Nico Nico Douga - Dec. 5, 2010 MEMBERS ONLY!

〜のおかげで〜
Thanks to ~, ~.
To owe sb st.
おかげさまで=luckily
fortunately (more formal) = luckily
おかげでいい一日になりました.=You made my day.

おかげでとても助かりました。=That's very helpful of you.

おかげで助かりました。=You really saved me.〔お礼〕=You’re a real lifesaver.

Advanced: If it weren't for ~, ~.
If it weren't for you, I would've been killed.
If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here.
If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have come to Japan.
If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have met Maggie.

All auto-sales are up, ~ for Toyota.
(以外)
except

What is the difference between "besides" & "except".
(おまけに、さらに、その上，加うるに=besides)

Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura has said he wants to ~.
(quit)
step down
resign

They found a bomb in Niigata. 1,000 have been ~.
(forced to leave)
evacuated

Did you hear about the Mayor of Akune City in Kagoshima? They say he has been ~.　
(Hint: 放縦な，放漫な，かって気ままな.)
"self-indulgent".

A Chuo University graduate was sentenced to 18 years in prison for stabbing his professor.
(punished/killing with a knife)

A team of lawyers has been picked to serve as prosecutors in a mandatory indictment of kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.
a team=a group
a lawyer=弁護士
to be picked=to be chosen=選ばれた
prosecutors=法律訴追者，訴訟追行者，検察官，検事
mandatory=義務的な，強制的な，職権で命ぜられた

indictment=法律起訴，告発

a kingpin=中心人物，親分

a proverb: The squeaky wheel gets the grease.