Post Office Robbery Incident
A few weeks ago, there was a robbery. The robber went to the post office to steal money. He broke in through a window on the second floor and entered the post office. He threatened one of the staff members with a knife. She gave him 1 million yen because she was scared. I feel so sorry for her. I can't imagine what it would be like to have someone threaten me with a knife. She must have been very brave to face such a terrifying situation. I've never experienced anything like that before. I'm truly sorry for what happened.
After the incident, the police started searching for the robber. They wanted to arrest him as soon as possible. We have security cameras around here, and the police asked us to stop and answer questions when driving by.
Despite all the efforts, the police couldn’t catch him immediately. So, our school decided to have some teachers accompany students on their way home after class to ensure everyone's safety, since the dangerous robber was still on the loose. The teachers put in a lot of effort to keep us safe.
It took a long time, but a few days ago—two or three days ago, I think—the police finally arrested him at his house. His house is in ◯◯ City.
Yesterday, we went to a shopping mall near his house. I was a bit scared because of what had happened.
| Word or Phrasal Verb | Part of Speech | 発音記号 | Meaning in English | Example Sentence | Meaning in Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| threaten | verb | /ˈθrɛtn/ | To state an intention to harm | He threatened to call the police if they didn’t leave. | 脅す、脅迫する |
| very brave to face | phrase | /ˈvɛri breɪv tə feɪs/ | Showing courage in confronting something | It was very brave to face such a dangerous situation alone. | 立ち向かうのは非常に勇敢 |
| terrifying situation | phrase | /ˈtɛrəˌfaɪɪŋ ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/ | A very frightening or scary circumstance | They found themselves in a terrifying situation during the storm. | 恐ろしい状況 |
| I'm truly sorry | phrase | /aɪm ˈtruːli ˈsɔːri/ | A sincere apology | I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience I caused. | 本当に申し訳ありません |
| search for | phrasal verb | /sɜːrʧ fɔːr/ | To look for something or someone | They searched for the missing child for hours. | ～を探す |
| Despite all the efforts, | phrase | /dɪˈspaɪt ɔːl ði ˈɛfərts/ | Even with a lot of hard work and attempts | Despite all the efforts, the mission failed. | すべての努力にもかかわらず |
| accompany | verb | /əˈkʌmpəni/ | To go with someone as a companion | She will accompany him to the doctor’s appointment. | 同行する |
| be still on the loose | phrase | /biː stɪl ɒn ðə luːs/ | To remain at large, not captured | The suspect is still on the loose after escaping custody. | まだ逃走中である |
何週間か前に近くで強盗がありました。ある男が郵便局の二階の窓をから侵入して一人のスタッフをナイフで脅し１００万円を奪って逃げました。事件が発覚後すぐに警察は調査と検問を始めました。しかし残念ながらすぐに男を捕まえることはできませんでした。私は小学生の子どもが３人いるのですが学校の先生も登下校の危険に対して対策をとってくれました。例えば生徒が一人になる時間がないように先生が必ず近くにいるなどです。 約１週間後に事件は動きました。男が捕まったのです。犯人の家は◯◯市にありました。私達は彼が逮捕された日、彼の家の近くのショッピングモールで買い物をしていたのでびっくりしました。 日本にはたくさんのCCTVカメラがあるだけでなく警察の情報網もすごいと言われています。 僕は犯人はいつか必ず捕まるだろうなと思う一方で１週間も逮捕されなかったので少し諦めていました。やはり悪事を犯したは罰せられるべきです。ましてや凶器を使った強盗は重犯罪なので特にそう思いました。 誰一人けがをすることなく犯人が捕まって本当に良かったと思う反面、私が住んでいる田舎でさえもこんな恐ろしい事件が起きて悲しかったです。
A few weeks ago, there was a robbery in my neighborhood. A man broke into the post office through a second-floor window, threatened one of the staff members with a knife, and stole 1 million yen before fleeing. After the incident was reported, the police immediately started their investigation and set up checkpoints. Unfortunately, they were not able to catch him right away.
I have three elementary school children, and the teachers at their school took measures to ensure the students' safety during their commute. For example, they made sure that no student was left alone, and there was always a teacher nearby.
About a week later, there was a development in the case—the man was finally caught. His house was in ◯◯ City. On the day he was arrested, we happened to be shopping at a mall near his house, and we were surprised to hear the news.
