なぜ?どうして?科学のお話 - Additional Spreads Discussion

なぜ?どうして?科学のお話
Additional Spreads

July 17th - July 24th
Pages: 2-9
(new edition)
(Not in the old edition)

There are 8 additional pages in the new edition that don’t feature in the original book. We started looking at the first few pages before the main book club reading started but didn’t finish.

For those who want to here’s a thread for discussing these pages. For those who don’t, skip ahead to Wrap Up & Final Comments!

Main なぜ?どうして?科学のお話 thread: Link
Wrap Up & Final Comments: Link

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Daily Schedule

Daily reading schedule
Date Page
Jul 17 2
Jul 18 3
Jul 19 4
Jul 20 5
Jul 21 6
Jul 22 7
Jul 23 8
Jul 24 9

Vocabulary sheet

Kindly created by @frayderike. Vocab sheet link

Participants

  • I am reading the additional spreads

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Here are the spreads for pages 2-5. These are publicly available in the sample on Amazon.

Pages 2-5

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These were my thoughts on page 2 when we looked at it in the home thread previously:

Page 2

みぢかなものをよく見てみよう

Let’s try looking closely at some familiar things

ぎもん1

Question 1

なぜこういう形なのかな?

なぜ - why
こういう - such, this sort of
形 - shape
なのかな - かな expresses the concept “I wonder” or expresses doubt. If you add の before かな it stresses the uncertainty. When のかなcomes after a noun or な-adjective it becomes なのかな. Grammar link - Maggie Sensei

Why this sort of shape I wonder?

なにかいみがあるのかな

なにか - something, or “what” followed by a question particle

いみ- meaning, significance

が - topic marking particle

ある - to exist

のかな - expressing wonder (see above, this time after a verb so does have な at the front)

I wonder if there is a significance?

みのまわりの ものを、よく 見て みましょう。

みのまわり - literally “surrounding oneself” (身の回り) = one’s personal belongings, one’s possessions, one’s daily life

の - possession particle

もの - things

を - object marking particle

よく見てみましょう - let’s try looking closely (see above - this time in the more formal volitional form of the verb at the end)

Let’s try looking closely at the things around us in our daily life.

どうして こういう形なのかな?

どうして - why

こういう - such a, this sort of

形 - shape

なのかな - I wonder (as above)

Why are they such a shape?

何かわけが あるのかな?

何か - any

わけが - reason (plus topic marking particle が)

ある - to exist

のかな - I wonder

わけがある means “there is a reason” - followed by のかな

I wonder if there’s any reason?

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I have read p. 2-5 some time ago and to me they didn’t seem as interesting and well written as the other stories in the book. Therefore I didn’t even try to read the remaining p. 6-9.

End of page 2 and page 3.

とひとつひとつ考えてみましょう。

Let’s try thinking about them one by one.

ティッシュペーパーのはこの大きさは、どれもだいたい同じ大きさです。

The size of a tissue paper box - they are all generally the same size.

どうしてなのでしょう。

I wonder why that is?

トイレットペーパーのしんには、ななめの切れ目があります。

The centre of a toilet roll has diagonal notches.

なぜなのでしょうか。

I wonder why that is?

紙コップは、どれもふちが、丸くなっています。

All paper cups have a rounded edge.

これはどうしてなのでしょうか。

I wonder why this is?

ふしぎですね。

It’s a mystery.

なぜだと思いますか?

Can you think why?

Pictures (page 2-3)
このくらい大きい方がよいかも?

This sort of size might be better?

のばすとななめ

Slanted when stretched out

こういう形はだめなの?

Is this shape no good?

ふちが丸まっていなくてもよいのでは?

It is still good even if the edge isn’t rounded?

This was nice to translate. Quite a few words here that I’ve learned on wanikani since we started the book in January.

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Page 4

それぞれの形にわけがある

There is a reason for each shape.

ティッシュペーパーのはこが大きかったら、どうなるでしょう。

If the tissue paper box were big, what would happen?

