Niko-Chan

Niko-Chan

Once upon a time, a Hungarian woman and her family lived in Tokyo. Her name was Nikoletta. She was born in Hungary but immigrated to the United Kingdom. She came to Japan alone on a working holiday visa and later got married. After that, she changed her visa to a spouse visa and eventually gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She had dual nationality but registered as British in Japan.

She found out that living in Japan was not all gold, and Japanese people were not all kind. Some Japanese people said “Look at her! she is a Gaijin!” Also, she had started to worry about her foreign-looking mixed baby girl. Some boys and girls in the neighborhood called her baby “ha-fu” which is a loan word borrowed from the English word “half” meaning “a half Japanese and a half foreigner.” Nikoletta shouted in her heart, “My baby’s name is not ‘ha-fu!’ She has a name!” She thought about returning to her home country from time to time. She was very tired.

One day, she and her family visited a small town in Shikoku Island. The name of the town was Toyocho. Toyocho Beach is well known as one of the best places to surf in Japan. Nikoletta took a walk, wheeling her baby carriage/stroller, by the beach after lunch and thought about her life. Her husband was enjoying surfing alone. People there greeted her, “konnichiwa!” She heard the sounds of birds and waves from the beach. She saw the mountain and ocean. Her life in Japan was not so easy but she recalled that her name had Greek roots coming from the word meaning “people of victory.” She took deep breaths, her chest rising and falling. Afterwards, she shouted with all her might, “I shall never give up!” After that, her smile came back on her face. Some of her Japanese friends eventually called her “Niko-chan”; a casual and friendly expression for her smiling.

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にこちゃん

ある時、家族と共に、東京で暮らすハンガリー人の女がいた。彼女の名前はニコレッタと言った。彼女はハンガリー生まれで、まず英国へ移住、その後ワーキングホリデービザを取得して単身で来日し、結婚し、配偶者ビザに切り替え、そして美しくかつ健康な女児を出産した。彼女は二重国籍者であったが、日本では英国人として住民登録した。

彼女は、日本での生活の全てが薔薇色と言うわけでは無いし、日本人が、皆が皆、親切でも無い事を思い知らされていた。日本人の中には、彼女を指差して、「ねぇ、見て！外人！」と、言う者もいた。それから、もうひとつ、彼女は、幼いわが娘の、日本人離れした容姿についても、心配し始めたところであった。近所の子供達の中には、彼女の赤ん坊の事を「ハーフ」と呼ぶ者もいた。その言葉は、英語からの外来語「ハーフ」(訳注 :*半分の意)で、その意味するところは、「半分日本人、半分外国人」であった。ニコレッタは、心の中で叫んだ。「この子の名前は、ハーフじゃない！ちゃんと名前が有るのよ！」いっそ母国に帰ってしまいたいと思ったことも、一度や二度ではなかった。彼女は疲れていた。

ある日、彼女は家族で四国の、ある小さな町を訪れた。その町の名前は、東洋町。そこの東洋町ビーチは、サーフィンを楽しむには、日本屈指のところである。ニコレッタは、昼食後、砂浜沿いで、乳母車を押しながら散歩し、自らの人生について想いを馳せた。夫は、ひとりでサーフィンを楽しんでいた。そこにいた人々が彼女に、「こんにちわ！」と挨拶をする。海岸から、鳥の鳴き声、波の音が聴こえる。彼女は、山や海を見た。彼女の日本での暮らしは容易では無かった。しかし彼女は、自らの名前が「勝利の民」を意味するギリシャ語由来であることを思い出した。彼女は、胸一杯に空気を吸い込んだ。2回目の深呼吸の後、海に向かって叫んだ。「アイ・ウィル・ネバー・ギブアップ！」その後、彼女の顔に笑顔が戻ってきた。やがて、日本人の友人達は、彼女のことを、「にこちゃん」と呼ぶようになった。それは、彼女の笑顔に対する、うち解けた、そして友好的な表現であった。

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Niko-chan
Once upon a time, a Hungarian woman and her family lived in Tokyo. Her name was Nikoletta. 
「にこちゃん」
ある時、家族と共に、東京で暮らすハンガリー人の女がいた。彼女の名はニコレッタであった。

