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。

2013年06月

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Parting is such… (6)
 
Talk the talk
 
S: Now in our current vignette, members of the H & B staff
talk about dramatic ways that some people have quit their jobs
including giving their boss a bag of trash and going out of the plane
via an emergency slide.
Have you ever done anything like this, Heather?
 
H: Good heaven's no.
I'm not nearly that brave or that stupid depending
on how you look at it.
The closest I've ever come is reading about theatrical exits
on Internet which is easy to do.
There are many many examples out there.
Just search under dramatic quitting stories
or words to that effect.
Just the other day, I saw a video in which a man resigned
from a hotel that he claimed treated its employees terribly.
He presented a letter of resignation to his boss,
dropped it on the floor when the man wouldn't take it
nd then walked out followed by members of a brass band
that he plays trumpet for!
 
S: My goodness. That certainly is dramatic.
 
H: The video went bible as they say.
It's gotten millions of hits on a video  sharing website.
You can also find examples of unique
and well-handled departures.
One of my personal favorites is the man who handed
in a resignation letter written on a sheet cake.
Pardon the pun, but it was truly sweet:
The man wrote that he had enjoyed his time there very much
but was leaving to spend more time with family
and deal with health issues.
He ended by wishing the organization all the best
and specifying his final day at work.
Apparently he filed a paper resignation letter as well
since in his words it's difficult to file a cake.
Classy from first lesson.
 
S: The H & B members also discuss
why so many people are leaving their jobs in such flashy ways.
Some of the facts cited a frustration at excessive workloads
and young people accustomed to sharing personal information
on social media.
 
H: Yes. Social media and the Internet in general
are truly dangerous in how easily they let us share things
with the entire world in seconds.
And like Kay Breakstone says, once we put something online,
it can be out there forever.
We've all seen those videos or comments
that people put online and end up being humiliated or pilloried over.
Time passes yes.
People find something new to talk about.
These items will no longer be the hot topics of the day.
But even years and years later,
we can still easily find on the Internet.
 
S: The conversation eventually turns to smart ways of resigning.
Suggestions include waiting a day before sending
a resignation letter or email and double-checking its content
by rereading it ourselves or asking someone else to take a look.
 
H: I think those are excellent ideas that can be applied to
any type of communication that may involve confrontation.
It's the same basic principle as when our mother used to tell us,
"Count to 10 before you say anything in anger isn't it?"
We should always sleep on emails or letters like that.
Give ourselves time to calm down before we do something
that can damage our career or relationship with someone for years.
Perhaps even permanently.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thanks for listening. Bye, bye.

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Parting is such... (5)
 
Lyons recommends giving an employer plenty of notice of
one's intention to quit.
He and Nissen agree that people also should work diligently
through the last day of their time at certain job
as they may encounter former coworkers again later in their career.
Breakstone says ultimately the best way to get back
at a bad employer is to leave.
 
 
Don't get personal: Don't make offensive remarks about
or refer in an offensive way to someone's character,
their actions or private business,  Breakstone means.
"Getting personal" would be saying things like:
Everyone in this office thinks you're boring.
 
Burn bridges / burn one's bridges
 
Give someone ample notice: Let someone know
about something plenty of time in advance, Lyons means.
And you probably heard the opposite expression, "short notice."
We use this when some information or request comes in
soon before it's needed.
So someone in your office could announce:
"Everybody.
This afternoon's meeting has been moved from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
I apologize for the short notice."
And I've had somebody ask me,
"I know this is very short notice.
But could you translate this for me by tomorrow?"
 
At short notice
 
Give someone a license to kick back and relax:
In this case, "license" means "permission to do something",
"the freedom to do something."
Such as: A supervisory position is not a license to be rude
to other people in the office.
 
And "kick back" in this case, uses the image of
someone pushing back in their chair
as if they're kicking back and away from their desk to stretch out their legs.
So, to do nothing essentially, to slack off.
That's not necessary a bad thing.
You could tell a coworker, "Don't check your email too much
while you're on vacation. You should kick back and relax."
 
Mistakenly assume: Wrongly assume, in other words.
Such as: I mistakenly sent that email to Jane instead of Tyler.
Or: A newspaper might run a correction saying:
Our Friday edition mistakenly identified
the finance minister as the foreign minister.
 
What goes around comes around:
The way we behave, the things we do will eventually
be reflected in the way others treat us in what happens us, this means.
Imagine someone who's always rude to their colleagues.
If they need assistance with a project some day,
people will probably refuse to help, right.
They'll suddenly be, oh, just too busy.
What goes around comes around.
 
Do someone wrong:
This is an informal way to say treat someone unfairly, unjustly.
Imagine an employee named Mary is fired after 10 years of hard work.
People at her company might say,
"We really think the company did her wrong."
 
Be underappreciated: Be not appreciated sufficiently,
in other words.
Not appreciated as much as one deserves.
We use "under" this way with a lot of words.
Someone who's underpaid doesn't get as much money
as they should.
An office that's understaffed doesn't have enough employees.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Hope that was interesting. Bye, bye.

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Parting is such... (4)
 
Umemura and Lyons describe how employers look up job applicants
online and agree that negative comments about a former boss
can hurt one's chances of getting a future job.
Nissen says there's even a risk of being charged with libel.
Lyons recommends waiting a day before handing in
one's resignation and double checking it.
While Breakstone urges that any critical comments be made
in a professional manner.
 
 
Hurt someone's future job prospects: Hurt their chances of
getting a job, Umemura means. Lower the possibility of their getting a job.
So if I say, "The president downplayed prospects for a deal on tax cuts."
That means the president indicated the chances of a deal were low.
He tried to lower people's expectations that there would be a deal. 
 
Go public: Make something public, in other words. Reveal it to the world.
The former executive decided to go public with his accusations
of insider trading, for example.
 
It's also used when a company becomes publicly trading
when its shares are put on the stock market for anyone to invest in.
As in: The company's share price has risen 20% since it went
public 6 months ago.
 
Score high marks: This expression uses "marks" in the sense of
a rating, assessment.
If a college student scores  high makes on exam,
then they did very well on it, they got a high grade.
 
You can also say things like: Voters gave the ruling party
high marks for its recent tax cuts.
Or, Company X has always gotten high marks
for its customer service.
 
In a worst case scenario: In the worst possible situation,
in other words.
Such as: In the worst case scenario,
the company will have to shut down its computer division.
 
We have the expressions: If worse comes to worst.
And if worst comes to worst.
Which means if the worst possible happens,
in the worst circumstances. 
Let's say I have a very bad relationship with a supervisor:
tension, conflict, every day.
I might tell a colleague, "If worse comes to worst, I have to quit."
 
