日本では、何か流行りだすと、
火をつけたように皆同じことをしたがるようだ。
ファッション、食べ物、持ち物。
流行しはじめると、
あっという間にみんな同じものを求める。
流行り はやり fad, trend, popular thing
だす literally: to get out. In this instance: to appear suddenly
- When trying to exit a building in Japan, look for 出口. The same kanji, 出, goes along with だす. The feeling is that, all of a sudden, something happens. 思い出す, to remember all at once, is just one example of where だす is employed.
火をつける to ignite a fire
皆 みな everyone/everybody. (Why's it sometimes みな and sometimes みんな?)
同じ おなじ the same (opposite of 違う)
したがる (he/she/they) want to do
- We all know したい, right? Well, したい is for your own desire to do something. When you talk about other people's desires (third person), use 〜たがる.
- したい ー＞ したがる
- たべたい ー＞ たべたがる
- さむい ー＞ さむがる
- Ah, what's that last one? An adjective? That's because the 〜たい form of verbs is quite like an い-adj. Form the がる form by knocking off the い of い-adj and attaching がる.
食べ物 たべもの stuff you can eat (as opposed to 食品, which is more like ingredients)
持ち物 もちもの stuff you have, possessions
あっという間に A phrase, idiomatically meaning "quite quickly"
- あっ - the shortest pronunciation of あ (as if cut off in the middle of vocalizing the sound)
- と言う - say, plus the quoting particle と
- 間に まに during, in the time when
- あっという間に - in the time it takes to say あっ
求める もとめる to seek
Translation:In Japan, whenever something popular comes out, it seems like everyone wants to do the same thing, as quickly as a fire starts to flame. Clothing, food, possessions. When a new fad starts, everyone goes after it before you can say "Tickle-Me Elmo."
日本人のために：
"Before you can say ___" can have anything inserted into the blank. Usually it should be appropriate to the situation. "Tickle-Me Elmo" was a very, very popular toy a few years ago, and I still remember how many people ran to the stores to get one for their children. Fads can be very dangerous things; 気をつけてね.