にこちゃん：Niko-Chan, the nick name of the person who this story is telling about
時(とき): the time, the period which a story takes
ある時：Once upon a time
家族(かぞく): a family
共に(ともに): with (together)
家族と共に : with your family
東京(とうきょう): the capital of Japan and one of 47 prefectures of Japan. Many of people in Tokyo were originally from other prefectures, and everyone speak Japanese language with an accent from his or her home prefecture. An local accent which is called Tokyo accent is also one of many local accents but not the standard one. You can hear the Tokyo accent on the series of movies “Tora-San.”
暮らす(くらす): to live your daily life in your area (verb)
家族と暮らす: to live with your family (verb)
家族と共に暮らす: to live with your family (verb)
東京で暮らす: to live in Tokyo (verb)
ハンガリー: Hungary (country)
ハンガリー人(はんがりーじん): a Hungarian (person)
ハンガリー語(はんがりーご): Hungarian (language)
ポーランド: Poland (country)
ポーランド人(ぽーらんどじん): a Polish (person)
ポーランド語(ぽーらんどご): Polish (language)
東京で暮らすポーランド人: a Polish who lives in Tokyo (noun clause)
女(おんな): a woman
女がいた。:There was a woman.
Example:
東洋町(とうようちょう): Toyocho, a small town in Shikoku Island, Japan
男(おとこ): a man
ある時、東洋町で暮らす、ポーランド人の男がいた。: Once upon a time, there was a Polish man who lived in Toyocho.

彼女 (かのじょ) : she / her
名 (な) / 名前 (なまえ) : someone's name ('名' is poetic expression for story writing.)
彼女の名 : her name (poetic expression for story writing)
ニコレッタ : Nikoletta
名はニコレッタであった。: Someone's name was Nikoletta.





She was born in Hungary but immigrated to the United Kingdom. She came to Japan alone on a working holiday visa and later got married. After that, she changed her visa to a spouse visa and eventually gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. 
彼女はハンガリー生まれで、まず英国へ移住、その後ワーキングホリデービザを取得して単身で来日し、結婚し、配偶者ビザに切り替え、そして美しくかつ健康な女児を出産した。

彼女(かのじょ): she / her
ハンガリー : Hungary (country)
生まれる(うまれる): to be born
ハンガリー生まれ：Hungary-born
ポーランド生まれ: Poland-born

彼女はポーランド生まれです。: She is a Poland-born woman.

彼女はポーランド生まれで、..... : She was born in Poland and/then/so/but ......

英国(えいこく) / 連合王国(れんごうおうこく): the United Kingdom
移住(いじゅう): immigrating
移住する: to immigrate
英国へ移住する: to immigrate to the U.K. (verb)
まず英国へ移住する: to first immigrate to the U.K.before going to another country (verb)
........ : 何々 (なになに) : literally "something, something"
まず英国へ移住、..... : You first immigrated to the United Kingdom then ......
その後(そのご): after that, then
ワーキングホリデービザ: a working holiday visa
労働ビザ(ろうどうびざ): a working visa
取得(しゅとく): obtaining, getting a certificate or license
ビザを取得する: to obtain a visa (verb)
ビザを取得して .... : to obtain a visa and/then/so .......
運転免許 (うんてんめんきょ) : a driver license
運転免許を取得する : to get a driving license (verb)
単身(たんしん): alone
単身赴任(たんしんふにん): For example, when you work in New York while your family stay in Los Angeles, that situation is called 単身赴任.
来る(くる): to come (verb)
日本(にほん): Japan
来日(らいにち): coming to Japan (noun)
来日する: to come to Japan (verb)
単身で来日する : to come to Japan alone (verb)
単身で来日し、.... : to come to Japan and/then/so ..........
結婚(けっこん): a marriage (noun)
結婚する: to marry, to get married (verb)
結婚し、.... : to get married and/then/so .....
配偶者(はいぐうしゃ): a spouse
配偶者ビザ: a spouse visa
切り替える(きりかえる): to switch a status to another status (verb)
テレビのチャンネルを切り替える : to switch a tv channel to another one (verb)
配偶者ビザに切り替え、.... : to change your visa to a spouse visa and/then/so ..........
そして: and, then, so, therefore
美しい(うつくしい): beautiful
健康(けんこう): a health (noun)
健康な: healthy (adjective)
女(おんな): a woman
子(こ): a child
女の子: a girl
美しい女: a beautiful woman
健康な子: a healthy child
美しく健康な女の子: a beautiful healthy girl
美しくかつ健康な女: a woman who is beautiful and also healthy (noun clause)
児童(じどう): a child, a baby
女児(じょじ): a baby girl, a girl
男児(だんじ): a baby boy, a boy
出産(しゅっさん): a birth, a delivery, having a baby
出産する: to have a baby (verb)
彼女は英国へ移住した。: She immigrated to the United Kingdom.
彼女はワーキングホリデービザを取得した。: She obtained a working holiday visa.
彼女は単身で来日した。: She came to Japan alone.
彼女は結婚した。: She got married.
彼女は配偶者ビザに切り替えた。: She changed her visa to a spouse visa.
彼女は女児を出産した。: She gave birth to a baby girl.

