によって / いられない / なんと

Hi,


1. そして、その程度は国民の総医療費を国民全体で負担することによって成り立っている。

I would guess this ought to mean "This system was established so that the nation's medical bill would be borne by the country as a whole."

However, I do not really understand によって成り立っている. The definitions that I find in the dictionary for によって and 成り立つ do not seem to work.


2. 世界一の長寿国になったといっても、実は喜んでばかりもいられない。

I'm guessing this roughly means "Although (Japan) became the country with the world's highest life expectancy, it is in fact not all good news."

Is いられない the negative potential form of いる (居る)? In what sense is this used? Is it esentially 喜んでいられない with ばかりも inserted?


3. そんなことは前から分かっていたことではないかと思うかもしれないが、実は寿命が伸びるスピードが予想以上に速かったのである。

I believe the second part of this means "in fact, the increase in life expectancy was faster than expected"

The first part looks to me like "Maybe I wonder whether you/someone didn't know that before, but...", but this doesn't sound correct in English. I don't think I properly understand it.


2078. NAJPAC 118.C

それに対して、日本はなんと２４年しかかからなかったのである。

I believe this means "In contrast, Japan took only 24 years [to achieve a particular longevity statistic]", but what is the purpose of なんと?

1)
制度, not 程度, perhaps?

The interpretation of 成り立っている is the point.

The system is dependent for the gross national medical expenditure on the country as a whole.

2)
Yes, that's 喜んでいられない + ばかりも. 「喜んでいられる」ばかりでもない/ではない makes sense, maybe?

3)
The subjects of 分かっていた and 思う are the writer and you/the readers, respectively.

分かっていたことではないか is not the same as 分かっていなかった.

4)
It's an interjection, meaning "surprisingly".

Thank you.

1. Yes, of course it should be 制度 not 程度.

2. Sorry, I do not understand 「喜んでいられる」ばかりでもない/ではない any more than the original. I recognise the words but do not grasp the overall meaning at all well.

3. With your hint I would only guess at "Maybe you thought I didn't understand it before, but...", but in context this hardly seems better than my first attempt.

2)
テレビばかり見ている
テレビを見てばかりいる
テレビを見ているばかりだ

The nuance is a bit different, but these sentences all basically mean "(the subject) always/only watches TV".

3)
As I wrote previously, 分かっていたことではないか doesn't mean 分かっていたことではない / 分かっていなかった.

前から分かっていたことではないか
Isn't it what you already know? = You must already know it.
(This sentence is written on the point of view of the readers, so "you" refers to the writer here.)

Thanks, I get it now. As you know, I have tremendous difficulty with ではない and じゃない.