だけ / はっきり断ること / 代わりの条件 / 募らせている

[eeky]

Hi,


1. 依頼を断る時は、はっきり「でみません」と言う代わり に、なぜできないかという理由だけを言うことが多いで う。

My translation: "When you refuse a request, rather than directly saying 'I can't do it', it's usual to explain the reason why you can't do it."

What is the purpose of だけ here? I remember some sentences in the past where だけ had a meaning that I never quite grasped properly. Perhaps this is another example...


2. 上の例のように、場合によってははっきり断ることもあ ります。

My translation: "As in the above examples, there are also cases, depending on the situation, where a direct refusal is made."

Have I got that right? I'm a bit puzzled because none of the refusals in the earlier examples seem particularly direct. They mostly seem fairly polite.


3. 断る時、上の例のように代わりの条件を言うといい場合 があります。

I get: "When a request is refused, there are occasions, as in the above example, when it's OK for [someone to say something]."

Is this right as far as it goes? I'm a bit stuck on 代わりの条件を言う. I wondered if it could mean something like "(it's OK for the requester) to say that they will make other arrangements". Is that anywhere close?


4. 世界の航空産業は墜落事故についての懸念を募らせてい る。

Translation given: "The world's aviation industry is growing increasingly worried about crashes."

Is 募らせて from the causative form of 募る, meaning "to become worse"? Does it therefore literally mean "the world's aviation industry is causing worries to get worse", even though that does not exactly make sense (or, certainly, have the same meaning) in English?

 

[undrentide]

1. 依頼を断る時は、はっきり「できません」と言う代わりに、なぜできないかという理由だ けを言うことが多いでしょう。
My translation: "When you refuse a request, rather than directly saying 'I can't do it', it's usual to explain the reason why you can't do it."

だけ is very simply here, meaning 'only'.
When one refuses a request, it is more common/one tends to state only the reason why one cannot do it rather than saying clearly ''I can't do it'.

2. 上の例のように、場合によってははっきり断ることもあ ります。
My translation: "As in the above examples, there are also cases, depending on the situation, where a direct refusal is made."

Yes, you got it right.

3. 断る時、上の例のように代わりの条件を言うといい場合 があります。
I get: "When a request is refused, there are occasions, as in the above example, when it's OK for [someone to say something]."

言うといい : it is more like 'you'd better to say' or 'it would work' than 'it's OK'.
When making a refusal, there are occasions when you'd better to mention a alternative condition (under which you can do something or you can accept to do something)

4. 世界の航空産業は墜落事故についての懸念を募らせてい る。
Translation given: "The world's aviation industry is growing increasingly worried about crashes."

募る means to gather or collect. 募らせる literally let something to gather/collect, i.e. to increase, mount.
It is often used with feelings such as 期待、不安.

 

[eeky]

Thanks undrentide, that is all clear now.