ビジネス英語ディクテーション

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2014年11月


Terminator Salvation (1/10) Movie CLIP - Attack on Skynet (2009) HD   

 

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.

Analyzing Public Apologies (6)



 
Talk the talk 

S: Now in our current vignette, the H & B staff talk about public apologies 
and how a company can save a situation or make it worse depending on 
how they apologize for some mistake or scandal.
What do you think is important in a public apology, Heather.

H: Probably a lot of the same things that are important in a private one.
First and foremost, don't digress from the main order of business, 
which is apologizing.
In public and private, we should say: I'm sorry for doing X. 
It was wrong to do it, and I won't do it again.
We can give some context for our actions but we should keep it to a minimum.
And present it as illustration not justification.
Ultimately we're responsible for what we did.
I tried to do that a while back when I snapped at a coworker.
I told her later, "I am very sorry. I'm really tired, stressed today. 
But that's no excuse. I had no right to speak to you like that."

S: So what was her response?

H: She was very gracious and forgave me immediately.
But that doesn't always happen.
So another important thing is take our lumps, accept whatever punishment 
the other person or the public chooses to dish out.
One particularly good apology I heard came from an actor(Christian Bale) 
who got in trouble 
for screaming at a crew member who distracted him during filming.
He yelled at the guy for 4 minutes using a lot of foul language in the process.
And someone released a recording of it.
After all this blew up, the actor called a radio show and said flat out, 
"I acted like a punk. I was way out of line."
He even  encouraged the press to ridicule him over the incident.
He said, "Feel free to make fun of me. I deserve it completely."
It was absolutely the right way to handle the situation.
And his career is still going strong.

Christian Bale apologizes for rant
By Kerrie Mitchell on Feb 6, 2009 at 6:30PM 

S: That was well done.
But it's amazing how many prominent people butch public apologies despite 
all the public relations experts and other people they can get to help them.

H: It's a whole industry, isn't it?
And often a highly coordinated effort.
According to an image expert quoted in an article I read the other day, 
there's even a modern uniform for apologizing. 
The penitent should wear soft-colored shirts so they look more sincere, 
and avoid patterns so the viewers will focus on their face.
And no overly tailored designer suits.
Once again, it boils down to "look humble," I guess.
Oh, and blue is apparently a very popular color for apologizing, 
because it inspires trust.
Policemen wear it, governments use it.
I can see that - blue certainly strikes me as a "solid" color, serious 
but not overbearing.
Subconsciously I'd probably be more inclined to believe someone 
who apologized in a navy outfit, as opposed to yellow or red.

S: Alyce Collins and Pat McMillan also talk about how people like to hear 
bad news that doesn't affect them personally?

H: I'm sure that's true.
And that's another thing that celebrities need to keep in mind 
when they're apologizing.
There's a fine line between admiration and jealousy.
And the only thing the public likes more than creating a star 
is tearing one down.
And nowadays a star can be torn down amazingly quickly 
thanks to the Internet and social media.
That's another thing about apologies both public and private.
They need to come quickly.
The longer you wait, the more time a bad impression has to spread 
and or become fixed.


That's all for today.

Thanks for tuning in. Bye, bye.

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 Heather Howard.
Let's take a look at conversation at work.

Analyzing Public Apologies (5)


Pearson describes how the president of an automaker handled the crisis well,
setting up a response team and preparing an ad that ran
at every major U.S. Newspaper.
The add freely admitted that the company should not have tampered with
some of its cars and promised not to let it happen again.
Pearson says the add turned public opinion in the company's favor
and ended the media frenzy.


Makings of: The components needed to create, to result in.
It can be a positive term too.
For example, that restaurant has all the makings of a great success:
a good location, a famous chef.
Or, he is a natural leader, understanding, patient.
He has the makings of an excellent manager someday.

Rise to the occasion: Deal well with some difficult situation,
display the qualities necessary to handle it well.
Such as: He had to present his idea to the company president.
But he rose to the occasion and did a great job.
Or, it was a very tight schedule.
But our staff rose to the occasion and made the deadline.