Be construed as: Be interpreted a certain way, Nissen means.
Be take it a certain way.
Such as: The finance minister's remarks were construed
as supporting a stronger yen.
Or: Her joke was unfortunately construed as racist.
 
Tell off: When we tell someone off,
we criticize them for unacceptable behavior.
We tell them I don't like what you've done
or what you're doing.
He told her off for being careless with important documents,
for example.
Or, she told him off for his terrible table manners.
 
Better still: We use this to refer to an option that is
even better, even more satisfactory than the one just mentioned.
Lyons also could have said, "even better" in the situation.
Such as: I really recommend you get a smartphone,
or even better a tablet computer.
You'll get so much done on the train and the big screen is
easier on your eyes.
 
Take leave of: This is a formal way to say leave,
go away from something.
And there's a weight to this kind of parting, you know.
We use it for more final or serious parting than
just you know saying good-bye at the end of a work day.
So you could read a newspaper article that said
"Several of the president's long time staff took their leave this week,
meaning they will resign from his administration.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
See you next time. Take care.

 
「プロフェッショナルの習慣力」 森本貴義
 
***************************************
 
「プロフェッショナルの習慣力」 森本貴義…
 
森本君とは彼が19歳の頃からの知り合い。
その彼が本を書いたということで、これ以前に出された「一流の思考法」も購入して読んだ。
購入の理由は、最初は確かに、知り合いの書いた本を読んでみたいという好奇心からというのが本音だった。
少しは、応援の意味もあったかもしれない。
しかし、実際に読んでみて、仮に森本君と知り合いじゃなかったとしても、彼の書いた本は自分のお気に入りになっていたと断言できる。
「一流の思考法」同様に、この「プロフェッショナルの習慣力」には実に素敵な魅力が詰まっていると言える。
両方に共通しているのは、著者の人柄の良さが直接的に伝わってくることだ。
語り口がとにかくやわらかい。
陸上選手だった高校生時代、怪我に悩まされてきたことが、著者の優しさを形成したのでは、と思う。
彼の本来持つ優しさは、2012年10月3日、マリナーズの選手たちの前でお別れの挨拶をしたとき、その中に、森本くんのことが必要だと涙を流す選手たちもいたことからも、十分、うかがい知ることができる。
筆者の優しい眼差しは、スポーツ選手にはもちろんのこと、ビジネスマン、果ては家庭の主婦にまでも分け隔てなく向けられている。
その文体は、とても優しく、読む者に安心感を抱かせる。
書こうと思えば、専門用語を駆使して、いくらでも難しく書けたことだろう。
しかし、読者のみんなにわかるような易しい語り口で、思いを伝えている。
「プロフェッショナルの習慣力」は、読んだ者に「よりよい人生を生きていく」ためのヒントを与えてくれる、そういった良書だ。
 
ちなみに、本書には書かれていないが、シアトル・マリナーズを退団した森本君は、今でも月に1週間はマリナーズの"キング"フェリックス・ヘルナンデスの身体を診るために、渡米している。
 
 
P132 睡眠不足を続けながらの勉強やハードワークは、一見自信につながるように思えます。でも皆さんも経験があると思いますが、休みなく働き続けるうちに、考えることができなくなったり、ただ右から左に流されるように物ごとを進めてしまったこともあると思います。心や身体との対話を無視したことにより、体調不良で休むことになったり、激しい胃の痛みや食欲不振で仕事に影響を及ぼしたこともあるのではないでしょうか。
 
P190 日常はすべて「道」になる、と言って過言ではありません。例えば「レジを打つ」「荷物を箱に詰める」といった仕事を、何も考えず、教えてもらった通りに行うだけでは、「作業」になります。でも、最初に教わったやり方から、より楽しめるように、より相手を喜ばせるように、より効率的・経済的に工夫することで、自分なりの「道」が生まれます。
 
P199 私は会社(オリックス・ブルーウェーブ)を辞め、無収入のインターンシップに時間と生活費を投じたうえ、語学習得のために学費と勉強時間を投じました。すぐにマリナーズと契約することはできませんでしたが、当時マリナーズで活躍していた長谷川滋利選手に、パーソナルトレーナーとして雇って頂けたのです。さらに翌2003年、長谷川選手がオールスター戦で活躍されたことで、私への雇用機会が回ってきました。つまり、私にとってリスクが実を結んだことになります。

 
 
It's time for business communication in simple English.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell.
 
Yes.
With these phrases, we will assist you
through a variety of tricky business situations.
 
Okay, now.
 
Let's get things moving.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell. 
How are you doing?
 
Here's a phrase you can use to quickly confirm something
when you're being a touch forgetful.
 
Here are some other useful phrases that are similar to
"What was this for again?"
Here's the first one:
The next one is:
 
I can't tell you how many times I've been in this situation.
Humility and tone are key.
So you can add our phrase from unit 21 and say,
"I'm sorry to ask this again but what was this for?"
 
On this show, we want you to build good habits.
As Eriko has just said, this phrase was manufactured
for bridging a gap between your normally awesome work ethic
and your occasional brain fault.
Being forgetful and freaky don't mix well with corporate ideals.
The great philosopher Socrates encouraged continuous self-analysis.
If you find yourself beginning to overuse this phrase,
analyze your situation to find out what may be the cause
and eliminate the issue immediately.
You can do it.
 
Here you are Eriko.
Oh, ah but. What was this for again?
I went to Hokkaido and brought you back a gift.
Oh, oh thanks. You shouldn't have.
 
Thanks for tuning in. And.
See you next time.

 
 
It's time for business communication in simple English.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell.
 
Yes.
With these phrases, we will assist you
through a variety of tricky business situations.
 
Okay, now.
 
Let's get things moving.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell. 
Thanks for joining us.
 
Negotiating is always tough.
Today, we'll show you a phrase that will make negotiating easier.
 
Here are some other examples that are similar to
"Do you offer bulk discount?"
The first one is:
The next one is:
 
Anyone working with vendors will want to commit this phrase to memory.
Even if a company does not offer bulk discounts initially,
overtime your loyalty and persistence can be rewarded
 
Cheap, cheap, cheap.
Isn't that what birds say?
Consumers still this way around daily.
But as Eriko explained, it's not for the negotiating table.
If you're searching for a more delicate tone for the board room,
money second Eriko suggestion of less expensive.
But also add "More affordable more reasonably priced."
Or as Eriko said before, "change book discount to volume discount."
Assuming the scale of your order is large,
it is never unreasonable to ask for a discount.
 
 
Thanks for listening.
And join us again.

