ビジネス英語ディクテーション

ただ聞こえてきたままにタイプしてアップしてるだけの地味なブログです。

2006年03月

4月からは「徹底トレーニング英会話」に名前が変わるようです。

「レッツスピーク」のテキストを買わなくなってからというもの、ほとんど聞いていませんでした。

一昨日・昨日と久しぶりに聞いてみました。

番組の最後で言われるメッセージを載っけることにします。

2006/3/27

Here's message for you today.

Start practicing when you have free time.暇なときには練習しなさいな。

Even a little time is enough time.ちょっとだけでも十分勉強になりますよ。

I'm sure you can find it.きっと時間はつくれるはず。

See you next time. Bye.


2006/3/28

Here's a message for you today.

You can improve more than you think if you keep practicing.練習してれば思ったより上達します。

Maybe you'll surprise yourself.驚くのはあなた自身かも。

And those around you.そしてまわりのみんなも驚くことでしょう。

See you next time. Bye.

The Bourne Supremacy から ちょっとディクテーションしてみました。

ジェイソン・ボーンが言います。We don't have a choice.こうやるしかないんだ。

すると、彼女のマリーは、Yes, you do.そんなことはないわ。

他には、

We have a lead, Martin. 手がかりはあるのよ。マーティン。


Now, let's cut the crap.はっきりさせようじゃないか。

このcut the crapはイディオムのようです。 Cut the crap! でたらめ言うな!


What's the nature of your visit to Naples?「ナポリにきた目的は?」

こんなnatureの使い方があるのですねー。


You've gonna play ball one way or the other.どちらにしてもやってもらわなきゃならない。

one way or the otherも受験英語熟語集に載っているようで、いやいやどうして日常的によく耳にします。


Why would I lie? どうしてうそついているっていうんだい。

Something that does the trick is just what you needed, to get where you wanted to go, or to
get the result that you're looking for.

まさしく、功を奏した、っていうときにつかえそうですねー。

Either is a word that's pronounced in two different ways. [Eether], which is the way I say it,
and [aither], which is the way many other people say it. Both are perfectly acceptable.

アメリカ人は [eether] って発音しているような気がします。

Rubbish is a word that US English speakers also know. But I don't think we use it so much.
In the US, people tend to say garbage or trash for general things you wanna get rid of. A few
similar words include debris, junk, refuse, scrap and waste.

この debrisって単語は簡単そうで、きちんと書くのにいつも迷ってしまいます。

And this is probably an important point, because eating and weight-loss is so psychological.
It's so much tied up with the way you think.

そうですね。物の考え方と体型はかなりシンクロするのかもしれないですねー。

A hot line is a telephone line that's always ready to work. If you pick up the receiver you
have a dial tone that's ready to go. You don't have to go through an operator or get some
help to use. The second meaning for hot line is a special, public telephone number that you
can use to get help or information usually for free.

ボクとReiはほとんど hotline で結ばれていると言っていいかもしれません。

Bring forth is a phrasal verb which means produce or even bear like give birth to.

案外と ... forth って難しいと思います。 forth=outって考えればいいのでしょうけど。
ボクは、 come forth出てくる  put forth出す、というように、熟語として覚えています。

Go for it is a phrase that means try it. You could also say, "Let's take a plunge."
"Let's take the challenge."

ディクテーションしてよいと感じるのは、Let's go for it.=Let's take a plunge.というように、次々に新しい表現を知ることができることかもしれないです。

Haunt is usually connected with ghosts or spirits from the other world that are in this world
hanging around you and causing you trouble. But you can also use haunt to mean a place where
you go a lot, a place you frequent, or hang out in.

最近、「ホーンティド・マンション」っていう映画がテレビで放映されていたので、我が家ではこの
hauntっていう単語はよく使われています。

森永チョコボールの「銀のエンゼル」があたりました。

やっと5枚そろったので、さっそく送りました。

3週間ほどで、「キョロ缶ピーナッツ」が届くようです。

長く生きてますが、いまだに「金のエンゼル」は目撃したことがありません。

きょうは、いつもにまして来客の多い日でした。

小1の娘の同級生がひとり

小3の娘の同級生が三人

9年前に教えてた女の子(当時中3)がふたり


小3の娘が同級生たちと協力して、クレープをつくってくれました。

当時中3だったふたりは、24歳になっていました。ひとりは可愛い女の子のママになっていました。

Time flies!

映画、「Ray」を見ました。Ray Charles Robinson(1930-2004)の伝記映画です。

Georgia on my mind はジョージア州の州歌になっていたのですね。実によくできた映画でした。

映画の最後の方から

Over the next 40 years, Ray continued to make his records with Grammys and sell out concerts,
その後40年間に渡って、レイはレコードを製作し続け、グラミー賞にも輝いた。コンサートは完売だった。

becoming one of the world's most beloved entertainers.
世界でもっとも愛されたエンターテイナーのひとりとなった。


And yet, his proudest moment came in 1979 at the Georgia State Capitol.
それでもなお、彼のいちばんの檜舞台は1979年のジョージア州議会だった。

Ray kept his promise. He never touched heroin again.
レイは約束を守った。つまり二度とヘロインには手を出さなかった。


As celebrated as he became, he never forgot his roots, contributing over $ 20 million
有名人になっても、自らのルーツを忘れなかった。

to African-American colleges and charities for the blind and deaf.
アフリカ系アメリカ人の通う大学や盲・聾の人のための慈善事業に2000万ドルを超える寄付をした。

creature-comfort 衣食住の快適さ
生物種の感じる快適 っていうのが直訳でしょうか。

Money can buy creature-comfort but not satisfaction.
金で快適さは買えるだろうが、満足は買えない。

catch someone red-handed 現行犯逮捕する/現場をおさえる

catch someone in the act ともいうようです。今日の「ラジオ英会話」でもふれられてました。

例文 
The boy was caught in the act of stealing a candy bar.
キャンディーバーを盗んでいる現場をおさえられた。

They caught a pickpocket in the act.スリの現場をおさえた。

娘(麗菜)が、昨夜、学級通信がない、って半べそをかいてました。

仕方なく、連絡帳に書きました。

「いつもお世話になっています。

 修了式の日に、ピカピカ(学級通信をとじた綴り)を持ってくるように言われてたそうですね。
 
 7時半現在、3~4時間探しているのですが、まだ見つかっていません。

 本人もたいへん反省しているようです。

 あまり強く叱責されないことをお祈りしています」

これで、少しは楽になったかな。

Prone to means tending towards.

But prone alone also means lying face down or lying downward. Prone is also used sometimes
with a hyphen. So, for example, you could describe someone as being error-prone.

And it means a tendency for something and usually that something is a negative thing.
An accident, an error, injuries. You could probably get a pretty big laugh out of your
listeners if you describe somebody as success-prone.

Of course in the US, we use pounds and ounces to talk about weight. There's another kind of
weight. They tend to use in the UK, maybe some other commonwealth countries. It's called
stone. And one stone is 14 pounds. So now and then, someone will tell you, for example,
they weigh 9 stone 6. So that means 9 times 14 plus 6 pounds, which is hard to figure out
in your head if you're not used to using stones.

the Commonwealth of Nations 英連邦ですねー

Menopotbelly is a blend of menopause and pot belly. Pot belly is used to describe sort of
largish, blandish bellies.

Fork out is often used to mean pay for. But it sounds like something you'd really rather not
be spending money on. Other words you could use are handover or deliver or render. It's also
used sometimes to mean surrender something to somebody, give something up to another person
that you'd really rather keep.

Point taken people often use when they want to say I understand, but I don't wanna talk about
that, I'm moving onto something else.

Of course food loaded with fat and carbohydrates include things like chocolate and cheesecake
and all of those nice sweet desserts.

The change of life is a phrase people often use to talk about menopause without using word
menopause.

Sedentary is also used sometimes to mean the opposite of migratory. So in the case of birds,
migratory birds change their location by the season and sedentary birds stay in the same
place.

このsedentaryって単語は初めて見たときにはとっても難しく感じました。でもよく使われているようですねー。特にデスクワークの人に対して。

A sedentary life can lead to heart problems and other health disorders.

