kono hottikisu nara, atui siryou mo matomeraremasu.

Here, なら gives the nuance of “if it’s this…” or “when it comes to this…”.

So このホッチキスなら means something like:

• If it’s this stapler, ...
• With this stapler, ...
• As for this stapler, ...

It suggests contrast with other staplers. The speaker is implying that maybe other staplers are not good enough, but this one can handle the job.

Using は would simply make this stapler the topic:

• このホッチキスは、厚い資料もまとめられます。
  = This stapler can also put together thick documents.

Using なら adds a stronger sense of selection or contrast:

• このホッチキスなら、厚い資料もまとめられます。
  = If it’s this stapler / this stapler, at least, can handle even thick documents.

So なら often sounds like the speaker is choosing from options or responding to a concern such as:

• Can any stapler handle this?
• This one can.

Yes. In Japanese, ホッチキス usually means a stapler.

This is a borrowed word, but its history is unusual: it came from the name Hotchkiss, a company associated with staplers long ago. In modern Japanese, though, people use ホッチキス as the normal everyday word for the tool itself.

So in this sentence, ホッチキス means:

• stapler

not:

• a staple
• stapling

厚い is an i-adjective, and it directly modifies the noun 資料.

• 厚い = thick
• 資料 = materials / documents / reference materials

So:

• 厚い資料 = thick documents or a thick set of materials

This is a normal adjective+noun pattern in Japanese:

• 新しい本 = a new book
• 高い山 = a high mountain
• 厚い資料 = thick documents

You do not change 厚い to 厚く before a noun.

資料 often means:

• materials
• documents
• reference materials
• handouts
• paperwork used for information

In this sentence, it probably means something like:

• a stack of documents
• meeting materials
• printed handouts
• reference papers

It is a little more formal and purpose-oriented than just 紙 (paper).

So 厚い資料 is not just thick paper physically—it usually means a thick set of documents/materials.

The particle も means also, too, or sometimes even, depending on context.

Here, 厚い資料も suggests:

• even thick documents
• thick documents too

The nuance is that this stapler can handle not only ordinary papers, but also/even thick materials.

So the sentence implies something like:

• It can staple normal papers, and it can even handle thick documents.

That も adds a nice sense of “not just the easy thing”.

Because も is marking that noun instead.

In Japanese, particles often replace one another rather than stacking freely. Here, 資料 is the thing being affected by the verb, and instead of plain を, the sentence uses も to add the meaning of also/even.

Compare:

• 資料をまとめます。
  = I put the documents together.

• 資料もまとめられます。
  = Can put together the documents too / even the documents.

So も is doing the job that highlights the noun, and the direct-object idea is understood from the verb and context.

It is the polite form of まとめられる.

The base verb is:

• まとめる = to gather together, put together, organize

So:

• まとめます = put together / organize
• まとめられます = can put together / can organize

In this stapler sentence, まとめる has the practical meaning of:

• to fasten together
• to put together as one bundle
• and in context, basically to staple together

So 厚い資料もまとめられます means:

• it can put even thick documents together
• more naturally: it can staple even thick documents together

Formally, -られる can be either passive or potential, so learners often wonder about this.

Here it is potential:

• まとめる = to put together
• まとめられる = can put together

Why is it not passive here? Because the meaning of the sentence is about ability:

• This stapler can handle thick documents.

A passive reading like “thick documents are put together by this stapler” would sound unnatural in this context.

So the context makes it clearly potential.

Japanese often uses broader verbs where English might choose a more specific one.

まとめる literally means things like:

• to gather
• to put together
• to organize
• to bring into one

With a stapler as the subject/topic, it naturally means:

• to fasten papers together
• to staple together

So this is a very natural Japanese way to say it. The context supplies the more specific meaning.

The sentence does not explicitly say who is doing it.

Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context. Here, the important point is the ability of the stapler, not the person using it.

So the meaning is closer to:

• With this stapler, thick documents can be put together.
• This stapler can handle even thick documents.

In English we often make the stapler the subject:

• This stapler can staple even thick documents.

But in Japanese, the structure does not need to spell out a human subject like you or someone.

The ending -ます in まとめられます is the polite style.

• まとめられる = plain form
• まとめられます = polite form

This is very common in everyday speech when speaking politely to someone, such as:

• a customer
• a coworker
• someone you do not know well

A plain version would be:

• このホッチキスなら、厚い資料もまとめられる。

That is not wrong, but it is less polite and more casual.

The comma marks a pause and helps separate the setup from the main point:

• このホッチキスなら、 = as for this stapler / if it’s this stapler,
• 厚い資料もまとめられます。 = it can handle even thick documents.

It makes the sentence easier to read and gives a natural spoken rhythm. It is very common after topic-like or conditional expressions such as なら.

The sentence could still be understood without the comma, but the comma is natural and helpful.

Yes, that is a very natural English translation.

Even though the Japanese uses まとめる rather than a direct verb meaning staple, the presence of ホッチキス makes that meaning clear.

Good translations include:

• This stapler can even staple thick documents.
• With this stapler, you can even staple thick documents together.
• If you use this stapler, even thick documents can be stapled together.

All of these capture the grammar and nuance well.