 
「残り全部バケーション」 伊坂幸太郎
 
「鏡の法則」 野口嘉則 
 
「累犯障害者 獄の中の不条理」 山本譲司 
 
***************************************
 
「残り全部バケーション」 伊坂幸太郎 … いったい何だ。この面白さ。凄すぎる。
 
P122 太田が大袈裟にうなずいた。「確かに、あいつは、この車が盗難車だってことも知らないはずですしね」
 やはり盗難車だったのか、とわたしは納得する。
「盗難車じゃねえよ。これは、あそこに置いてあっただけだ。だろ? 鍵がサンバイザーにはさんであった。あのままあそこに停めてると誰かに盗まれるかもしれねえから、親切な俺たちが運転して、安全な場所まで運んでやってる。それだけだ」
「あ、ですよね」太田が首を振るだけで車体が大きく揺れる。「財布を拾って、交番探してるようなもんですよね」
 
P131-132 いったい、この計画を立てたのが誰なのか、わたしは把握していない。ただ、協力している人間はそれぞれ、あの田中という男に何らかの憎しみを抱いているのだろう。国会議員であるからには、それなりに恨みを買うこともあるだろうし、わたしのように、不倫関係の末に、「割り切れよ」という言葉に憎悪した人間もいる。田中を殺害するにあたり、わたしは凶器を捨て去る役を割り当てられた。現場から逃げた実行犯がその刃物を封筒に入れ、誰かに渡す。その誰かはまた、誰かに渡す。最後に受け取ったわたしがそれを処分する。自宅の家庭ごみとして捨ててしまう。リレーのバトンのように、凶器を運び、捨てるわけだ。
 車内で溝口が言っていたが、作業は一つずつ、こなしていけばいい。分担するのだ。
 それにしても、田中が、わたしを拉致しようとしていたとは思わなかった。彼も、わたしも邪魔に思っていたのだろうか。酷い奴だ。いや、お互い様なのだろうか。
 手に持ったレジ袋に入った百万円の束もずいぶん濡れていた。雨をたくさん含んだストッキングで歩道を踏む。じわっと染み出る感覚が気持ち悪く、一度は立ち止まるがすぐに慣れ、どこまでも歩いていける。
 
P193 溝口さんはとうとうと、太田の過去の失敗談を話した。
 ある時、太田は、長い番号を記憶しなくてはならない状況に遭遇した。何ケタもの数字を暗記するなど不可能であるし、筆記用具も持っていない上に、携帯電話も充電が切れていた。必死に鞄の中を探し、唯一、使えそうであったのが、スティック型のスナック菓子、「うまい棒」であった。太田は、「これをどうにか使えるんじゃないか」と頭を絞る。はじめは地面に、菓子で字を描こうとしたができるわけがなく、次に、菓子くずを字の形に置こうと考えるが、置いたそばから鳩に食われるという「ヘンゼルとグレーテル」を地でいく状況になり、仕方がなく最終的には、スナック菓子に直接、爪で数字を刻みはじめたのだという。
 
P210 偽造免許証において、唯一、本当のものがあるとすれば、それは顔写真だ、とさえ言える。
 
P245 以前、議員を殺害したグループが、凶器を捨てるためにリレーのバトンのようにして、複数人で運んだ、という話を聞いたことがあった。
 作業や役割は分担したほうがいい。これは難しい作業をする際の基本だ。
 
「鏡の法則」 野口嘉則 … うん、読みやすい。
 
「累犯障害者 獄の中の不条理」 山本譲司 … うーん。問題だ。
 
P11 「俺ね、これまで生きてきたなかで、ここが一番暮らしやすかったと思っているんだよ」
 
P48 「これまで生きてきて、何も楽しいことはなかった」
 
P59 だが、多くの知的障害者は、他人とのコミュニケーションを苦手としている。人との交流を通して身に付けるはずの倫理的基準が、知識としてなかなか備わらない人たちだ。したがって、法を犯した場合も、容易には反省に結びつかない。よしんば反省に辿り着いたとしても、その意思を外に向かって発信するスキルがない。
 
P62 「おいお前、ちゃんとみんなの言うこときかないと、そのうち、刑務所にぶち込まれるぞ」
 そう言われた障害者が、真剣な表情で答える。
「俺、刑務所なんて絶対に嫌だ。この施設に置いといてくれ」
 悲しいかな、これは刑務所内における受刑者同士の会話である。
 
P92 私も検察官による取り調べを経験したが、取調べ室というのは、異常な空間である。圧迫感と孤独感に襲われる場所だった。そうした部屋に長時間にわたって拘束されていると、平常の精神状態を保っていることが困難になってくる。そんななか、「早く外に出たいんだったら」という言葉とともに自白を迫られれば、取調べ官の意向に沿った供述をしようとする心理もはたらく。私も危うく、事実とは異なる内容の調書を作成されそうになった。
 
P165 携帯メールが世に出てから、ろうあ者の世界は一変したようだ。これまで困難だった屋外での待ち合わせが可能になった。それに、ファクシミリと違い、個人のプライバシーも守られる。したがって、行動範囲も交際範囲も格段に広がったという。ろうあ者にとって携帯メールの出現とは、一般社会の変化よりも大きく、彼らの行動様式を根底から変えるエポックメーキングな出来事だったのだ。

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Parting is such... (3)
 
Breakstone says the American workplace is highly conducive to stress
and burnout lately, which made some employees' desire
for payback understandable.
Nissen says American society encourages the open expression of feelings.
And Breakstone adds that younger people are used to
sharing private information online.
However she cautions that potential employers can hear
about hostile exits through social media.
 
 
Can't take it any longer: Can't endure something /
can't put up with it any longer.
Imagine your office computers are always crashing.
You might say, "I can't take this any longer. I can't get any work done."
Or, "I can't take Becky's complaint any longer. So annoying."
 
Achieve critical mass: "Critical mass" originally refers to
the minimal amount of fissionable material needed
to maintain a constant nuclear chain reaction.
However Nissen is using it metaphorically meaning the amount
or level necessary for a certain result or actions to take place.
Something like: The government implemented tax reforms
after public dissatisfaction reached critical mass.
 
Breeding ground: This means a situation that contributes
to the development of something, is conducive to that development.
Like a place where animals go to breed.
 
So a university campus could be a breeding ground for political activism.
An Unclean desk might be a breeding ground for germs.
 
Shoddy: Of a low standard, inferior, poor quality.
It can refer to actual physical  things as well as behavior.
You might say, "This report is really shoddy.
The writing is terrible. And some of the data is wrong.
 