Hammer out: Make significant efforts to achieve something.
Like you're whacking something with a hammer again and again
until it gets into the right shape.
So you could say, management and the union hammered out a compromise
on this year's pay raise.
Or, the company has hammered out a deal to sell its food and beverage division.

Fiddle with: Pearson means "meddle with", "tamper."
You'll hear about companies that fiddled with their books, engaged in dishonest accounting,
in other words.
But it can also mean "tinker", "adjust to try and improve it or fix it."
For example, let me fiddle with that computer a bit.
Maybe I can solve t he problem.

Pad    expense report / 請求書  を水増しする

Mensch: This word comes from Yiddish.
And it means a person with honor and integrity, a really decent person.
I don't use it much myself.
But apparently it is usually used about men.
Such as: He always makes time to help with his kids' homework.
What a mensch.
Or, that company president is a real mensch.
He makes sure his employees can take maternity leave.

Do the trick: Solve the problem, produce just the desired results.
When I have a computer problem, for example,
restarting the computer often does the trick.
Or, offering him a higher salary did the trick.
He accepted our job offer.

Pay off: Some investment, some action results in a profit or benefit.
For example, he bet on IT stocks and it paid off. He made 20% profit last year.
Her hard work has paid off. She's being promoted to manager next month.

Add fuel to the fire: We also say, "add fuel to the flames."
Make a bad situation worse by heightening someone's anger or passions.
Things like: Kevin was very upset and John laughing just added fuel to the fire.
Or, the client was already angry.
If we miss another deadline, it will really add fuel to the flames.

Add insult to injury 踏んだり蹴ったりの目に遭わせる


That's all for today.


Thanks for listening. Bye, bye.

 
 
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.
 
Analyzing Public Apologies (4)
 
 
McMillan talks about how an apology must strike exactly the right tone
or risk making a situation worse.
Umemura recalls an oil company executive who bumbled an apology
by saying he wanted his life back.
And Pearson describes a scandal involving a U.S. car company
in which employees drove new cars then returned the odometers to zero
and tried to sell them as new.
 
 
Spot something a mile away: Immediately recognize something,
immediately realize what it is.
For example, she is very perceptive. She can spot a lie a mile away.
Or, get Carl's opinion before you sign the contract.
He can spot a scam a mile away.
 
Unequivocally: With no ambiguity or doubt, clearly.
This is the adverb. The adjective is "unequivocal."
It an also mean, "unquestionably", "indisputably."
Things like: That new restaurant is an unequivocal success.
Or, Company Z is the unequivocal leader of this industry.
 
Half-heartedly: Without much interest, energy or enthusiasm.
Like we only put half our heart into something.
And...also...We also say, "half-hearted."
Such as: He made a half-hearted attempt to clean up his desk.
But he didn't really do much.
Or, she made a half-hearted attempt to be more organized,
but soon went back to her bad habits.
 
Have some nerve: In this case, "nerve" is a bad thing.
It's the audacious boldness to act without regard to what's right
or other people's feelings.
Imagine a new employee who arrogantly criticizes a veteran staffer,
tells them, "You're just wrong."
You could say, "she has some nerve talking to senior staff like that."
But, "nerve" can also be a positive term, meaning "courage", "boldness."
For example, it took nerve for Frank to argue with our boss.
He really hates to be contradicted.
 
Textbook example: You could also say, "a classic example" in this case.
It illustrates a certain thing so well.
It could be in a textbook describing it.
For example, coming in late all the time is a textbook example of
how to upset your boss.
 
Wind up: "End up" is another way to say this.
Ultimately do a certain thing, ultimately reach a certain situation.
Such as: The project ended up going way over budget.
"Wind up" can also mean "bring to a finish" or "come to a finish."
The conference wound up on Tuesday afternoon, for example.
 
Fob off: Pearson means "get rid of something through deceit or trick."
Such as: A supplier tried to fob off these cheap products on us.
"Fob off" can also mean, "put off", "placate" again through some kind of
deceitful practice.
For example, "she asked for a raise, but they fobbed it off with promises
to consider it carefully."
 
