Sample newspaper article

安倍首相は5月20日、難民待遇ではなく大学生として5年間で150人のシリア人を受け入れることを発表した。この取り組みは、内戦に苦しむ シリアの安定を助けるための対策の一環として行われる。シリアでの 戦闘が激化する中、教育の機会を失った若者を力づけるものだ。 5年間の期間中、毎年30人のシリア人学生が日本の大学に通うために選ばれる。政府は難民と亡命希望者の受け入れ数が少ないという批判をかわしたいようだ。2015年、日本は史上最多の7,586の難民申請を受け付けたが、27人しか認定されなかった。安倍首相は、難民を受け入れる前に日本人の生活水準が向上しなければならないと主張した ことで、批判されていた。 (May 21)

Words and phrases

安倍首相 (Abe Shushō) Prime Minister Abe; 難民待遇 (nanmin taigū) treating as refugees; 大学生 (daigakusei) university students; 受け入れる (u-i-) accept; 発表した (happyō-) said; 取り組み (to-ku-) initiative; 内戦に苦しむ (naisen-kuru-) conflict-stricken; 安定を助ける (antei-tasu-) help stabilize; 対策 (taisaku) efforts; 一環として行われる (ikkan-oko-) accompanies; 戦闘 (sentō) warfare; 激化する (gekika-) escalating; 教育の機会 (kyōiku-kikai) educational opportunity; 失った (ushinat-) lost; 若者 (wakamono) youth; 力づける (chikara-) empower; 期間中 (kikanchū) in the period; 毎年 (maitoshi) every year; 通う (kayo-) attend; 選ばれる (era-) selected; 政府 (seifu) government; 亡命希望者 (bōmei kibōsha) asylum seekers; 少ない (suku-) few; 批判 (hihan) criticism; かわし fend off; 史上最多の (shijōsaita-) a record; 申請 (shinsei) applications; 受け付けた (u-tsu-) received; 認定され (nintei-) granted; 前に (mae-) before; 生活水準 (seikatsu suijun) living standards; 向上しなければならない (kōjō-) must improve; 主張した (shuchō-) insisting

Sample radio or television report

Abe shushō-wa 5-gatsu hatsuka, nanmin taigū-de-wa naku daigakusei-toshite 5-nen-kan-de 150-nin-no Shiria-jin-o ukeireru-koto-o happyō-shimashita. Kono torikumi-wa, naisen-ni kurushimu Shiria-no antei-o tasukeru-tame-no taisaku-no ikkan-toshite okonawaremasu. Shiria-de-no sentō-ga gekika-suru-naka, kyōiku-no kikai-o ushinatta wakamono-o chikarazukeru-mono-desu. Go-nenkan-no kikan-chū, maitoshi 30-nin-no Shiria-jin gakusei-ga Nihon-no daigaku-ni kayou-tame-ni erabaremasu. Seifu-wa nanmin-to bōmei kibōsha-no ukeiresū-ga sukunai-to-iu hihan-o kawashitai yō-desu. 2015-nen, Nihon-wa shijō-saita-no 7,586-no nanmin shinsei-o uketsukemashita-ga, 27-nin-shika nintei-saremasendeshita. Abe shushō-wa, nanmin-o-ukeireru-mae-ni Nihonjin-no seikatsu suijun-ga kōjō-shinakereba naranai-to shuchō-shita-koto-de, hihan-sarete-imashita.

Translation

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said May 20 that Japan will accept 150 Syrians over five years, treating them not as refugees but university students. The initiative accompanies other efforts by Japan to help stabilize conflict-stricken Syria. The plan aims to empower Syrian youths whose educational opportunities were lost amid the escalating warfare in their country. Every year during the five-year period, 30 Syrian students will be selected to attend Japanese universities. Japan apparently is hoping to fend off criticisms that it accepts too few refugees and asylum seekers. It received a record 7,586 applications for refugee status in 2015 but only 27 were granted. Abe has been criticized for insisting that Japan must improve the living standards of Japanese before taking in refugees.

Conversation between acquaintances

A: Nihon-wa nanmin taigū-de-wa naku gakusei-toshite go-nenkan-de 150-nin-no Shiria-jin-o ukeireru sō-desu-ne.

(I heard that Japan will accept 150 Syrians over five years, treating them as students rather than refugees.)

B: Nanmin-to bōmei kibōsha-no ukeiresū-ga sukunai-to-iu hihan-o kawashitai yō-desu-ne.

(Japan apparently wants to fend off criticism that it accepts too few refugees and asylum seekers.)

Conversation between husband and wife

H: Shiria-no sentō-wa gekika-shiteiru yō-da.

(The war in Syria seems to be escalating.)

W: Nanmin-wa fueru ippō-ne.

(The number of refugees just keeps rising, doesn't it?)

(No. 1312)