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。

2010年07月

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Climate Survey (3)
 
Breakstone says she feels that most people at Great Lakes are happy with the situation.
Pearson tends to agree but observes that only 45 % of the U.S. workers are happy
with their work. 
Breakstone says it's a long term trend.
Hughes sites buddies who complain about the lack of teamwork at the workplaces.
 
 
Breakstone talks about the people who are against the survey is being anti[antai]-survey.
You can also say, anti[anti]-survey.
 
Breakstone talks about happy campus.
This phrase was first used I think around the middle late 80's, not to talk about campus per se,
but to talk about people who are satisfied or not satisfied with a situation they find themselves in.
It probably comes from kids in summer camp. Some of them like it, some of them don't.
 
Pearson begins by using the phrase "insofar as".
It sounds like you should spell that with four separate words.
But actually, "insofar" is spelled altogether as one word and there's a space
and then you write "as".
There's another phrase that sometimes I forget. It's "instead of".
I often try to spell "in stead" as two words.
I know it's one word. But when I'm thinking about my meaning, I tend to type it as two.
 
notwithstanding / menswear
 
Currently words that are written with a hyphen are often on their way to becoming
a single word with no hyphen and no space.
They don't always change. But it is kind of a trend.
 
email
 
Hughes uses the phrase "what with" to bring the recession into the conversation.
It's a way you can say, "because of", for example.
It's introducing another element into the conversation.
 
what with = because of
 
Breakstone talks about the escalating cost of health insurance.
In the U.S. and it seems like in many developed countries, the cost of health insurance
has been going up.
In the U.S., many people get their health insurance coverage in conjunction with their jobs.
So one benefit of working for a good company is having part of your health insurance costs
paid by your company.
A lot of places are about half and half. 
Although recently companies have been lowering their support and having the employees
pay more and more of their health insurance costs.
 
Breakstone also talks about how those costs are eating into take-home pay.
Eating into is another way to say eroding or making less or lowering.
 
And finally, take-home pay. Take-home pay is the money you have after all the reductions are cut. 
So after the company subtracts the taxes you owe and any other cost you need to pay
so that would include your portion of health insurance payments.
But it can also include things like uniform costs if you wear a uniform.
The company does know it's paid the full price for those.
Or for example, the cafeteria costs.
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
So long for now.

「キュリー夫人」 …すごすぎる!
 
「十五少年漂流記」 …子どもの頃読んでおくべき本。
 
「日本むかしばなし」…これも。
 
一瞬で伝える「わかりやすさ」の技術 … 斎藤孝 ~なかなかよい~
 
「悪」と戦う … 高橋源一郎 ~文章はうまいと思う~
 
p203-204
 ぼくは恋に落ちる、落ちる、落ちる。
 恋というものが、こんなにも、こんなにもすごいものだってことを、こんなにもパワフルだってことを、生まれて初めて知る。
 胸の奥で、スタバのキャラメル・マキアートの一億倍も甘い液体が、たぶたぶ揺れて、泣きたくなる。
 ミアちゃん。ぼくは、ちっちゃいちっちゃい声で、そういってみる。
 ミアちゃん。ウソみたいだ。あの子に、他の人間、他の女の子と同じような名前があるなんて。
 ミアちゃん。ミアちゃん。ミアちゃん。
 ミアちゃんの「ミ」は、「ミたこともないくらいきれい」の「ミ」。
 ミアちゃんの「ア」は、「アほくさくなるくらいきれい」の「ア」。
 ミアちゃんの「ち」は、「ちじょうでいちばんきれい」の「ち」。
 ミアちゃんの「ゃ」は、「ゃゃゃゃ! こんなにきれいで反則!」の「ゃ」。
 ミアちゃんの「ん」は、「んんんん? ちょっと待って、きれいすぎでしょ、それ!」の「ん」。
 バッカじゃなかろうか。
 はい、バカです、まちがいなく、ぼくは。
 でも、仕方ない。ぼくは、恋に落ちたから。決定的に、徹底的に、運命的に。

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Climate Survey (2)
 
Pearson asks what Breakstone personally thinks about the survey.
Breakstone responds that in a company like Great Lakes it makes sense
to take note of employee morale.
Hughes adds that not doing it would be seen negatively.
Pearson plays devil's advocate and make some contentious points.
 
 
"What's your take on something" is an informal way to ask someone what they think about it.
You could also say, of course, "What do you think about something?"
Or You could say, "How do you see something?"
 
Pearson also describes the question as "vexed".
"Vex" is originally a verb that means "bring trouble" or "distress".
It can also mean "puzzle" or "perplex someone",
make'em unhappy because things are not clear.
As an adjective it has a little more clear meaning.
It's something that's discussed or debated a lot.
 
To keep tabs on someone is keep a record of them, to kind of follow them around to see
what they're doing.
This is also used in the singular although I think most people tend to use it in the plural.
I use it that way. And that's how I hear it most of the time.
Tab itself comes from tablet, a pile of paper, a set of paper, like a notebook.
Tablets were used as account books or written records.
And it would shorten to tab, which also gives us the word tab in a restaurant or bar.
You pay the tab. That means the written account of what you owe.
 
local - locale
 
Breakstone uses the word "guys" to refer to Pearson and Hughes.
It's a very informal way to refer to a couple of people.
Originally it referred to men.
But nowadays in many situations, you can use it for mixed groups or even for all female groups.
 
You can use it that way especially when it's following the word "you".
 
"Play devil's advocate" means "take up the opposite side of an argument",
Whether you believe it or not, either for fun, many people enjoy debate.
Or for training or practice.
 
academic exercise
 
"To Vent your spleen" is to clearly express what you think.
And it's usually when you think not very well of something, when you're angry about something.
In the middle ages, the "spleen" was thought to be the seat of bad temper or sad thoughts.
And to vent something is to open up, get fresh air, let the wind blow through.
 
give vent to one's feelings
 
"Opening a Pandora's box" is a phrase that people use when they're talking about some action
that leads to trouble.
Usually it's rather complex trouble with many people having different opinions,
and all of them holding their opinions very strongly.
The original phrase comes from Greek mythology.
Pandora was a woman who was given a box but told not to open it.
But her curiosity got the better of it.
And when she opened her box, all the ills and toils and sickness of the world came out.
So she tried to close it. But the only thing that was left inside was hope.
 
a can of worms
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
Goodbye.

http://www.nhk.or.jp/gogaku/english/business2/index.html


Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。


Climate Survey (1)

Breakstone seems concerned about the annual employee climate survey that's been discussed
at Great Lakes.
Some people think it's a good idea. Others think it'll cause trouble.
Hughes says he can see the dilemma.
Breakstone agrees it's a dilemma, but says she can handle it.

"A penny for your thoughts" is a phrase people often use in English to ask someone else
what they're thinking about.
It means you'd pay them a penny if they would tell you what they were thinking.
It's been used for a long time... maybe 300 years or so in English.
There's another phrase referring to money in English: "put in your own two cents",
which is two pennies.
And that phrase means you're going to tell someone what you think.
You're gonna add to the conversation.

Of course, 300 years ago, a penny was worth a lot more than it is these days.

"Say what" is a very casual and actually rather slangy informal kind of way to respond to
Pearson's question.
Other things you could say include: "Uhm?" and "What?", "Pardon?" or "Sorry?"

When you've been thinking about something and someone catches your attention,
and you're a little bit surprised, you can use this phrase: "I was a million miles away".
It means your head was somewhere else. You were completely thinking about something else.
Other ways people say that ... a little more of a slang kind of a way to talk about it
is to say you were spaced out. So it's as if you were away out in space.
When people try to catch the attention of someone who's a million miles away,
sometimes they'll say things like: "Earth to Kay. Earth to Kay."
It sounds like somebody on earth is using a radio to talk to astronauts out in space.
A couple of other things people might say are "Hello?" or even, "Yoo-hoo!"

