My Friend Takes the Lead 友人に先を越される I have a friend who I've been learning English and translation with for more than ten years. Just the other day, he passed the Eiken Grade 1 on his second attem

Yukey (ゆっきー)

My Friend Takes the Lead 友人に先を越される I have a friend who I've been learning English and translation with for more than ten years. Just the other day, he passed the Eiken Grade 1 on his second attempt!! (For those who don't know the Eiken Grade 1, it's one of the most advanced English proficiency tests in Japan.) I'm happy for him... I do am happy for him.. But I have mixed feelings. We took the test for the first time last October and we both failed then, but he's been studying really hard ever since, and has made it. Meanwhile I didn't even take it this time because I haven't been really good enough yet. I've been doing my best, but I was dreaming of passing it without studying exclusively for the test, thinking it was good enough if I kept chatting with American and British friends, reading lots of books and watching a ton of dramas.Plus, having been working as an English tutor, I supposed this profession would significantly help me strengthen my English ability. But the outcome has proved otherwise. I couldn't have been more wrong. I realized that if you want to pass an exam, you just have to study for it! (It's obvious! How could I not know it until now? lol ) 私にはこの10年来、英語と翻訳を一緒に勉強している友達がいます。その友達が先日の英検1級に、2回目の挑戦にして合格しました！！嬉しいです、嬉しいですよ。でもこう、、なんだかなぁ。英検1級には彼も私も昨年の10月に初めて受けて、落ちました。しかし彼は猛勉強を続け、合格したのです。私はまだ実力が足りず、今回は受験しませんでした。私も努力はしていますが、試験勉強をしなくても実力で英検1級に合格したい、と変なこだわりがあり、アメリカやイギリスの友人とお喋りしたり、本をたくさん読んだり、ドラマを見たりすれば十分と、あまり試験に向けた勉強はしてきませんでした。英語に関わる仕事をしているので勝手に実力は付くだろうとタカを括っていたようにも思います。しかし今回、歴然とした結果を見せられてしまい、やはり試験勉強は必要だなと、痛感した次第です（気付くの遅っ！）

Mar 5, 2015 2:37 PM

Corrections · 6

My Friend Takes the Lead 友人に先を越される

I have a friend who I've been learning English and translation with for more than ten years.

Just the other day, he passed the Eiken Grade 1 on his second attempt!! (For those who don't know the Eiken Grade 1, it's one of the most advanced English proficiency tests in Japan.)

I'm happy for him... I do <em>am</em> happy for him.. But, I have mixed feelings.
We took the test for the first time last October and we both failed then, but he's been studying really hard ever since, and has made it, meanwhile I didn't even take it this time because I haven't been reallyreally been good enough yet.

I've been doing my best, but I was dreaming of passing it without studying exclusively for the test. I thought thinking it waswould be good enough if I kept chatting with American and British friends, reading lots of books and watching a ton of dramas. Plus,Also, having been working as an English tutor, I supposed this profession would significantly help me strengthen my English ability, but the outcome has proved otherwise. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I realized that if you want to pass an exam, you just have to study for it! (It's obvious! How could I not know it until now? lol )

(Note: Conversationally your english is amazing! すごい!!! O_O . Make sure not to start sentences with 'continuations' such as "but", "however", and "meanwhile". When used in English these are used inside a sentence. I know in Japanese they often start a sentence this way, it is confusing for me too! I hope you pass the next test. 頑張ってね!)

私にはこの10年来、英語と翻訳を一緒に勉強している友達がいます。その友達が先日の英検1級に、2回目の挑戦にして合格しました！！

嬉しいです、嬉しいですよ。でもこう、、なんだかなぁ。
英検1級には彼も私も昨年の10月に初めて受けて、落ちました。しかし彼は猛勉強を続け、合格したのです。私はまだ実力が足りず、今回は受験しませんでした。

私も努力はしていますが、試験勉強をしなくても実力で英検1級に合格したい、と変なこだわりがあり、アメリカやイギリスの友人とお喋りしたり、本をたくさん読んだり、ドラマを見たりすれば十分と、あまり試験に向けた勉強はしてきませんでした。英語に関わる仕事をしているので勝手に実力は付くだろうとタカを括っていたようにも思います。

しかし今回、歴然とした結果を見せられてしまい、やはり試験勉強は必要だなと、痛感した次第です（気付くの遅っ！）

March 5, 2015

「次第」は「物事がそうなった理由」という意味です。「痛感した次第です」を他の言葉で言うと、「（試験勉強の重要性に）気が付いた理由です」。つまり「歴然とした結果（＝友達が試験に合格した事）が試験勉強の重要性に気が付いた理由です」という意味です。「こだわり」は英語で言うと、"preference"が一番近いと思いますが、英語には一言で表せる単語はありませんね。

June 4, 2016