A shoddy product 安っぽい商品
This report is really shoddy. これレポートは質が悪い
 
Bottle up one's feelings: Nissen uses "bottle up" in the sense of
keep one's emotions inside, don't express them
as if we confide them inside the bottle.
 
You might say something like:
She bottled up her anger for so long. She suddenly yelled at a coworker.
 
Get back at: Retaliate, in other words. Get revenge for something.
Such as: She criticized my proposal just to get back at me
for disagreeing with her in a meeting.
 
New element in the equation:
A new factor affecting some situation, in other words.
Or some new component influencing things.
A tax accountant might say,
"The new element in the equation this year is the recently introduced
tax credit for children under 16.
This will significantly reduce your burden."
 
Outlet: Lyons means a channel for releasing some emotion,
some feeling.
Writing or painting can be good outlets for creativity.
Exercise can be a good outlet for stress, that kind of thing.
 
Go quietly: Without making a fuss, without a protest, in other words.
We also have the similar expression, "take something lying down."
As in: The Union refused to take the pay-cut lying down
and threatened strike.
 
Take something lying down.
何かを抵抗せずに受け入れる
不当な処置などを何も文句を言わずに受け入れる
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thanks for listening. And see you next time.

森本君、君はすごい。ほんとうにすごい。掛け値なしにすごい。
I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU!
 
イメージ 1
 
 
TAKA, THE BEST TRAINER I'VE HAD.
THANKS FOR HELPING ME STAY HEALTHY AND THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.
BECAUSE OF YOU, I COULD WIN MY FIRST CY YOUNG AND PERFECT GAME.
 
                                                     Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez
 
Taka は今までの野球人生で私が出会った最も素晴らしいトレーナーでした。
サイヤング賞の受賞、完全試合とともに、あなたのサポートがあったから成しえたのです。
 
                 シアトル・マリナーズ フェリックス・ヘルナンデス
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Parting is such... (2)
 
Lyons says some of the dramatic ways people have quit are
inventive and funny.
And Nissen cites the example of a flight attendant
who left a plane via an emergency slide while holding a beer.
Nissen warns that while such dramatic exits
may feel good they can have long-term consequences.
He adds that many people who quit their jobs
this way are frustrated over extremely heavy workloads.
 
 
Give a parting shot: According to my idiom dictionary,
this is a corruption of 
Parthian shot, which refers to ancient Parthian soldiers
who would turn to fire at an enemy chasing them.
Nowadays a parting shot is an aggressive
or retaliatory statement or action made as something ends.
Imagine a very acrimonious meeting.
Someone storming out at the end might say as a parting shot,
"I predict this company will fail within two years."
 
Exit: As we see here, "exit" can be a verb as well as a noun.
You might see a sign that reads
"In case of emergency,
please exit the building by the stairs not the elevator."
 
Grandstand play スタンドプレー
 
Get mixed reactions: Breakstone means that some people
reacted positively well, others responded negatively.
The proposal got mixed reactions, for example.
Some people thought it was highly innovative.
Others said it was too risky.
 
You also hear about mixed emotions when we have
both good and bad feelings about something.
So someone might have mixed emotions about a new job
if they were excited about the new responsibilities
but sad to leave the former colleagues.
 
Chuck it all: In this case, "chuck" is a casual way to say,
"throw away", "get rid of."
"She chucked the magazine into the waste basket", for example.
Or "He chucked the bad chicken in the trash."
 
It an also mean just, "throw" or "toss."
As in: She chucked the flash drive into the drawer.
 
Cathartic: Something cathartic brings about catharsis.
It purges emotional tension. It rejuvenates the spirit.
Throwing out old things is cathartic for me. 
Getting rid of things I'm not using makes me
feel lighter emotionally, more free.
 
Bad-mouth: To speak ill of someone or something,
to say negative things about them.
There's no opposite expression.
We don't good-mouth anybody.
A friend in a hospitality business once told me
about the importance of customer service.
She said, "Treat customers badly.
And they will bad-mouth you to everyone they know
because people like to complain."
 
Pull a stunt: In this case, "stunt" refers to a foolish or dangerous action.
Not always but often done to get attention or impress people.
Imaging someone who lies to his boss.
Tells him that a relative of his died to get off work.
When the boss finds out about this lie, he could say,
"If you ever pull a stunt like that again, you are fired."
 
Reach the boiling point: Nissen uses this expression to mean,
"reach the limit of your endurance"
as if your emotions of water boiling up in a pot.
Employee anger over pay-cuts could reach the boiling point,
for example.
And union members announce a strike.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thanks for listening. Bye, bye.

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Parting is such... (1)
 
Umemura describes how H & B's national sales manager recently
quit his job in a  highly dramatic fashion filling a trash bag
with marketing brochures and other material and getting
it to his boss with a note saying that people
who treat others like trash deserve trash and smell like trash.
Breakstone and Lyons  agree that such a behavior is
unprofessional and self-absorbed.
 
 
Hear something over the office grapevine.
Umemura heard something through office gossip,
in other words.
He heard information being passed from person to person
in the office as if it was going down a grapevine.
He also could have said,
"He heard an amazing story through the grapevine."
Or through the rumor mill.
 
We're all ears: We're listening eagerly, avidly,
Lyons is saying.
As in: You have a proposal for cutting expenses by 15 percent?
I'm all ears.
 
All thumbs 不器用である
 
Parting of the ways:
This is a split, a diversion between people, companies who had been together.
You can also say that people or organizations part ways.
Go different ways. Go down different paths, in other words.
Something like: Company X and its main supplier had decided to
part ways at the end of this fiscal year.
 
That's putting it mildly: That's an understatement, Umemura means.
Something is actually much more than.
So let's say I ask someone if a new hybrid car is expensive.
If they answer, "That's putting it mildly. Or expensive is putting it mildly."
Then the car is very expensive.
 
That's the understatement of the year. 今年最大の控えめな言い方だ。
 
Stink: Here "stink" is a verb.
It can mean give off an offensive smell.
But I think Umemura is using it here more in the sense of be bad,
unpleasant, offensive.
If a coworker told me,
"They had to work overtime every day for two weeks."
I might reply, "Really? That stinks."
Or, I could tell a colleague, "This new software stinks.
It's much too complicated."
 
Stink: unpleasant / offensive
 
Stinker 嫌な人、みんなに嫌われてる人
 
Something tells me: We use this expression to mean
"I have a feeling this is the situation. Or this is probably the case."
And we often use it jokingly like Nissen does,
obviously Ken was a very dissatisfied person.
 
Happy camper: This expression uses the image of
a kid having fun at summer camp.
It means a happy person, a satisfied, contented person.
Like Nissen does, we often say, not a happy camper.
But it could be positive as well.
As in: Our boss was a very happy camper
with sales up 15 percent last quarter.
 