確かに、座ってばかりいると心臓疾患やその他の病気にかかりやすいかもしれませんねー。

また、rigorousも難しい単語だと思っていました。

Medical science is usually thought to rigorous intellectual challenge.

ほんとうに、医学というのは厳しいものですね。知的であるしやりがいもありますねー。

Whets your taste buds is kind of an interesting phrase. A similar phrase is whets your
appetite. Whet [WHET] means sharpen, or hone. You will also hear in a compound word,
whetstone. That's the kind of stone that people use to sharpen knives. That's also WHET not
WET, although they're pronounced pretty much the same way. Taste buds are sensory organs on
your tongue. They're the things that taste the sweet and the bitter and the sour.

whet someone's appetite=to make someone wish for more もっとほしくさせる 、って意味だそうです。
Going to France for the day has whetted her appetite. その日、フランスに行ったために、もっとほしくなった。

A dozen in English has a very clear definition. It means 12 not a few more or a few less than
10. Eggs are usually sold in dozens. So when you buy eggs in the US, you'll get 12 in one of
those packs, not 10 like here in Japan.

外国に行ったことのないボクは、初めてアメリカでは卵が10個ではなくて、12個一パックで売られてることを知りました。

There's also a phrase "cheaper by the dozen", which means if you buy a lot, you'll get a
discount on each piece.
うちは子どもが多いので、勢いたくさん入ったものを買う傾向にあります。

Takahashi talks about their next wave of products. Often things that come again and again, or
updated and renewed fairly regularly are called waves. In a computer word though, people say
"generation". It's pretty much the same thing. "The next wave", "The next generation".

If you just say the word, cartoon in the US, I think most people think about funny drawings
for kids. The word's also used sometimes for political cartoons, or things meant for adults
that are drawn. They're often humorous. Or they make a comment about recent social activities,
or events.

So many men, so many minds. ほんとうにこれはよく感じることです。

Somewhat related to this, if you want to talk about a single person, a specific person who's
different from everyone else. And you don't really wanna say they're bad person, they're just
different, you could say that that person marches to the beat of a different drama.

dance to the beat of a different drama ってのはあるんですけどねー。marches(こういう風にしか聞こえないんですけれど)…ってのは調べられなかったです。

A maven is a person, an expert, but not just an expert, a surprisingly incredibly excellent
expert.

このmavenって単語難しいですねー。このレベルになると例文を探すのも一苦労です。手持ちのCODやLDOCEには記載されありません。

「ビジネス英会話」についている「Business Word Power」 に以前、次のような例文が載っていました。
The wine industry is starting to take note of the mail-order mavens.
ワイン業界は通販の専門家に注目し始めている。

Malcolm Gladwell used it in his book The Tipping Point (Little Brown, 2000) to describe those
who are the first to pick up new trends. The work of Safire and Gladwell has made the word
particularly widely used in their particular contexts. The word is mainly confined to
American English.
The Tipping Pointっていう2000年に出された本で使われているようだから、ボクの手持ちの辞書にないのもうなづけますねー。なるほど、トレンドに最初に飛びつく人のことをさすのですね。最初に始めた人が情報もたくさん持ってますものねー。いかにもアメリカ英語って感じです。

以下は Rei との会話のログです。3分くらいかかってます。今回はとっても短いから日本語訳してみようかな…。

Rei:
I can't tell you enough of how glad I am that you're here now 
あなたがon-lineになってくれたんで、すっごく嬉しい
TJ:
hi rei
やぁ、レイ
TJ:
i'm honored
そう言ってくれると、嬉しいよ
Rei:
..but unfortunately I have to go in another few minutes
でも、もうちょっとしたら出かけないといけないんだ
TJ:
take care
気をつけて
Rei:
how is everything?
調子はどう?
TJ:
yeah everything is okay
万事、順調だよ
TJ:
thank you for your concern
気遣ってくれてありがとう
Rei:
family?
家族のみんなは?
TJ:
yeah...they are all fine
うん、みんな元気だよ
Rei:
just making sure
わかってるんだけどねー
TJ:
you are way too kind to me
ほんとうに、レイっていいやつだなぁ
TJ:
gotta go out to eat?
どっか食べに行くの?
Rei:
yes
うん
Rei:
exactly
その通りだよ
Rei:
you know a lot
よく、わかってるね
TJ:
sushi?
寿司食いに行くの?
Rei:
I'll be talking with you again soon
戻ってきたら、また話そうね
Rei:
not sure yet
まだ何を食べに行くかはわかんないんだ
TJ:
japanese cuisine?
日本料理?
Rei:
I hope so
そうだといいけどね
Rei:
take care for me..
それじゃあね
TJ:
yeah
うん
TJ:
i will pray for you
気をつけて
Rei:
see you soon
またね


I can't tell you enough of how glad I am that you're here now 
この cannot .... enoughってのはよく目にしますねー

I cannot thank you enough. あなたに感謝することは十分にできない。→感謝しきれない。
I cannot thank you too much. ってしてもいいですねー。

You cannot be too careful in crossing(when you cross) the street.
~するときには、十分すぎるくらい注意深くすることはできない。→いくら注意してもしすぎるということはない。

It's too good to be true. 真実であるには立派すぎる。→あまりに良すぎて信じられない。

大好きな、Frankie Valli の Can't Take My Eyes Off You は、
You're just too good to be true. で始まります。

You are amazing. You are awesome. You are incredible. などと いろいろと誉め言葉はありますが、
You're too good to be true.が 一番です。

To give rise to is to be the cause of something or the source of something. Greene would have
said, "Where did you get the idea?" or "Where did the idea come from?"

Shed is a verb that means lose by some natural process. You often hear it used to talk about
dogs that lose hair regularly or for example, snicks that lose their skin as they grow. You can
also use it just for things that kind of slowly fall away, for example, ducks shed water off
their backs. And the phrase to shed blood means to kill.

Challenge in English is both a noun and a verb. When I hear Japanese people use it as a noun,
I don't notice anything strange or unusual. But when they use it as a verb, for example,
saying, "I'm going to challenge a test." It sounds a little funny to English speakers. People
understand your meaning. But what you should really say is, "I'm gonna try it." "I'm gonna
do it." "I'm going to make an effort."

テストに挑む、というつもりで challenge a test って使うと、英米人には、「テストっていうものと文字通り、格闘する」っていう風にとられちゃうんでしょうねー。

This is another word where the noun and the verb are used differently in Japanese and English.
I think, people usually say in English, "How much do you weigh?" using the verb form. I think,
it's okay to say, "What is your weight?" But I think most English speakers would choose the
verb form, and ask, "How much do you weigh?"

Words with the suffix age, AGE, usually have something to do with belonging to or being
related to. There are quite a few words, like mileage, shrinkage, borage, drainage, baggage
even is an age suffix word.

shrinkage 収縮可能な/縮みやすい drainage 排水 

Get cracking is a phrase that means to start to be active, to make a start, to get going or
even to hurry up.

日本チームが快勝した、今日の対韓国戦をテレビで見ました。

ベンチには、森本君がいました。

イチロー以外の選手とも、たいへん仲良くしていました。

彼の人柄でしょうね。

オリックスの頃からずっーと、イチローが森本君を手放さないのもじゅうぶんうなづけます。

日本が勝ったのより、森本君が見られて嬉しかったなぁ。

基礎英語2も なかなか すごい内容です。

まず p16 & 19

keep one's fingers crossed 幸運を祈る…が紹介されてます。

Let's keep our fingers crossed! 幸運を祈りましょう。

I keep my fingers crossed for you. うまく行くといいですねー。

Keep your fingers crossed for me.  ボクのために祈っててね。


p25 には、be pumped up about...~に対してやる気のある

You're really pumped up about the practice. ずいぶんと熱心に練習してるねー。


p37 には Don't bug me. じゃましないで。

p41 I'm beat. つかれたー。 Thank heavens! はぁーよかった。

それと、意外なことに、「レベルアップ英文法」の4月号については、あんまり参考にするようなものはありませんでした。

Chris, is there any aspect of office etiquette that bothers you?