Get hold off: Acquire, learn about.
In this case, it's information but it can also be tangible things.
For example, construction companies are struggling to get hold of
enough supplies and stuff.
A similar expression is "get wind of", which means
"learn about something secret."
Such as: The union got wind of the company's plan to cut wages
and threatened strike.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Hope that was interesting. 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! Let's work hard today, everybody.
 
Here's a phrase you can use when you reluctantly have to cancel an appointment.
 
Here's the first one.
The next one is:
The last one is:
 
When you're searching for reasons not to cancel but can't.
Try: I'm afraid we have no other choice but to cancel.
 
That almost sounds like parental advice.
I can see that owning and managing a company brings with it
great responsibility as each decision can affect you any employees
and the viability of your company.
But whether canceling something as ordinary as a weekly meeting
or as grand as a conference, this phrase "I'm afraid we'll have to cancel it"
can help you do what is necessary and still come off a class act.
 
 
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 so pleased you're here. 
 
Need to reschedule? Here's a simple and polite way to ask to reschedule.
 
The first one is:
The next one is:
And the last one is:
 
Just because you learn this phrase don't automatically assume
others actually can reschedule.
So if they can't, give a polite, "I understand. Thanks for your consideration."
 
If you're unsure if you should reschedule or not,
just think back to something we've  talked about before on the show:
Priorities, professionally and personally and maybe even physically
in the case of illness.
 
 
Join us again.  

 
 
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.
 
Analyzing Public Apologies (3)
 
 
Pearson says social media has changed the relationship between companies
and their customers.
Umemura describes the importance of public apologies in Japan and
how consultants specify such elements as how low to bow for how long
and what to say.
Collins and Pearson agree that ritualized apologies can sound insincere
and make matters worse.
And Collins marvels that some people believe that trite apologies
will fix everything.
 
 
Proactively: Proactively and proactive are often used to mean active.
But they actually refer to acting in advice to deal with some anticipated problem
not just responding when things actually happen.
For example, Company X is very proactive about customer service.
They hold regular brainstorming sessions to anticipate customers' needs
and complaints.
 
Reactive  何か物事がが起こってそれに対して反応すること
Proactive 物事が起こる前に物事を予測して行動する、initiative を取る、先取りする
 
Be big on: Treat as important or be enthusiastic about.
Such as: that company is very big on design.
They spend a lot of money to make their products look cool.
Or, she's very big on Christmas.
She always decorates her house and cooks a huge holiday meal.
 
Specify: Give specific, detailed information on something.
Such as: Her email didn't specify when the project should be finished.
Or, delivery services let you specify when your package will be delivered.
 
Counsel: Provide advice on.
His financial advisor counseled him to diversify his investments.
Or, college professors counsel students on their future career path.
 
Sound hollow: We also say, "ring hollow."
Both of these expressions mean, "sound insincere" or "sound untrue."
Such as: The president says the economy is recovering.
But his words ring hollow amid all the bad economic indicators.
 
Not cut it: Not be satisfactory, not be good enough.
Things like: This kind of sloppy work just won't cut it.
She has to be more careful.
Or, he tries hard. But he just can't cut it as a translator.
 
Pat phrase: In this case, "pat" means "trite."
Done without any real effort to be sincere or original.
You'll also hear about "pat excuses" and "pat answers."
 
Canned phrase
 
Get-out-of-jail-free card: This expression comes from a card
in a board game that gets you out of a jail position.
It means "something that gets us out of a bad situation",
"saves us from some trouble."
For example, being new on the job is not a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Something should be obvious even to a beginner.
 
Trot out: In this case, "trot out" means "say or do something
without much thought."
As in: Every year, he trots out the same basic speech.
It can also mean "bring out for admiration or inspection."
And this too often has a sense of being dull or having been done too much.
For example, she trotted out the latest hair-brained idea at the meeting.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thanks for tuning in. See you next time.

 
 
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.
 
Analyzing Public Apologies (2)
 
 
Pearson says the H & B staff should examine elements including the tone
of voice used in past apologies and proposes a brain storming session
on the subject.
According to a book Collins read, public apologies are now occurring
at three times the number in the 1980s.
Umemura attributes this to the closer scrutiny resulting from social media.
Collins and McMillan agree that people like hearing negative things
more than positive ones.
 