He has no class. 品がない。
 
A bit much: They're going too far, Breakstone means.
Going overboard.
You could say something like: Her outfit was a bit much.
Too much flashy jewelry for a business conference.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Always great to see you. Bye, bye.

 
 
It's time for business communication in simple English.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell.
 
Yes.
With these phrases, we will assist you
through a variety of tricky business situations.
 
Okay, now.
 
Let's get things moving.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell. 
Shall we begin?
 
Here's a phrase you can use to make sure everybody
shares the same understanding.
 
Here are some other examples that are related to
"Can I make sure we're on the same page?"
The first one is:
The next one is:
And the last one is:
 
Once you've confirmed there is mutual understanding between
all parties, you can follow up with:
Okay, I think we're on the same page.
 
It's quite wonderful to think about all the English metaphors
associated with books.
Today's phrase: "Can I make sure we're on the same page?"
paints a great image for business because
it communicates mutual understanding.
How about another?
 
Sure go ahead.
 
Have you heard "She's not so good at reading the situation
referring to someone who can't understand subtext or nonverbal cues."
 
Or, when you want to make a serious statement
without further discussion.
You might say, "Tony is the best person for the job. Period."
 
Let me get this straight.
Some listeners all into tuning in every week?
 
Ooooh. We need to make sure we're on the same page, everyone.
If you're committed to improving your English?
 
Make sure you tune in every week.
 
Thanks for joining us.
See you next time.

 
 
It's time for business communication in simple English.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell.
 
Yes.
With these phrases, we will assist you
through a variety of tricky business situations.
 
Okay, now.
 
Let's get things moving.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell. 
 
Forgot something or need clarification, the key to asking is to sound polite.
Listen up and we'll show you how.
 
Okay, the first one is:
And the next one is:
And the last one is:
 
"I'm sorry to ask this again" is the preferred and the politest way to ask again.
A way to use this any more casual way with your coworkers would be:
"What is XYZ Company's phone number again?"
Speaking in a friendly manner and just adding again.
 
Eriko and I know that English we share with you will allow you to succeed.
So I'm sorry to ask you this again. But could you please use
these phrases every day?
 
See you next time.

うーん、実を言うと、ほんとうにたいしたものではない。
 
「英語」っていうより、「日本語」もかなり怪しい。
 
毎回、メモをとってみなさんに披露したら、すごく楽しいものになるはず。
 
今朝の分は、どうにかまだ覚えているので、下に紹介すると…
 
 
髙2の娘 「…………… 食べていいかな?」
 
TJ 「うん? お茶漬け?」
 
娘 「チーズケーキ食べていいから」
 
 
解説
 
最初、「チーズケーキ」が「お茶漬け」にしか聞こえなくて、
しかもどうしてわざわざ、食べていいかな?
なんて許可まで求めてくるだろう、って思った。
 
実際には、
娘が昨夜のうちに作っておいたチーズケーキを 
父親のオレにも「食べていいから」、
って言ってたようだ。
あはは。

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Crazy Busy (6)
 
Talk the talk
 
S: In our current vignette, members of the H & B staff discuss
how many people today have fallen into what Collins calls "the busy trap."
She says even her sister's children are extremely busy taking
dance and music lessons and playing sports in addition to
their large amounts of homework.
 
H: I was just reading an article about this very subject actually.
Apparently American children have far less free play time
than previous generations - in other words,
play time in which kids determine what they're going to do,
not adults, and where they play for the sake of playing,
not as part of an organized activity.
According to the article, this kind of play has been
on the decline for nearly 60 years now.
And some experts believe there are serious consequences
for children's emotional and mental development.
 
S: Really? Such as?
 
H: The psychology professor cited in the article mentioned
a number of benefits to free play such as children acquiring
a sense of mastery over their own world.
According to him, children who grow up without this sense
of control are at greater risk for anxiety and depression.
He also said unstructured play taught kids how
to pursue their own interests and interact with others as equals.
It must be vital for developing creativities as well.
I remember building castles in my bedroom by draping blankets
over chairs and making up stories with my dolls inside them.
And digging in the backyard for rocks that I pretended
were dinosaur fossils.
 
S: The conversation later turns to managing one's time
more efficiently.
Bill Nissen, for example, talks about tracking our biorhythms
to identify when we do our best at specific tasks.
Do you pay attention to your body clock this way, Heather?
 
H: My body is like a Swiss watch.
The very same cycle, occurs at almost exactly the same times every day.
I'm a morning person, so I get my biggest rush of energy then,
often very early in the morning.
I've found I do some of my best work preparing for this show,
for example, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
My lowest point, on the other hand, is around 3 in the afternoon.
My vitality just plunges around this time; I can feel myself drooping
So I usually get up and move around to shake off my lethargy.
My office is on the 5th floor of my building
so I often go down stairs to get a bottle of water from a convenience
store on the first floor and then take the stairs to back up.
 
S: Alyce Collins also suggests handling emails only once to save time.
She decides whether it's necessary to reply the first time she reads an email.
And if it is necessary, sends a reply right away.
 
H: An excellent idea.
Another good tactic is setting fixed times for checking
and answering our emails, maybe, three or four times a day.
It's  very easy to get addicted to checking our inbox constantly.
And that can distract us, delaying the completion of other work.
 
S: Finally, Steve Lyons describes how he saves time on his writing
by first preparing a rough, initial draft and then going back to polish it.
 
H: That's exactly what I do when I'm translating.
My first drafts are always very literal and clunky.
I just focus on accurately translating all the information in the original.
Then I go back and start polishing, rephrasing things
and adjusting the order of different sentences
so the whole thing sounds more natural in English.
It's easier to do that without making mistakes
when I first familiarize myself with the literal meaning of the original text.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thanks for listening. Bye, bye.

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Crazy Busy (5)
 
Collins says she's trying to spend less time reading during her work
skipping over sections that may not be important in various documents.
She and Lyons agree they spend too much time reading emails.
And Collins says it's now her policy to only handle emails once.
Lyons says he's making an effort to write faster by first preparing
a rough draft and then going back to polish it.
 
 
Cut down on: Reduce, in other words. Decrease.
Collins also could have said, "cut back on."
A company might strive to cut down on its personnel expenses.
A person might try to cut back on their sugar intake.
 
In the course of: During the process of something, Collins means.
She came up with fascinating information in the course of her research.
Or, we made several decisions in the course of the meeting.
 
Become totally immersed in: If we immerse something in a liquid,
it's completely covered by that liquid, submerged in it.
So to be metaphorically immersed is to be completely absorbed
by something, engaged by it.
As in: I was so immersed in my new book, I missed my stop on the train.
 