As far as clothing concerned, I think bother means a little bit too strong. I think people
can wear whatever they want. I don't always think they make good choices though. There has
been advice that you shouldn't dress for the job you have, you should dress for the job you
want. So most people started a lower level in a company want to climb up. So you should
probably look at the people who are one or two levels ahead of you. And you dress like they
do. So you already look like you fit in.

That's very good advice.

Yeah. I read it. I read it somewhere. But it does seem very logical, doesn't it?

Sure.

They would notice young and you already seem to fit in. It's probably much easier to add you
to the group that way. And last year in the US, there was a little bit of excitement over
wearing flip-flops, because a college team was invited to meet the President and have their
photograph taken. It was a women's team. So most of them wore flip-flops. They were nice
flip-flops. They were decorated, but still they were flip-flops. And even nowadays, many people
thought that was just too casual for going to the White House.

We talked about informality in the office in America. But the same thing is happening here
too.

Yeah. The company I work in three days a week has had casual day every day. Well, I don't know
quite a few use now for five years, I suppose. When it first started it, everybody seemed
a little confused. "Do you know what's okay and what's not?" But now, it's become very relaxed.
And I see people wearing blue jeans to work pretty regularly.

Well, 20 years ago, wearing blue jeans, that was a no-no.

20 years ago, I was already in other college. I was gonna say when I was in college, I used
to wear blue jeans or corduroy jeans most of the time. But when I was younger in elementary
school, and until about junior high school, I couldn't wear pants to school.

First it was school rules. And that it was my parents wear also although. They did eventually
...about that.

What about hair style?

Men's and women's?

Men's...well both actually, if they're cheery meet. I guess that's the main thing. Actually
I think of it more as what you look good in. And so like people, if they radically change
their hair color, I think color doesn't go along with their skin color, different skin tones.
And like, I think I would look really bad with black color, because it wouldn't match my skin
tone, like I always like black hair. But I think it would make me look sort of dead.
But people who grow up with black hair, it's, you know, they'll hold tone, they'll hold body
color. So you know it kind of goes together.

And we also talked about gadgetry.

Ah huh. I still don't have a cell phone. I don't really need it for work and I don't really
need it for private. So my husband and I decided, since we don't need them, and they're still
quite expensive. We won't get one. If we need one in the future someday, we'll buy.

I certainly agree with the vignette this week that the young people are multitaskers.

Oh, yeah. I am a little bit also. Although if I need to concentrate, then I usually have to
put something down. But especially at home in the evening, I'd watch TV and knit at the same
time, or, you know, cook and listen to the radio or music at the same time. I had a friend
who used to be able to knit and read at the same time. But I've found out a little bit tough.
Cause you have to look at the knitting sometimes.

But there's no question that the workplaces are getting to be very informal.

Yeah. it's really changed a lot from when I was younger. But I think here in Japan, things
are still quite a bit more casual than in the US, depending on the situation. I think both
places have relaxed. But the US started off more casual in more situations than Japan was
anyway, probably than the rest of the world really. And so that might make it easier for me
to see changes and accept them without even thinking about them so much.

You could say this even without beer. You could say "I'll go for draft."

You'll probably be nodding at the waiter or waitress when you said this phrase.

You could also say, "Could I have a beer, please?"

This is exactly what you could say... There are many variations. And you might want to explain
that you're driving later.

上は小5から、下は就学前のこどもたち4人が、この一年で英語を話せるようにします。

月曜日~金曜日 午後2時半~6時半まで、しっかり時間をとることにしました。

教材に選んだのが、ラジオの基礎英語1・基礎英語2・レベルアップ英文法の3冊です。

基礎英語1などと侮るなかれ。中身はものすごーく充実してました。読んでてすごく楽しくなってきました。


Reiも全面的に協力してくれるので、教えるのは現在の所、ボクとアリゾナ州はフェニックスの米国人の

若者ということになりそうです。

wine and dine(ステキなレストランに連れて行って高価な食事でもてなす)

おべっかつかったりするときにも使えるようです。

How was your business trip?
出張はいかがでしたか?
Great- they wined and dined us all week.
最高でした。ずっとおいしい料理をごちそうしてくれたんです。


That man is really crazy about my sister. He has been wining and dining her all month.
あいつはほんとうにオレの妹に惚れてやがる。ここ一ヶ月というもの、妹にごちそうしっぱなしだ。

なかなか この書庫は読んでいただけないのですが、日常英会話表現がいっぱい詰まっていますので、ぜひオススメでーす。

たとえば、how to promote my new project to....と小難しく表現しているのを、
Rei は getting the word out というふうに、実に簡潔にキレのある表現で言い換えてくれてます。

実際にネイティブ・スピーカーと会話して感じるのは、彼らの話す文法の正確さです。かなり英語のできる日本人でも、話す英語については文法ミスが実に目立ちます。

ということで、ボクの書いたものに比べて、いかにReiの英文が素晴らしいか、ぜひ読んでいただきたいです。

Rei:
you are up early
Rei:
than usual
TJ:
yeah a little bit this moring
Rei:
welcome
TJ:
thank you
Rei:
how much longer do you have at your job?
Rei:
before you begin teaching?
TJ:
about a couple of weeks
TJ:
and i am going to prepare for the new project
Rei:
new project?
Rei:
teaching English?
TJ:
yeah and teaching math and japanese
TJ:
to elementary school kids...they can come from monday till friday, 2:30 pm-6:30 pm
Rei:
wow.. so are you teaching mostly locals?
TJ:
yeah
TJ:
and junior/high school students and grown ups ...7:30 pm - 10:30 pm
TJ:
and they just have to pay less than 50 dollars per month
Rei:
will you be teaching several students at a time in a classroom type of setting?
TJ:
hmmm
TJ:
i am going to teach them in a sort of a usual house
TJ:
really a neat house
TJ:
which has three rooms
Rei:
one on one training?
TJ:
practically yes
TJ:
they can come and can study three hours as they wish
TJ:
and if they find something difficult they can ask me for assistance
Rei:
I can help anytime I am on too
TJ:
wow...
TJ:
thank you sooooo much
TJ:
you are really really really kind to me
Rei:
I really like your plan
TJ:
thank you
TJ:
the hard part is that how to promote my new project to students and their parents
TJ:
however if they understand what i am gonna do, they will be pleased with it
Rei:
so getting the word out..
TJ:
yeah
TJ:
you are right
Rei:
now would be the time for me to be there of all times
Rei:
I wish...
Rei:
so you can be much more successful
TJ:
yeah
TJ:
but you are helping me in a great way even now
Rei:
by making you more skillful in English would be to help them as well
TJ:
yeah thanks to you, my english is improving day by day
TJ:
minute by minute
TJ:
second by second
Rei:
but you are already so skilled
TJ:
it's all because of you
Rei:
I am impressed
TJ:
the fact that you are always encouraging me helps me a lot
TJ:
i mean what i say
Rei:
thank you
Rei:
a lot
TJ:
please think nothing of it
TJ:
you don't know
TJ:
you don't know how much i admire you
Rei:
I admire YOU
TJ:
YOU ARE GREAT
Rei:
I must leave now unfortunately..
TJ:
really really great
TJ:
take care
Rei:
but I bid you the greatest
TJ:
many many thanks
Rei:
thanks again
TJ:
please think nothing of it
TJ:
take care of yourself
Rei:
U2!!
TJ:
U2

きのう、奥さんが税務署にボクの代理で行ってくれました。

下の娘は、「くまさんに会いに行くんだ」って朝から大喜び。

で、建物の中に入って、奥さんが「くまさん、いらっしゃいますか?」と尋ねたところ、

係の方も、「くまさーん、くまさーん」と、クスクス笑いながら、探してくれたそうです。

下の娘は、ボクの奥さんに内緒で、あの「リラッくま」のぬいぐるみを持って行ってたようで、

税務署のくまさんの方にぬいぐるみの「リラッくま」を見せながら、「くまさん、くまさん」って

呼びかけていた娘に、奥さんは冷や汗しきりだったようです。

Slacker comes from the verb "slack off". And slack off means ease up a bit on your work or it
can also mean just avoid work, procrastinate, spend time doing whatever you feel like instead
of what you're supposed to do.

