ラジオ英会話 24/11/18(月) L151 部分否定 Partial negation

Partial negation refers to situations where a statement is not entirely denied but rather qualified to indicate that it does not apply universally or always. A common example of partial negation is the phrase “not always.”

部分否定とは、ある文が完全に否定されるのではなく、普遍的または常に適用されるわけではないことを示すために修飾される状況を指す。部分否定の一般的な例は、「not always 」というフレーズである。

Meaning of “Not Always”
“Not always” means that something happens sometimes, but not every time. It expresses a limitation on frequency or consistency.
It is different from absolute negation (e.g., “never”), which means something does not happen at all.
Examples of Partial Negation with “Not Always”:
Positive Statement:

“He is always on time.” (He is punctual every time.)
Partial Negation:
“He is not always on time.” (He is punctual sometimes, but not every time.)
Positive Statement:

“The weather is perfect here.”
Partial Negation:
“The weather is not always perfect here.” (The weather is good sometimes, but not consistently.)
Positive Statement:

“She agrees with me.”
Partial Negation:
“She does not always agree with me.” (She agrees sometimes, but not in every situation.)
Using “Not Always” in a Sentence:
To soften a claim:
“It is not always easy to learn a new language.”
(Learning a new language is challenging sometimes, but not all the time.)

To express variability:
“The internet connection is not always reliable.”
(The connection works well occasionally, but it has issues at times.)

To avoid overgeneralization:
“People are not always honest.”
(Some people are honest, but others may not be.)

Key Points:
Partial negation tempers a statement, avoiding absolutes like “always” or “never.”
“Not always” ≠ “Never”: It allows for exceptions or variability.

部分否定は、「always 」や「never 」のような絶対的な表現を避け、発言を和らげる。
「常にではない」≠「決してない」：例外やばらつきを許容する。

partial negation ˈpɑːrʃl nɪˈɡeɪʃən 部分否定
statement ˈsteɪtmənt 発言、声明
entirely ɪnˈtaɪərli 完全に
denied dɪˈnaɪd 否定された
qualified ˈkwɒlɪfaɪd 制限された、条件付きの
apply əˈplaɪ 適用する
universally ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsəli 普遍的に
phrase freɪz 表現、フレーズ
limitation ˌlɪmɪˈteɪʃən 制限
frequency ˈfriːkwənsi 頻度
consistency kənˈsɪstənsi 一貫性
absolute negation ˈæbsəluːt nɪˈɡeɪʃən 絶対的な否定
punctual ˈpʌŋktʃuəl 時間厳守の
consistently kənˈsɪstəntli 一貫して
challenging ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ 困難な、やりがいのある
overgeneralization ˌoʊvərˌdʒɛnərəlaɪˈzeɪʃən 過度の一般化
exception ɪkˈsɛpʃən 例外
variability ˌvɛriəˈbɪləti 変動性
reliability rɪˌlaɪəˈbɪləti 信頼性
soften a claim ˈsɒfn ə kleɪm 主張を和らげる
people are not always honest ˈpiːpl ɑːr nɒt ˈɔːlweɪz ˈɒnɪst 人々は必ずしも正直とは限らない
positive statement ˈpɒzɪtɪv ˈsteɪtmənt 肯定的な発言
express variability ɪkˈsprɛs ˌvɛriəˈbɪləti 変動性を表現する
soften ˈsɒfn 和らげる
honest ˈɒnɪst 正直な
never ˈnɛvər 決して〜ない
happen ˈhæpən 起こる