Skip: Omit, pass over, in other words.
You know the images of jumping over something to something else.
You could tell someone in your office,
"I think I'll skip the party tonight. I'm too tired."
 
You and me both: He uses this expression to mean,
"What you just said also describes me."
I feel the same way. I do the same things, etc.
So if someone said to me, "I love reading about history."
I'd reply, "Oh, you and me both. I'm especially interested
in 19th century Europe."
 
Another way to say this is, "Same here."
If someone said, "I still haven't gotten my tax return to get it."
You could reply, "Same here. I've got to do that this week."
 
Fire off: Collins means, "Write and send something quickly."
"Shoot off" would also work in the situation.
I shoot off email right away.
 
Make a conscious effort to:  An intentional effort, a deliberate effort.
Such as: He made a conscious choice to live close to
his company to have a short commute.
 
Trim: Collins is using the image of cutting something off.
Something else that we can get our hair trimmed,
little bit cut off the bottom, to mean reduce it.
Companies can trim their expenditures.
Or trim their guest list for an event.
 
Presentable: "Presentable" means fit to be seen by others,
it's fit to be shown to them, ready for their scrutiny.
As in: I need to fix my hair and makeup
so I'll be presentable for the meeting.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Always a pleasure. Take care.

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Crazy Busy (4)
 
Lyons says people make a conscious choice to be busy.
And Nissen says everyone wants to manage their time
more efficiently.
He says he's begun to keep a time log which has shown him
he needs to focus more on results at work rather than
working long hours to impress his colleagues.
He also says he's been paying attention to his biorhythms to
identify when his energy and alertness are best suited to certain tasks.
 
 
I don't think so: Lyons uses this literally to mean
he doesn't think someone would say their health wasn't a priority.
However it can also be used in the sense of:
That's not going to happen. Or I'm not going to do that.
Such as: They want me to work overtime every day this week?
I don't think so.
Or, "He's sick. But he won't go to the clinic? I don't think so."
 
Truer words were never spoken: Some statement is very true.
I agree completely, Nissen is saying.
A more casual way to say this is the deliberately ungrammatical.
Ain't it the truth?
So if someone said to me,
"Cameron's marketing proposal was really innovative, wasn't it?
I could reply, "Ain't it the truth? That was fantastic!"
 
Keep track of: This means to stay informed to monitor
what's happening with something or someone.
I use a smartphone app to keep track of my appointments, for example.
 
The opposite expression is: Lose track of.
I often lose track of time when I'm reading.
I get engrossed and I don't realize how much time has passed.
 
Good for you: Well done, Lyons is saying.
Your actions deserves praise.
You can also use "good for" about third parties or things.
If a company made a huge donation to a charity, I'd say,
"Good for them making a contribution to society like that."
 
Good for two years 有効期間は2年間
 
Enable: Make it possible to do something, in other words.
The government subsidy has enabled us to continue our research.
Or, "Doing freelance work enables me to work from home."
 
body clock: biological clock
 
Complement: Nissen is using this word to mean
make something complete, bring it to perfection.
That necktie complements your suit very well, for example.
It can also be a noun.
As in: That necktie's excellent complement to your suit.
 
Even native speakers often confuse this word with compliment. COMPLIMENT,
because they're pronounced the same way.
"Complement" with an "e" is to complete etc.
While "compliment" with an "i" is to praise someone.
He complimented her on her excellent presentation, for example.
 
Identity: One common expression using "identity" is "identify with."
This means sharing other people's feelings, situations,
feeling that those feelings and situations are similar to our own.
For example, "I can identify with people who worry about saving enough
for the future. That's an issue I face too and when I think about a lot."
 
 
That's all for today.
 
See you next time. Bye, bye.

 
 
It's time for business communication in simple English.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell.
 
Yes.
With these phrases, we will assist you
through a variety of tricky business situations.
 
Okay, now.
 
Let's get things moving.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell. 
 
Need to ask when the deadline is.
Here's a casual but polite way to do so.
 
Here's the first one:
The next one is:
The last one is:
 
When work starts to pile up, you know you haven't been
asking this question enough.
When do you need it by?
Everyone's busy.
Just make sure they're not dumping it on you.
 
Due date and deadline.
Good ones, Eriko.
Let me add a quick plus alpha.
Someone once told me that if all I did was work under a deadline,
I would never get ahead or get promoted.
The advice they gave me was to always ask bosses and coworkers,
"When do you need it by?"
And budget at least 10 to 15 percent of my work day on long term
or personal projects.
I thought it was great advice.
The logic being pretty much anyone can fill your shoes at a company
and meet a deadline.
But where you really add value is with your ideas.
So nature your ideas with this handy little strategy
and climb that corporate ladder.
 
 
See you next time.

ひょっとして、耳で聞いた方がわかるのかも。
 
今日の 「入門ビジネス英語」 の話。
 
一応、テキストも持っているんだけど、ちらっと目に入った英文
 
When do you need it by?
 
が一読して すぐには意味が取れなかった。
 
でも、放送で、Brandon が 発音した途端、すぐにわかった。
 
ディクテーションやら映画を見て、耳で聞いてはいるけど、
 
あんまり英語読書してないからかも。
 
うーん、もっと読書しなければ。トホホ。

 
 
It's time for business communication in simple English.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell.
 
Yes.
With these phrases, we will assist you
through a variety of tricky business situations.
 
Okay, now.
 
Let's get things moving.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell. 
 
Time for your daily dose of English.
 
Need to ask for an opinion or a piece of advice, here's how.
 
The first one is:
The next one is:
And the last one is:
 
I'd like to include others by saying,
"Eriko, do you have any input on this?"
And sometimes respond to this question with,
"What kind of input are you looking for?"
 
Eriko made a very appropriate correlation that
what we are asking for when we want input is usually advice.
I ask for advice from people I respect.
And when I view input the same way,
I suddenly treat my colleagues and friends a bit nicer and friendlier.
Creating a friendly work environment has no downside in my book.
 
 
Thanks for listening. And join us again.