In the US, the generation before the boomers, the parents of the boomers are sometimes called
the greatest generation, because they grew up during the depression, then they went off to
fight World War 2, then they came back to the US and built up the economy. So people following
them sometimes call them the greatest generation.

Maybe that one will stick, because they're getting old enough now to see what their
characteristics are as a group.

In the US, if you're speaking very formally and very carefully, you'd say want to. The next
level, a little more casual, or a little less carefully would sound more like [wanta]. But the
most casual and possibly the most common way of saying that phrase is wanna.

Sometimes it's used negatively to talk about people who want to be something but aren't. So
you could call them wanna-be jocks, for example, that would be a guy who wants to be known
as great in sports, but just doesn't quite have the ability.

Another word for people like that is rain maker.
「レインメーカー」っていう映画がありましたねー。マット・デイモン主演でしたっけ。

確定申告をしました。

書き方がよくわからなかっのですが、「書類に不備があったら、ご一報ください」と一筆添えて郵送したのです。

予想通り、ボクの奥さんに税務署から電話が。

税務署の方…「この書類はどなたが書いたのですか?(怒)」

奥さん…「主人とわたしですけど(オドオド)」

税…「ご主人さんと連絡とれますか?(怒)」

奥…「はい、わかりました。お名前は?(オドオド)」

税…「わたし、○○税務署の くま と申します」

奥…「くまさん ですか?(ぷぷ)」

税…「はい………」

**********************************************
奥さんからの連絡を受けて、さっそくボクが電話しました。

TJ…「いやいやすいませんねー。何か問題でも?」

くまさん…「あのですね。計算間違いがあったのですよ(実に丁寧な方でした)」

TJ…「アハハ。すいません。計算が苦手なもので。確定申告の手引きを一生懸命読んだのですが、あんましわかんなくて…すいません。」

くまさん…「………」

TJ…「明日、ボクの奥さんが税務署にお伺いします。今から電話させますので、彼女に道順を教えてくださいねー」

くまさん…「………」

TJ…「えーと、で くまさん。税務署では くまさーん っておよびしてもよろしいんでしょうか?」

くまさん…「ええ別に構いません」

TJ…「そうですか(クスクス)」

くまさん…「………」

TJ…「それじゃあ。明日、よろしくお願いしますねー。」

くまさん…「はい。わかりました。(とっても親切な方でした)」

come hell or high water(何があろうと)

come what may っていう表現をよく聞きますねー。ほんとうに格好いい表現だと思います。
仮に状況がひどく(hell)になったり、自然災害(high water)が起こったりしたところで、予定通り事は進む、っていう意味あいだと思います。

Will you be at the family reunion next year?
来年、家族の集まりには出席するよね?
Yes- we'll be there, come hell or high water!
ええ。もちろんです。雪が降ろうが矢が降ろうが参加しますよ。

drastic times call for drastic measures(こういった場合、過激な行動をとるのもやむを得ない)

状況が困難なときには、普段ならやらないようなこともせざるを得なくなる、っていう感じでしょうか。

Sales have been slow and we had to let go three of our employees; drastic times call for drastic measures.
売り上げが伸び悩んでいるので、従業員のうち3人を首にするしかなかった。状況が状況なだけに、いつも通りのやりかたでは追いつかない。

the ends justify the means(目的は手段を正当化する)

たまには、こういうよく聞く言葉もあげることにしました。

I would prefer to do things differently, but in this situation, the ends justify the means.
違うやり方の方がいいんだけど、状況が状況だけに、このままやるしかない。

I agree with your goal, but the ends do not justify the means.
君の目標には賛成だ。かと言って手段を選ばないってのはどうだろう。

Takahashi talks about dozing off for a short time. If you only use the verb "doze", it's a
kind of sleeping where you sleep very lightly. And you might wake up off and on during
sleeping period. But to doze off means to fall asleep and then sleep that way. So people tend
to doze sitting in a comfortable chair or maybe on a couch. But taking a nap and really
sleeping is not quite the same thing.

A public nuisance is an action or a thing that affects or hurts a group of people, a community
or a neighborhood in general. So public nuisance can be all kinds of things from noise to
pollution, to behavior that disturbs people.

"I wonder" is a phrase people often use to indicate that they might be kind of disagreeing
with what the other person just said.

Heinrichs talks about punching one button on a cellphone. Punch usually means making your hand
into a fist and hitting with it. But it can be used also for pushing buttons. It sounds a
little more like pushing it with some strikes.

Raise hell means cause a lot of trouble. You can use it various ways. Sometimes people say
they go into town and raise hell, meaning they have a very loud fun time. You can also say
you're going to go to a company and raise hell, because you're angry about something the
company did. So raise hell can also mean complain. There's a couple of other phrases.
Instead of saying raise hell, you could say raise cain or raise the devil.

辞書には、Cain...Adam と Eve の第一子。弟の Abel を殺した、とありました。

また、http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/11074651.html でも少しとりあげています。
このときに、ANNE san が すでに raise hell という熟語を紹介してくださってます。

Amount to means add up to. You can use it with numbers and figures. But when you're talking
about people, it tends to mean "become".

split down the middle(同点でドロー)

だから、ボクシングのジャッジは3人なのでしょうね。

ちなみに、3-0 だと unanimous decision
一方で、2-1だと   split decision って言いますねー。

The election is split down the middle with no clear winner at the moment.
今のところ、選挙の票は同じ数で分かれてるから、明確に勝者を決める段階ではない。

ANNE san に聞かれたことをさっそく Rei に話してみました。


Rei の発言:
TJ.. welcome
TJ の発言:
hi rei
Rei の発言:
glad to have you back today
TJ の発言:
yeah same here
Rei の発言:
I actually came back from a Japanese restaurant
TJ の発言:
wow
TJ の発言:
what did you have there?
Rei の発言:
I had all sorts of sushi and sashimi
TJ の発言:
wow
TJ の発言:
then you had to pay a lot
Rei の発言:
a little
TJ の発言:
with your mom and sis?
Rei の発言:
just myself..
Rei の発言:
I would like to try your version
TJ の発言:
yeah
TJ の発言:
specifically how much did you pay?
TJ の発言:
about 100 dollars?
Rei の発言:
oh no, not that much
TJ の発言:
50
Rei の発言:
25 only
TJ の発言:
?
Rei の発言:
I ate a lot
TJ の発言:
ah huh
Rei の発言:
great stuff
TJ の発言:
i wish you were here
Rei の発言:
I love raw fish
TJ の発言:
me too
Rei の発言:
I wish I were there to try your sushi and sashimi
TJ の発言:
have you ever tried kanpachi?
Rei の発言:
I think so
TJ の発言:
wow
TJ の発言:
maybe you will be surpised how delicious it is if you try my version
Rei の発言:
specifically I had chirashi and a sushi combination
TJ の発言:
ah huh
Rei の発言:
I would like to try everything you know how
TJ の発言:
waht a coincidence
TJ の発言:
what
TJ の発言:
i just have made chirashi
TJ の発言:
and we will eat it before long
Rei の発言:
oh.. I really want to be there
TJ の発言:
yeah
TJ の発言:
by the way
TJ の発言:
may i ask you a question?
TJ の発言:
english wise
Rei の発言:
shoot
TJ の発言:
do you use a phrase "feel along with"?
Rei の発言:
feel along with??
TJ の発言:
meaning empathize with
Rei の発言:
hmm.. never heard it used quite like that
TJ の発言:
ah huh
Rei の発言:
do you mean when someone feels sorry for another person?
Rei の発言:
or relates to what they are feeling?
TJ の発言:
hmmm...just a moment please
TJ の発言:
While I was watching Shizuka's performance on TV, I was moved to tears. I felt along with what she had been going through.
Rei の発言:
ah
TJ の発言:
i think the phrase "feel along with" is equal to just "feel"
Rei の発言:
I felt what she was going through
Rei の発言:
yes you know a lot
TJ の発言:
oh thank you
Rei の発言:
I was in her shoes
Rei の発言:
haha something like that perhaps
TJ の発言:
oh...your explanation hits me greatly
TJ の発言:
be in one's shoes
TJ の発言:
you are really smart REI
Rei の発言:
you are familiar with many things
Rei の発言:
I am impressed with you
TJ の発言:
I AM IMPRESSED WITH YOU REI