She had dual nationality but registered as British in Japan.
彼女は二重国籍者であったが、日本では英国人として住民登録した。

彼女(かのじょ): she / her
二重(にじゅう): double, dual
国籍(こくせき): a nationality
二重国籍 (にじゅうこくせき): a status that someone has dial nationality (noun)
二重国籍者(にじゅうこくせきしゃ): a person with dial nationality (noun)
彼女は二重国籍者であった : She had dual nationality.
彼女は二重国籍者であったが、..... : She had dual nationality but ......
日本(にほん): Japan
日本では : in Japan
英国人(えいこくじん): a British (person)
住民(じゅうみん): a resident
登録(とうろく): a registration
住民登録 : resident registration
登録する: to register (verb)
日本で登録する : to register in Japan (verb)
英国人として登録する : to register someone as British (verb)
住民登録する : to register someone as a resident (verb)
Example:
彼(かれ): he
日本人(にほんじん): Japanese (person)
宇多田ひかる: a famous Japanese singer
知る(しる): to know (verb)
知らない (しらない) : You don't know it.
彼は、日本人であったが、歌手の宇多田ひかるを知らなかった。 : He was a Japanese but did not know Hikaru Udata, one of the most famous Japanese singers.






She found out that living in Japan was not all gold, and Japanese people were not all kind. Some Japanese people said “Look at her! she is a Gaijin (foreigner)!”
彼女は、日本での生活の全てが薔薇色と言うわけでは無いし、日本人が、皆が皆、親切でも無い事を思い知らされていた。日本人の中には、彼女を指差して、「ねぇ、見て！外人！」と、言う者もいた。