はじめのうちはよいのですが、少なくなると、次のティッシュが口までとどかなくなってしまいます。

At first it’s ok, but after a bit the next tissue becomes unable to reach the mouth (of the box).

トイレットペーパーのしんを作るところをそうぞうしてみましょう。

Let’s try imagining the manufacture of the centre of toilet rolls.

ほそ長い紙をななめにくるくるまきながら、つつを作ります。

As long and narrow paper is rolled round and round at a diagonal angle, it forms a tube.

それをすばすば切っていくと 、はやくたくさん作ります。

This can be cut efficiently to make lots of toilet roll centres quickly. (loose translation)

Picture
大きすぎるとティッシュが出てこない。はなれてしまう。

If too big the tissue can’t come out. It becomes separated.

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Page 5

だから、切れ目がななめだったのです。

Therefore the groove is slanted.

紙コップのふちをのばしてみましょう。

Let’s try smoothing out the paper cup.

コップがとてもやわらかくなって、うまくもてなくなってしまいます。

The cup becomes soft, and it becomes not possible to hold it successfully.

紙コップをじょうぶにするために、丸めてあったのです。

In order to make the paper cup sturdy, it is rolled up.

このように、ものがそうした形になっているのには、わけがあるのですね。

In this manner, there is a reason for the particular shapes of these things.

ほかにもわけがあるかもしれません。

There might be other reasons too.

考えてみましょう。

Let’s try thinking about it.

Pictures:

このように、 丸めてのりづけするのはむずかしい。

Roll up and then gluing it like this is difficult.

ななめにくるくる巻いて切ると、かんたんにたくさん作れる。

By rolling it diagonally and cutting, they can easily make many.

ふちがのびたままだと、くにゃっとしてしまう。

If the edge is flattened out like this, it becomes limp.

I like this word くにゃっと.

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Page 6-9 spreads

Click here to view

Page 6

中はどうなっているのかな?

What’s happening inside?

中をそうぞうしてみよう

Let’s try to guess what’s inside.

つぎは、見えないところがどうなっているかそうぞうしてみましょう。

Next, let’s try to imagine what going on in places we can’t see.

たとえばはブラシ。ブラシの一体一体なぜぬけないのでしょう。

For example, the toothbrush. Why do the brush’s bristles not fall out? Translating 一本一本 as bristles in this context. There wasn’t a specific definition in Jisho, I’m guessing it just means “long thin things”.

中はどうなっていると思いますか。

What do you think is going on inside?

ふるとカラカラ音のするスプレーがあります。

There’s a spray that makes a rattling noise when you shake it.

何の音なのでしょう。

What is that sound?

中には何が入っているのでしょう。

What’s been placed inside?

Pictures:

はブラシの毛はなぜぬけない?

Why do the bristles on a toothbrush not fall out?

そうぞうしてみよう

Let’s try to guess

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Page 7

カップラーメンのめんは、ふたをあけると、上の方まであります。

When you take the lid off a cup ramen, the noodles are up to the top.

おゆをかけると、めんはふくれるはずですが、いれものからあふれることはありません。

On adding the hot water, the noodles would be expected to swell, but they don’t overflow from the container.

中はどうなっているのでしょうか。

What’s going on inside?

スプレーかんはなぜ音がある?

Why does the spray can make a sound?

カップラーメンのめんは、どう入っている?

How do the noodles go into a cup noodle?

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Page 8

なかを見てみたよ。

We had a go at looking inside.

このはブラシは、たばをまとめてとかして、ふくらませてありました。

In this brush, the bundles are melted together and have been made to bulge.

Another suggestion in the vocab sheet for とかす was “to comb out” but I’ve gone for “to melt” as in the base of the bristles are melted together. Not sure I’m right though!

I think the てある structure at the end means: is/has been done (resulting state). According to this reference

これならぬけにくく、作るのもむずかしくなさそうですね。

This makes them hard to pull out, and also difficult to manufacture, doesn’t it seem? This was tricky, particularly the なさそうですね at the end. Not sure if this is right.