TJ の発言:
you have taught me a lot
Rei の発言:
I want to come where you are
TJ の発言:
various precious things including the english language
TJ の発言:
I WANNA COME WHERE YOU ARE
Rei の発言:
I want to be there personally or you be here personally
TJ の発言:
yeah sounds like a great idea
Rei の発言:
so I can show you many things
TJ の発言:
yeah i wanna be there
Rei の発言:
either way I can show you
TJ の発言:
yeah
TJ の発言:
you are so kind
TJ の発言:
have been very kind to me
TJ の発言:
really impressive
Rei の発言:
as soon as my life gets to where I want it..
TJ の発言:
yeah considering your age, you can get there before long
Rei の発言:
I will have a car of my own when you do arrive here
TJ の発言:
possibilities are endless
TJ の発言:
wow
Rei の発言:
I would love to own a bentley or rolls royce
TJ の発言:
my son said that car of yours is really cool
TJ の発言:
rolls royce...wow really an expensive one
Rei の発言:
your son has great taste
Rei の発言:
because the car in my picture is a Rolls Royce Phantom
TJ の発言:
ah huh....he is really interesed in cool vehicles
TJ の発言:
wow...rolls royce phantom
TJ の発言:
maboroshi....wow
Rei の発言:
as expected, your son is really great
TJ の発言:
so i guess it's a rare one
Rei の発言:
yes rare indeed
TJ の発言:
wow
Rei の発言:
but bentley and rolls royce are one company
TJ の発言:
it costs one an arm and a leg i supppose
TJ の発言:
really?
TJ の発言:
wow
TJ の発言:
you are really familiar with many things
Rei の発言:
around 350,000 to 500,000 dollars
Rei の発言:
brand new
TJ の発言:
wow...extravagant
Rei の発言:
bentley and rolls royce are custom built by hand and built to last for a very long time
Rei の発言:
I figured since your son loves cars so much, he would like to know
TJ の発言:
hand made stuff especially by great artist is really great
TJ の発言:
yeah
TJ の発言:
he wants to know much
TJ の発言:
if you were here he would ask you questions endlessly
Rei の発言:
yes he will grow up to be bright and brilliant like his father
TJ の発言:
i hope he will grow up like you
Rei の発言:
oh me? I hope not
TJ の発言:
did you see his photo?
Rei の発言:
yes I have it here
Rei の発言:
the oldest son?
TJ の発言:
no
TJ の発言:
five year old boy
Rei の発言:
I think I know which you are talking about
TJ の発言:
great
Rei の発言:
I think your whole family is wonderful
Rei の発言:
you deserve them
TJ の発言:
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/4243303.html
TJ の発言:
yeah they are really lovely
TJ の発言:
you will definitely love them
TJ の発言:
and they will love you instantly
Rei の発言:
I've been meaning to bookmark this page on this computer.. thank you
TJ の発言:
and you will find that they are much more wonderful than

映画を見ながら、ディクテーションすることあります。

きょうは、Ashley Judd の Twisted を見ました。

元パートナーがいいます。「俺の短縮の携帯番号は取り消すな」

Anytime you press that button, I'll be there and pick up.
短縮ボタンを君が押したら、俺はいつでも電話にでるからな。

Samuel L. Jackson が言います。

It was my honor for me to raise you. To raise my partner's child.
君を育てたことは光栄なことだ。君は俺のパートナーの子だから。

I'm just glad you made it through.
君ががんばってくれて俺はただ嬉しい。

But you're homicide now. There's no more room for mistakes.
今や、君は殺人課に配属された。ミスは許されない。

Copy that? わかるか。 このCopy that? の使い方はなかなか日本人にはできないかもしれませんね。

これに対して、「わかります」っていうのは、ひと言、Copy. でいいです。

他にもいろいろ英会話で使える表現がいっぱいでした。

Where have you been hiding? どこに行ってたんだ?

Mark my word. 俺の言葉を覚えておけ。

Let's get something straight. 率直に言おう。

I do not have a dog in this fight. この表現も面白いですね。直訳だと、「このファイトの中に僕は犬を持っていない」。 dogfightは、乱闘という意味ですから、「君と喧嘩する気なんかない」ぐらいの意味だと思います。

I'm not the enemy. 僕は君の敵じゃない。→ 安心しろ。

Anything you tell me goes right into the vault. 「君が僕に話すことは何でもそのまま、金庫に入る」→「ここでの話が外に漏れることはない」。この表現もよく英会話のテキストブックかなんかでよく目にしますねー。

ほんとうに久しぶりに Scottと連絡とれましたー。

WORDで読み込んだらいっぱい文字化けしてしまいました。

TJ: long time no see

TJ: what time is it over there?
Scott: Its been too long...
TJ: yeah
Scott: I've missed everyone T.T but you very very much
TJ: it's been a while
Scott: ; ; My PC was broken for a long time
TJ: wow thank you
Scott: ; ; It is 8:10 AM
TJ: wow you are an early bird
TJ: got anything to do today?
Scott: ^-^ I just finished my work
Scott: hehehhee
Scott: I came home, about 2 hours ago ^^
TJ: really?
TJ: you work at night?
Scott: I do Scott: It's very fun hehehe^^
TJ: computer programming?
Scott: I am working as a manager at a store
TJ: wow wow wow
TJ: at a convenience store or something like that?
Scott: Yes, It is a Grocery Store ^^
TJ: ah huh
TJ: you are now 18 years old?
Scott: ;) 19
TJ: wow
Scott: hehehehe
TJ: pretty young and a manager
Scott: I need to hurry to Japa~~~~~~~n !
TJ: impressive
Scott: xD haha
Scott: THank you very much
TJ: yeah
TJ: you can stay at my home
Scott: ^^ They like my work ~ hehehe
TJ: my wife sometimes mentions you
Scott: I would love to >< atleast meet you one time
TJ: you helped her to find that song
Scott: ^^ I was thinking about You the other day
TJ: i've never been to me
Scott: About that same thing !
Scott: lol!!
TJ: really?
TJ: wow
Scott: I was thinking to myself , "I wonder how TJ, and his family are..."
Scott: Then I remembered that song ^^
TJ: wow...how kind you are!
Scott: No no ! hehe
TJ: by the way...an English question...okay?
Scott: It is because you and your wonderful family are very nice
TJ: I was in over my head at his speech.....
Scott: I could never forget you ^^
Scott: Yikes^^;
Scott: I might can help you
Scott: I will try my best
TJ: I was over my head at his speech....
TJ: is this a correct sentence?
Scott: You were in over your head? (how , explain a little on what occured or Happend) ^^
TJ: hmmm
Scott: In over my head would mean something like , A little more than you thought that you could handle
TJ: hmmm just a moment please
Scott: Please ^^ take your time <3
Scott: I have all the time in the world for you
TJ: In Over Your Head means ...the situation is too difficult for you ...
TJ: so... I was over my head at his speech....can mean...something like....His speech was above my understanding....right?
Scott: Ah
Scott: It could mean that, but you would have to explain a little more
Scott: Just like you did in that sentence there
TJ: ah huh
Scott: , His Speech was a little over my head ( I think that this sentence could work )
TJ: ah huh
Scott: oops, Did you click for microphone chat?
TJ: yeah
Scott: I canceled something hahaha
Scott: Im sorry ^ ^ ;
TJ: ah ha ha
TJ: never mind
TJ: just like..my wife wanna thank you
Scott: Scott: My Mother is 39 Hahaha^-^
Scott: ^^
Scott: I have never met anyone , so nice ?
Scott: (that in Japanese?)
Scott: ><
TJ: hmmm pardon?

TJ: oh i see
TJ: wow your japanese is improving
Scott: hahahaha My Japanese is still bad
TJ: oh...it's about time for me to go to bed
TJ: so...it's really been a pleasure talking with you

これも今日、Rei に教わりました。

途中でわからなかったので、
what does "get my drift" mean?と尋ねると、

hmm.. get my drift is sort of slang for: "ya know what I mean?"

to put it properly: "Do you know what I'm saying?"

