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 Heather Howard.
Let's take a look at conversation at work.
Trend spotting (1)
Pearson tells Goto that the number of cosmetic surgeries in the U.S.
has reached its highest level since the beginning of the financial crisis.
And the higher spending in this area is considered a herald of
consumer confidence.
He says market watchers pay close attention to spending patterns
such as where people go on vacation and sales of nonessential items.
Be on the mend: Pearson means that the economy is recovering,
regaining its health.
This can be used about things and people.
I saw a scientific article the other day that was headlined
"ozone hole on the mend."
Or a colleague could be on the mend after surgery.
What's the scoop? : This expression has two basic meanings, I'd say.
Goto means, "What are the details about something?
- the important facts about it?"
You could ask, "What's the scoop on our new boss?
What's his personality like?"
Or the other meaning I would say is,
"What's the latest, most current information about something?"
To use the boss example again, you could ask, say:
"What's the scoop on our new supervisor?
Has the company chosen somebody?"
What are the details? What's the latest?
Cosmetic surgery: You also have heard the term,
"plastic surgery", I'm sure.
Technically, these are not the same things.
According to the American society of plastic surgeons,
plastic surgery is a broader term.
And it includes cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery.
Cosmetic surgery like a face lift reshapes normal structures
of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.
And reconstructive surgery is done on abnormal structures:
like a cleft lip generally to improve function.
But it can also be done to approximate a normal appearance.
plastic / reconstructive surgery
tummy button / belly button / navel
Harbinger: A harbinger for shadows.
It indicates that something is to come.
Certain economic trends are described as harbingers
of inflation, for example.
Make one's point: Walker means you've conveyed your meaning.
You've gotten across what you want the other person to hear.
You also hear the expression: something proves someone's point.
In other words, something corroborates what they're saying.
It provides evidence of the accuracy of their opinion.
Imagine that you often complain about a certain company
you deal with.
If they miss an important deadline, you might say,
"This proves my point. They're unreliable."
Market player: In this case, player means a person
or an organization actively involved in a particular sphere.
Pearson refers to people in the business world.
It's also very common to hear about key political players, for example.
key player : political player
Give someone an edge, give someone an advantage,
in other words.
Put them in a better position than others.
U.S. college students do corporate internships to get an edge
in the job market, for example.
That way, they have actual business experience before they graduate.
Keep one's eyes peeled for: This is to watch carefully for something.
The image is of having your eyes wide open as if your eyelids
have been peeled away from them.
Personally I keep my eyes peeled for my smartphone apps
that can help me manage my time more efficiently.
That's all for today.
Great to see you. Bye.