自強之路

庭上，從這一課開始，課文不再幫忙分句讀了；我想老師應該是希望同學們嚐試練習整句閱讀，自己試著找出分段的副詞、助詞、和動詞變化形。可是，對於沒有一定程度日文基礎的同學而言，這是一個相當耗時的練習，故在此仍擅分段句讀之，請   庭上自行合併比較練習，以免老師日後考出，恐有重修之不利益發生也。
考試將近，以 ｢國考心得｣ 一篇相贈，順祝   金榜題名！
3. あなたは 何年(に) 生まれ？
you, which animal year in, were born = Which animal year were you born in?
昔、神様が 動物たちに 言った：
a long time ago, gods, animals to, talked = Long ago the gods once talked to all animals:
「１月１日の 朝 わたしの うちへ 来たら、１番目から １２番目の ものに 大切な 仕事を あげよう。」
Jan 1., in the morning, my house to, come, if, 1st from, 12th to, person to, important, task, give will = "On the very first day in the morning this year, come to my palace, and I'll give the first 12 comers something very important to undertake."
ネコは 神様の 話が よく 聞こえなかった から、ネツミに 「いつ？」と 聞いた。
the cat, the gods', urging, well, heard not, because = the mouse to, "when?", asked = Because the cat could not hear what the gods were talking about very well, it thus asked the mouse, "when?"
ネツミは 「２日だ。」と うそを 言った。
the mouse, "Jan 2.", a lie, told = The mouse lied to the cat, "Jan 2".
ウシが 最初に 神様の うちに 着たが、ウシの 背中には ネツミが こっそり 乗っていた。
the ox, the first, gods' house in, arrived, but, the ox's back on, the mouse, secretly, was riding = Theoretically was the ox the first one to arrive at the gods palace, yet it was not aware that the crafty sly mouse was riding on its back secretly.
ドアが 開いた ときに、ネツミが 飛び降りて、１番に なった。
the door, opened, the moment, the mouse, in the way of flyingly descending (from the ox's back), the first one, became = At the moment when the door opened, the mouse quickly swooshed down from the ox's back and became the first one to come. 
そして ２番から １２番までの 動物が 決まった。
and then, the second from, the twelfth till, of the animals, dicided were = And then all the other animals from the second to the last were thus dicided.
神様が 言った：「ことしは ネツミの としだ。
the gods, said, this year, mouse's, year, is = The gods said, "So, this year is mice year."
ネツミの 仕事は ことし 生まれる 人たちを 守る ことだ。
the mouse's, work, this year, born, people, to protect, mattter, is = It is the mouse's job to take care of the people that are born in this year.
来年は ウシ としで、ウシの 仕事は 来年 生まれる 人たちを 守る ことだ。
next year, ox, year in, ox's, task, next year, born, people, to protect, matter, is = So, it is the ox's job to take care of the people that are born next year.
毎年 順番に 仕事を して、１２番まで 仕事を したら、また ネツミの としに なる。」
every year, by turn, work, do, the 12th till, work, do, if, again, mouse's, year, become = Each animal on shift will do their jobs by turn; and when the last (12th) has done his job, the mouse will again repeat his job, and so on.
この ときから 毎年 ネツミとし、ウシとし など と言う。
this moment from, every year, the mouse year, ox year, and so on, say = From that year on, we say the year of the mouse, the year of the ox, and so on.
ネコは 遅れたから、仕事が もらえなかった。
the cat, late, because, job, get, couldn't = Because the cat was late, it got no job to do.
それで ネコとしも ないし、ネコは ネツミを 見ると、追いかける。
from then on, the cat year, no, the cat, the mouse, see when, chase = And there is also not so-called 'the cat year', and that's why each time when the cat sees a mouse, it chases like death.
今も 怒っている のだ。
nowadays, angry being, the reason = That's why the cats have been still irritated against the mice till nowadays.

問題：(請自行練習)
－どうして ネコが ネツミを 追いかける のです か。(どうして = why)
－ことし 生まれる 人は 何年です か。
－イヌ としの 人は ことし、何歳に なります か。(イヌ = the dog; 何歳 = how old)

待續