I was spaced. I was spaced out. 心ここにあらず。

An employee climate survey is a survey that I think has become more popular
over the last few years that usually the HR department of a company carries out
to find out what employees think about the company and their jobs and the environment
generally, the work environment.
Many people believe nowadays that it's important to have happy employees not just that
they get paid a lot but they like the conditions in which they're working they like their coworkers,
because employees who are pleased with their work places work harder and better
than employees who are just working for the pay.

Breakstone talks about two schools of thoughts in the company and that
one of the schools holds a certain point of view.
This is a very common way to talk about groups that have a particular point of view.
It's a little more formal than just that they agree.
A school of thought also includes the idea of some sort of discipline.
They think about it rather carefully.

The word "dilemma" in English is often used rather loosely to mean a problem.
Actually "dilemma" should be used when you have two options and choosing one or the other
will cause trouble any way.
You have no other options.
Other ways you can talk about a dilemma is to say you're caught between a rock and a hard place.
You could also say, you're caught between a devil and the deep blue sea.
You don't wanna choose either one of those.

"Trouper" is an interesting word in English.
The way Pearson uses it here, when you have a chance, take a look at the text.
It's spelled T-R-O-U-P-E-R. It comes from a French word that meant a theatrical company.
So a trouper is a member of a theatrical company originally.
It's been expanded somewhat to refer to a veteran actor or performer.
And it's also used to talk about someone generally who's reliable and uncomplaining and
works very that.
And that's the meaning that Pearson's using here.
There's another trooper in English. But it's spelled with two O's: T-R-O-O-P-E-R.
And that refers to a mountain soldier or policeman.
It's also used for state police in the U.S.



That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。

Thanks for tuning in.

 
Monday, July 26, 2010
Hello, everybody. You're listening to 5 minute English.
Hi! I'm David Neale.
Let's practice English together.
And I'm Vicki Glass. 
Welcome to our program.
Let's build up your English muscles.
Are you ready? Here we go.
 
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
Do you like strawberries? I just got a big box of them.
My cousin runs a strawberry farm.
 
Okay, everyone. The camera's ready. I'll set the timer. Then I'll go stand there by Jeff.
 
What's the matter with you? Tell me what's bugging you. Don't suffer in silence.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
 
Here's a message for you today.
Keep at it and you'll keep improving. 頑張ればどんどん上達します。
 
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
You say I have great penmanship? I'd rather be called a great writer.
But I'll take whatever compliment I can get.
 
There's a lot of glare in this room. Should I draw the curtains?
Or do you like it sunny?
 
The water in the fish tank is low. I guess it evaporates.
I'll put in a quarter or so.
 
Here's a message for you today.
Concentration makes your practice more effective.
集中して練習すればさらに効果が上がります。
 
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
Something's wrong with this lock. It usually works.
But once in a while the key jams. I tried oiling it.
But we need to have a locksmith look at it.
 
I got tickets to the auto show. It starts this weekend.
Do you want to come with me? We'll see some great concept cars.
And some new sports cars as well.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you.
What's keeping you? Start practicing. 何をぐずぐずしているんですか。練習を始めましょう。
 
Thursday, July 29, 2010
 
Let's role play.
One. Now listen.
 
A: How long is your commute?
B: About an hour usually.
A: Isn't it always the same?
B: It's shorter when I catch the express.
 
A: Try one of these candies.
B: Why? What are they?
A: Just try one. You'll see.
B: Okay. Ohh! It's fizzy like soda pop.
 
A: Do want ice in your drink?
B: What kind of bourbon is it?
A: It's a usual cheap stuff.
B: Lots of ice then, please.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Keep your eyes focused straight ahead. まっすぐ前を見続けましょう。
 
Friday, July 30, 2010
Let's listen and answer.
One. Now listen.

I think your cellphone is ringing.
Why, yes. I think you're right. ああ、うん。君の言っていることは正しいようだね。
Aren't you going to answer it?
I know who it is. He can leave a message. ほんとうに男の人からなの?
 
Q: What does the man mean? - He's not going to answer his phone.
 
Come to the kitchen. I need some help here. Can you stir these beans for me?
They have to be stirred constantly. I'll be back in about five minutes.
 
Q: What is the woman doing? - Preparing a meal.
 
The front door was unlocked this morning.
It's someone wake up early and unlock it or has it been open all night?
From now on, we've got to keep it locked. This is a home not an all-night convenience store.
 
Q: When did the man discover that the door was unlocked? - Morning.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
If you want to learn to speak, practice speaking.
話せるようになりたいなら、話す練習をしましょう。
 
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Let's listen and answer.
Now listen.
 
I took an incomplete in my sociology class.
That means I don't have to finish my term paper yet.
The deadline was today.
But I have two more months.
My grade report shows an I.
Then after I hand in the paper the grade will be completed.
There's no penalty as far as the grade goes.
But it does sort of spoil my summer vacation.
I'm relieved to have the extension.
But I also envy my friends who have finished their assignments.
 
Q1: Who is the woman? - A student.
 
Q2: When is the woman speaking? - Before the summer vacation.
 
Q3: What does the woman say about her classmates? - They've finished their assignments.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Keep practicing and we'll always be with you.
練習を続けましょう。わたしたちはいつもあなたと一緒です。

Sunday, August 1, 2010
Let's listen and write.
One. Now listen.
1
2
3
4
5
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.

この曲自体は、オレが高校生の頃のヒット曲だった。
 
ビー・ジーズの名作。
 
それをこの頃はまだ生まれてもいなかったビヨンセが歌ってくれてるだなんて!

昨晩(2010/7/23)の「実践ビジネス英語」で Susanが、
 
Incorporating natural gestures and smooth movements also helps to establish
a good rapport with the audience. 
自然に身振り手振りを(プレゼンに)組み入れることで、聴衆との関係が良好なものになります。
 
って言ってました。
 
ボクの経営する私塾は吹けば飛ぶような小規模塾ですが、
 
名前はすごいです。 Rapport Camp  通常は 略して RC って言ってます。
 
意味をよく聞かれます。
 
「良好な関係を保ちつつ目的を同じくする同志たちの集う場」って感じでしょうか。
 
名前負けしないように頑張らないと! あはは。

 
岩本 Susan: Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

杉田敏: Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

I: Hello and welcome to the show. This is Susan Iwamoto.
Let's put our communication skills to work.
こんにちは。そして番組にようこそ。スーザン・岩本です。コミュニケーションの技術を応用しましょう。

Storytelling (6)
 
Talk the Talk
 
S: Now, Susan,  in our current vignette, Goto Yoko gets some good advice from the team
at Great Lakes about how to connect with an audience when making a speech or presentation.
The speakers at Tony Hughes' son's graduation make quite an impression on her. 
 
I: Indeed. Yoko noted that all of the speakers that day used storytelling techniques
in their speeches, including interesting anecdotes to illustrate their points.
As Jack Wakimoto mentioned this kind of narrative technique is a great way to engage
the audience.
 
S: The speaker who gave the commencement address talked at length about
a need for passion in one's career and private life.
This is good advice.
But as Sue Kim noted it's not always easy these days for new graduates to stay motivated
in the face of a continuing recession.
 
I: That's for sure.
It's especially disheartening for students who have spent their college years dreaming big,
only to find a dearth of challenging jobs upon graduation.
I can relate to that.
 
S: What happened in your case?
 