彼女(かのじょ): she
日本(にほん): Japan
生活(せいかつ): a life, daily life, living
全て(すべて): all
日本での生活: living in Japan
生活の全て: all of your daily life, your everyday’s situation
薔薇色(ばらいろ): wonderful, graceful, all happy (literally “the rose color”)
言う(いう): to say, to tell (verb)
無い(ない): It is not there.
薔薇色と言うわけでは無い。: It is not all gold. 
日本人(にほんじん): a Japanese (person)
皆(みんな): all, everybody, all people
親 (おや) : a parent
切る (きる) : to cut (verb)
親切(しんせつ): kind to others (Never try to breakdown this word into two kanji, 親 and 切. Don't cut your parent.)
事(こと): the fact, an event, an issue, a matter, something which you have just mentioned
皆が皆、親切でも無い。: Not everyone is kind. (Some people are kind but the other people are not kind.)
思う(おもう): to think (verb)
知る(しる): to know, to understand, to get the idea, to realize, to be notified, to hear a news (verb)
思い知る: to find out that something is  not pleasant, to experience a hard time and finally understand that something is difficult and not so easy (verb)
知らされる(しらされる): You are noticed it.
思い知らされる: Someone or something make you understand something unpleasant.
思い知らされている。: You are now feeling something is true. (often used for some difficult or hard situation when you are facing it. )
簡単（かんたん）：easy
彼女は、日本での生活が簡単ではない事を、思い知らされていた。: She found out that living in Japan is not so easy.
文法書 (ぶんぽうしょ) : a grammar book
限界 (げんかい) : the limitation
私は、文法書の限界を思い知らされた。: I was forced to understand the limitation of the grammar books.
日本人(にほんじん): a Japanese (person)
中(なか): inside, in a container, in a room, in a group, etc.
日本人の中には、: in Japanese people
彼女（かのじょ）：she / her
指（ゆび）：a finger(s)
差す（さす）：to shine (The sun shines.), to oil a machine, to open an umbrella
指差す：to point at someone or something by your finger
見る(みる): to look, to watch, to see, to take care, to repair
ねぇ、見て！(ねぇ、みて！): Look at him/her/that!
外国人(がいこくじん): a foreigner
外人(がいじん):  a short form for the word “外国人” ( I know that most of you do not like this word. Some Japanese people have already stopped to use this word. However, some others still use this word for two reason. The first group is people who think this word is just a short version. We say “スマホ” for “スマートフォン,” “パソコン” for “パーソナルコンピュータ.” In this case, they are not trying to offend you. Some of them will eventually and somehow learn that this word should be avoided, then they will stop to use this word because they don’t want to offend you. The second group is people who somehow have a negative feeling at the foreigners. They intentionally use this word to offend you until they will change their mind. I used this word only in this story but will never use it in real life.)
言う(いう): to say
者（もの）：a person, someone who you have just mentioned
者がいた。：There is someone who you have just mentioned.
者もいた。：There is also some one who you have just mentioned.
そのように言う : to say like that (verb)
言う者: a person who says it. a person who tells it.
言う者がいる: There is a person who says it.
言う者がいた: There was a person who said it.
日本人の中には、そのように言う者もいた。: There were also some Japanese people who said like that.
Example:
寿司(すし): sushi
嫌い(きらい): to hate
人(ひと): a person
日本人の中には、寿司が嫌いな人もいる。: Some Japanese do not like sushi. There are some Japanese who do not like sushi. The feeling of this sentence is, “There are not only many people who love sushi but also some people who don’t like it in Japan.”)



Also, she had started to worry about her foreigner looking mixed baby girl. Some boys and girls in neighborhood called her baby “ha-fu” which was a loan word borrowed from an English word “half” meaning “a half Japanese and a half foreigner.”
それから、もうひとつ、彼女は、幼いわが娘の、日本人離れした容姿についても、心配し始めたところであった。近所の子供達の中には、彼女の赤ん坊の事を「ハーフ」と呼ぶ者もいた。その言葉は、英語からの外来語「ハーフ」(訳注 :*半分の意)で、その意味するところは、「半分日本人、半分外国人」であった。

それから: then, also, so, after that
もうひとつ: one more thing
最後 (さいご) : the last one, the end
最後にスティーブン・ジョブズが、「それから、もうひとつ！」と言った。: Finally, Steven Jobs said, “One more thing!”)
彼女(かのじょ): she / her
幼い(おさない): small (boy or girl)
娘(むすめ): a daughter
わが娘: my daughter
幼い娘: a baby girl
日本人(にほんじん): a Japanese (person)
離れる(はなれる): to  separate, to go away, to leave someone or a group (verb)
日本人離れ (にほんじんばなれ) : very different from average Japanese people
容姿(ようし): someone’s looks, an appearance of someone
日本人離れした容姿 : a looks which does not look like Japanese. A foreign looking
心配(しんぱい): a worry (noun)
心配する: to be worried, to concern about something (verb)
彼女は娘の容姿について心配している。: She is worried about her daughter ‘s looking.
始める(はじめる): to begin doing something, to begin getting something, to begin changing something or itself (verb)
心配し始める: to start to worry about something (verb)
し始めたところ: It is that someone has just begun doing it.
し始めたところであった: It was that someone had just begun doing it.
夫(おっと): husband
身体(からだ): a body
彼女は、夫の身体について、心配しています。: She is now worrying about her husband’s health problem.
彼女は、夫の身体について、心配し始めました。: She has started to worry about her husband’s health problem.
彼女は、夫の身体について、心配し始めたところです。: She has just started to worry about her husband’s health problem.
近所(きんじょ): the neighborhood
子供(こども): a child
子供達(こどもたち): children
中(なか): inside, in 〜
近所の子供達の中：in children in neighborhood, some of boys and girls in neighborhood
者(もの): a person
近所の子供達の中には、～ 者もいた。: There were some children in neighborhood who ～.
彼女(かのじょ): she / her
赤ん坊(あかんぼう): a baby (casual and cute expression )
事(こと): the fact, an event, an issue, that ～ (used to refer to something or someone)
ハーフ: ha-fu (loan word literally "half")
呼ぶ(よぶ): to call (verb)
彼女のことを、「ハーフ」と呼ぶ: to call her “ha-fu.”
彼女のことを、「ハーフ」と呼ぶ者: a person who calls her “half” (noun clause)
言葉(ことば): a word, a phrase, a sentence
英語(えいご): English (language)
外来語(がいらいご): a loan word borrowed from a foreign language (literally “外”:outside, “来”:come, “語”:word)
翻訳(ほんやく): a translation
注意(ちゅうい): a caution, a warning, an annotation
訳注(やくちゅう): an annotation from the translator (literally “訳”=“翻訳”, “注”=“注意”)
半分(はんぶん): a half
意味(いみ): the meaning
半分の意(はんぶんのい) = 半分の意味 : the meaning which is “a half.”)
意味する(いみする): to mean
ところ: a place
その意味するところ: the meaning of it (literally “The place which it means”)
日本人(にほんじん): a Japanese (person)
外国人(がいこくじん): a foreigner
その意味するところは、～である: It means ～. (literally “The place which it means is ～.” )
その意味するところは、「外国人」であった。: It meant “a foreigner.”





