特に約２０年前から、高福祉政策が経済的破綻につながったとされる北欧諸国が示すように、福祉の充実と国際競争力維持の両立は困難なものであると言える。

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English Translation

Especially over the last 20 years, the purported link between progressive welfare policies and economic failure in the Northern European countries seems to point to the difficulty of sustaining both full social welfare and international competitivity.

Furigana

特(とく)に約(やく)２０年(ねん)前(まえ)から、高(こう)福祉(ふくし)政策(せいさく)が経済的(けいざいてき)破綻(はたん)につながったとされる北欧(ほくおう)諸国(しょこく)が示(しめ)すように、福祉(ふくし)の充実(じゅうじつ)と国際(こくさい)競争力(きょうそうりょく)維持(いじ)の両立(りょうりつ)は困難(こんなん)なものであると言(い)える。

Romanji

Tokuni yaku ni zero nen mae kara, kō fukushi seisaku ga keizaiteki hatan ni tsunagatta to sareru Hokuō shokoku ga shimesu yōni, fukushi no jūjitsu to kokusai kyōsōryoku iji no ryōritsu wa konnanna mono de aru to ieru.

Words

特に (とくに)

particularly; especially

約 (やく)

approximately; about; promise; shortening; reduction; simplification; contraction (in phonetics)

二 (に、ふた、ふ、ふう)

two

○ (まる)

circle (sometimes used for zero); 'correct' (when marking); symbol used as a placeholder (either because a number of other words could be used in that position, or because of censorship); period; full stop; maru mark; semivoiced sound; p-sound

年 (とし)

year; many years; age; past one's prime; old age

前 (まえ)

ago; before (some event); previously; (minutes) to (the hour); in front (of); before (e.g. the house); head (of a line); front (e.g. of a bus); fore part; in the presence of; helping; portion; privates; private parts

から (から)

from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity); since; from (originator); by; because; since; out of (constituent, part); through (e.g. window, vestibule); after; since

高 (こう)

high school; high-

福祉 (ふくし)

welfare; well-being; social welfare; social security; social service

政策 (せいさく)

political measures; policy

が (が)

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

経済的 (けいざいてき)

economic; economical

破綻 (はたん)

failure; bankruptcy

に (に)

at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although

繋がる (つながる)

to be tied together; to be connected to; to be linked to; to lead to; to be related to; to be related (by blood)

と (と)

if; when; and; with; particle used for quoting (with speech, thoughts, etc.); quoting particle; promoted pawn; indicates question (sentence end)

為る (する)

to do; to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into); to serve as; to act as; to work as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.); to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as; to decide on; to choose; to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.); to be (in a state, condition, etc.); to be worth; to cost; to pass (of time); to elapse; verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs"); creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go"); to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to

北欧 (ほくおう)

Northern Europe; land of the Norsemen; Scandinavia

諸国 (しょこく)

various countries; various regions; various provinces

示す (しめす)

to (take out and) show; to demonstrate; to tell; to exemplify; to make apparent; to point out (finger, clock hand, needle, etc.); to indicate; to show; to represent; to signify; to display

様に (ように)

in order to (e.g. meet goal); so that; take care (so as); hoping or wishing for something

の (の)

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

充実 (じゅうじつ)

fullness; completion; perfection; substantiality; enhancement; improvement; enrichment; upgrading; replenishment; repletion

国際 (こくさい)

international

競争力 (きょうそうりょく)

competitive power

維持 (いじ)

maintenance; preservation; improvement

両立 (りょうりつ)

compatibility; coexistence; standing together

は (は)

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

困難 (こんなん)

difficulty; distress

者 (もの、もん)

person

だ (だ)

be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative

或 (ある)

a certain ...; some ...

言える (いえる)

to be possible to say; to be able to say

Kanji

特

Reading: トク

Meaning: special

約

Readings: ヤク、つづ.まる、つづ.める、つづま.やか

Meanings: promise, approximately, shrink

年

Readings: ネン、とし

Meanings: year, counter for years

前

Readings: ゼン、まえ、 -まえ

Meanings: in front, before

高

Readings: コウ、たか.い、たか、 -だか、たか.まる、たか.める

Meanings: tall, high, expensive

福

Reading: フク

Meanings: blessing, fortune, luck, wealth

祉

Reading: シ

Meanings: welfare, happiness

政

Readings: セイ、ショウ、まつりごと、まん

Meanings: politics, government

策

Reading: サク

Meanings: scheme, plan, policy, step, means

経

Readings: ケイ、キョウ、へ.る、た.つ、たていと、はか.る、のり

Meanings: sutra, longitude, pass thru, expire, warp

済

Readings: サイ、セイ、す.む、 -ず.み、 -ずみ、す.まない、す.ます、 -す.ます、すく.う、な.す、わたし、わた.る

Meanings: finish, come to an end, excusable, need not

的

Readings: テキ、まと

Meanings: bull's eye, mark, target, object, adjective ending

破

Readings: ハ、やぶ.る、やぶ.れる、わ.れる

Meanings: rend, rip, tear, break, destroy, defeat, frustrate

綻

Readings: タン、ほころ.びる

Meanings: be rent, ripped, unravel, run, begin to open, smile

北

Readings: ホク、きた

Meaning: north

欧

Readings: オウ、うた.う、は.く

Meaning: Europe

諸

Readings: ショ、もろ

Meanings: various, many, several, together

国

Readings: コク、くに

Meaning: country

示

Readings: ジ、シ、しめ.す

Meanings: show, indicate, point out, express, display

充

Readings: ジュウ、あ.てる、み.たす

Meanings: allot, fill

実

Readings: ジツ、シツ、み、みの.る、まこと、みの、みち.る

Meanings: reality, truth

際

Readings: サイ、きわ、 -ぎわ

Meanings: occasion, side, edge, verge, dangerous, adventurous, indecent, time, when

競

Readings: キョウ、ケイ、きそ.う、せ.る、くら.べる

Meanings: emulate, compete with, bid, sell at auction, bout, contest, race

争

Readings: ソウ、あらそ.う、いか.でか

Meanings: contend, dispute, argue

力

Readings: リョク、リキ、リイ、ちから

Meanings: power, strength, strong, strain, bear up, exert

維

Reading: イ

Meanings: fiber, tie, rope

持

Readings: ジ、も.つ、 -も.ち、も.てる

Meanings: hold, have

両

Readings: リョウ、てる、ふたつ

Meanings: both, old Japanese coin, counter for carriages (e.g., in a train), two

立

Readings: リツ、リュウ、リットル、た.つ、 -た.つ、た.ち-、た.てる、 -た.てる、た.て-、たて-、 -た.て、 -だ.て、 -だ.てる

Meanings: stand up, rise, set up, erect

困

Readings: コン、こま.る

Meanings: quandary, become distressed, annoyed

難

Readings: ナン、かた.い、 -がた.い、むずか.しい、むづか.しい、むつか.しい、 -にく.い

Meanings: difficult, impossible, trouble, accident, defect

言

Readings: ゲン、ゴン、い.う、こと

Meanings: say, word