I: Well, after I graduated from college, I moved to Japan to teach as part of a program run by
the Ministry of Education.
It was a great job. But after a year, I decided to move back to the U.S.
Unfortunately I soon found that the skills I had picked up during my year in Japan didn't seem
to match the jobs available in Boston at that time.
I found some temp jobs and since spent a few months trying to find full time work
and finally found the promising position at a bank.
However, after several months there, I realized that I really wanted to pursue a career
in Tokyo,
and ended up moving back about a year later.
I suppose you could say I followed my passion back to Japan.
It still took a few years before I developed a career and life that... as Tony said, makes me
want to both rush to work and rush home.
 
S: The team also gave Yoko some good advice about presentations.
Jack emphasized the importance of practicing presentations over and over again.
Tony noted that he often uses humor in his presentations particularly at the start.
 
I: Well, there's no doubt that practice makes perfect.
I also like to use visualization when preparing for presentations especially if it's going to be
in front of a large group or is otherwise challenging.
I found that if in addition to practicing, I take some time to imagine a presentation
going smoothly and successfully.
It helps me feel more relaxed and ready to go.
 
S: Sue had some good examples of what not to do when giving a presentation.
 
I: Yes. And I've been to presentations similar to the one she described.
I've seen several where the presenter read either directly from notes or from the screen.
Then when you read from notes, you break eye contact with the audience.
And that is one step toward losing their attention.
Another problem is that unless you're a talented narrator, most people's voices tend to
flatten out when they read, losing the natural intonation and variation in pitch that
they have when speaking normally.
For presentations in the U.S. in particular, it's helpful to imagine that you're having 
a conversation with the audience.
This can be very effective and making your delivery sound confident and natural.
Incorporating natural gestures and smooth movements also helps to establish
a good rapport with the audience. 
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。

Thanks for joining us. 参加していただいてありがとうございます。

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Storytelling (5)
 
Hughes says he often starts with an amusing story that illustrates his main point.
Goto wonders what you shouldn't do when making a presentation.
Wakimoto lists spelling mistakes, bad color combinations and using too many fonts.
Kim says you shouldn't read your slides or turn your back to the audience.
Hughes says the most important ingredient is a passion to communicate your ideas.
 
 
People usually use the phrase "a human touch" in contrast with "logic", "reason",
things like that that aren't so soft.
So adding a human touch to your presentation will probably appeal to the emotions of your
listeners no so much to their thoughts and logic.
 
I think the style is very common in the U.S.
But you do have to be careful with your joke or your humorous story.
It has to have a point and it has to be exactly the point that you want to make
in your presentation. Otherwise you're just wasting people's time and they'll know it.
 
In English when you break the ice, you find a way to help people relax in a tense
or rather formal situation so that they can feel more comfortable.
In workshops often the trainer will begin with an ice-breaking activity.
So if the participants don't know each other, they can begin to relax,
begin to get to know each other.
 
Misspelled words are a big, bad thing to do in your presentations.
And, e-mail people often will often overlook it, because e-mail is often written very quickly.
But presentations are supposed to be carefully prepared.
So a misspelled word might give you a bad reputation for sloppiness.
 
eye test : まるで視力の検査をされてるみたいなスライド
 
I'd like to add one more point.
Sometimes people put all the data they have on their slides.
That's also distracting, because people have trouble finding out what your main point is.
You usually can't take tables, charts, and graphs that are designed for reading,
and just put them in a slide and present them.
They usually need to be redesigned so that listeners get support for your words.
 
This is not only bad because she turns her back to the audience.
But people can read much faster silently than you can read aloud.
So usually they finish reading everything
while a speaker who's doing this is only about half way through.
 
The phrase "talk about something" but Kim says here about "boring", is a kind of intensifier.
You could put almost any adjective in that you wanted to.
And you can use it either for positive or negative.
It doesn't really matter. It's an intensifier.
One other way you can use it, however, is for a one-upmanship.
So if someone says they went to a movie, and it was very exciting, you could say,
"Talk about exciting. You should have seen the movie I saw."
So you're saying, "Ah, yeah! Okay, what you said is fine. But what I'm saying is even better."
 
Some people get up and make a presentation and tend to sound like a tape recorder,
some kind of recorded message.
But if that's the case, why are you there speaking?
You could just record it and send it to people.
Or the same thing, if they type everything in their slides, why don't you just send it to people?
The reason you're making a presentation is because you are there, you are the star.
If they can't see your enthusiasm, why should they become enthusiastic
about what you're talking about?
 
Of course you can communicate your passion in many ways.
You don't have to be big and loud and energetic.
You do need to let your passion show however.
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
Please return for part 6.

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Storytelling (4)
 
Goto asks what it takes to make a great presentation.
Wakimoto specifies the necessity of rehearsal. He says there is no substitute.
He goes on to say that technology used properly can add a new dimension to a presentation.
He himself encourages his audience to send him text messages during or after his talk.
 
When Goto says, "What does it take? ", she's saying, "What's necessary? - What do I need?
- What can you not do without?"
 
Wakimoto uses the phrase "be laboring the obvious".
That's pretty much a set phrase that people use when someone's speaking about something
that everybody already understands.
There's an idiom with a similar phrase. It's called "beating a dead horse",
which also includes the idea of it's useless to say it again.
 
cf.  beating a dead horse in some parts of the Anglophone world) is an idiom that means
a particular request or line of conversation is already foreclosed or otherwise resolved,
and any attempt to continue it is futile; or that to continue in any endeavour
(physical, mental, etc.) is a waste of time as the outcome is already decided.
 
In my experience, I'd say almost everyone overlooks it.
And I think it's because many people go over their presentations in their heads
but they don't actually stand up and practice.
That's what rehearsal is. そもそもリハーサルというのは実際場面を模して実演することでしょ。
Trying to get somewhat similar circumstances in which to practice.
Having anybody listen to you while you make your presentation is much better rehearsal
than just going over it in your head.
 
"Practice makes perfect" is a really common proverb in English or saying.
In the past, it was "Use makes perfect".  実践している内にとても上手になる。
 
I suspect this joke doesn't make much sense when it's translated into Japanese.
The key point in English is the phrase "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?".
That's a usually way to ask for directions: street directions - "which road do I take?".
But the musician here hears it as a question asking how to build a good career
so that you can end up playing in Carnegie Hall.
In the U.S., Carnegie Hall is the peak of success as a[ei] performer.
アメリカでは、Carnegie Hall で演奏することが、「演奏者」にとって成功の頂なのです。
 
I even saw a presentation being reported on the news one day on television.
They had the speaker up on the stage.
And to the side behind the speaker, messages in real time were being posted behind him.
So he was speaking and the audience were adding comments and asking questions
that were projected up behind the speaker so everyone could see them.
 
Kim uses the word "elicit".
"Elicit" is a kind of like hitting a switch so that other people tell you things
or react in a specific way.
However the pronunciation often sounds like "illicit".
"Illicit"is a different word with a somewhat different spelling: I-L-L-I-C-I-T.
And it means, "unlawful", or "not sanctioned", "something that's not permitted".
 
 
There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers.
 
Wakimoto talks about making his audience feel up to speed.
"Up to speed" is a phrase people use to mean, "up to date" or
"having the most recent information".
 
He also mentions followers of his microblog.
You can start a microblog on various web sites in the U.S.
The one that seems to be most popular limits writing to 140 characters each time.
And that gets sent out to all the people who've decided to become your followers.
So they sign up to see what you're writing.
These kinds of microblogs are also becoming very popular among politicians, celebrities,
people who are pushing a cause, anyone who wants to collect up a lot of followers.
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
So long for now.

Monday, July 19, 2010
Hello, everybody. You're listening to 5 minute English.
Hi! I'm David Neale.
Let's practice English together.
And I'm Vicki Glass. 
Welcome to our program.
Let's build up your English muscles.
Are you ready? Here we go.
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
Welcome back Kelly. Call Sherry Wilson. She just called you.
So please get back to her. I promised you would.
 
