

自然に出て来たものですか？:  Did it evolve naturally?

それとも、自然に出て来たものですか？:  Or did it evolve naturally?

日本人の民衆の間で自然に出て来た。: It evolved naturally between people in Japan.

民衆の間で自然に出て来たもの : something which evolved naturally between people (noun clause)

それとも、日本人の民衆の間で自然に出て来たものですか？:  Or did it evolve from the communication between people?

The professional teacher said to him, "I don't want to answer such a question!" 

プロの先生は、「そんな質問には答えたく有りません」と言った。

プロ : a professional (noun)

先生 (せんせい) : a teacher

プロの先生 : a professional teacher

質問 ( しつもん ) : a question

そんな質問 : such a question (This expression shows that you are negative about such a question. You probably think that the question is not good.)

答える (こたえる): to answer (verb)

質問に答える : to answer a question (verb), You answer the question.

質問に答えない。: You don't answer the question.

答えたい。: I want to answer.

答えたくない。: I don't want to answer.

有る (ある): Such a thing is here/there. You have it.

有りません。(ありません) : Such a thing is not here/there. I/We don't have it.

無い (ない) : Such a thing is not here/there.

無いです。: Such a thing is not here/there. I/We don't have it. (polite expression)

したい : I want to do it.

したくない : I don't want to do it.

したく有りません。/ したくないです。: I don't want to do it. (polite expression)

答えたく有りません。/ 答えたくないです。: I don't want to answer.

言った。(いった) : You said. You told.

先生は、言った。: The teacher said.

プロの先生は言った。: The professional teacher said.

「したく有りません」と言った。: You said, "I don't want to do it."

And the man said to him, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am teaching like this."

それに対して、男は、こう言った。「それでは、私も、何の権威で、ここで、この様に日本語を教えているのか、答えない事にします。」(Mt. 21:23-27)

それ : that, it

対する (たいする) : to respond (verb), to turn your face toward someone (verb)

対して (たいして) : in response to it

それに対して : as the response to that

男 (おとこ) : a man

こう : like this

言った。(いった) : You said. You told.

こう言った。: You said this.

男はこう言った。: The man said this.

それに対して、男は、こう言った。: As the response to that, the man said this.

それでは : then

私 (わたし) : I/my/me

私も : I also

何？(なに？) : What?

何の？(なんの?) : Of what?

権威 (けんい) : an authority

何の権威？(なんのけんい?): What authority?

何の権威で？: By what authority?

ここで : here

この様に (このように) : in this way, like this

日本語 (にほんご) : Japanese (language)

教える (おしえる) : to teach (verb)

日本語を教える : You teach Japanese to someone.

この様に教える : You teach in this way. You teach like this.

教えているの？ : Are you teaching? (present progress), Do you teach? (current and recent activity)

教えているのか : whether you teach or not

何の権威で教えているの? : By what authority, do you teach?

何の権威で、ここで、この様に日本語を教えているの？: By what authority, do you teach Japanese in this way?

何の権威で教えているのか : the authority which you teach by (noun clause)

答える (こたえる) : to answer (verb), You answer.

答えない : You don't answer.

日本語を教えているのか、答えない : You don't answer whether you teach Japanese or not.

何の権威で、教えているのか、答えない : You don't answer by what authority you teach.

事 (こと) : an event, an issue, an action, an activity, something which you have just mentioned

答えない事 : not answering (noun)

答える事 : answering (noun)

します。: I will do it.

答えることにします。: I will answer.

答えないことにします。: I will not answer.

私も、答えない事にします。: I, too, don't answer your question.

英文法 (えいぶんぽう) : English grammar

英文法の権威 : an authority in English grammar

主義者 (しゅぎしゃ) : a person who has his or her own ism.

権威主義者 : an authoritarian

妻 (つま) : wife

妻に対して : over your wife

無い (ない) : Such a thing is not here/there. You don't have it.

権威が無い : You don't have an authority.

私は権威が無い : I don't have an authority.

私は妻に対して権威が無い。: I don't have an authority over my wife.

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