Nikoletta shouted in her heart, “My baby’s name is not ‘ha-fu!’ She has her own name!” She thought about returning to her home country from time to time. She was very tired.
ニコレッタは、心の中で叫んだ。「この子の名前は、ハーフじゃない！ちゃんと名前が有るのよ！」いっそ母国に帰ってしまいたいと思ったことも、一度や二度ではなかった。彼女は疲れていた。

ニコレッタ: Nikoletta
心(こころ): someone’s mind
中(なか): inside
心の中：in your heat
叫ぶ(さけぶ): to shout
叫んだ。(さけんだ) : You shouted.
ニコレッタは、叫んだ。: Nikoletta shouted.
心の中で叫ぶ : to shout in your heart (verb)
この子(このこ): my baby (literally “this child”)
名前(なまえ): the name
この子の名前 : my baby's name, my son's name, my daughter's name (literally "the name of this child")
ハーフ: ha-fu
ハーフじゃない！: It’s not ha-fu!
名前は、ハーフじゃない！: my/his/her name is not Ha-fu!
ちゃんと: surely, truly, exactly
有る(ある): It is there. It exists. There is/are. You have it.
名前が有る : Someone or something has the name.

有るのよ！: Yes! I do have it!, Yes! He/She does have it!, Yes! It exists! (casual and spoken expression)

私(わたし): I / my / me

外人(がいじん): gaijin, a foreigner
呼ぶ(よぶ): to call (verb)
私を、外人と呼ばないで！ ちゃんと名前があるのよ！: Don’t call me “gaijin!” I have my own name!
時には(ときには): from time to time
いっそ: instead, might just as well (used when you want to take another action instead of to keep suffering from the current circumstance which is painful for you)
母国(ぼこく): your home country (literally “mother country”)
帰る(かえる): to go back to your home or country (verb)
蛙（かえる）：a frog (not related to the story)
帰ってしまう(かえってしまう): to go back to your home or country in the feeling of unfortunate, unlucky, sad or pity (verb)
思う(おもう): to think (verb)
思った。(おもった): You thought.
事(こと): an event, an issue, the fact, a situation which you have just mentioned
帰りたい！(かえりたい！): I want to go home! I want to return to my country!
帰りたいと思った事: a situation that you thought about returning to your home or country (noun clause)
一度(いちど): once
二度(にど): twice
一度や二度ではない: many times, often, not few times, It happened more than a couple of times. (literally “That were not just one or two times.”)
彼女(かのじょ): she / her
疲れる(つかれる): to get tired (verb)
疲れた！: I’m tired!
疲れている : You are now tired. (current situation)
疲れていた。: You were tired. (past situation)
仕事(しごと): a work, a job
彼女は、仕事に疲れていた。: Her job tired her. She was tired with her job.
会社(かいしゃ): a company
辞める(やめる): to quit your job (verb)
思う(おもう): to think
彼女は仕事に疲れ、いっそのこと会社を辞めたいと思った。: (Please, translate this sentence into English.)