The train will be here soon. I know there's no sound yet.
But I can sense it. There's a slight change in the wind.
Wait for it. There! Now you can hear it.

Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
No matter how tired you may be, you can always practice.
どんなに疲れていてもいつでも練習はできます。
 
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
You're well dressed today, Tony? What's the occasion?
You usually wear jeans. But today it's a sharp looking suit.
Are you going on a date?
 
Running a business isn't easy. You have to make a payroll.
People will rely on you. It's a heavy responsibility.
And excuses don't work.
 
Here's a message for you today.
Use your imagination when reading out loud. 音読しているときには想像力を働かせましょう。 
 
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
Oh my gosh! You've got a nose bleed. Didn't you realize it?
Here's a tissue. Do you want to lie down?
 
Are you busy today? A new jazz club just opened.
It's within walking distance. A bunch of us are going tonight.
Why don't you come with us?
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you.
Persistent learners make the most progress. コツコツ学ぶ人が最も上達するのです。
 
Thursday, July 22, 2010
 
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
The windows are dirty. Didn't you say you'd clean them? I understand that you're busy now.
How about tomorrow? I'll help you if you like.
 
Do you want to camp here? This looks like a good spot.
The trees will block the wind. And there's a high spot. It will stay dry if it rains.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Keep from mumbling when you read out loud. 音読するときにはぼそぼそ言わないようにしましょう。
 
Friday, July 23, 2010
 
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
Let's go take a walk. We've been working all day.
I need some fresh air. And so do you.
Come on. Just 20 minutes.
 
Don't touch that handrail. I just painted it. See this sign? It says "wet paint".
I was just about to put it up.
 
The harder you work, the luckier you'll get. 頑張れば頑張るほどいいことがありますよ。
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.

Saturday, July 24, 2010
 
Let's read out loud.
Now listen.
 
I've never had sushi before. Raw fish? I never ate it on my own.
I thought it would taste bad. But this stuff is not bad.
 
Have you seen this movie? Everyone is talking about it.
Did you know that it's a remake. I prefer the original. It's a classic film.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Always remember to keep your textbook handy.
テキストを手元においておくのをいつも忘れないでください。
 
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Let's listen and write.
 
Let's read out loud.
Now listen.
 
Did you see our electric bill? It was the twice the usual amount.
Why is that? Did we leave the air-conditioner on?
We need to be more careful.
 
I'm starving. I've been so busy I forgot my stomach.
Now it's 3 p.m. It's too late for lunch. But it's too early for dinner.
 
 
Let's check. Let's try.
 
Here's a message for you today.
Don't get discouraged by minor setbacks. ちょっと失敗したからと言って落ち込んではいけません。
 

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Storytelling (3)
 
Kim says today's graduates need all the motivation they can get because of
the current ultra-competitive job market.
Goto observes that although the speaker didn't soften his message
when describing the challenges job hunters face. 
His basic message was optimistic.
Kim adds that knowing how to communicate effectively is an important business skill.
 
 
A motivational speaker is usually a professional speaker,
a person who gets paid for speaking to various groups.
A motivational speakers are often hired by companies or groups that are interested in
self help to excite and give passion to the listeners.
 
motivational speaker = inspirational speaker
 
Kim uses the word muster to talk about call forth, or call up, bring motivation. 
Muster is a originally a military word.  
And it was used to formally call out the soldiers so that they had to stand formally
for some kind of military inspection.
There's another phrase "pass muster", which means measure up or meet expectations.
 
Hughes talks about the economy being bogged down in a recession.
A bog is a kind of wet, spongy ground. It has poor drainage.
It's difficult to walk through because it kind of sucks your feet and it makes it very difficult
to move forward.
So if you're going through a bog, you might become bogged down,
you might be stopped completely.
Or in any case your progress will be very difficult.
The verb "bog down" is used in all kinds of situations where progress is difficult.
 
Hughes also talks about the unemployment rate.
Of course it's important to have a job and if it's hard to get a job, the unemployment rate goes up.
There's another word I've been hearing a lot recently, "under employment".
And I think that's another sign of a bad economy, a bogged down economy.
Under employment usually occurs when people are working less than full time
although they'd rather work full time.
Or even if they have a full time job, it doesn't really use their skills and abilities.
It's a lower level job than they could be performing.
It's interesting though, I don't often see many statistics about under employment.
 
Goto uses the phrase "not pull any punches".
She's saying that Blackwood spoke clearly. He told it like it is. He held nothing back.
To pull a punch probably comes from boxing where you can pretend to hit someone hard
but not actually do that.
So the idiom is used to describe people speaking in a softer way than maybe they should.
 
And it's usually used when people think it's better to speak clearly and honestly.
 
not mince one's words 遠慮なくはっきり言う 歯に衣着せずに言う
 
To drive something home when you're not literally talking about going home,
usually means make something clearly understood or make a strong point.
It's also used to talk about hammering nails in.
You can drive a nail home. And that means nail it all the way in, completely in.
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
Talk to you again soon.

「かたみ歌」 朱川湊人 … うん、よかったよ。
 
「赤々煉恋」 朱川湊人 … うん、これも。
 
「花まんま」 朱川湊人 … はい、これも。

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Storytelling (2)
 
Goto says the speaker realized that he was in the wrong line of work
because he was habitually late.
Hughes was impressed that a high level exec wasn't afraid to show his human side.
After various unsuccessful jobs he found and realized he belonged to IT.
Goto says he told the graduates they should be true to themselves and find their passions.
 
 
He will be late for his own funeral. 多分自分の葬式にも遅れてくるだろうよ。
 
Goto says Blackwood's boss told him off.
To tell someone off is to scold them, or reprimand them.
Or a word I kind of like is "excoriate".
 
An idiom that's used sometimes in this situation would be "give someone a piece of your mind",
means tell them exactly what you think.
 
call someone on the carpet
 
It's interesting that Blackwood said he was habitually late instead of always late.
They're very similar in meaning.
But by using "habitually" instead of "always", it focuses a bit more on the fact that
he could take control of that and stop being late.
 
Goto also mentions the wake-up call.
That means you arrange with the hotel to call you in the morning so that you wake up on time.
 
You'll probably hear this phrase more often in its figurative meaning when it's used as an idiom.
And in that case, it's a kind of a sign or warning.
And it's giving you a hint of something negative or dangerous.
It could be your own behavior that you're not really paying attention to,
or could be the circumstances around you are telling you something.
 
Goto after saying "wake-up call" uses the phrase, "pardon the pun".
People often use this when they accidentally make a pun that they weren't planning on making.
Maybe she surprised herself here.
 
There's a phrase "puns are the lowest form of humor" that people say sometimes in English.
And sometimes puns are groaners.
They're also called "groaners" when people understand the joke, they go "ohhh" 
instead of laughing.
 
Ah huh. And people who make puns you can call "punners" or "punsters".
It pretty much follows the same pattern as "joker" or "jokester".
 
And that phrase "status[status] seeker" or "status[steitus] seeker"
tends to be used a bit negatively.
 
The phrase "be true to yourself" is often used in that form.
But there's also a form from Shakespeare, from the play "Hamlet" that's often used as well.
And that's "to thine own self be true".
 
cf.
Polonius:
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!
Laertes:
Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.
 
career path
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
Goodbye for now.

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Storytelling (1)
 
Goto expresses her appreciation to Hughes because Hughes' son invited her to his graduation.
She says she was very impressed by the guest speakers and their storytelling styles.
Wakimoto notes that using anecdotes is a great way to connect with an audience.
Goto liked the theme of one of the speakers sustaining passion over a lifetime.
 
A commencement ceremony is that ceremony you have when finish high school or
maybe more often it's used for a college.
Commencement means beginning.
So sometimes people think it sounds a little funny to call it a commencement ceremony.
But what it's doing is focusing on the future.
It's not the end of school so much as the beginning of the rest of your life.
You've been in college to prepare yourself for your future intellectual journey.
 
