Japanese Lessons: Wasabi Japanese Radio Podcasts 5-2

Program:海外かいがいのニュース　Personality: 村上隆むらかみりゅう二じ

Japanese Script

そしてもうひとつ、こちらはアメリカなんですけども、なんと間ま違ちがってタダの航空券こうくうけんを出してしまいました、無む料券りょうけんです。アメリカのワシントンから中西ちゅうせい部ぶのミネアポリスまでが無む料りょう、長ちょう距きょ離りのハワイまでも10じゅうドル、およそ千円せんえんで行いけるという。このアメリカ・ユナイテッド航空こうくうが12じゅうに日にち、インターネットを通つうじた予よ約販売やくはんばいで、一いち時じ的てきに多おおくくの国内線こくないせんの航空券こうくうけんを税別ぜいべつで無む料りょう、または10じゅうドルといった超格安ちょうかくやすで売うり出だすという珍ちん事じがあったそうです。ユナイテッドは、この日ひ、ツイッターを使つかって、えー、手て違ちがいが原因げんいんだったとして、予よ約やくの際さいに表ひょう示じされた価か格かくで航空券こうくうけんを提供ていきょうすると説明せつめいしました。競きょう争相そうあい手ての格安航空会社かくやすこうくうがいしゃも顔かお負まけの目め玉だま*1 価か格かく、予よ約やくした顧こ客きゃくらからは宝たからくじに当あたったようだと歓かん喜き*2 する声こえも出でてると。

English Translation

Title: Foreign News　Personality: Murakami Ryuji
And now, one more. This one is in America. They made a mistake and gave out free tickets. They’re free tickets. From America’s Washington DC to the Midwest’s Minneapolis was free, and long-distance to Hawaii was also 10 dollars, which would go for approximately 1000 yen. On the 12th there was an unexpected occurrence; America’s United Airlines was selling reservations via the internet, and temporarily many domestic routes’ tickets were free, tax not included, or some were put up for sale for as cheap as 10 dollars. United explained this mistake using twitter, and, um, said that the cause was human error and that they would provide tickets with the price indicated at the time of reservation. Because of the surprising price*1 which made rival low-cost-carriers lose face, some of those customers who made reservations commented things like, “we are as happy*2 as if we won the lottery”.

Notes: Japanese Grammar and Vocabulary

1. The Japanese idiom 「目め玉だまの飛とび出でるほど」 literally means “eyes pop out”, and indicates extreme surprise. Thus, 「目め玉だま価か格かく」 indicates “surprising price”.

2. A formal word which is seldom used in everyday life.

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