One day, she and her family visited a small town in Shikoku Island. The name of the town was Toyocho. Toyocho Beach is well known as one of the best places to surf in Japan.
ある日、彼女は家族で四国の、ある小さな町を訪れた。
その町の名前は、東洋町。そこの東洋町ビーチは、サーフィンを楽しむには、日本屈指のところである。

ある日(あるひ): One day
彼女(かのじょ): she
家族(かぞく): a family
家族で(かぞくで): with his or her a family
四国(しこく): Shikoku Island, Japan
小さい(ちいさい) / 小さな(ちいさな) : small (adjective)
町(まち): a town
小さな町 : a small town
ある町：a certain town which the story is going to tell about
四国の、ある町：a town in Shikoku Island
ある小さな町: a small town
訪ねる(たずねる) / 訪れる(おとずれる) : to visit someone or some place (verb)
訪ねた。/ 訪れた。: You visited someone or some place.
彼女は、ある町を訪れた。: She visited a town.
彼女は家族で、ある町を訪れた。: She and her family visited a town.

ある日、彼女は家族で、ある町を訪れた。: One day, she and her family visited a town.

Example:

彼(かれ): he
九州(きゅうしゅう): Kyushu island, Japan
ある日、彼は、家族で九州の小さな町を訪れた。: One day, he and his family visited a small town in Kyushu Island.

町(まち): a town
その町 : that town, the town which has already been mentkioned
名前(なまえ): the name

その町の名前 : the name of the town

東洋町(とうようちょう): Tokyo-cho, one of the most beautiful and old small town in Japan.
東洋町ビーチ: the Toyo-cho Beach
そこの東洋町ビーチ : the Toyo-cho Beach there
サーフィン: surfing
楽しむ(たのしむ): to enjoy something (verb)
サーフィンを楽しむ : to enjoy surfing (verb)
屈指 (くっし) : one of the best ones in a group or a category
日本屈指(にほんくっし): one of the best ones in Japan
ところ: a place
日本屈指のところ : one of the best places in Japan

サーフィンを楽しむには、日本屈指のところ : one of the best places to surf in Japan
日本屈指のところである。: It is one of the best places in Japan.

Example:
彼(かれ): he
描く(かく / えがく): to draw, to paint an art (verb)
絵(え): a drawing, a painting
中(なか): inside, in the room, in the container, in the group, in the category, etc.
作品(さくひん): a product, something you make as a artist or craftsman
思う(おもう): to think (verb)
これは、彼の描いた絵の中でも、屈指の作品だと思う。: I think this is one of the best ones in his drawings.



Nikoletta took a walk, wheeling her baby carriage, by the beach after lunch and thought about her life. Her husband was enjoying surfing alone.
ニコレッタは、昼食後、砂浜沿いで、乳母車を押しながら散歩し、自らの人生について想いを馳せた。夫は、ひとりでサーフィンを楽しんでいた。

ニコレッタ: Nikoletta
昼食後(ちゅうしょくご): after lunch
砂浜(すなはま): a beach, a sandy beach
砂浜沿い(すなはまぞい): by the beach
乳母車(うばぐるま): a baby stroller/carriage
押す(おす): to push something (verb)
乳母車を押す: to wheel a baby stroller (verb)
散歩する(さんぽする): to take a walk for fun, relaxing or refreshing your mind (verb)
砂浜沿いで散歩する : to take a walk by the beach (verb)
ながら：while doing something ( This expression is used when you do two things at the same time.)
乳母車を押しながら : while you wheel a stroller
乳母車を押しながら散歩する: to take a walk, wheeling a stroller (verb)
自ら(みずから): oneself, myself/yourself/himself/herself (depends on the context)
人生(じんせい): a life
自らの人生 : one’s life, my/your/his/her life (depends on the context)
想い(おもい): your thoughts
馳せる(はせる): to make something go (verb)
想いを馳せる: Your thoughts goes to something or somebody, to think of something or someone with a certain feeling or emotion (verb)
人生について想いを馳せる : to think about your life with a special feeling or emotion (verb)
夫(おっと): husband
ひとりで: alone
サーフィン: surfing
楽しむ(たのしむ): to enjoy something (verb)
ひとりで楽しむ : to enjoy something alone (verb)
サーフィンを楽しむ : to enjoy surfing (verb)
楽しんでいる (たのしんでいる) : You are enjoying something. (current situation)
楽しんでいた (たのしんでいた) : You were enjoying something. (past situation)
夫は、サーフィンを楽しんでいる : The husband is enjoying surfing. (current situation)