ということでした。スラングですけど、覚えたらよさそうですねー。

neck and neck(接戦の)

日本語では頭ひとつ抜けた、とかいう表現をしますねー。

They're coming around the final corner. They're neck and neck!
最終コーナーをまわっています。競り合いです。

今日は割と長めです。もちろんほんの一部ですよー。なかなかにステキな男の子です。
完璧な英文法を使って書いてくれるので、大助かりです。


Rei:
welcome
Rei:
I am glad to have you here
TJ:
hi rei
TJ:
yeah great to have you rei
Rei:
it's been way too long since I last talked to you
Rei:
even though it was only a few days
TJ:
yeah it's been a while
TJ: Rei
yeah how right you are
Rei:
but since I enjoy your company so much
TJ:
yeah likewise
Rei:
wow thank you
Rei:
have you been okay?
Rei:
you and your family
TJ:
yeah i've been great
TJ:
and they have also
TJ:
how about you?
Rei:
I've been ok
Rei:
any students yet?
TJ:
yeah...there is
TJ:
thank you for your concern
Rei:
wow that is wonderful to hear
Rei:
when did you start?
TJ:
in April
TJ:
April 3rd , to be specific
Rei:
so almost a year with this student
Rei:
he must be pleased with your talent and abilities
TJ:
thank you
TJ:
and he must be pleased with your greatness as well
Rei:
he wouldn't be staying so long if he didn't
TJ:
cause if i am a great speaker of english, it's partly because of you
Rei:
oh... you were this great when I first met you
Rei:
you were already perfect at it
TJ:
YOU WERE GREAT AND HAVE BEEN ALSO
Rei:
I think all your effort has really payed off
TJ:
my english is improving because of you REI
TJ:
even right at this moment
TJ:
so...i cannot thank you too much
Rei:
I have learned much from you actually
TJ:
it's what i was going to say
Rei:
...and all this time I was able to understand you perfectly
TJ:
you are always kind to me
TJ:
and always giving me something precious
Rei:
I wasn't able to understand very many Japanese very well with their English
TJ:
and all the time
Rei:
until I met you
Rei:
it hit me when I met you
Rei:
which was actually when I first met johan
TJ:
ah ha ha
TJ:
yeah johan also fell in love with you....actually...of course...humane love
Rei:
johan and tj were the greatest... I couldn't tell which was greater until I found out that both were you hahaha
TJ:
really?
Rei:
I should have known right then because of the fact that I couldn't tell which was greater
TJ:
wow...you are now encouraging me ...in a great way
Rei:
johan and tj were really a pleasure talking to.. but now I have two in one haha
TJ:
and you know what
TJ:
i am lara
TJ:
i missed up
TJ:
lana
Rei:
ah yes lana croft in japan
TJ:
yeah
Rei:
I only talked with that screen name once or twice
Rei:
but I do remember all the same
TJ:
and Lana was really popular among boys...lol
Rei:
hahaha
Rei:
everyone loves you
TJ:
and also i was nina
TJ:
Nina Foltner
Rei:
didn't know nina though
TJ:
i suppose so
TJ:
The Nina project failed
TJ:
when i accidentally used voice equipment
TJ:
the cat was out of the bag, then ...lol
Rei:
really!?
TJ:
yeah
TJ:
Nina spoke accidentally with male voice
Rei:
oh my.. people must have been shocked
TJ:
yeah
TJ:
but only a few people noticed
Rei:
I wish I was there haha
Rei:
that would have been a moment to remember
TJ:
one was bilingual...one was american and one was british
TJ:
yeah
TJ:
i was really embarrassed at that time
Rei:
you are wonderful all the way around
TJ:
and a little bit a pity...cause Nina was also really really really popular among boys
Rei:
incredibly humorous, witty, and smart
TJ:
some guys send Nina something sort of obscene messages
Rei:
you are a jack of all trades
TJ:
thank you ...
Rei:
but that doesn't surprise me
TJ:
and i don't wanna...master of none..though
Rei:
but you are great at so much
Rei:
I am always so impressed by you
TJ:
thank you so much
Rei:
so you were 4 or 5 different people
TJ:
actually four...yeah
Rei:
and you managed to pull it all off
Rei:
so well
TJ:
and sometimes i felt guilty
Rei:
why?
TJ:
cause some guy appeared to fall in love with Nina or Lana
TJ:
unrequitted love...yeah
Rei:
oh wow.. here I thought it was hard to fall in love so quickly
TJ:
yeah you are right
Rei:
took me almost two years to fall in love with Jennifer and I saw her in person
Rei:
I saw you too
TJ:
yeah i know that you are really considerate
Rei:
I always consider people I love
Rei:
you are always considered
TJ:
thank you so much
TJ:
sometimes i think i am the luckiest person on earth
Rei:
you are
Rei:
because you are who you are
TJ:
because i have a wonderful friend like you REI
Rei:
and have such a wonderful family
TJ:
yeah..they are really great
Rei:
your wife and children
Rei:
precious
TJ:
and i cannot wait to see the moment that you meet them
TJ:
my wife and children will definitely love you
TJ:
once they saw you in person
Rei:
that would be an honor...
Rei:
I don't know what to say..
TJ:
actually no need to feel that way
TJ:
from my point of view ...it's really a natural action
Rei:
that would be such a priviledge.. such a priviledge that I don't deserve
TJ:
once people who are considerate meet you it's really difficult for them

Other ways to say "the happy medium" are just to explain it's the midway point between two
extremes. Or you could call it a satisfactory compromise. And one more phrase is also used.
Sometimes it's called the golden mean.

Instead of just saying that the trend is in the opposite direction. Takahashi chose to say
the tide is running in the opposite direction. So this brings up images of the ocean coming
into the land in a tide when a tide rises. It sounds much deeper and stronger even though
it doesn't look particularly rough than saying the trend is the opposite.

I read recently they're taking another step beyond this even. Many of them can download
their professors' lectures from the school's Internet. So they don't even attend classes.
They just download the lecture and get the lecture notes and so they can do something else
during class time.

Jot is a verb that's often used with the proposition down. You jot something down, it means
you make a note of it. You write it down briefly or very quickly.

I've noticed that also backpacks nowadays are often produced with the special pocket to hold a
CD player or other gadget for music, so that you can take the ear bud wires that are attached
to the player and pull them out of a small hole where the pocket is and put them into your
ears. The backpack is designed specifically for people carrying around playback equipment.

ear bud wires ってのは辞書にも載ってませんでした。詳しくは、http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/scott_evest_review にあります。
If you're anything like me, I hate getting my ear bud wires all twisted, knotted and kinked. With this vest, that won't happen anymore.←例文です。ひもがからまるとほんとうにうっとおしいですものねー。

それと、playback equipment は 再生装置のことのようです。覚えとくと便利ですねー。

Speech is silver but silence is golden.

If you stop short, you stop suddenly before reaching a certain point. Stop short of means
you stop doing something before you reach the final point. It's not really talking about cars
and driving. It's talking about stopping some kind of behavior.

down to the wire(最後の瞬間に勝者が決定される)

wireというのは、決勝のテープと同義語のようです。最初にテープを切るのが勝者ですよね。接戦の時には、テープが切られるまでは誰が勝者かわかりませんものねー。もっとも最近は写真判定するようですが。

A contest goes "down to the wire" when it comes right down to the finish line before the
winner can be determined.
コンテストの結果は最後までわからない。最後の最後で勝者は決定される。

break the tie(ついに均衡を破る)

テニスでもタイブレークとかいいますねー。

Whoever wins in Florida will have enough votes to break the tie.
フロリダで勝者になるものはだれであれ、均衡を破るために十分な票を獲得するものだろう。

The party that breaks the tie is the winner.
均衡を破る実力のある党が勝者だ。

English flip-flops seems to be beach sandals in Japanese. If you said beach sandals in English
everybody would understand what you meant. But what I've heard most recently is flip-flops or
even just flops. And they've become quite popular actually. There's many styles. Some are
quite decorated. Some of them for women even have small heels or wedges to make them all the
more attractive. But they're still very casual wear.