 
Free-for-all brainstorming session:
In this case, "free-for-all" means "no rules", "no limitations".
Completely free brainstorming session.
It can also refer to an uncontrolled competition, argument or fight
of some kind with many different people involved.
Year-end sales can be a free-for all, can't they?
With lots of people roughly grabbing at the products.
Or, you could say, "the negotiations deteriorated into a free-for-all
between management and labor representatives."
 
Strategize: Come up with strategies, plan what to do.
We're strategizing this month about how to reach the youth market,
for example.
Or, she's strategizing about how to get a raise next year.
 
Blow up in someone's face: When something you do backfires,
goes badly wrong and causes you harm like a bomb exploding.
Such as: The CEO's attempted humor blew up in his face.
Many staffers thought the joke was racist.
 
Strike someone: Make a strong impression, have an impact.
Things like: I was struck by his in-depth knowledge of art.
He is quite a connoisseur.
Or, I was struck by how spacious their office is. Everyone has a big desk.
 
Fall all over oneself: Put an enormous amount of energy into doing something.
Being incredibly eager in doing it.
There's a sense of doing too much or being comically eager.
Imagine someone literally tripping and stumbling as they try really hard
to do something.
For example, politicians fall all over themselves to praise the middle class.
Or, the company fell all over itself trying to hire John Smith as its CEO.
 
At large: In general.
You hear things like: Society at large isn't interested in that issue.
 
Be under the microscope: Be examined very closely, in great detail.
Such as: Everyone's budget is under the microscope as the company tries to
cut costs.
Or, each nation's environmental measures will be under the microscope
at the conference.
 
Bad news sells. 悪いニュースの方が部数が売れる。
 
Human nature: Human beings', people's fundamental traits and tendencies.
For example, it's human nature to avoid conflict.
Or, it's human nature to envy more successful people.
 
Take pleasure in: Get pleasure from, receive satisfaction from.
He takes pleasure in helping people, for example.
Or, she takes pleasure in pointing out other people's mistakes.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thanks for tuning in. See you next time.


Taylor Swift - Blank Space  

ここのところ、Taylor Swift の勢いはすごいな。

ちょっと前まで、 Shake it off が No1 ヒットだったんだけど、

この曲で、またまた No 1 に。

これは、56年にも及ぶビルボードの歴史において初めてなんだって。


「ナミヤ雑貨店の奇蹟」 東野圭吾 … 何と2回目だ。

ほんと、すごい。WOWOWドラマWでやってくれないかな。
 
P99
 この店には買い物をした以外にも思い出があった。
店主の爺さんに、いろいろと悩みの相談にのってもらったのだ。
もちろん、今から考えると大した悩みではない。運動会の徒競走で一位になる方法を教えてくれとか、どうすればお年玉の額を増やせるか、とかだ。それでもナミヤの爺さんは、いつも真剣に答えてくれた。たしかお年玉の額を増やす方法は、「お年玉は透明の袋に入れなければならないという法律を作る」だった。「そうすれば、見栄っ張りな大人は少ない額を入れにくくなるから」というわけだ。
 
P135-136
『相談です。勉強せず、カンニングとかのインチキもしないで、テストで百点をとりたいです。どうすればいいですか。』
 明らかに子供の字と思われた。それに対する回答が、下に貼られている。こちらは貴之が見慣れた雄治の字で書かれていた。
『先生にたのんで、あなたについてのテストを作ってもらってください。あなたのことだから、あなたの書いた答えが必ず正解です。』 