On the other hand, when you start college they usually call it matriculation, or you matriculate.
That comes from a Latin word that meant register or list.
 
cf.
 
matriculate (v.)  1570s, "to admit a student to a college by enrolling his name on the register,"
from M.L. *matriculare "to register," from L.L. matricula "public register," dim. of L.
matrix (gen. matricis) "list, roll," also "sources, womb" (see matrix).
The connection of senses in the Latin word seems to be via confusion
of Gk. metra "womb" (from meter "mother") and an identical Gk. word meaning "register, lot."
Evidently Latin matrix was used to translate both, though it originally shared meaning with only one.
Related: Matriculated; matriculating; matriculation.
 
Goto added the word "along" at the end of her sentence "invite me along".
It's not really necessary here.
But by adding it, it sounds like she's happy she could get together with Brian and his father.
,not just that she was invited but that she was going together with them.
 
An anecdote is a short interesting often humorous incident that you tell you to someone
to support or make a more logical point.
It comes originally from a word that meant unpublished items in Ancient Greek.
So an anecdote is a private story that you decided to tell to somebody.
A related word was coined a while ago, "anecdotage" to talk about somebody who's old
and enjoys telling stories from their younger life.
Anecdotage is kind of a humorous way to talk about that kind of an older person.
Dotage is an old word that means seniority.
 
cf.
anecdote  1670s, "secret or private stories," from Fr., from Gk. anekdota "things unpublished," neut. pl. of anekdotos, from an- "not" + ekdotos "published," from ek- "out" + didonai "to give" (see date (1)). Procopius' 6c. Anecdota, unpublished memoirs of Emperor Justinian full of court gossip, gave the word a sense of "revelation of secrets," which decayed in Eng. to "brief, amusing stories" (1761). Related: Anecdotal (1836). Anecdotage "garrulous old age" is a jocular formation of De Quincey's from 1823.
 
cf
dotage  c.1300, from dote + -age.
Originally of all sorts of mental impairment, not just that resulting from old age.
 
 
When Wakimoto talks about connecting with an audience,
he's talking about connecting with them emotionally.
Logic everybody can follow.
But sometimes it's hard to catch the hearts of the people listening not just their minds.
 
Pope / Emperor / King
 
Right. You probably say, "I had an audience with the Pope."
You wouldn't say, "You had a meeting with the Pope." Most people wouldn't.
I suppose other cardinals and the people he works together with though, have meetings with him.  
 
In English, "head honcho" is slang for the person in charge.
So it could be the manager, the boss, the leader, the CEO, you could even say.
It's usually someone who's important and influential.
 
I think nobody unless they happened to look it up and wanted to know where the word came from.
 
Yeah. My dictionary said it's military slang from 1947.
 
My favorite is "sukoshi 少し". Although when I learned it, we pronounced it "skosh".
 
I was so shocked when I first came to Japan and heard people saying that
and I seemed to understand what they meant.
I didn't know that was a Japanese word.
 
Oh, I remember like my grandmother saying:
if she was asked, "Would you like another slice of pie?"
... for example, she'd say, "Well, maybe a skosh", meaning she just wanted a little piece.
 
cf.  skosh–noun Slang .
a bit; a jot: We need just a skosh more room.   Origin:  < Japn sukoshi  a little (bit)
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
Thank you for tuning in.

Monday, July 12, 2010
Hello, everybody. You're listening to 5 minute English.
Hi! I'm David Neale.
Let's practice English together.
And I'm Vicki Glass. 
Welcome to our program.
Let's build up your English muscles.
Are you ready? Here we go.
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
My cellphone is vibrating. I'm expecting an important call. But I can't cut out of this meeting.
 
This is a great little pub. The people are terrific. I like to unwind here after work.
 
I want to have this jacket altered. The sleeves are too long.
Can you take them in about an inch?
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
The more you concentrate, the more you learn. 集中すればするだけそれだけ身に付くのです。
 
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
You like this wet weather?
No me. I can't stand it.
 
This tile kitchen's floor is lovely. And it's easy to clean. But it's awfully noisy.
 
A friend gave me this horse shoe. It's a vacation memento. He says it brings good luck. 
 
Here's a message for you today.
I'm sure your daily effort will bear fruit. あなたの日々の努力はきっと実を結びます。
 
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
This plant needs water. There's no hurry. Any time today will be okay.
And it doesn't need a lot. Just a half cup will do.
 
This old photo is famous. See the white blob in the corner?
Some say it's a ghost. I think it just reflected glare. But maybe I'm wrong.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you.
Every mistake you make is an opportunity to improve. 間違えるたびに上達するのです。
 
 
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Let's role play.
One. Now listen.
 
A: What kind of sushi is this? 
B: That's tuna belly, the fatty part.
A: Yuck! You could have it.
B: Are you kidding? It's the best cut.
 
A: What do you want for lunch?
B: Anything is fine. How about you?
A: I'm thinking cheese burgers.
B: Sounds good to me.
 
A: What's that?
B: A jelly doughnut.
A: Excuse me. It's almost dinner time.
B: Okay. I'll save it for dessert.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
The more effort you make, the better your results will be. 努力すればするほどいい結果が出ます。
 
Friday, July 16, 2010
Let's listen and answer.
One. Now listen.

What's the matter, Bob? You're grimacing.
It's my tooth. It's been hurting all morning.
Aren't you going to have it looked at?
I know I should go to the dentist. But...
 
Q: What's the man's problem? - A toothache.
 
That was a great speech. You were in excellent form.
Did you say you have a cold?
I never know it from hearing you.
Your voice was as smooth as ever.
 
Q: What did the man do? - Listen to a speech.
 
I really like the way you fixed up your apartment.
The floor plan is very similar to mine.
And the floor space is about the same.
And yet your place seems more spacious.
Can you give me some pointers on decor?
 
Q: What does the woman ask for? - Advice on decorating.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Never say "later". 「後で」と決して言わないでください。
 
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Let's listen and answer.
Now listen.
 
So you've got stressed at work, Frank?
Of course you do. Who doesn't?
My question is: "Why do you complain about your job so much?"
I'd take your job in a heartbeat if I could.
Every job has its drawbacks.
And nobody can escape office politics.
You ought to think of all that you have.
Your pay is better than most people I know.
You have job security, insurance, vacations and a great house.
And that job enables you to support your wife and kids.
You have no idea how great you have it.
 
Q1: What do we know about Frank? - He was complaining about work.
 
Q2: What does the man say about Frank's job? - He would like to have it.
 
Q3: What advice does the man give Frank? - Appreciate what you have.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Keep practicing and you can build up your confidence.練習を続ければ自信がつきます。

Sunday, July 18, 2010
Let's listen and write.
One. Now listen.
 
1 That's not saying much.
2 Do you understand the punch line?
3 That player has seen better days.
4 I can't decide which to choose.
5 I can't stress this point enough.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Don't give up before you start. 始める前から諦めてはいけません。

 
岩本 Susan: Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

杉田敏: Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

I: Hello and welcome to the show. This is Susan Iwamoto.
Let's put our communication skills to work.
こんにちは。そして番組にようこそ。スーザン・岩本です。コミュニケーションの技術を応用しましょう。

Brain Fitness (6)
 
Talk the Talk
 
S: In our current vignette, Tony Hughes shares some tips for keeping one's brain fit at any age.
He mentioned one of his recent interest in particular, crossword puzzles.
How about you, Susan? Are you a fan?
 
I: Yes. I love crossword puzzles and other word games.
Kay Breakstone mentioned that her mother stays sharp by playing card games such as bridge.
But I've never had the patience for them.
I prefer board games, preferably those involving word play or trivia.
I hope these interests will pay off in a few decades when I start having the type of
"senior moments" Tony mentioned, such as forgetting my keys or where I parked the car.
 
