Sample newspaper article

宅配便大手のヤマト運輸が、宅配便の基本料金を9月末までに値上げすることが3月7日に明らかになった。値上げは個人の利用者にとっては消費税増税時を除くと27年ぶりで、サービスの維持を目的とする。 ヤマトはネット通販の増加でドライバーら人手不足に直面し、外部の 業者に配達を委託するコストも膨ら んでいる。ヤマト運輸の親会社であるヤマトホールディングスは、既にアマゾンなど大口顧客とも値上げの交渉を始めた。同社は巨額の未払い残業代の発覚を踏まえて、 働き方改革も進めている。 (March 8)

Words and phrases

宅配便大手 (takuhaibin ōte-) leading door-to-door parcel delivery provider; ヤマト運輸 (Yamato Unyu) Yamato Transport Co.; 基本料金 (kihon ryōkin) basic shipping fees; 9月末 (kugatsu matsu) the end of September; 値上げする (nea-) raise; 明らかになった (aki-) disclosed; 個人の利用者 (办辞箩颈苍-谤颈测ō蝉丑补) individual customers; 消費税増税 (shōhizei zōzei) hikes in the consumption tax rate; 除くと (nozo-) except for; 27年ぶり (苍颈箩ū-苍补苍补苍别苍-) for the first time in 27 years; 維持 (iji) maintaining ; 目的とする (mokuteki-) is aimed at; ネット通販 (netto tsūhan) online commerce; 増加 (锄ō办补) increase; 人手不足 (hitode busoku) insufficient manpower; 直面し (chokumen-) faces; 外部の業者に委託する (驳补颈产耻-驳测ō蝉丑补-颈迟补办耻-) outsourcing; 配達 (haitatsu) deliveries; 膨らんで (fuku-) growing; 親会社 (oya gaisha) parent company; 既に (sude-) already; 大口顧客 (ōguchi kokyaku) major clients; 交渉 (办ō蝉丑ō) negotiations; 始めた (haji-) started; 巨額の (kyogaku-) huge; 未払い (miharai-) unpaid; 残業代 (锄补苍驳测ō诲补颈) overtime; 発覚を踏まえて (hakkaku-fu-) after finding; 働き方改革 (hatara-kata-kaikau) reforms in its work culture; 進めている (susu-) promoting;

Sample radio or television report

Takuhaibin ōte-no Yamato Unyu-ga, takuhaibin-no kihon ryōkin-o kugatsu matsu-made-ni neage-suru-koto-ga, 3-gatsu nanoka-ni akiraka-ni narimashita. Neage-wa kojin-no riyōsha-ni totte-wa shōhizei-zōzei-ji-o nozoku-to 苍颈箩ū-苍补苍补苍别苍-buri-de, sābisu iji-o mokuteki-to shite-imasu. Yamato-wa netto tsūhan-no 锄ō办补-de doraibā-ra-no hitode-busoku-ni chokumen-shi, gaibu-no gyōsha-ni haitatsu-o itaku-suru kosuto-mo fukurande-imasu. Yamato Unyu-no oyagaisha-de-aru Yamato Hōrudingusu-wa, sude-ni Amazon-nado-no ōguchi kokyaku-tomo neage-no 办ō蝉丑ō-o hajimemashita. Dōsha-wa kyogaku-no miharai 锄补苍驳测ō诲补颈-no hakkaku-o fumaete hatarakikata kaikau-o susumete-imasu.

Translation

Yamato Transport Co., the nation’s leading door-to-door parcel delivery provider, plans to raise its base shipping fees by the end of September, company sources disclosed on March 7. The price rise will be for the first time in 27 years for individual customers, except for increases due to hikes in the consumption tax rate. The price hike is aimed at maintaining service quality as the firm faces insufficient manpower, including van drivers, due to a sharp increase in online commerce and struggles with growing costs for outsourcing a part of its deliveries. Yamato Transport’s parent, Yamato Holdings Co., has already started negotiations with major clients, including Amazon.com Inc., over the envisioned fee increase. Yamato Holdings is promoting reforms in its work culture after finding huge levels of unpaid overtime.

Conversation between acquaintances

A: Yamato Unyu-ga takuhaibin-no kihon ryōkin-o kugatsu matsu-made-ni neage-suru sō-desu-ne.

(I heard that Yamato Transport Co. plans to raise its base shipping fees by the end of September. )

B: Neage-wa kojin-no riyōsha-ni totte-wa 苍颈箩ū-苍补苍补苍别苍-buri-da sō-desu-yo.

(Apparently, the price rise will be the first in 27 years for individual customers.)

Conversation between husband and wife

H: Yamato Unyu-ga donokurai kojin-no riyōsha-muke-no ryōkin-o ageru-no-ka shinpai-da .

(I’m concerned about how much Yamato Holdings will raise prices for individual customers.)

W: (Sai-haitatsu-mo kakin-suru sō-yo.

(It seems the firm will charge for redelivery too.)

(No. 1349)