Japan is known not only for its extensive network of CCTV cameras but also for its efficient police intelligence system. Although I believed the perpetrator would eventually be caught, I was starting to lose hope since it took over a week to arrest him. I strongly feel that those who commit crimes should be punished, especially in cases like this, where a dangerous weapon was used.
I’m relieved that no one was hurt and the criminal was apprehended, but at the same time, it’s sad to think that such a terrible crime could happen even in a rural area like ours.
| Word or Phrasal Verb | Part of Speech | 発音記号 | Meaning in English | Example Sentence | Meaning in Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| before fleeing | phrase | /bɪˈfɔːr ˈfliːɪŋ/ | Prior to running away | He packed his bags before fleeing the country. | 逃げる前に |
| was reported | verb | /wəz rɪˈpɔːrtɪd/ | Information was given about | The crime was reported to the police yesterday. | 報告された |
| investigation | noun | /ɪnˌvɛstəˈɡeɪʃən/ | A detailed inquiry | The investigation revealed new evidence. | 調査、捜査 |
| set up | phrasal verb | /sɛt ʌp/ | To establish or arrange | The police set up checkpoints around the area. | 設置する |
| checkpoints | noun | /ˈtʃɛkˌpɔɪnts/ | Places for inspection | There are multiple checkpoints along the road. | 検問所 |
| right away | adverb | /raɪt əˈweɪ/ | Immediately | I’ll start working on it right away. | すぐに |
| take measures | phrase | /teɪk ˈmɛʒərz/ | To take action to deal with a situation | We need to take measures to prevent further incidents. | 対策を取る |
| ensure | verb | /ɪnˈʃʊr/ | To make certain | Please ensure that the doors are locked. | 確実にする |
| make sure | phrase | /meɪk ʃʊr/ | To confirm or verify | Make sure you have all your belongings. | 確認する |
| left alone | phrase | /lɛft əˈloʊn/ | To be left without company or assistance | He was left alone in the house all day. | 置き去りにされる |
| nearby | adjective | /ˈnɪrˌbaɪ/ | Close to | There is a convenience store nearby. | 近くの |
| development | noun | /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/ | A recent event or happening | This is a major development in the case. | 進展、発展 |
| development in the case | phrase | /dɪˈvɛləpmənt ɪn ðə keɪs/ | New information related to a case | The development in the case shocked everyone. | 事件の進展 |
| On the day he was arrested | phrase | /ɒn ðə deɪ hi wəz əˈrɛstɪd/ | The specific day someone was detained | On the day he was arrested, he seemed calm. | 彼が逮捕された日に |
| happened to be | phrase | /ˈhæpənd tə bi/ | By chance was | He happened to be there when the incident occurred. | たまたま～だった |
| extensive | adjective | /ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/ | Large in amount or coverage | The search was extensive but yielded no results. | 広範囲の、広範な |
| efficient police intelligence system | noun phrase | /ɪˈfɪʃənt pəˈliːs ɪnˈtɛlɪʤəns ˈsɪstəm/ | A well-organized system for gathering information | The efficient police intelligence system helped solve the case. | 効果的な警察の情報収集システム |
| perpetrator | noun | /ˈpɜːrpəˌtreɪtər/ | Someone who commits a crime | The perpetrator was caught after a lengthy investigation. | 犯罪者、犯人 |
| eventually | adverb | /ɪˈvɛnʧuəli/ | In the end, after some time | He eventually confessed to the crime. | 最終的に |
| lose hope | phrase | /luːz hoʊp/ | To give up on a desired outcome | Don’t lose hope; things will get better. | 希望を失う |
| take over | phrasal verb | /teɪk ˈoʊvər/ | To assume control | She will take over as the new manager. | 引き継ぐ |
| I strongly feel | phrase | /aɪ ˈstrɒŋli fiːl/ | I have a firm belief | I strongly feel that we should take action. | 強く感じる |
| be apprehended | verb phrase | /biː ˌæprɪˈhɛndɪd/ | To be arrested or caught | The suspect will be apprehended soon. | 逮捕される |
| Word or Phrasal Verb | Part of Speech | 発音記号 | Meaning in English | Example Sentence | Meaning in Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| took over a week | phrase | /tʊk ˈoʊvər ə wiːk/ | Required more than one week to complete or happen | It took over a week to finish the project. |
1週間以上かかった
|
この文章の "took over a week to arrest him" の "took over" は、「（時間が）かかる」という意味で使われています。「彼を逮捕するのに1週間以上かかった」という意味になります。ここでの "take over" は「（～以上の時間が）かかる」という意味として用いられ、具体的には「1週間以上」という期間を表しています。