S: Tony mentioned one store in particular that specializes in products designed to stimulate
and improve brain fitness.
 
I: Yes. And stores like these are popping up all around the U.S. as awareness of the benefits of
brain training increases.
As Kay noted, it's a growing market. And many people believe it could stave off conditions
such as Alzheimer's Disease.
 
S: As Paul Pearson noted the market has great potential
given the day aging baby boomer population.
 
I: Yes. And there is a wider area products available.
Everything from computer games and smart phone applications to old school puzzles.
There certainly is a lot to be said about continuing to find mentally stimulating activities
as one grows older.
This reminds me of a student I had years ago when I was teaching English at a language school.
One of my students was a 72-year-old man, who decided to sign up for English classes
one day on a lark.
He was a member of a group that played the game of 碁 or 囲碁 in the same building as
the language school.
And after sharing an elevator with friendly teachers and students, he decided that taking up
English again will be a great way in addition to 碁 to stay sharp.
It seems to be working. And he was definitely one of my star students. 
 
S: Paul also mentioned starting foreign languages as a way to improve brain fitness.
He noted that some people over the age of 50 have started starting new languages.
 
I: That's great to hear.
I've talked with so many people who are convinced that once they hit a certain age,
they are incapable of learning a new language, but frankly, I don't see the connection.
Granted, there are some people who have a knack for learning foreign languages,
and some who don't, but I don't think age should enter into the equation.
 
S: Does this mean that you'll be picking up Chinese or Korean a few years from now?
 
I: Maybe I spoke too soon.
Actually I think there is something to what Paul said about studying foreign languages.
Though I've achieved the certain level of proficiency in Japanese.
There's always so much more to learn.
Living in Japan and being surrounded by 漢字 and new vocabulary provides
daily mental stimulation.
 
S: Tony and Kay also talked about the benefits of red wine and low fat diet in keeping one's brain
in tip-top condition.
 
I: It's always nice to have a reason to drink more red wine.
So thinking back on all of this advice, maybe the solution is to drink wine and snack
on fresh fruit while completing a crossword puzzle in a foreign language.
That should do the trick.
Now Sugita san, I've heard that you have a photographic memory. Is that true?
 
S: That's true. But it never developed.
 
I: Well, actually I'm very jealous of that ability.
And actually I remember a few years ago.
There was a best selling book about a woman who had a photographic memory. She... 
 
S: Right. She remembered every day of her life ever since she was a teenager.
 
I: That's amazing. I guess it really helped when she was taking tests at school.
And frankly I wish I had that ability when I was taking 漢字 tests in my Japanese classes.
But you know there is a downside to having a photographic or otherwise excellent memory.
After all I'm sure we all have things in our past that we would rather forget.
 
S: Right.
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。

Thanks for joining us. 参加していただいてありがとうございます。

「座右の銘」 意義ある人生のために
 
うーん、長い! 620頁もある。402頁まで読んで終わりにした。あはは。

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Brain Fitness (5)
 
Hughes says some of his friends go dancing for exercise.
Breakstone says her mother started writing a blog, which she finds stimulating and creative.
Pearson adds that writing is a very effective way to use your mental energies.
Hughes says his wife likes to have friends over to play boardgames.
Breakstone adds her mother plays bridge to stay sharp.
 
Hughes says some of this friends have taken up dancing.
If you take something up, you become interested in it or maybe even a little stronger,
you become absorbed in it.
 
It's interesting that Hughes uses the phrase, "rug-cutting" as an adjective.
This is based on idiom: "cut a rug", which means dance.
 
Hughes also says his rug-cutting days are behind me.
"Behind me" means past, of course. He's talking about behind in time not in space.
 
This is a very common way for people in the U.S. to think about writing.
Pearson says you can tap your mental energies.
"Tap" in this case, means access, some kind of resource.
A tap as a noun is a kind of stopper or faucet.
So for example, if you're going a keg of beer or wine, you tap it, you put a faucet in it
so that you can access the liquid inside.
And related to that, you can say something is untapped. It means it's ready for use.
 
Probably "provide" would be a better word.
But "organize" sounds a little different, maybe a little sharper, you're doing good work.
 
If you're on your toes, you're alert, focused, you're ready for whatever comes.
 
Breakstone says that bridge keeps her mother sharp as a tack.
That's a simile.
That's often used in English to talk about old people, especially when their minds are still clear
and functioning like the mind of a younger person.
It's been around since the early twentieth century.
A similar phrase, "sharp as a needle" has been around since old English.
 
Yeah. I never played a similar game. I don't remember playing a game like that.
Maybe somebody does. But ahhh... I've never had that experience except in Japan.
 
The phrase "on the ball" means alert or effective, or even both at the same time.
The phrase comes from baseball, which surprised me a little bit, because people say the pitcher,
an effective pitcher can put something on the ball, put spin on the ball.
So just the on the ballpark got picked up and applied in many other situations.
So to be on the ball is to be effective or alert.
 
Wholegrains in English refers to anything made from grain that hasn't been cleaned up and polished.
It's using the wholegrain.
So talking about wholegrains includes things like breakfast cereals, whole-wheat bread.
And even when you cook the grains in water themselves, for example, if you eat brown rice,
you're eating a whole grain.
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
So long and please tune in again for part 6.

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Brain Fitness (4)
 
This time you'll hear Breakstone asks Hughes what else he's doing to keep his brain in shape.
Hughes mentions stimulating conversation and a community chess club he's joined.
He likes to sip wine while playing.
Breakstone brings up polyphenols in red wine which are said to be beneficial to health.
But Hughes says he's not sure how drinking wine affects his game.
 
 
Breakstone uses the word "besides" to talk about things other than crossword puzzles.
I hear sometimes people who get mixed up between using "besides" and  "except".
Usually if you use "besides" you're asking for additional items:
Besides crossword puzzles tell me additional things.
If  you use the word "except" it means "other".
It means setting crossword puzzles aside.
 
besides = in addition to
 
Another phrase he could have used is "food for thought".
He likes conversations that give him food for thought.
 
cf. food: anything that provides mental stimulus for thinking
Hughes talks about an activities program for seniors.
Often when I hear the word "senior", it reminds me of my uncle and my parents a few years ago
when they first started noticing that their brains weren't quite as quick and sharp as
they'd been when they were younger.
So everybody started saying when they've forgotten something temporarily
like somebody's name: "Oh uh! Senior moment."
 
I think they used it sort of a humorous way to admit that they can't remember everything
exactly when they wanted all the time.
So (it'd be) probably in a sentence like:
Oh dear! I'm having a senior moment. I'll tell you when it comes back.
 
Hughes mentions mental deterioration.
But it sounds like he's not really deteriorating mentally.
His brain is aging, not actually deteriorating, which would be a disease.
 
He also talks about keeping that deterioration in check.
"Check" is an interesting word.
It seems to have originally from the game of chess.
And the basic meaning or the core meaning is to restrain or curb or halt something.
 
It's also the word used in a game of ice hockey to talk about stopping an opponent
from reaching the puck.
 
Battle of wits is a phrase that's often used in English to talk about a situation
where you can show you're more clever than other people.
It's a competition in intelligence not violence.
 
a battle of words 論戦、舌戦
 
"Polyphenol"
It's possible to pronounce the word with a stress on the final syllable in English also.
But it's not very common. I don't remember ever having heard it.
 