ハブラシの作り方は、ほかにもあるので、しらべてみるとよいでしょう。

There are other ways to manufacture a toothbrush too, so this would be good for you to try and look into. This sentence asking 8 year olds to go away and do more research into toothbrush manufacture feels like the most Japanese one of the book so far!

スプレーかんには、金ぞくの玉が入っていました。

In spray cans, a metal ball is put inside.

ふったとき、えき体がよくまざるためです。

It’s there so that when the can is shaken, the liquid gets well mixed.

カップラーメンのめんは、下まで入っていませんでした。

The noodles in a cup ramen are not inserted all the way to the bottom.

Pictures:

毛をまとめてとかしてふくらませ、プラスチックでつつんでいる。

The bristles are melted together, made to bulge, and tucked into plastic.

中みがよくまざるように、たまがはいっている。

A ball is placed inside so that the contents are well mixed.

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This section seemed a bit harder that the the rest of the book, more technical? I just finished but for every page I’ve needed your translation to turn it from gibberish to a coherent sentence.

For instance Page 9, the only paragraph sentence:

めんの りょうが ちょうど よく、まん中あたりに ある ことで、いれものが つぶれるのを ふせいでいるのです

There is a precise amount of noodles inside, to about the middle, so that it doesn’t prevent the container from closing. (?)

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I’m not quite sure why but it’s definitely seemed more difficult. Maybe it’s just that it’s written in a different style. We’ve often noticed that the start of a new book is quite challenging as there is a particular style and language that you need to get used to.

I agree with your sentence on page 9 except I went for “prevent the container being crushed”. I think what they are saying is that the noodles would swell sideways as well as up and it could break the container.

Page 9

めんのりょうがちょうどよく、まん中あたりにあることで、いれものがつぶれるのをふせいでいるのです。

The amount of noodles is exactly right, and they sit around the middle, to prevent the container being crushed.

Pictures

ぎっしり入っている。

Tightly packed inside.

多すぎるとあふれる。

It overflows if there are too many.

下の方にだけある。

Only placed towards the bottom.

うつわやめんがこわれやすい。

The container and the noodles are easily broken.

めんがまんべんなくやわらかくなる。

The noodles become equally soft.

こわれにくい。

Hard to break.

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It’s easier to see why it means this if we put in the kanji:

入れ物(いれもの)(n) container
が (subject particle)
潰れる(つぶれる)(vi) to be crushed, to be smashed, to be broken, to collapse
の (nominalising particle – turns a verb or sentence into a noun)
を (object particle – makes a noun the object of a verb)
防いで(ふせいで)= -te form of 防ぐ(ふせぐ)(vt) to prevent, to avoid
いる -ing (continuing action or state)
のです (indicates that this is an explanation of something)

The tricky bit of grammar in this sentence is the way the nominaliser の turns the clause

入れ物が潰れる(いれものがつぶれる)the container collapses

into the noun phrase

入れ物が潰れるの(いれものがつぶれるの)

the container’s collapsing/the collapse of the container

and then the object particle を makes this new noun phrase into the object of the verb

防ぐ(ふせぐ)to prevent

giving the meaning:

入れ物が潰れるのを防ぐ(いれものがつぶれるのをふせぐ)

to prevent {the container’s collapsing/the collapse of the container}

Then we change the verb 防ぐ(ふせぐ)into the ている form

防いでいる(ふせいでいる)

to make this prevention a continuing state:

入れ物が潰れるのを防いでいる(いれものがつぶれるのをふせいでいる)

preventing {the container’s collapsing/the collapse of the container}

or, in more natural English:

preventing the container from collapsing

and then we add のです at the end to indicate that this whole thing was an explanation of something.

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This is very helpful, thank you! I’ve been trying to break down sentences in this same manner but when I misinterpret a grammar particle or verb turns it quite wrong. :sweat_smile: It’s good to know that I’m at least working on it correctly and as I expand my grammer/vocab it’ll get easier.

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