Pasokon-no sukiru-ga sugoi-bakari-ka,nanakakokugo-ga perapera-da-sō-desu. (I heard she is not only really skilled with computers, but also fluent in seven languages.)

Situation 1: At the office, Mr. Mita and a colleague from the neighboring section, Mr. Sere, are chatting.

三田 :　 ねえ、うちの課に新しく来た、バイトくんのうわさ、 聞いた？

セレ:　 うん。専門はクローン研究なんだけど、パソコンのスキルがすごいばかりか、７か国語がペラペラなんだって？

Mita: Nē, uchi-no ka-ni atarashiku kita, baito-kun-no uwasa, kiita?

Sere: Un. Senmon-wa kurōn-kenkyū-nan-da-kedo, pasokon-no sukiru-ga sugoi-bakari-ka, nanakakokugo-ga perapera-na-n-datte?

Mita: Hey, did you hear about the part-timer that just started on our section?

Sere: Yeah, I heard that her major was in cloning research and she's not only really skilled with computers, but also fluent in seven languages.

Following on from last week, today we will introduce more phrases using the particle of emphasis ばかり (only/always/merely). The pattern XばかりかY means "not only X but also Y" and emphasizes the sentence, as in 子(こ)どもばかりか大人(おとな)まで夢中 (むちゅう)になっている (Not only children but also adults are obsessed by it). X and Y can be nouns or the noun-modifying form of verbs, adjectives or phrases. Example: 会議(かいぎ)に遅(おく)れたばかりか、資料(しりょう)まで忘(わす)れてきてしまった (I was not only late for the meeting, but also came without the documents).

Situation 2: Mrs. Okubo tells her husband about a neighbor who did a vanishing act sometime in the night.

妻：　 弟さんの連帯保証人になったばかりに、夜逃げをする ことになったそうよ。

夫：　 そうか。連帯保証人になんか、簡単になるものじゃないのに。

Tsuma: Otōto-san-no rentai-hoshōnin-ni natta-bakari-ni, yonige-o suru koto-ni natta-sō-yo.

Otto: Sō-ka. Rentai-hoshōnin-ni-nanka, kantan-ni naru mono-ja nai-no-ni.

Wife: It looks like he did a runner during the night because he was his brother's debt guarantor.

Husband: Really? Becoming someone's guarantor is not something to be entered into lightly.

The pattern X(verbal phrase in ta-form)ばかりにY(phrase/clause) expresses the speaker's regret or concern that a bad result came about because of X. In Situation 2, the wife expresses her sympathy for her unfortunate neighbor using this pattern. Example: あんなことを言(い)ったばかりに、彼女(かのじょ)と別(わか)れることになってしまった (What I said led to the break-up with my girlfriend).

Bonus Dialogue: Two young female colleagues are chatting. (たいらのきよもり is a 12th-century historical figure.)

田町：　　「情(なさ)けは人(ひと)のためならず」っていうことわざ、知(し)っている？

グレイ：　 うん。「人に親切(しんせつ)にすると、その人のためになるばかりか、結局(けっきょく)は自分(じぶん)のためになる」という意味(いみ)よね？

田町：　　 グレイさんは外国(がいこく)人(じん)なのに正(ただ)しく理解(りかい)しているけど、日本(にほん)の若者(わかもの)は、まちがった解釈(かいしゃく)をする人が多(おお)いそうよ。「親切にすると、その人のためにならないから、しないほうがいい」って。

グレイ：　 へえ、おもしろい！　でも、そういえば、平清盛(たいらのきよもり)は幼(おさな)い頼朝(よりとも)と義経(よしつね)に情けをかけたばかりに、平家(へいけ)が滅(ほろ)びることになったのよね。案外(あんがい)その解釈(かいしゃく)も、なかなか深(ふかい)んじゃない？

田町：　　［ひとりごと］ふーん、グレイさんは、日本のことわざを知っているばかりか、日本史(し)の知識(ちしき)もあるんだなあ。私(わたし)も日本人として、はずかしくないように、少(すこ)しは勉強(べんきょう)しないと...。

Tamachi: Do you know the proverb "Kindness is not for others"?

Gray: Yeah, it means "If you are good to someone, it's not only good for them, but also for you, in the end," right?

Tamachi: You know it well even though you're not Japanese, but apparently there are lots of Japanese young people who don't. They think it means "Being kind to others is not good for other people, so it's better not to bother."

Gray: Oh, how interesting! But that reminds me of Taira no Kiyomori, who showed pity toward little Minamoto no Yoritomo and Yoshitsune, but because of that the Taira clan ended up getting wiped out. So, their interpretation is quite deep, isn't it?

Tamachi: [To herself] Hmm ... Ms. Gray knows not only Japanese proverbs but also our history. Being Japanese, I should study this stuff a bit so I don't get shown up.