If you bank on something, you depend on it or rely on it.
Or you could say you have confidence in it.
And I think it's hard to say exactly which meaning Hughes means
when he used it in the sentence.
Maybe he means all of them at the same time.
"Bank" traditionally have been institutions of trust, because they hold your money.
There's a similar phrase: You can take that to the bank.
You can add that to whatever comment you just made to stress the reliability of what you said.
 
like money in the bank 絶対確実な、安心な
 
There's another word that comes from bank: "bankable".
That's probably used quite a bit in business,
 because although on the one hand it means it's acceptable to a bank.
You can also use it to describe something that's guaranteed to bring a profit.
So actors, for example, might be called a bankable. 
 
cf. 1 Acceptable to or at a bank: bankable funds
    2  Guaranteed to bring profit: a bankable movie star.
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
Talk to you again soon.

「ストロベリー・ブルー」 香坂直

「FINE DAYS」 本多孝好

「MOMENT」 本多孝好

「世界一わかりやすい速読の教科書」 斉藤英治

---------------------------------------

「ストロベリー・ブルー」 香坂直 …最初はだるかったけど、まぁまぁ、かな。

「FINE DAYS」 本多孝好 …うん、よかったよ。

「MOMENT」 本多孝好 …うん、これもよい。

「世界一わかりやすい速読の教科書」 斉藤英治 …クズ本

UFCのチャンピオン…ブロック・レスナー
 
シェーン・カーウィンからあれだけの打撃をもらっても耐え続けた。
 
プロレスラーが地上最強であることを証明した。
 
まさしく、猪木の後継者!


Spice Girls - 2 Become 1

2010/7/5(月) http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60176642.html

2010/7/6(火) http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60176646.html

2010/7/12(月) http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60221699.html

2010/7/13(火) http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60228970.html

2010/7/19(月) http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60264946.html

2010/7/20(火) http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60270634.html

2010/7/26(月) http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60301483.html

2010/7/27(火) http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60306771.html

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60306773.html

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tjqfd020/60306777.html

Monday, July 5, 2010
Hello, everybody. You're listening to 5 minute English.
Hi! I'm David Neale.
Let's practice English together.
And I'm Vicki Glass. 
Welcome to our program.
Let's build up your English muscles.
Are you ready? Here we go.
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
Get a move on. The party starts in an hour. I promised I'd help them out.
 
I like to travel when nobody else does. I pick the off-peak season.
It's less expensive and less crowded.
 
That looks like a big job. Let me know if you need a hand. I'll be here for a while.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
More practice, better English skills. もっと練習すればもっと英語がうまくなります。

Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
It's dark in here. Who turned out the lights? Meg, is that you?
 
That cake looks wonderful. But I've already brushed my teeth. I'll have some tomorrow.
 
It's kind of stuffy in this train. Has the air-conditioning broken down?
Someone should open a window.
 
Here's a message for you today.
Your effort is guaranteed to bear fruit. 日々の努力は必ず実を結びます。
 
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Let's read out loud.
One. Now listen.
 
Do I talk too much? Some people talk way too much. Maybe I'm like that. Maybe not though.
What do you think, huh? 
 
The kids need to ride to school? But it's just a mile. Can't they walk it?
As a boy I walked to school. That was four miles each way.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you.
Make reading out loud part of your daily life. 音読を毎日の生活の一部にしましょう。
  
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Let's role play.
One. Now listen.
 
A: Can I have more stew?
B: Isn't this your fourth helping?
A: It's delicious.
B: I'm glad you like it.
 
A: Did your team win yesterday?
B: Take a wild guess.
A: You lost again?
B: Well, there's always next time.
 
A: We had a visitor last night.
B: A visitor? What do you mean?
A: There are paw prints on the car.
B: It's the neighbor's cat again.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Build up your English muscles by reading out loud. 音読をして英語の筋肉を鍛えましょう。
 
Friday, July 9, 2010
Let's listen and answer.
One. Now listen.

Did you turn up the TV volume?
No, but it does seem a little louder now.
I think it's the commercials.
Did they make them louder than the regular programs?
 
Q: What's on TV now? - A commercial.
 
 
Don't turn on the airconditioner. There's a cold breeze outside.
Just open a window instead. It'll save us money. And take off that sport jacket.
 
Q: What do we know from what the woman says? - It's warm inside.
 
 
This is a photo from my college days. I was in the water color painting club.
That girl in the center is now my wife.
We look carefree and happy in the picture.
But actually it was a time of stress and anxiety.
 
Q: What is the man talking about? - A photo.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Whenever you have some spare time, do some intensive practice.
空き時間があるときはいつでも集中して練習しましょう。

Saturday, July 10, 2010
Let's listen and answer.
Now listen.
 
The train sure was crowded, wasn't it?
Here's the ticket gate.
I'll get my ticket out of my bag.
My bag...
Where's my bag?
Ooops! I left it on the overhead rack.
My wallet, my ID, my money.
Everything's in that bag.
I'll just have to hope that no one steals it.
It'll most likely end up in the lost and found.
I'd better go to the station manager.
He may be able to have the train conductor look for it.
Let's see.
Where's the manager's office?
There's a station employee.
I'll ask him.
 
Q1: What did the woman just ride in? - A train.
Q2: Why does the woman mention her ID? - It's in her lost bag.
Q3: Who will the woman most likely talk to next? - The station employee.
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Your dreams will come true with enough time and effort.
十分に時間を掛けて頑張れば夢は実現するのです。

Sunday, July 11, 2010
Let's listen and write.
One. Now listen.
 
1 Do I know you from somewhere?  どこかでお会いしましたか?
2 Say "hi" to my friend Julia.
3 Am I getting my point across?  僕の言いたいこと伝わっている? 
4 That's the farthest thing from my mind. そんなこと思ってもみないよ。
5 There's no limit to your worries. 悩みはつきないね。
 
Let's check. Let's try.
Here's a message for you today.
Procrastination delays your improvement. だらだら先に延ばしていたら上達が遅れるだけです。

中高生にはいちおう学校でやっているような英語をやっていることが多いんだけど、
 
みんなあまり興味がないようだ。
 
それで、ほんのシャレのつもりで、気の利いた英文を紹介すると、子どもたちの目が輝き出す。
 
昨日は、
 
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. 「状況がタフになると、タフな者が生き残る」
 
Think!  「問題意識を持て」
 
Read, read, read! 「とにかくたくさん本を読みなさい」
 
 
ってのを教えたら、
 
「かっけぇええーーー」ってすごく喜んでた。
 
感受性の強い子どもたち、って何て言うか、借り物の言葉よりも、生き生きした表現に飢えてるんだろうな。

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Brain Fitness (3)
 
This time Breakstone talks about an article she read recently that suggests that the brain can
rewire itself over a person's lifetime.
Some scientists believe that cognitive training will boost neuroplasticity.
She says there's some skepticism about some of the computer software that claims to train
your brain.
Hughes admits that it might all be a bit of a fad.
 
Hughes talks about gray matter.
That's a phrase in English that people often use to talk about your brain.
Apparently if you actually look at a brain, all that nerve tissue is kind of a grayish color.
And the spinal cord as well. 
 
Hughes also talks about being in tip-top shape.
Tip-top is a phrase that means the highest point.
So if you're in tip-top shape, you're in best shape.
 
Neuroplasticity is kind of a big word that means a flexible brain.
Plasticity is a word on its own.
It refers to the quality of being able to be molded or altered.
Neuro refers to brain or nerves in English.
So neuroplasticity means your brain is capable of being changed and altered all through your life.
 
In English, the idiom "the jury is still out" means that on some specific question,
a decision hasn't been reached yet.
This comes from the court system where juries often decide whether a defendant is guilty or not.
The jury, the group of people who make this decision go out of the court room into a private room
which other people can't enter to discuss the case and make a decision about guilt or innocence.
So if the jury is still out, it means they haven't come back yet to announce the final decision.
 