夫は、サーフィンを楽しんでいた。: The husband was enjoying surfing. (past situation)

Example:
彼女(かのじょ): she
美容院(びよういん): a beauty shop
間(あいだ): the time, when ～, during ～, while ～
ハロートーク: Hello Talk
彼女が美容院にいる間、夫はスタバで、ひとりでハロートークを楽しんでいた。: While she was in the salon, her husband enjoyed on hello talk alone at a starbucks.



People there greeted her, “konnichiwa!” She heard the sounds of birds and waves from the beach. She saw the mountain and ocean.
そこにいた人々が彼女に、「こんにちわ！」と挨拶をする。海岸から、鳥の鳴き声、波の音が聴こえる。彼女は、山や海を見た。

ここ : here
そこ : there 人(ひと): a person
人々(ひとびと): people
ここにいた人々: people here
そこにいた人々: people there
彼女(かのじょ): she
こんにちは！: Hello!
挨拶(あいさつ): a greeting (noun)
挨拶をする : to greet, to say hello (verb)
「こんにちわ！」と挨拶をする : to greet someone by saying "Hello!" (verb)
人々が彼女に、挨拶をした。: People said hello to her.

人々が彼女に、挨拶をする。: People will say hello to her. People said hello to her. (in this context)

海岸(かいがん): a beach, a seaside
砂浜(すなはま):a beach, a sandy beach
鳥(とり): a bird
鳴く(なく): to sing (a bird), to croak (a frog), etc. (verb)
泣く(なく): to cry (a person) (verb)
鳴き声(なきごえ): a song (a bird), the croaking (a frog), etc. (noun)
泣き声(なきごえ): a voice of tear(a person) (noun)
波(なみ): a wave, the waves
音(おと): the sound
聴く(きく): to hear or listen to the sound of something
pleasant such as a music, a song
海岸から : from the beach
鳥の鳴き声 : the sound of birds
波の音 : the sound of waves
聴こえる : You hear the sound or song. The sound or song is hearable.

波の音が聴こえた。: You heard the sound of waves.
波の音が聴こえる。: You hear the sound of waves. She heard the sound of waves. (in this context)
山(やま): a mountain
海(うみ): the sea, the ocean

山や海 : a mountain, ocean, etc./and so on
見る(みる): to see, to watch, to look at someone or something (verb)
彼女は、見た。: She saw it.

山や海を見た。: You saw the mountain and ocean.

Her life in Japan was not so easy but she recalled that her name had Greek roots coming from the word meaning “people of victory.” She took deep breaths, her chest rising and falling. Afterwards, she shouted with all her might, “I shall never give up!”
彼女の日本での暮らしは容易では無かった。しかし彼女は、自らの名前が「勝利の民」を意味するギリシャ語由来であることを思い出した。彼女は、胸一杯に空気を吸い込んだ。2回目の深呼吸の後、海に向かって叫んだ。「アイ・ウィル・ネバー・ギブアップ！」

彼女(かのじょ): she / her
日本(にほん): Japan
暮らし(くらし): one’s daily life
彼女の暮らし : her daily life
日本での暮らし : your daily life in Japan
容易(ようい): easy
無い(ない): It is not. There is/are not. You do not have it. It does not exists.
容易では無い。: It is not easy.
容易では無かった。: It was not easy.

しかし: but, however
自ら(みずから): oneself
名前(なまえ): the name
自らの名前: one’s name
勝利(しょうり): a victory
民(たみ): people (more poetic than “人々”(ひとびと))
自らの名前 : one's name, her name (in this context)
勝利の民 : people of victory
意味(いみ): a meaning (noun)
意味する: to mean (verb)
「勝利の民」を意味する : It means "people of victory".
ギリシャ語(ぎりしゃご): Greek (language)
由来(ゆらい): the roots
ギリシャ語由来 : Greek roots
「勝利の民」を意味するギリシャ語 : a Greek word that means "people of victory" (noun clause)
「勝利の民」を意味するギリシャ語由来 : Greek roots coming from the word meaning “people of victory”
ギリシャ語由来である : It has Greek roots.
自らの名前がギリシャ語由来である : Your name has Greek roots.
こと : an event, an issue, the fact, a situation, something which you have just mentioned
ギリシャ語由来であること : the fact that it has Greek roots.
思い出す(おもいだす): to recall what you knew in the past (verb)

ギリシャ語由来であることを思い出す : to recall that it has Greek roots (verb)
彼女は、思い出した。: She recalled something.