P166-168 
 『ナミヤ雑貨店さんへ
 本当に復活するんでしょうか。一晩かぎりと書いてありましたが、どういうことなのでしょう。どうしようかとずいぶん悩みましたが、「騙されているとしてもまあいいか」と思い、これを書くことにしました。
 今から四十年ほど前になるでしょうか。私は次のような質問を書きました。
 勉強をせずにテストで百点を取るにはどうすればいいですか?
 小学生の時ですが、本当に馬鹿な質問をしたものです。これに対してナミヤさんは、素晴らしい回答をくださいました。
 先生に頼んで、あなたについてのテストをしてもらってください。あなたに関する問題だから、あなたの答えはすべて正しい。だから百点満点のはずです。
 これを読んだ時には、いんちきじゃないかと思いました。国語や算数で百点を取る方法を知りたいのに、と。
 でもこの回答は私の記憶に残りました。中学生になっても、高校生になっても、テストといえば思い出しました。それほど印象深かったということです。子供のふざけた質問に正面から向き合ってもらえたことがうれしかったのでしょう。
 でもその回答の素晴らしさを本当に知るのは、学校で子供たちを教えるようになってからです。そうです。私は教師になりました。
 教壇に立つようになってから間もなく、私は壁にぶつかりました。クラスの子供たちは私に心を開かず、なかなかいうことを聞いてくれません。子供たち同士の仲も、あまり良いとはいえず、何かをしようとしてもまるで前に進まないのです。彼等の心はバラバラで、ごく少数の友人たち以外には無関心という感じでした。
 様々なことを試しました。皆でスポーツやゲームを楽しむ機会を作ったり、討論会をやらせてみたりしました。でもいずれも失敗です。誰もが楽しそうではありませんでした。
 そのうちに一人の子供がいいました。こんなことはしたくないから、テストで百点を取れるようにしてほしい、と。
 それを聞き、はっとしました。大事なことを思い出したのです。
 もうおわかりだと思いますが、私は彼等に、ある筆記テストをやらせることにしました。名称は「ともだちテスト」といいます。クラスの一人を無作為に選び、その子に関して、いろいろな問題を出すのです。生年月日、住所、きょうだいの有無、保護者の職業といったことから、趣味、特技、好きなタレントといったことも問題にしました。テストが終わると本人から答えを述べさせます。答え合わせは各自が行います。
 最初は戸惑っていた彼等でしたが、二度三度と行ううちにやる気を見せてくれるようになりました。テストで高得点を取る秘訣は一つです。クラスメイトたちについて、よく知ることです。彼等は見違えるほど、コミュニケーションを取るようになりました。
 新米教師だった私にとって、大きな経験でした。教師としてやっていけると自信を深め、実際、今日までやってこられました。
 すべてナミヤ雑貨店さんのおかげです。感謝したい気持ちはあったのですが、その方法がわかりませんでした。今回、この機会を得られたことをうれしく思います。
                                百点小僧より
※この手紙は浪矢さんの御家族の方が回収されるのでしょうか。浪矢さんの仏前に供えていただけることを祈っております。よろしくお願いいたします。』

 
 
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 Heather Howard.
Let's take a look at conversation at work.
 
Analyzing Public Apologies (1)
 
 
Pearson talks about the large number of high-profile corporate
apologies recently, which have involved such problems as leaked emails
and contaminated products.
He says the CEO of H & B doesn't want to exacerbate a future problem
with a poor public confession and has asked the staff to analyze
what led up to the recent apologies as well as the apologies themselves
to see what worked and what didn't.
 
 
A spate of:  A large number of similar things that happen in a relatively
short period of time, usually bad things.
Such as: There's been a spate of insider trading scandals lately.
Or, the prime minister commented on the recent spate of disappointing
economic indicators.
 
High-profile: Very well known, gets a lot of attention.
The high-profile merger was covered extensively in the press, for example.
On the other side, we say low-profile, or keep a low-profile.
Such as: He's a low-profile member of the board of directors.
He never speaks about the company to the press, for example.
 
Slipup in quality control:  To slip up is to make an error, mistake, blunder
as if we literally slip.
So things like: We slipped up and used last year's figures in the report
instead of this year's.
Or, check everything carefully. We can't have any slipups in this report.
 
etc.  and so force  /  and so on / and so force and so on.
And all that sort of things. And all that jazz.
 
Hardly a day goes by without:
Something happens almost ever day, extremely frequently.
For example, hardly a day goes by without Marilyn and Vivian arguing
about something.
We also say, "not a day goes by", which means, "every day."
Such as:
Not a day goes by when Karen doesn't complain about her workload.
 
