Note: For Japanese translation exercises, we recommend full screen due to the way that the text is written. You may also check the translation in the text below the activity. Before looking at the Japanese translation below, please try the practice translation exercise above. While doing the translation exercise, you can check each translation by flipping over the card. If your translation was correct, (even if it wasn’t exactly what was on the screen but correct) select the check mark. To review everything after you have completed the activity, refer to the full translation below. To try this Translation from Japanese to English, see below the text.

1-I was busy washing up dishes when the phone rang.    

1-私が食器洗いに忙しくしていると、電話が鳴りました。  

1-Watakushi ga shokki arai ni isogashiku shite iru to, denwa ga narimashita. 

2-The voice on the other end told me that she was a client from over a year ago and promptly started updating me on the financial status of their family.        

2-電話の相手は１年以上前からの顧客で、すぐさま家族の財政状況の近況報告をし始めました。  

2-Denwa no aite wa ichi nen ijō mae kara no kokyaku de, sugusama kazoku no zaisei jōkyō no kinkyō hōkoku o shihajimemashita.

3-It was lots of great news on how they were out of debt, they had only their house to pay off and they were steadily working on increasing their savings.    

3-それは、彼らが借金を無くした方法に関するたくさんの素晴らしいニュースで、彼らは、返済が必要なのは家だけとなり、貯蓄を増やすために着実に取り組んでいました。           

3-Sore wa, kare-ra ga shakkin o nakushita hōhō ni kansuru takusan no subarashī nyūsu de, kare-ra wa, hensai ga hitsuyō na no wa ie dake to nari, chochiku o fuyasu tame ni chakujitsu ni torikunde imashita.

4-I was congratulating her and her husband for their diligence and hard work when we got to the reason for her call.  

4-彼女が電話をしてきた理由がわかったとき、彼女とその夫の、努力と勤勉さを讃えました。       

4-Kanojo ga denwa o shite kita riyū ga wakatta toki, kanojo to sono otto no, doryoku to kinben-sa o tataemashita. 

5-They had just found out about a “Wonderful” investment opportunity and they wanted my opinion of the company and the situation.           

5-彼らは「素晴らしい」投資の機会を得たばかりで、その会社とその状況についての私の意見を望んでいたのです。       

5-Kare-ra wa‘ subarashī’ tōshi no kikai o eta bakari de, sono kaisha to sono jōkyō ni tsuite no watakushi no iken o nozonde ita no desu. 

6-I then calmly asked, “Okay, but have you and your husband maxed out your IRA contributions for this year?”       

6-そして、私は落ち着いて尋ねました。「わかりました。あなたと旦那さんは今年のIRA拠出枠を使い果たしましたか？」           

6-Soshite, watakushi wa ochitsuite tazunemashita. ‘ wakarimashita. anata to danna-san wa kotoshi noIRA kyoshutsu waku o tsukaihatashimashita ka？ ’

There was a pregnant pause on the other end before she meekly said, “No. "        向こう側で重い沈黙の後、彼女は恐る恐る「いいえ」と答えました。  Mukōgawa de omoi chinmoku no ato, kanojo wa osoruosoru‘ īe’ to kotaemashita.

7-“Well, before I would spend dime one on any investment, I would make sure that I had made use of the maximum allowable contributions to all the tax advantaged accounts the federal government gives us.”    

7-「そう、どんな投資にでも、お金を費やす前に、連邦政府から与えられた全ての税制優遇口座への最大許容拠出枠を利用する必要があります。」  

7-‘ Sō, donna tōshi ni de mo, o kane o tsuiyasu mae ni, renpō seifu kara ataerareta subete no zeisei yūgū kōza e no saidai kyoyō kyoshutsu waku o riyō suru hitsuyō ga arimasu. ’

8-I then asked her to call her accountant about what sorts of retirement accounts were available to them and verify what the allowable amounts were and to contribute to those first before launching all their savings into this other organization.             