胸(むね): a breast, a chest
一杯(いっぱい): full amount
空気(くうき): air
吸う(すう): to breathe in, to inhale
空気を吸う: to take a breathe
吸い込む(すいこむ): to breathe in, to soak in, to inhale, to draw in
胸一杯に空気を吸い込む: to take a deep breath (verb)
2回目(にかいめ): the second time
深呼吸(しんこきゅう): a deep breathing
後(あと): after, later
二回目の深呼吸の後: after the second breathing, after taking the second breathe
海(うみ): the sea, the ocean
向かって(むかって): towards
叫ぶ(さけぶ): to shout (verb)
海に向かう : to face toward the ocean, to look toward the ocean (verb)
海に向かって : toward the ocean

海に向かって叫ぶ : to shout toward the ocean (verb)

叫んだ。(さけんだ): shouted.

「アイ・ウィル・ネバー・ギブアップ！」: “I will never give up!” (We often use katakana when quoting someone’s words which are spoken in a foreign language especially in a story. Also, we use “・” between two katakana words since we do not use spaces. In this way, we can write a story not only in the horizontal format but also in the vertical format. However, if I write an English textbook, then I will write the quoted phrases in English, not in katakana format.)





After that, her smile came back to her face. Some of her Japanese friends eventually called her “Niko-chan”; a casual and friendly expression for her smiling.
その後、彼女の顔に笑顔が戻ってきた。やがて、日本人の友人達は、彼女のことを、「にこちゃん」と呼ぶようになった。それは、彼女の笑顔に対する、うち解けた、そして友好的な表現であった。

その後(そのご): after that
彼女(かのじょ): she / her
顔(かお): a face
彼女の顔 : her face
笑顔(えがお): a smile
戻る(もどる): to come back quickly or gradually (verb)
戻ってくる (もどってくる): to come back gradually through the process taking some time.
戻ってきた(もどってきた): It came back gradually through the process taking some time.
彼女の顔に戻ってきた。: Something came back to her face.
笑顔が戻ってきた。: Your smile came back.
やがて: eventually
日本人(にほんじん): Japanese
友人(ゆうじん): a friend, one of your friends
友人達(ゆうじんたち): friends, some of your friends
日本人の友人 : your Japanese friend, one of your Japanese friends
日本人の友人達 : your Japanese friends, some of your Japanese friends
にこちゃん: Niko-chan (a nickname)
呼ぶ(よぶ): to call (verb)
「にこちゃん」と呼ぶ : to call someone "Niko-chan" by a nickname (verb)
彼女のことを「にこちゃん」と呼ぶ: to call her "Niko-chan” by a nickname (verb) 
人 (ひと): a person
人々(ひとびと): people
やがて、人々は、彼女のことを、「にこちゃん」と、呼ぶようになった。: People eventually called her “Niko-chan.”

Example: 
妻(つま): wife
彼(かれ): he/his/him
やがて、妻は彼のことを、「ふじくん」と、呼ぶようになった。: Eventually, his wife called him “Fujikun.”

それは、: It was .....
対する (たいする) : to, toward, against (depends on the context)
彼女の笑顔に対する、: for her smiling
うち解ける (うちとける) : to be frank with someone, to have open mind (verb)
そして : and
友好的な (ゆうこうてきな) : friendly (adjective)
表現 (ひょうげん) : an expression
うち解けた表現 : a casual expression
友好的な表現 : a friendly expression
うち解けた、そして友好的な : casual and friendly (adjective clause)
彼女の笑顔に対する、うち解けた表現 : a casual expression for her smiling (noun clause)

彼女の笑顔に対する、友好的な表現 : a friendly expression for her smiling (noun clause)

それは、表現である。: It is an expression. 
それは、表現であった。: It was an expression. 

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