今年 / 起立 / こんな自分から / 体 / まさに

[eeky]

Hi,


1. This is part of a letter from an English boy to a Japanese penpal.

今年アメリカ人の女の子がホームステイをしているのですか？（ホームステイをしていると聞きました。）きっと毎日楽しい 時間を過ごして、日本の事や日本語を勉強していると思 います。

I'm sure this is very easy stuff, but still I am having uncertainties.

a) In the first sentence, is 今年 ... ホームステイをしている talking about a present or future event?

b) Is the writer the subject of 聞きました? Is the writer saying that he heard about the homestay?

c) In the last sentence, is the subject of 過ごして and 勉強している the American girl?


2. This is a classroom scene. A girl or woman is speaking. I am not very clear who she is or what her role is.

起立。礼。おはようございます。着席。

To me this looks like "Stand up. Thank you. Good morning. Sit down."? Are these instructions to the class? It just seems weird, asking the class to stand up just so she can say good morning. I feel I am missing the point.


3. こんな自分から抜け出せるのか。

Translation given: "Will I make it through?"

How does this sentence work? I don't see how we get this meaning.


4. 国会は、盗聴法案を巡ってまさに侃々諤々の体であった 。

Translation given: "Parliament members had a raucous argument over the Wiretapping Law."

a) In what sense is 体 used?

b) In what sense is まさに used?

 

[Toritoribe]

1) a)
The present tense, since it's している. If it's する, that's the future tense.

b) c)
Yes.

2)
礼 means "bow" here. She is a class officer, and giving orders to her classmates at the biginning of a class. (おはようございます is a greeting to the teacher. After she said it, all the classmates repeat it.)

3)
Can I get myself out from the present myself in such a state?

4) a)
状態; state

b)
just/exactly

 

[eeky]

Thanks Toritoribe

Oh, I think in (1a) I was just confusing myself because English present continuous may be used in a future sense (e.g. "She's calling me tomorrow", "I'm visiting Tokyo next month", etc.) but, to be clear, is it correct that ～ている can never be used in a future sense?

4a) Is this 体 pronounced てい?

 

[Toritoribe]

1) a)
～ている form can be used with future temporal words.

明日の今頃には、きっと手紙が届いている（だろう/はずだ）。

This sentence shows that the event will be completed at that future point.

4) a)
Yes.