#25 山田詠美「花火」
私の姉は、夏休みだというのに実家にも戻らず、両親を心配させています。勤めていた会社は、もうとうに辞めてしまい、夜、クラブで働いているそうです。そのことを悪びれもせずに両親に伝えたので、彼らは気が狂いそうになっています。
Vocabulary:
山田詠美 やまだえいみ Yamada Eimi (author, 1959-)
姉 あね older sister
夏休み なつやすみ summer holiday
というのに even though, despite
実家 じっか one’s parents’ house, one’s parental home
戻る もどる to return
両親 りょうしん parents
心配させる しんぱいさせる to make worried (causative form)
勤める つとめる to be employed
会社 かいしゃ company
とうに a long time ago
辞める やめる to quit (a job)
夜 よる night, at night
クラブ hostess club
働く はたらく to work
悪びれる わるびれる to show shame or guilt (often in neg. form)
伝える つたえる to convey
気が狂う きがくるう to go mad
Grammar:
勤める vs. 働く
Both of these verbs may be translated as ‘to work’, but are each used with a different particle. 会社に勤める (to work for/be employed at a company) vs. 会社で働く (to work at a company).
働いているそうです vs. 気が狂いそうになっています
Notice the different functions of ~そう here.
In the case of the former, ~そう(だ) follows the rentaikei (dictionary form) of the verb. Here, ~そう(だ) means ‘apparently’ or ‘it is said that…’.
In the case of the latter, ~そう(になる) follows the ren’yokei form of the verb (~ます also follows this form). Here, ~そう(になる) means ‘to be on the verge of…’.
~もせずに
This follows the ren’yokei form of the verb and means ‘without even (doing)…’. The particle も adds emphasis here (‘not even’); せず is a negative form of the verb する (‘to do’).
Translation:
My older sister has our parents worried, as she hasn’t returned home, even though it’s the summer holidays. She has long quit the company she worked for, and apparently is working nights at a hostess club. Because she conveyed this to our parents without any guilt or shame, they’re on the verge of losing their minds.
Is this book really called 花火? Couldn't find it on amazon. Can you add links for all the newsletters you release so far? :)
In this section: 夏休みだというのに実家にも戻らず, I don't understand what purpose do the だ and にも serve? I guess they are particles. に for location, も for "as well". But I don't really understand them here.