Breakstone talks about the supposed virtues of various products.
"Supposed" here is used an as an adjective, meaning, "alleged".
Some people pronounce it, [sapouzid]. Other people pronounce it [sapouzd].
The same thing happens with [alegd] and [alegid].
 
"Gimmickry" is kind of an interesting word.
It's a noun and has a matching noun, "gimmick". So what's the difference?
I think the easiest way to think about it is a gimmick is a specific instance of using
king of a trick to get people to do something.
It can also be a gadget that's rather clever but maybe not all that valuable.
Gimmickry refers to the whole idea of using that kind of thing.
 
Here's another great big noun that's a little hard to use, because there are two versions of it.
The base noun, I guess you could say is "fad".
A fad is a trend or a fashion, something that's very popular with lots of people.
That noun can be used rather neutrally, or maybe slightly negatively if the person speaking
is not fond of doing things together with everybody.
Faddish is an adjective built on the original noun.
It tends to be used slightly negatively.
It's too faddish. I don't like that kind of thing, for example.
Then built on top of that is faddishness, which refers to the characteristic of fads.
It's also rather negative.
If you describe something as having a sort of faddishness,
it means you don't think it's too good.
Probably too many people are doing it without really thinking about it.
 
Hughes talks about comparing notes with other people.
They are not really trading papers with notes written on them.
What he means is he's getting opinions and seeing if people agree with him or don't agree
with them, and how far that goes and in what way their thoughts are similar or different. 
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
Goodbye.


Carpenters - Kiss Me The Way You Did Last Night

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Brain Fitness (2)
 
Hughes tells a story illustrating a recent bout of absentmindedness that bothered him,
and mentions a store specializing in products that strengthen your brain.
Breakstone observes that it's a growing market.
Hughes says that people in his generation are worried about keeping in shape:
both mentally and physically.
 
A long leisurely work could also be called "a stroll".
Hughes mentions going to a store in Chicago.
Generally in English, if you're going to buy something, you say you're going to a store:
like bookstore or pet store.
But if you say you're going to THE store, that generally means the place
you usually buy your groceries.
The word "shop" is also used in U.S. English somewhat in the same way.
Although if you say "shop", it usually means a very small and specialized store,
or it could mean a kind of workshop, a place where things are repaired.
So you could say, "I have to take the bus today 'cause the car is in the shop".

It doesn't even have to be a company.
It doesn't even have to be related to some sort of business.
You can say, "Who's minding the store?", even meaning "Who's at home?"
Compendium is kind of a fancy word to describe something that's a short, complete summary,
or something that's a list or collection of something else.
The word is usually used for something sort of large and heavy and important.
It kind of carries the idea of heavy.
So if your list, your collection, your summary is rather large and important,
you might call it compendium rather than use one of the other words.
Hughes also adds the phrase "You name it" at the end of his list.
People often use this in pretty much the same way to use "et cetera".
"You name it" however is short for "You name it, you got it", "You name it, they have it".
"People of a certain age" is a phrase you'll often hear, usually referring to older people,
when you don't really want to point out clearly in words that they are old people.
It's a kind of a euphemism, I guess you could say.
I don't think I've ever heard it used with younger people.
Although I suppose you could, if the context was very clear
and you wanted that sort of a contrast with old and young you used the phrase.
People of a certain something with a noun there, you could use with other words, too.
Although I think it does tend to be used with "age".
But for example, you could say, "We'd really rather not hire people of a certain reputation".
At the end of the sentence, Hughes adds the phrase "Shall we say?"
This phrase if often used when you're drawing attention to... not so much what you said,
but the way you said it.
So he wants to be sure everyone understands what he says when he says people of a certain age.

"Golden years" is a phrase people often use to refer mostly to retirement years.
I guess it's golden because you don't have to rush, you don't have to work,
you can relax and enjoy your life away from work.
 
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
So long for now.

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action 実践ビジネス英語

Hello, everybody.こんにちは。みなさん。

Hello and welcome to the show. This is Chris Matsushita. Let's take a look at conversation at work.
こんにちは。番組にようこそ。クリス松下です。実践的な会話を見てみましょう。
 
 
Brain Fitness (1)
 
Hughes announces that he and his wife have taken up crossword puzzles
as a way of improving brain fitness.
Pearson wonders why, because he considers Hughes to be a smart guy.
Hughes replies that he's been finding himself a bit forgetful recently.
Breakstone observes that he's not the only one.
 
 
He could also have said: what's a three-letter word for "serpent"?
People often ask that way too when they're doing crossword puzzles.
 
"Asp" is the name of a snake. But I think I've only seen it in two places.
One is crossword puzzles where it pops up a lot.
It must be a fairly common combination of letters in English.
The other place is in the stories about Cleopatra who reportedly killed herself with the snake bite.
And that snake is said to be an asp.
Another word that I've never seen anywhere else that often pops up in crossword puzzles is
"esne".
It's an old Anglo Saxon word meaning "laborer" or "harvester".
 
cf. esne: (in Anglo-Saxon England) a member of the lowest class; labore
Origin: bef. 950; < OE; c. OHG asni,  Goth asneis  day laborer, harvester, akin to asans  harvest
 
Usually if you have no confidence on what you're saying, you add, "I  think"
to the end of the sentence.
If you want to make it clear that it's your opinion, you'd probably put "I think" at the beginning.
It's a subtle nuance. But most of time that holds true.
 
Hughes says he was never much of a crossword buff.
"Buff" is a word people use to mean, "enthusiast".
And I think you'll probably hear the word "buff" much more often than "enthusiast".
It's interesting where it comes from.
"Buff" is also a kind of a pale tan color, sort of a skin color. I guess you could say.
And it comes from the New York City's volunteer fire department's uniform color in the past.
I don't think they have volunteer fighters there now.
So "buff" came from the color to mean someone who has an enthusiasm for doing something.
 
You could probably call a buff a person who has an amateur interest in something that
they're studying probably:
something a little more demanding than simply enjoying something.
 
This one phrase has a lot of interesting things in it.
First of all, Pearson says you're one. In this case, "one" doesn't just mean a one, singular.
In this case, it's really kind of an intensifier.
And you can use it "one" plus an adjective plus a noun to intensify that meaning.
 
one hell of a pianist ものすごく素晴らしいピアニスト
 
Pearson also uses the idiom "smart cookie".
That's often used for someone who's clever. And you approve of how they're clever.
 
tough cookie 手強いヤツ 強かな人
 
"Smart" is kind of interesting. It has various meanings.
But the core of the meaning is something sort of "sharp" or "quick" or "stinging.". 
So if you're smart meaning intellectually strong. Your brain is quick and sharp.
"Cookie" is often used as a term of endearment.
Women especially would use it for other people: even people they don't know.
So you could have a waitress for example in a restaurant.
They comes up to you and says, "What do you have, cookie?"
It's kind of a sweet way to talk to people.
However "smart cookie" is a positive way to talk about a person who's smart.
If you want to talk about a person who's kind of showing off their good brain,
you could call them "smarty pants", especially when they've made a mistake.
 
cf. smarty pants: a smart aleck
 
A similar phrase would be "we're all in the same boat",
meaning the situation is similar for all of us.
 
You can use the phrase "a devil of a" followed by noun to talk about something
that was very difficult.
"A devil of a time" means I had a terrible time trying to remember.
There's another phrase you can use when something surprises you don't like it:
You could say, "What the devil is this?"
 
"Snatch" is a verb that means "grab" or "seize" hastily, quickly.
And like Hughes does, you can use it to mean "steal".
All those verbs that mean "grab" or "take" or "seize", you can also use to mean "steal". 
 
"I'll say" is a phrase that isn't really talking about your future.
It's a strong, informal way to show your agreement.
 
 
That's all for today.では今日はここまでにしましょう。
 
Thanks for tuning in.

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