8-そして私は彼女に、会計士に電話して、彼らはどのような種類の退職口座が利用可能で、許容がくがどれほどあるのかを確認し、他の機構へ全ての貯蓄を投じる前にまずはそれらに拠出するように言いました。         

8-Soshite watakushi wa kanojo ni, kaikei-shi ni denwa shite, kare-ra wa dono yō na shurui no taishoku kōza ga riyō kanō de, kyoyō gaku ga dore hodo aru no ka o kakunin shi, ta no kikō e subete no chochiku o tōjiru mae ni mazu wa sore-ra ni kyoshutsu suru yō ni īmashita.

9-This is the point, my friend.     

9-あなた、これがポイントよ。            

9-Anata, kore ga pointo yo.

10-I know it isn’t sexy and bold and exciting, but the accounts that are IRAs, 401k’s and 403b’s are a wonderful and steady way to invest in your future.   

10-それが魅力的でも、大胆でもワクワクもしないのはわかっています。でもIRAや401k、403bの口座は将来の投資のためには素晴らしく、着実な方法です。              

10-Sore ga miryoku-teki de mo, daitan de mo wakuwaku mo shinai no wa wakatte imasu. de moIRA ya401k, 403b no kōza wa shōrai no tōshi no tame ni wa subarashiku, chakujitsu na hōhō desu.

11-Before you go for riskier investments, go with what works first!           

11-リスクの高い投資を始める前に、まずは機能するものから始めましょう！        

11-Risuku no takai tōshi o hajimeru mae ni, mazu wa kinō suru mono kara hajimemashō！

12-Go with the OBVIOUS! Are you doing the obvious?     

12-「明確」で行きましょう！明らかな事をしていますか？               

12-‘ Meikaku’ de ikimashō！ akiraka na koto o shite imasu ka？ 

13-Are you investing with accounts that are tax advantaged for you?        

13-あなたにとって税制優遇措置のある口座に投資していますか？ 

13-Anata ni totte zeisei yūgū sochi no aru kōza ni tōshi shite imasu ka？

14-If you don’t even have a retirement account open, then make your first investment goal that you open one this year.       

14-退職口座を開設していない場合でも、その口座を今年開設することを最初の投資目標にしましょう。    

14-Taishoku kōza o kaisetsu shite inai baai de mo, sono kōza o kotoshi kaisetsu suru koto o saisho no tōshi mokuhyō ni shimashō.

15-If you’re married make sure you have one open in both spouses names.          

15-もし結婚しているなら、必ず両方の配偶者名で開設しましょう。           

15-Moshi kekkon shite irunara, kanarazu ryōhō no haigū-sha mei de kaisetsu shimashō.

16-Don’t jump at the quick buck with all your hard earned money.            

16-苦労して稼いだ全部のお金を手っ取り早い儲け話につぎ込むのはやめましょう。              

16-Kurō shite kaseida zenbu no o kane o tettori hayai mōkebanashi ni tsugikomu no wa yamemashō.

17-Go with the safer and less-sexy investments first.       

17-安全性が高く、それほど魅力的ではない投資から始めましょう。           

17-Anzen-sei ga takaku, sore hodo miryoku-teki de wa nai tōshi kara hajimemashō.

18-Once those have been maxed out, then look around with the extra money you have to invest in other things.    

18-それらを使い果たしたら他の物に投資するための余分なお金を見返してみましょう。     

18-Sore-ra o tsukaihatashitara hoka no mono ni tōshi suru tame no yobun na o kane o mikaeshite mimashō.

19-But, of course, you’ll chat with your accountant or financial planner about this before leaping into anything, right?       

19-しかし、もちろん、何かに飛びつく前に、会計士やファイナンシャル・プランナーとこの事について話をしてくださいね。   

19-Shikashi, mochiron, nan ka ni tobitsuku mae ni, kaikei-shi ya fainansharu. purannā to kono koto ni tsuite hanashi o shite kudasai ne.

20-It's the smartest thing to do. 

20-これが最も賢明な事です。              

20-Kore ga mottomo kenmei na koto desu.