Japanese trains are very punctual, but sometimes they are delayed by accidents or the weather. At such times, a “delay certificate” (chien shōmeisho) is what you use to tell your company or school, “It wasn’t my fault that I was late.”
In the past, a station attendant handed out paper certificates at the ticket gate. Nowadays, however, downloading one from the railway company’s website has become the normal way. If your train is delayed, you can get a certificate showing how many minutes it was late right away, just by checking the company’s site on your phone. There is no need to search for an attendant at the gate or wait in a long line.
If you save the screen and send it by email, you can even finish your report before you arrive at work. However, the certificate is not the most important thing. The moment you realize your train will be late, the first thing to do is to contact them yourself right away — a quick call or message saying “I’ll be late.” This is the most important manner for a working adult.
📗 語彙 Vocabulary▾
正確accurate, punctual
事故accident
遅れるto be late, be delayed
伝えるto tell, convey
以前before, in the past
配るto hand out, distribute
普通usual, normal
手に入れるto obtain, get
列に並ぶto line up, wait in line
必要necessity, need
保存するto save, store
報告a report, reporting
済ませるto finish, get done
連絡するto contact, get in touch
社会人a working adult, member of society
マナーmanners, etiquette
📘 文法 Grammar▾
〜のせいで … 悪い原因を表す天気のせいで遅れる。= delayed because of the weather (negative cause).
〜だけで … それ1つで十分サイトを見るだけで手に入る。= you can get it just by looking at the site.
〜たり〜たりする … 例をならべる探したり、並んだりする。= searching, lining up, and so on.
ただし … 前の話に条件・注意を加えるただし、いちばん大切なのは…= However, the most important thing is… (adds a key point).
〜として … 立場・資格を表す社会人として大切なマナー。= an important manner as a working adult.
💡 くわしい解説 Explanation▾
問1（理由） 正解：2。第1段落に「自分のせいで遅れたのではない、と伝えるために使う」とあります。Paragraph 1 says it is used to show it was not your fault.
問2（逆接「ただし」） 正解：3。第3段落の「ただし…まず…連絡すること」がポイント。1・2は便利な方法として本文にありますが、「一番大切」ではありません。The word “ただし” turns the topic: contacting them first is what matters most, not the certificate.
問3（主旨） 正解：1。「便利になった」ことと「まず連絡」の両方を正しく含むのは1だけです。Only option 1 includes both ideas: the new convenience and the priority of contacting them first.
