木村「21世紀になると、日本では、第三次産業につく人が60％となりますよ」
加藤「へえっ、そんなこと良くご存知ですね」
木村「実はこの本の受け売りなんです」
Ukeuri
Kimura: 21 seiki ni naruto, Nihon de wa, dai sanji sangyo ni tsufeu hito ga 60% to narimasu yo.
Kato: Hee. Sonna koto yoku gozonji desu ne.
Kimura: Jitsu wa kono hon no ukeuri nan desu.
Mr. Kimura: In the 21st century 60percent of working Japanese will be employed in tertiary industries.
Mr.Kato: Really? You sure are up on such things.
Mr. Kimura: Fact is I'm justrepeating what was in this book.
Ukeuri refers to co-opting someone else's opinion or theory and presenting it as one's own. In our example, note how Mr. Kato's first reaction is to express surprise by using the oft-heard exclamation "hee" (really, what, dear me, indeed, well, gee. Intonation wiH determine the appropriate meaning). Some other examples: "Hee, hontoo?" ("What, really?") ; "Hee, shinjiraremasen..." ("What, I can't believe it"); "Hee, sonna koto ga arimashita ka?" (Dear me, was thatpossible?") ; Hee, ano hito ga ne..." ("What a surprise to hear that he/she...") ; "Hee, sore wa komatta" ("Really? What a pain in the neck"). The exclamation can also be used by itself. Do be careful when using it with your seniors however.
Mr. Kimura's reply begins with jitsu wa (in reality, in fact, to tell the truth, to be frank). He then goes on to tell Mr. Kato where the information came from.
The conversation might continue:
Mr. Kato: "Yappari ukeuri datta'n desu ka" ("So it was secondhand information afterall"). Yappari is used when something turns out just as one anticipated it would.
Mr. Kimura: "Demo itsumo hito no ukeuri wo itteiru wake de wa arimasen yo" ("But please don't think that everything I say is just what I pick up second-hand").
Mr, Kato: "No, no. Of course not. By the way, don't you think that that reporter for B weekly magazine is always just writing what he's picked up secondhand from A newspaper?" (A shinbun no ukeuri no kiji).
Mr. Kimura: "Yes, I get the same feeling. And A shinbun no ukeuri de wa chittomo omoshiroku arimasen ne (secondhand information from A newspaper is about as uninteresting as you get). Why bother buying the magazine in the first place!"
Mr. Kato: "Right. I want to read ukeuri de wa nai (fresh and new) articles: ones with a unique point of view. " Imagine B reporter overhears the discussion :
B reporter, angrily: "Ukeuri da nante shitsurei na! (The nerve! To say that what I write is all just secondhand!) Don't you know news sources are limited in Japan. It can't be helped if articles appear a bit the same."
I still have to agree with Kato and Kimura. Domo A shinbun no ukeuri no yoo ni omoemasu (Somehow the articles appear to have been lifted secondhand from A newspaper).
Perhaps you'd like to know how you might use ukeuri to good effect. Try "Sore wa dare no iken no ukeuri desu ka" ("And just whose opinion are you trying to pass on now") next time you are in an argument. Though it's certain to liven things up, be careful. I won't be held responsible for any fights that follow!