 
「ビブリア古書堂の事件帖」 三上延
 
「ビブリア古書堂の事件帖 2」 三上延
 
「ビブリア古書堂の事件帖 3」 三上延
 
「The Dandelion Girl」  Robert F. Young
 
「ビブリア古書堂の事件帖 4」 三上延
 
「職業"振り込め詐欺"」 NHKスペシャル 「職業"詐欺"」取材班
 
「デジタルを哲学する」 黒崎政男
 
***************************************
 
「ビブリア古書堂の事件帖」 三上延 … すごくよい。
 
「ビブリア古書堂の事件帖 2」 三上延 … すごい。
 
「ビブリア古書堂の事件帖 3」 三上延 … ほんと、すごい。
 
p55
「『おとといは兎を見たわ。きのうは鹿、今日はあなた』」
 
P106
「井上太一郎様。
 そちらは寒いかしら。
 会うたびに娘を脅かすのはやめてね。
 今、うちで働いている五浦大輔くんも、
 いい子みたいだから仲良くしてあげて。
 本が読めないそうだけれど」
P213
「宮沢賢治は多くの作品を残していますが、生前に刊行された著書は、童話集の『注文の多い料理店』とこちらの『春と修羅』だけです。どちらも自費出版に近い形で、当時はほとんど売れず……作者自身がかなりの冊数を引き取ったようです」
 
「The Dandelion Girl」 Robert F. Young … すごい。ほんと、感動的。すごい。
 
Day before yesterday I saw a rabbit,
and yesterday a deer,
and today, you.
 
「ビブリア古書堂の事件帖 4」 三上延 … 素晴らしい。
 
P228
「本当に、大きくなったね……文香は」
 
P309
「わたしを憎んでいても構わないわ。でも、一緒に生きましょう、栞子、『押絵』の第一稿のような貴重なものについて、いくらでも話を聞かせてあげる……この十年、わたしは色々なものを目にしてきた。あなたのまだ知らないものが、この世界にはいくらでもあるのよ。あなたにも興味があるでしょう?」
 
 
「職業"振り込め詐欺"」 NHKスペシャル 「職業"詐欺"」取材班 …
 
うーん。これを読むと、殺人事件がなくならない、って確信できた。
法が裁けないなら、自分らの掟で裁きを下そうという輩も出てくる。
「天網恢々疎にして漏らさず」ってあるけど、漏れているのもあることだろう。
詐欺で大金を手にした連中がその資金を元手に、表の仕事で台頭している面もあるようだし。
何ともやりきれない世の中だ。
 
 
P145  この事件の捜査にあたった警視庁の捜査員は、野島の心境をこう解説した。
「電話1本で、ベンツやらセルシオやら高級車が現金で買えるほどのカネが手に入るのが振り込め詐欺という犯罪なんだ。こんなおいしい犯罪はほかを探してもどこにもないよ。一度、振り込め詐欺のうまい汁を吸った人間は、やめようと思っても簡単にやめられるもんじゃない。被害者の苦しみなんか想像できなくなって、感覚が麻痺してしまうんだ」
 
P173  そして、弘さんがこう続けた。
「僕らはねえ、詐欺の犯人たちっていうのは殺人者だと思うよ。これだけの金をだまし取られたら、死んだ方がいいっていう気持になるよね。今からどうやって生活していったらいいのか。子どもは4人いるけど、それぞれ一生懸命働いて暮らしているんだから、親としては子どもたちに助けてくれっていうこともできない。何にも買えない最低の生活をこれから続けるくらいだったら死んだ方がいいって思ってしまう。犯人は本当に殺人者だと思う。本当に死にたいような……」
 
P179  多額の借金を抱えていた大阪府の五〇代の男性は、借金の債務者リストから名前を消すので口座にカネを振り込むよう持ちかけられ、400万円あまりをだまし取られて、自殺した。遺書には被害を苦に自殺することを示す内容が書かれていたという。
 
 事業で借りた金の返済を迫られた、新潟県の59歳の男性は、うその融資話を信用。保証金名目で約3600万円ものカネをだまし取られた、平成19年、自殺を図った。家族は一家離散になったという。
 
「デジタルを哲学する」 黒崎政男 … これもなかなかによかった。すごく腑に落ちた。

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Crazy Busy (3)
 
Lyons says the type of relaxation affects how much inspiration
can strike and that his practice of watching TV
with a beer isn't very productive.
Nissen concurs and cites the examples of Newton
discovering gravity while relaxing against the tree.
Lyons speaks of the need to balance the work and leisure
and suggests assessing  one's priorities by rephrasing
"I don't have time for X" as "X isn't a priority."
 
Slack off: This means not doing your work,
your task with appropriate energy and dedication.
But so you think characters here using it a little bit
facetiously more in the sense of relaxing.
But for example, people often slack off when their boss's away.
 
In something mode: Lyons uses "mode" to mean
"focused on a certain activity", "in a certain mindset",
"like a machine that's turned to a certain setting."
Such as, "When I'm in vacation mode, I sleep late every day."
Or, "Every December, I go into shopping mode picking up
lots of gifts for friends and family."
 
Plunk oneself down: In this case, "plunk" is a verb meaning
"drop" or "fall heavily."
Another way to say this is "plump."
So Lyons also could have said,
"I just plump myself down in front of the TV."
 
The muse strikes: Lyons is using "muse" lower case to mean inspiration.
Inspiration doesn't usually strike at times like that.
Lower case can also mean a person who inspires someone.
Authors, film directors have muses often.
Upper case, "Muse" refers to one of the nine sister goddesses
in ancient mythology who inspired achievements,
some things like poetry, dance, astronomy.
 
Fair enough: We often use it to mean, "that's reasonable",
"I see the justification, the logic for why someone
would do this or say that."
Things like: He criticized her harshly for the project's failure.
Fair enough. She was in charge of it.
Or, Company X is charging a higher price for its new computer.
Which is fair enough. It's got lots of great features.
 
Chill out: Nissen uses this to mean, "relax". It can also be "calm down."
Imagine someone is freaking out about an upcoming deadline.
You might think, "Chill out. You've still got two days to finish."
 
Point taken. I take your point.
 
Go on about: This means to talk a great deal about something,
to be verbose about it.
As in: She went on about a new job for an hour.
Or, Don't ask Heather about movies. She'll go on forever.
 
We also say, "go on and on about", which emphasizes the continuous
talking more.
She went on and on about her frustrations of the company.
 
Put things in a different light: If we shine a different kind of light
on something, it alters its appearance, doesn't it?
So this idiom refers to allowing us to look at something
in a different way, consider it in a different way.
Imagine someone is rude to you and later you find out
they were exhausted and worried about a deadline.
That would put their behavior in a different light.
You would see their actions as the result of stress
not deliberate rudeness.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Always great to see you. Bye, bye.

 
 
 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Crazy Busy (2)
 
Lyons says he talks about his busy schedule to demonstrate his devotion to
his work and family and that always being occupied makes him feel important.
Collins describes how even her sister's children are constantly busy
with homework and after school activities.
Nissen recalls how much more freedom he had as a child
and says his time at play also involved valuable learning experiences.
Collins adds that just relaxing can also be productive.
 
