reason
noun
1. a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event: 行為や出来事の原因、説明、正当化
«事の/…の背後にある» 理由, わけ; 動機 «for, of/behind» (!ofはby reason of A, for reasons of Aなどの成句を除いて｟まれ｠ )
e.g. the minister resigned for personal reasons: その大臣は個人的な理由で辞任した。
e.g. it is hard to know for the simple reason that few records survive.: レコードがほとんど残らなかった単純な理由を知るのは難しい。
good or obvious cause to do something: 何かをする良い、明らかな原因
〖reason (for A) to do/for (A/A's) doing〗 (A〈人〉が)…する理由
e.g. we have reason to celebrate.: 私たちは祝う理由があった。
Logic a premise of an argument in support of a belief, especially a minor premise when given after the conclusion.: 確信を支持する議論の根拠、特に結論の後から与えられる時のさほど大きくない根拠
2. the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic: 論理の過程で考える、理解する、判断を作る知性の力
判断力, 思考力, 理性;
e.g. there is a close connection between reason and emotion.: 理性と感情の間には密接なつながりがある。
what is right, practical, or possible; common sense: 正しい、実践的な、可能なもの; 常識
道理, 理屈; 分別
e.g. people are willing, within reason, to pay for schooling.: 人々は道理の範囲内で学校教育に進んでお金を払っている。
(one's reason) one's sanity: 正気
e.g. she is in danger of losing her reason.: 彼女は正気を失う危険にあった。
verb no object
think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic: 論理の過程で考える、理解する、判断を作る
｟かたく｠ ; 〖～ that節〗 (論理的に)…と判断する, 推論する; 〖挿入節〗…と推論する (!コーパス(1)伝達部は文中のほか, 文尾も可能; (2) 直接話法の伝達部として文中のほか, 文尾も可能; )
e.g. humans do not reason entirely from facts.: 人間は完全には事実から判断することができない。
with object (reason something out) find an answer to a problem by considering various possible solutions.: 様々な可能な解決法を考慮して問題に対する答えを見つける
(reason with) persuade (someone) with rational argument: (誰かを)理性的な議論で説得する
(論理的に)〈人〉を説得する, 納得させる;
e.g. I tried to reason with her, but without success.: 私は彼女を説得するのを試みたが成功しなかった。
PHRASES
beyond all reason (beyond reason)
to a foolishly excessive degree: 愚かなほど程度を越えるまで
途方もなく, 理屈をこえて
e.g. he indulged Andrew beyond all reason.: 彼は途方もなくアンドリューを甘やかした。
by reason of
formal because of: ~の理由で
｟かたく｠ A〈事〉の理由により.
e.g. persons who, by reason of age, are in need of care.: 年齢が理由でケアが必要な人
for some reason
used to convey that one doesn't know the reason for a particular state of affairs, often with the implication that one finds it strange or surprising:
｟主に話｠ どういうわけか, よくはわからないが
e.g. for some reason he likes you.
listen to reason
be persuaded to act sensibly:
e.g. the child is usually too emotionally overwrought to listen to reason.
theirs (or ours) not to reason why
used to suggest that it is not someone's (or someone else's) place to question a situation or system. with allusion to Tennyson's ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ (1854).
reason of state
a purely political reason for action on the part of a ruler or government, especially where a departure from openness, justice, or honesty is involved:
e.g. the king returned that he had reasons of state for all he did.
it stands to reason = Stands to reason
it is obvious or logical: 明らかだ、論理的だ
｟くだけて｠ «…というのは» 当然である, 道理に合っている «(that)節»
e.g. it stands to reason that if you can eradicate the fear the nervousness will subside.
DERIVATIVES
reasoner | ˈrēz(ə)nər | noun
reasonless | ˈrēz(ə)nləs | adjective
ORIGIN
Middle English: from Old French reisun (noun), raisoner (verb), from a variant of Latin ratio(n-), from the verb reri ‘consider’.
USAGE
The construction the reason why … has been objected to on the grounds that the subordinate clause should express a statement, using a that-clause, not imply a question with a why-clause: the reason (that) I decided not to phone, rather than the reason why I decided not to phone. The reason why has been called a redundancy to be avoided, but it is a mild one, and idiomatic.
An objection is also made to the construction the reason … is because, as in the reason I didn't phone is because my mother has been ill. The objection is made on the grounds that either “because” or “the reason” is redundant; it is better to use the word that instead ( the reason I didn't phone is that …) or rephrase altogether ( I didn't phone because …).
Nevertheless, both the above usages are well established and, although they may be inelegant, they are generally accepted in standard English.