Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 30
Closing the project
〜甲斐もなく ・ もはや ・ 〜に至っても ・ 〜をよそに
In this lesson, you will learn to say that an effort did no good with 〜甲斐も なく, that something is no longer so with もはや, that even at an extreme point nothing changes with 〜に 至っても, and that someone goes their own way regardless of others with 〜を よそに. It is the end of March, the frozen-food project is closing, and Lisa is writing its final report.
By the end you will be able to say
努力の 甲斐も なく、取引は 終わりました。For all our efforts, the deal came to an end.
この 段階に 至っても、先方は 再考しません。Even at this stage, the client won't reconsider.
もはや だれの せいなのかと いう 話では ありません。It's no longer a question of whose fault it was.
周りの 心配を よそに、黙々と 報告書を 書きました。While everyone around me worried, I quietly wrote the report.
薬を 飲んだ 甲斐も なく、熱が 下がりません。I took medicine, but it did no good: the fever won't go down.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜甲斐も なく — for all (the effort); it did no good — A noun with の, or a verb's past form, + 甲斐も なく says an effort was made but did not bring the result it was meant to.
- もはや — no longer; by now (it's too late) — もはや says a point has been passed and things can no longer be as they were.
- 〜に至っても — even now that it has come to this — A noun (or a dictionary form) + に 至っても says that even at this extreme point, something still has not changed.
- 〜を よそに — regardless of; paying no heed to — A noun + を よそに says someone goes their own way while others worry, object or hope for something else.