 
Now that I think about it: Lyons also could have said,
"Now that I give it some thought" or "on reflection."
Such as: Now that I give it some thought,
it might be better to leave on Friday, instead of Saturday.
Or, On reflection, I don't really need a new briefcase.
I'll get a new suit instead,
 
On second thought
 
Be run off one's feet: The image here is having so much
to do or rushing so quickly and fall over.
So to be run off one's feet means you have enormous amount work
to do or you have to work extremely fast.
You could say something like: Our entire office has been
run off its feet getting ready for the national sales conference.
 
That's what I call crazy:
This is a really great example of something crazy, Nissen is saying.
I found this to be quite crazy.
And you could use any number of words after this phrase.
For example, your boss could praise something by saying:
Now that's what I call original thinking.
Or criticize them by saying: that's what I call disorganized.
 
Oodles of: This means "a lot", "a huge quantity of something."
It's a cute, slightly childish word, usually with a sense of fun, I think.
For example, there are oodles of benefits to regular exercise.
 
As frazzled as: When someone's frazzled,
they're in a state of physical or nervous exhaustion.
The image is someone whose edges are being worn away like frail fabric.
Such as: I was a bit frazzled after 14 straight hours at the office.
 
Goof off: Nissen uses this expression to mean,
"spend time idly or foolishly."
Such as: She was supposed to be working on her presentation.
But she just goofed off on her computer.
 
Fun and games: Nissen's literally talking about "fun and games."
But this expression is also used to mean a wider range of playful,
enjoyable activity.
For example, we often say that something is not fun
and games or not all fun and games to mean,
"it's a serious business" or "it isn't always pleasant."
A company executive might tell a subordinate,
"This sales pitch isn't fun and games.
It's vital to the future of our company."
Or you might hear something like:
Marriage isn't all fun and games. Sometimes it's hard work.
 
Laze around: This is to pass the time being lazy, being idle.
Many of us laze around the house on the weekends
watching TV or reading.
Or you could say,
"Bill just lazes around the office on Mondays.
He hardly gets anything done."
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Hope that was interesting. Take care.

 
 
 
Business Communication in Action  実践ビジネス英語 
 
Hello everyone.   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.
 
Crazy Busy (1)
 
Nissen and Collins complain about how many people tell them
they're crazy busy.
With Collins adding that may people pretend to be griping when they
lament how busy they are but are really bragging about it instead.
Nissen says most of the people complaining are actually busy
by their own choice.
And Collins says such people are addicted to being busy
and frightened not to have something to do.
 
 
Wow 共感させる 感心させる 唸らせる
 
Insanely: Extremely, in other words.
There's a nuance here being so extremely something that you think,
wow! Yikes! My lord!
As in: Trevor is insanely talented. His writing is fantastic.
Or, Sales at Company X have soared because of its insanely
popular new tablet computer.
 
Better that than the alternative: In this case, "alternative" is a noun.
Nissen says "the alternative."
So he's talking about one or two options.
However he can also use "alternative" when there are
more than two choices.
Something like: I think we should hold the convention at this venue.
The other two alternatives are very expensive.
 
Alternative plan 代替案
 
Fall into the busy trap: When we fall into some trap,
we make the mistake of doing something that seems right
or attractive but is actually harmful to us.
A financial advisor might say, "Don't fall into the trap of
making high risk, high return investments.
Slow and steady gains are better."
 
Run around like chickens with their heads cut off:
This is a bit of a gruesome image, isn't it?
If you cut off a chicken's head, yeah sometimes,
it runs around aimlessly before finally dying.
So this idiom refers to doing something in a frantic,
frenzied manner.
I misplaced an airline ticket once.
And I ran around my house like a chicken
with the head cut off trying to find it.
 
Badge of honor: A mark of distinction, Collins means.
Proof of distinction, like a medal pinned on someone's chest.
A craftsman might consider scars on his hand to be
a badge of honor, you know, proof of his hard work over many years.
 
Self-imposed: When something is self-imposed, we impose it
on ourselves, we do it to ourselves, we apply it to ourselves.
It's often used in reference to rules that we set for ourselves.
Such as: The company was unable to meet
its self-imposed deadline for getting out of the red.
Or, He broke his self-imposed ban on alcohol.
 
Workload: This refers to the amount of work someone
has to do that they're metaphorically carry.
Works on the same principle as a number of words that end in
load and refer to the amount that a certain thing can actually care.
Like, armload, carload, boatload.
And some of these could be used metaphorically too
to mean a very large amount of something.
Like, I've got a boatload of work to do.
Or, I've got a truckload of work to do.
 
A busload of tourists
 
Dread: Collins uses this as a verb meaning to fear something
greatly or to anticipate it with distaste or reluctance.
A shy person would dread having to meet new people.
A company employee would dread having to give his boss bad news.
And it can also be a noun.
He has a real dread of meeting new people, for example.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thanks for listening. Take care.

 
 
It's time for business communication in simple English.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell.
 
Yes.
With these phrases, we will assist you
through a variety of tricky business situations.
 
Okay, now.
 
Let's get things moving.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell. 
 
You don't really want to admit you've forgotten something
that you were informed of before but you need to know.
So what do you do? Listen up and you'll find out.
 
The first one is:
The next one is:
 
I hate getting lost.
And even in this day and age with Internet maps and GPS,
I find it much easier for someone to tell me they're located
between or across from something I can recognize.
 
 
I travel quite a bit for my weekend job.
My team always has a Japanese bilingual staff to assist
in communicating with local venues and guiding us around.
These staff sometimes ask for directions and sometimes they don't.
When they don't, we are late.
When they do, we are on time..
The ones that do ask still have jobs.
The ones that don't hmmm don't.
 
 
See you next time.

 
 
It's time for business communication in simple English.
 
Hello, everyone.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell.
 
Yes.
With these phrases, we will assist you
through a variety of tricky business situations.
 
Okay, now.
 
Let's get things moving.
 
Hi, I'm Brandon Stowell. 
 
It's not always easy asking someone to do something right?
Well, listen up and we'll show you a way to sound polite.
 
Okay, the first one is:
The next one is:
And the last one is:
 
In this phrase, the word "send" can be replaced by the verbs mail, email,
fax or career to more precisely communicate how something should be sent.
 
I found this phrase to be very helpful as well.
In headhunting, sending and receiving documents quickly
especially contracts is the difference between
having a great sales quarter and a terrible one.
By using "Do you think you could send it to me today?",
you can express your own sense of urgency without ordering others around.
Now take this everyday phrase and use it, well, every day.
 
 
See you next time.

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