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The Everything Japanese Guide

 


 

 



 

Learn by Example:

人気の秘密

The 2007.1.15 issue of AERA contains an article about burning old vinyl records to CDs. The title of the article is:

 

レコードをCDに焼く burning records to CD

 

The article describes a machine that burns vinyl records directly to CD. Here is an excerpt from the article.

 

06年8月末の発売以降、約3カ月間で1000台以上が売れている。人気の秘密は、レコードからCDRCD-RWに簡単に録音できること。

 

The key phrase is 人気の秘密(にんき の ひみつ)= “the secret of [its] success.” This is one of those times when syntax and idiom more or less translate directly. Another common phrase along this line is:

 

成功の秘訣 (せいこう の ひけつ) = the secret of/for success.

 

Note the alternate word for secret: 秘訣 (ひけつ)

 http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/main/20070203AT2M0301603022007.html

 

 

Other Vocabulary Notes

 

焼く   やく   to burn

8月末  はちがつまつ  the end of August

発売  はつばい   sales

1000台以上  せんだいいじょう more than 1000 units

以降  いこう  since; after; following

3カ月間で  さんかげつかん で   in 3 months

売れる   うれる   to sell (intransitive)

簡単に  かんたん に  simply; easily

録音できる  ろくおん できる   can record (sound)

 

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