Host
Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is September twenty-second. At an aquarium in Tokyo, two baby green sea turtles have just gone on display — and their new names mean Star and Sky. Let's listen.
News
今日のニュースです。
Here's today's news.
News
東京の「すみだ水族館」で、アオウミガメの赤ちゃん2頭の公開が始まりました。
At Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo, two baby green sea turtles have gone on public display.
News
赤ちゃんの名前は「星」と「空」です。小笠原の小学校の子どもたちが考えました。
The babies are named Hoshi (Star) and Sora (Sky). The names were chosen by children at an elementary school in Ogasawara.
News
2頭は今年の夏、東京から南に約1000キロはなれた小笠原諸島の砂浜で生まれました。
The two were born this summer on a sandy beach in the Ogasawara Islands, about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo.
News
体はまだ小さくて、甲羅の長さは約8センチしかありません。
They are still small, and their shells are only about 8 centimeters long.
News
アオウミガメは、数が少なくなっている、大切な動物です。
Green sea turtles are precious animals whose numbers are declining.
News
小さい赤ちゃんは、海では鳥や大きな魚に食べられることがあります。
In the sea, small babies are sometimes eaten by birds and large fish.
News
だから水族館は、赤ちゃんを約1年間育てます。大きくなったら、小笠原の海に帰します。
That is why the aquarium raises the babies for about a year. When they have grown bigger, it returns them to the sea around Ogasawara.
News
水族館は、この活動を2012年から続けています。今までに40頭以上のカメを海に帰しました。
The aquarium has continued this activity since 2012. So far it has returned more than 40 turtles to the sea.
News
水族館の人は「小さいカメが元気に泳ぐ姿を、ぜひ見に来てください」と話しています。
An aquarium staff member said, "Please come and see the little turtles swimming energetically."
Host
Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.
Breakdown
Slow Repeat
東京の「すみだ水族館」で、アオウミガメの赤ちゃん2頭の公開が始まりました。
At Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo, two baby green sea turtles have gone on public display.
Host
At an aquarium in Tokyo's Sumida area, two baby green sea turtles have gone on public display.
Vocab
水族館
Host
It means an aquarium — a place where you can see fish and sea animals.
Slow Repeat
赤ちゃんの名前は「星」と「空」です。小笠原の小学校の子どもたちが考えました。
The babies are named Hoshi (Star) and Sora (Sky). The names were chosen by children at an elementary school in Ogasawara.
Host
The babies' names are Star and Sky. Elementary school children from the Ogasawara Islands thought of the names.
Vocab
考える
Host
It means to think — here, to think of a name.
Slow Repeat
2頭は今年の夏、東京から南に約1000キロはなれた小笠原諸島の砂浜で生まれました。
The two were born this summer on a sandy beach in the Ogasawara Islands, about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo.
Host
The two were born this summer on a sandy beach in the Ogasawara Islands, about one thousand kilometers south of Tokyo.
Vocab
砂浜
Host
It means a sandy beach.
Slow Repeat
体はまだ小さくて、甲羅の長さは約8センチしかありません。
They are still small, and their shells are only about 8 centimeters long.
Host
Their bodies are still small — their shells are only about eight centimeters long.
Vocab
甲羅
Host
It means a shell — the hard back of a turtle.
Slow Repeat
アオウミガメは、数が少なくなっている、大切な動物です。
Green sea turtles are precious animals whose numbers are declining.
Host
Green sea turtles are precious animals whose numbers are getting smaller.
Vocab
数
Host
It means a number — how many there are.
Slow Repeat
だから水族館は、赤ちゃんを約1年間育てます。大きくなったら、小笠原の海に帰します。
That is why the aquarium raises the babies for about a year. When they have grown bigger, it returns them to the sea around Ogasawara.
Host
So the aquarium will raise the babies for about one year. When they get big, it will return them to the sea of Ogasawara.
Vocab
育てる
Host
It means to raise — to care for something until it grows up.
Slow Repeat
水族館の人は「小さいカメが元気に泳ぐ姿を、ぜひ見に来てください」と話しています。
An aquarium staff member said, "Please come and see the little turtles swimming energetically."
Host
An aquarium staff member says, please come and see the little turtles swimming happily.
Vocab
姿
Host
It means a figure — how someone looks while doing something.
Host
Let's listen to the whole story one more time.
News
東京の「すみだ水族館」で、アオウミガメの赤ちゃん2頭の公開が始まりました。
At Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo, two baby green sea turtles have gone on public display.
News
赤ちゃんの名前は「星」と「空」です。小笠原の小学校の子どもたちが考えました。
The babies are named Hoshi (Star) and Sora (Sky). The names were chosen by children at an elementary school in Ogasawara.
News
2頭は今年の夏、東京から南に約1000キロはなれた小笠原諸島の砂浜で生まれました。
The two were born this summer on a sandy beach in the Ogasawara Islands, about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo.
News
体はまだ小さくて、甲羅の長さは約8センチしかありません。
They are still small, and their shells are only about 8 centimeters long.
News
アオウミガメは、数が少なくなっている、大切な動物です。
Green sea turtles are precious animals whose numbers are declining.
News
小さい赤ちゃんは、海では鳥や大きな魚に食べられることがあります。
In the sea, small babies are sometimes eaten by birds and large fish.
News
だから水族館は、赤ちゃんを約1年間育てます。大きくなったら、小笠原の海に帰します。
That is why the aquarium raises the babies for about a year. When they have grown bigger, it returns them to the sea around Ogasawara.
News
水族館は、この活動を2012年から続けています。今までに40頭以上のカメを海に帰しました。
The aquarium has continued this activity since 2012. So far it has returned more than 40 turtles to the sea.
News
水族館の人は「小さいカメが元気に泳ぐ姿を、ぜひ見に来てください」と話しています。
An aquarium staff member said, "Please come and see the little turtles swimming energetically."
Host
Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.
Slow Repeat
赤ちゃんの名前は何ですか。
Host
Their names mean Star and Sky — schoolchildren from the islands chose them.
Slow Repeat
赤ちゃんは、どこで生まれましたか。
Host
On a sandy beach in the Ogasawara Islands, far south of Tokyo.
Slow Repeat
水族館は、大きくなった赤ちゃんをどうしますか。
Host
It will return them to the sea of Ogasawara after raising them for about a year.
Host
That's all for today. Good luck, little turtles — grow big and swim home safely. See you next time.
News
また明日。
See you tomorrow.
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Grammar Reference
〜しか〜ない N5
only ~ (nothing more than)
noun/amount + しか + negative verb
甲羅の長さは約8センチしかありません。
Their shells are only about eight centimeters long.
しか always pairs with a negative verb, and together they mean "only". 8センチしかありません = it is only 8 centimeters — and that feels small.
N5 grammar list → 〜られる(受身) N4
passive: to be ~ed
verb ない-stem + れる/られる
海では鳥や大きな魚に食べられることがあります。
In the ocean, they are sometimes eaten by birds and big fish.
食べられる is the passive form of 食べる. The one who does the action is marked with に: 鳥に食べられる = to be eaten by a bird.
Grammar notes → 〜たら N4
when ~, if ~
verb た-form + ら
大きくなったら、小笠原の海に帰します。
When they get big, the aquarium will return them to the sea of Ogasawara.
たら marks "when A happens, B". 大きくなったら = when (after) they become big. It is very common in everyday speech.
Grammar notes →