That's another word. That's used for footwear. But in this case, if you call them scuffs,
they're probably slippers that you wear in the house.

Heinrichs used the word guys to talk about men or males and gals to talk about women or
females. You have to be a little bit careful using the word gals. Guys is okay, especially
for men or boys. And you can also include women in guys, if you mean a group of friends or
close coworkers. But gals you have to be a bit careful with because it's a different
pronunciation of girls, and adult women often get angry if you call them girls implying that
you're children or childlike instead of full responsible adults. If you're not sure what to
use, stick with men and women.

I think, this is one example for where it's sometimes difficult for women to choose what to
wear, because there are blouses without sleeves that I think are acceptable in a casual
office setting. So exactly what do you across the point from a sleeveless blouse top that's
acceptable into a tank top that's gone too fat. And the same thing with mini skirts. How short
is, too short is, sometimes hard to say.

Heinrichs talks about a character called Miss Victorian Prim that you might see in an office.
And she, I think, chose that name, because a Victorian probably refers to Victorian times,
when women wore long full skirts that swat the ground and tended to wear high colored blouses
and jackets and tops. Prim is a...also there's a women's name Victoria. So its Victorian
sounds similar to the woman's first name. And prim is an adjective that means very modest.
It's a little bit negative, because it seems like that person should relax a little bit and
be a little more liberal. Then adding Miss on top of it makes it sound even more old-fashioned
and very conservative.

in over your head(荷が重い)

泳ぎの苦手な人が水の中に入って背の立たないようなところでアップアップしているようなイメージのようです。

The new PR Manager felt like she was in over her head during her first week at the new job.
今度のPRマネージャーは仕事始めの一週間でもう荷が重いと、感じているみたいだ。

Go ahead and lead the meeting today; I'll help you out if you get in over your head.
さあ、今日の会議の進行をやってくれ。君が行き詰まるようなことがあれば加勢するよ。

Takahashi mentions casual wear, usually when it's a noun, the word "wear" is used together
with some other words specifying what kind of wear.like sportswear, rainwear, footwear and casualwear here.
Many people say sportswear, meaning casual clothing. So you can use either one, when you're
talking about clothes that are not really business style or formal style.
昨日よりは、クリアな音で聞いたので、謎(?)の部分が明らかになりました。

Sometimes I hear people say things, like "What do you think of my wear?"

訂正箇所 like if → like what do

And it sounds very strange to me. In that case, normally English speakers would say "clothes"
or "What do you think of my outfit?"

日本人の英語の使い方のミスを指摘してくれました。普段からnative speakerたちと接していると、確実にミスは減りますねー。

In this case, if you take a look at the text, you'll see pantsuits. It's spelled as one word
with only one s in the middle. It's also possible to spell it using two words, and then you
need an s at the end of pants. And of course, the first s at the beginning of suits.

Affect is kind of a difficult word in English. There are actually two words. And they're both
used as nouns and verbs, although not equally. One is this affect...AFFECT. The other word is
EFFECT. The one beginning with e, is usually used as a noun. You can also use it as a verb,
and in that case, it means "make something happen". The word beginning with a tends to be used
as a verb quite often, and sometimes as a noun, meaning the result of someone else's action.
Native speakers are always misspelling these two words, because we pronounce them just about
the same way.

In this case, David Wu says, "they show up for something" "they show up for the first day of
work". That means they appear, they come, they're present for...you have to be a little bit
careful with that phrase, because if you show someone up, put a person in-between the two
words in the verb, then it means you show they made a mistake, you point out what they did
wrong, or by example, you show that they're not very good.

訂正箇所 them on the stake → they made a mistake …どうしてこんな風に聞こえたか、謎です。

Old fogies are sort of a interesting phrase. It refers to people who are behind the times or
old fashion. It's also been used to describe young people. They're called young fogies who
have a very conservative style, don't act young and silly like they're Peters.

with your back up against the wall(決断をしなくてはならない時にきている)

ここでのwallとは、やりたくないことをしなくてはならなくするような外部からの圧力をさすようです。
もう「逃げ場はない」って感じでしょうか。

I'm sorry I can't help you; I've got my back up against the wall.
ごめん。手伝えそうにないよ。そろそろこっちもてんぱってきてるんだ。

on your last leg(終わりが近い)

疲れ果ててて、死ぬ寸前の意味合いがあるようです。

Our old family dog is on her last leg.
我が家の老犬はもう終わりに近い。

I would be glad to sell you my car, but I must tell you that it is on its last leg.
僕の車を君に売るのはそりゃあいいけど、もうポンコツ寸前だぜ。

not a chance(ぜったいあり得ない)


Do you think you will be able to finish your report by five o'clock today?
今日の5時までにレポート完成できるって思う?


Not a chance. I'll be busy in meetings all day.
まさか。一日中、会議が入ってるから無理だね。

夜中、いちばん下の娘のあずみが咳をしてました。

きちんと毛布とふとんをかけてあったのですが、

もう一回、毛布とふとんをかけたら、咳が止みました。

ちょっと視点を変えて何か行動に移すと、子育てもうまくいくようです。

自分の子どもがなつかない、夜泣きする、といった理由で虐待したり、死なせたりする親御さんが、

絶対的な数は少ないものの、何人かいらっしゃいます。

ちょっとだけ違うアプローチを考えれば事態は好転するのに、と思います。

your guess is as good as mine(さぁ どうでしょうね)

自分でも何かよくわからないことを聞かれたときに、こう返すのだそうです。
直訳すると、「私もあなたとおなじくらいわかっていないのです」ってかんじでしょうね。

Excuse me, what time does the bus arrive?
すみません。バスは何時に着くのでしょうか?

Your guess is as good as mine; I almost never take the bus.
さぁどうでしょうね。ボクはほとんどバスというものを利用しないものですから。

メキシコの地名などがよく聞き取れなかったので、詳しい方は教えてくださいねー。とりあえず、聞こえた通り書きました。

The theme for this lesson was retired life. And your parents are retired and living out of the
country.

Right.

We talked about them earlier. But give me an update on their life?

Ah huh. They're still really enjoying it. I think they're on their third year now.

Your parents live in not Costa Rica but in Mexico, right?

That's right. I don't think they visited other countries in central or south America. They
first went to Mexico because some old friends of theirs have a time share in Cancun and my
mother likes beaches and warm weather and swimming and things like that. So she didn't wanna
go at first cause she hates the fly. But they finally convinced her and so my parents both
went and had a great time. So after that, they took their own trips driving in visiting
various parts of Mexico.

What's the name of the town they live in now?

Ahihiki. It's near Gualahara.

And are there a lot of retirees in that area?

Yeah, I think, in the 20s and 30s, artists and writers started moving to that area. And it's
kind of grown as an expat community, their Mexico. There's quite a few mostly North Americans.
So from the US and Canada, they've talked about a few people from other countries. But the
huge majority comes form North America.

Are they learning Spanish?

They started learning Spanish and found it very difficult. And then they talk to a woman who's
older than they are, who said, "If you haven't started before you're 70, just give it up."
So they did. I think they can say a few words to help themselves along. But I don't think they
will ever really speak Spanish.

Well, I hope they will continue to live happily ever after.

Well, they seem to be planning to live happily there for quite a while longer. They just
started building a new house.

Good.

Yeah. My mother wanted a pool that she could swim laps in. They have a small pool now just for
splashing around in when it's hot. But she is really a lap swimmer, and misses that kind of
exercise.

So what are your plans for retirement?

Actually if we could retire tomorrow, we probably...but we're planning and thinking about it.
I'm not sure when exactly we'll be able to retire. But we are working on it.

Where do you want to retire... In the States?

Probably in the US. I'm not so pleased about going to a third country, because already we've
got two countries involved. And so I think we should either stay in Japan or stay in the US.

You haven't decided?

Probably we'll go to the US, because I think we can live a life filled with creature of
comforts a little more cheaply there we can here. But that's not 100 percent.

