A Lesson on Means and Methods for 中・上級 speakers (〜によって・〜をもって・など）)

[KyleGoetz]

MEANS AND MEDIA (again from どんな時どう使う日本語表現文型５００ and translated by yours truly)

Sections:
２級 〜によって／〜による
〜によって
〜によると／によれば
〜を通じて／〜を通して
１級 〜をもって

===によって／による===
When you want to say you did something via some means or method.
Do NOT use this structure with familiar tools such as bus or fax machine. You use で instead.

Structure: NOUN+によって

Examples:
その問題は話し合いによって解決できると思います。
I think that the problem can be solved, based on our conversation.

ボランティア活動に参加することによって自分自身も多 くのことを学んだ。
By participating in volunteering activities, I learned much about myself.

===によって===
Indicates the subject of a passive verb's action.
Very similar to the function of に in a passive sentence. However, when you want to put focus on
the subject and it is not an animal, you may use によって.

Structure: NOUN+によって

Examples:
「リア王」はシェークスピアによって書かれた３大悲劇 の１つです。
"King Lear" is one of the three great tragedies written by Shakespeare.

このボランティア活動はある宗教団体によって運営され ている。
This volunteering activity is managed by a religious foundation.

地震予知の研究はアメリカ、中国、日本などの専門家に よって進められてきた。
The study of earthquake forecasting was advanced by the specialists in America, China, Japan, and others countries.

===によると／によれば===
Denotes the source of hearsay. "According to ~"

Structure: NOUN+によると

Examples:
テレビの長期予報によれば、今年の夏は得に東北地方に おいて冷夏が予想されるそうです。
According to the extended forecast on TV, this year's summer is predicted to be cold, particularly in Tohoku.

経済専門家の予想によると、円高傾向は今後も続くとい うことだ。
According to reports by economic experts, the yen will continue to rise in value.

===を通じて／を通して===
Designates the means by which something was able to be accomplished.
While these two structures are similar, を通じて is used more to identify the catalyst, while を通して has more of an indication of an active participant/cause.

Structure: NOUN+を通じて

Examples:
わたしはそのことをテレビのニュースを通じて知りまし た。
I knew that because of the TV news.

田中さんご夫妻を通しての結婚の話しは残念ながらうま くいかなかった。
The story of the Tanaka marriage, I am sorry to say, did not go well.

「社長に会うときは、秘書を通してアポイントメントを 取ってください。」
When meeting the company president, please make an appointment with his secretary.

===をもって===
When ~ has been used to do something.
Not often used with familiar tools and methods. For this, use で. For example, this is wrong:
このメッセージをコンピューターをもって送って下さい 。

Examples:
誠実な田中さんは非常な努力をもって問題解決に当たり ました。
The sincere Mr. Tanaka, through uncommon effort, hit upon the solution to the problem.

試験の結果は、１週間後に書面をもってお知らせします 。
You will be notified of the results of the test in writing one week from now.

[Kai13]

I'm currently studying for 2 kyuu, and I love this and your other thread! I have donna toki 1-5 kyuu dictionary, but still haven't used it yet (I'm using an unicom 2 kyuu grammar book at the moment).

Please continue.

[masaegu]

[quote=KyleGoetz;853230]
田中さんご夫妻を通しての結婚の話しは残念ながらうま くいかなかった。
The story of the Tanaka marriage, I am sorry to say, did not go well.
[quote]

Re-think about the 田中さんご夫妻を通して part, SVP. You are way off with it.

[KyleGoetz]

[quote=masaegu;853820][quote=KyleGoetz;853230]
田中さんご夫妻を通しての結婚の話しは残念ながらうま くいかなかった。
The story of the Tanaka marriage, I am sorry to say, did not go well.

Re-think about the 田中さんご夫妻を通して part, SVP. You are way off with it.

I will re-think it. This was far and away the sentence I had the most problems with, and was not happy with my translation. I should have added a note to that effect in my translation.

I'm confused as to the function of 田中さん here. Are the husband and wife the Tanakas, or is the speaker saying something about a different husband and wife to someone named Tanaka?

Parsing the beginning is difficult for me. It can be rephrased as 田中さんご夫妻での結婚の話しは残念ながらうまくいか なかった。

I fully understand everything after は.

Is it maybe "Talking with Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka about a wedding [to, say, their daughter], I am sorry to say, did not go well." ??

[Nyororin]

I`ll just drop a random hint - I can`t say that I am good at teaching Japanese so avoid doing so most of the time... but will give my insight on this.

You seem to be looking at the 結婚 as sort of standing by itself or being strongly linked to the couple (田中さんご夫妻). But it is 「結婚の話」 as a unit. Maybe you can understand it a bit better knowing this.

Also, focus on the fact that "通して" is in there.

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

　
I'm confused as to the function of 田中さん here. Are the husband and wife the Tanakas, or is the speaker saying something about a different husband and wife to someone named Tanaka?

Parsing the beginning is difficult for me. It can be rephrased as 田中さんご夫妻での結婚の話しは残念ながらうまくいか なかった。

I fully understand everything after は.

Is it maybe "Talking with Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka about a wedding [to, say, their daughter], I am sorry to say, did not go well." ??

You got somewhat close at the very end but not quite. Understanding this sentence may require just as much knowledge of the Japanese culture as that of the language. The two are never separable anyway.

話し, in this context, does not mean a "story" or "talk". Rather, it means an "offer", "idea" or "suggestion" as in introducing someone as the possible spouse of another.

田中さんご夫妻を通して means "through the Tanakas". The Tanakas, the matchmakers, introduced someone looking for a spouse to another doing the same. The "offer" came by way of the said couple serving as go-betweens. This is the meaning of the phrase 田中さんご夫妻を通しての結婚の話し.

And since you clearly have got the last half of the sentence, voila! It did not materialize.

EDIT: Oops, I didn't get to see Nyrororin's post above!

[KyleGoetz]

Thank you both. I knew that 結婚の話し was one unit, but I couldn't figure out exactly what it meant. In my head, I envisioned a son trying to get permission to marry a daughter by asking her parents.

I was applying too much of a western concept to the Japanese!

I am aware of the matchmaker concept. Honestly, I've forgotten the term I learned for it years ago in Japanese, but I recently studied the kanji 媒, and through that, I learned the word 媒介, which I think was "go-between" or "mediator." Is this related?

Oh wait, I remembered the word I once learned: おみあい. But based on what I'm guessing the kanji are (お見合い), I'll bet it doesn't mean "matchmaker" but rather is a meeting of two matched people. *uses dictionary* Yup.

Thanks for the help, all! I hope I can at least improve the board by keeping up with these lessons and posting my translations!

I still suggest learners buy the book because it has exercises in it, too.