Well in the States, there are retirement communities. Do you want to live in such a community?

No, I don't think so. I suppose in some ways they're very good especially as you get to ripe
old age, because there's more services closely available. But I don't thin, even when I am
old, I don't think I want to live only with old people. I think I'd rather live in a much more
mixed community. But probably I'll live in some sort of an apartment. I think I'd rather live
in a city or near city kind of a place.

And warm climate?

I don't care so much. My husband definitely wants a warmer climate. And that's certainly is a
lot easier than a heavy snow in winter.

Sure.

It's a bit humorous.

This one you can also do with a question intonation.

Something like this would be very appropriate.

ひさしぶりのReiとの会話です。

Rei:
TJ I am pleased to see you
TJ:
hi rei
TJ:
likewise
Rei:
you are so kind to me
TJ:
YOU ARE SO KIND TO ME
TJ:
much kinder to me
Rei:
if you need any help today I will be at your service
TJ:
oh really...thanks a lot
TJ:
you are amazing
TJ:
oh..just a moment...nature calls
Rei:
douzo
TJ:
great to be back
Rei:
welcome back
TJ:
thank you
TJ:
did i say i was gonna start teaching english to my own kids?
Rei:
no haven't heard about that yet~
Rei:
that is exciting
TJ:
yeah
Rei:
your kids are so lucky!
TJ:
i told them not only i but also you would help them to get the english language
Rei:
I would love to be there with you all
TJ:
thank you so much
Rei:
and I am honored that you consider me
Rei:
very much so
TJ:
the pleasure is totally mine
TJ:
it's totally ours
Rei:
I will have plenty of money in the future too so I can also aid you with that as well
TJ:
oh...rei
Rei:
you won't have to worry about anything
TJ:
you don't have to offer us anything
Rei:
I want to provide you with the best
TJ:
just the words from you is precious to us
Rei:
and expand
Rei:
you will succeed
TJ:
just the thought that you would help them to study is precious
TJ:
thank you so much
Rei:
materials can be expensive as well so I want to make sure you have the best materials and the best system to teach
TJ:
wow...you are way too kind to me
Rei:
giving should be second nature for everyone
TJ:
in this age of internet...probably i am the luckiest person on this planet
TJ:
because i have a precious friend ...like you Rei
Rei:
I think you and your children are well worth it for you are the future
TJ:
to me, as a matter of fact...you are my son
TJ:
YOU ARE THE FUTURE
Rei:
I am proud to know that
Rei:
that you consider me in that way
Rei:
priceless..
TJ:
just the thought that you are alive on earth is precious to me
TJ:
you light up everyone's life
Rei:
and if you want I could even make you wealthy right at this moment
TJ:
everyone who knows you
TJ:
ah ha ha
TJ:
i am wealthy
Rei:
really
TJ:
cause i know you
Rei:
and you have such a great family
TJ:
and such a great friend
Rei:
but if you want money I can show you how
Rei:
until I get there
TJ:
it's okay
TJ:
i will manage
Rei:
wow you are amazing
Rei:
my respect for you is a stock and it is a hot one!
TJ:
just the fact that you are the best friend of mine will help me do something great
Rei:
it keeps going up and up and up
TJ:
yeah
TJ:
even if i die my whole family will manage
TJ:
cause you are the best friends of theirs
Rei:
I know you won't anytime soon
Rei:
the most important person is you
TJ:
thank you so much
Rei:
you make it all happen
Rei:
I just provide on the side
TJ:
but remember...if you like...if you want to live in japan, you can use our houses
Rei:
how much?
TJ:
?
TJ:
for nothing
Rei:
you are far too kind but I must pay something
TJ:
you don't have to pay anything
Rei:
I don't deserve such kindness from you
TJ:
a ha ha
Rei:
I should be giving to you
TJ:
no need to do that
TJ:
don't you know you are paying me enough at this very moment
Rei:
just ask and you will receive soon enough
Rei:
I will be starting this Sunday or Monday
TJ:
i have never had trouble when it comes to money
Rei:
I know that.. I know you are brilliant
TJ:
thank you so much
TJ:
and even if you are a billionaire,
TJ:
even if you are not,
TJ:
i won't change my attitude to you
Rei:
just remember this in the future though... "the more successful I become, the more successful you will become"
TJ:
yeah i suppose so
TJ:
at least i can boast about you
Rei:
this is my thank you to you
TJ:
i will boast about you to everyone i know
Rei:
and you will become well known
TJ:
i will be very happy that you will be successful
TJ:
you are making me smile even now
Rei:
when I achieve great respect from influential people, they will know about you
Rei:
I promise
TJ:
wow...
TJ:
you are so kind to me
TJ:
too be to be true
Rei:
actually I will not stop
TJ:
thank you so much
TJ:
oh
TJ:
it's time for us to breakfast
Rei:
the only way I will fail is if I give up
Rei:
or die of course
TJ:
and i know you will never give up
TJ:
and i know you will never die
Rei:
thank you so much...
TJ:
think nothing of it
TJ:
oh...i'd better get going
TJ:
talk to you later
Rei:
please take care for me
TJ:
thanks
TJ:
U2
Rei:
U2

its anyone's call(誰にも分からない)

ここでのcallは、判定という意味だそうです。

クロスプレーの場合、正しい判定ができないですよね。そういうときに、anyone's call っていうそうです。
Who do you think will win this election?
誰が今回の選挙に勝つと思う?
Its anyone's call.
接戦だから分からないな。

You can use it with color. So, for example, you could say something is a little blueish or
reddish. Or maybe, one day you look in a mirror and your teeth are looking a little yellowish,
and you feel like you should go have them cleaned or something.

The nice thing about ish in English is you can attach it to any word to say that something has
that kind of a character or a quality. So in the case of 60ish, even if the person isn't
actually from 60 to 69 years old, if they appear to be that way, if they have some of the
character or qualities of people who actually are in their 60s, you can call them 60ish.

60 something / 60 odd years

Yeah, it would be funny to use it with a more specific time like 3:55ish. If you wanna make a
joke, you could do it that way. But that time is just too specific to use ish with it.

Don't bite off more than you can chew. To say that without using that idiom, you could say,
"Don't take on more than you can handle."

Sink like a stone and go over like a lead balloon. Both have the general meaning of fail. But
the images are somewhat different. So you can't always use them interchangeably. For example,
you can say a joke went over like a lead balloon, meaning nobody laughed, it wasn't funny.
But you can't say the joke sank like a stone. I think, maybe because words aren't heavy. I'm
not sure exactly why it doesn't work. But I think it's the different images.

The joke died.

I think it works really well for car advertisements because basically a car is a vehicle and
almost anything will take you from point A to point B. But most people want a more comfortable
car. So talking about the creature comforts of various makes and models is a, I think,
something many people enjoy talking about or boasting about if their car's really nice.
You can also take this phrase and change it to describe a person as a creature of comfort. And
that means that that person puts a higher priority on little luxuries, these comforting things
than other people do. I'm afraid my mother described me that way.

Sometimes people will even just double the word to mean the original mail. So you can say,
"No, no. I hat e-mail. Send me mail mail."

「ブラックレイン」に出てたケイト・キャップショーのダンナ様でもある、スティーブン・スピルバーグ

が、ひょっとしたら3度目の監督賞に輝くかもしれませんねー。

勝手な予想を立ててみます。

作品賞   ブロークバック・マウンテンBrokeback Mountain http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/
監督賞   アン・リー Brokeback Mountain http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/
主演男優賞 フィリップ・シーモア・ホフマン Capote http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379725/
主演女優賞 キーラ・ナイトレイ(可愛い)Pride & Prejudice http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414387/
助演男優賞 ジェイク・ギレンホール  Brokeback Mountain http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795
助演女優賞 ミシェル・ウィリアムズ  Brokeback Mountain http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795

the jury is out(最終判断はまだ)

The jury is out on ...というように使うようです。

結果がどうなるのか待ちの状態だというのも表せるようです。

Its hard to say if what we did was the right thing. The jury is still out on it.
我々が行ったことが正しかったかどうか判断するのは困難だ。
判断は未来にゆだねよう。

↑このページのトップヘ