Eat humble pie: Have to admit you were wrong and apologize for it.
Apparently this refers to a pie made from umbles which is the undesirable
inners of a deer.
There's a sense of humiliation here of having to force down the unpleasant
taste of being wrong.
We also say, "eat crow", which means the same thing.
Such as: Our manager had to eat crow after the client discovered
a big mistake in our work.
 
umbles n.  edible inner parts of a deer or other animal
 
If anything: Like Millan, we often use this expression to imply that
there's very little of something, maybe even nothing.
Such as: Little if anything was good about his presentation.
Or, he contributed little if anything to the conversation.
 
Culpability: Deserving blame for some wrong doing, responsibility
for some bad thing.
The adjective is "culpable."
For example, "Who will be held culpable for the company's losses?"
Or, "The company decided he wasn't culpable for his subordinate's actions."
 
Get one's message across: Convey what you want to say,
make the other person understand.
For example, her emails are too wrong and rambling.
She needs to be concise to get her message across more effectively.
Or, the company has decided to use social media more
to get its message across to consumers.
 
 
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.

How are you all doing? 

Hi,  I trust you're all happy and healthy today. 
 
Today we'll be learning a phrase you can use to let people know
the hours your store or office is open.
 
Here are some other examples using the expression "24/7."
 
The first one is:
The next one is:
The last one is:
 
For me, this phrase carries significant weight when used by customer service.
An example might be "Feedback welcome 24/7."
Or, "We're here to take your claim 24/7."
 
 
Honestly Eriko, I think less about the number of minutes and more
on making each of them counts.
But you're right.
That number is significantly large.
I would be able to create my own business like ahh...
an edible flower arrangement service.
Well, maybe not.
But think about it.
If time is money, then 525600 is not just minutes. It's yen.
I can think of one more great way to make a few minutes
each day counts studying English.
 
 
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, get ready everyone. Here we go again.
 
Needs some time to check back with your boss or team members,
here's the perfect phrase for you.
 
The first one is:
The next one is:
And the last one is:
 
There are many different ways to phrase this sentence.
Two ways that I like are "Do you mind if I get back to you on that?"
and "Is it okay if I get back to you on that?".
 
I've had negotiation meetings with the teammates
where he and I had conflicting answers on every question the client posed.
"Can you get someone by Monday?"   "Yes."   "No."
"Is  there enough wiggle room in regard to costs?"     "Yes."   "No." 
My teammate and I were obviously not on the same page
and it showed poorly to the client.
We could and should have easily said, "Could we get back to you on that?"
 
 
See you next time.

 
 
 
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.
 
A Word to the Wise (6)
 
Talk the talk
 
S: Now in our current vignette, Paul Pearson describes how journalism
students  write their own obituaries to reflect on the life
they want to live and what they want to do to achieve that life.
Now, what would you put in your obituary, Heather?
 
H: That's an exercise that starts your thinking, isn't it?
It might be a good idea to do it every five or ten years to take stock
of where we are or where we'd like to go and to confirm
our guiding philosophies of life.
So, let's see.
Career-wise I might include something like, "Education was the overriding
passion of Howard's life. She constantly sought to share the enjoyment
she had in learning, and found particular success with the English-learning
app she designed for smartphones and tablet computers."
It was this that brought her particular fame and fortune.
Just kidding on that last one.
But I would like to say education was a life-long hobby as well as
a professional mission.
Friends spoke of her constant desire to learn something new:
from knitting and sawing to woodwork and playing the violin.
Cooking was the only area where she found progress impossible.
 
S: It sounds like your epitaph.
Well, don't give up on yourself in that area.
You might have a breakthrough someday.
What would you include about the personal side of your life?
 
H: My biggest hope from my daughter is that she'll be independent
and strong with an adventurous spirit.
So maybe I'd write something like:
She's survived by her husband and their daughter,
the famous photographer particularly well known for her portraits
of African lions.
Or, their daughter, the groundbreaking architect whose designs
cunningly incorporate nature into modern living spaces.
 
S: Well, later in the vignette, Alyce Collins describes how she advised
her nephew to write thank-you and follow-up notes by hand.
Would you agree?
 
H: Absolutely.
I used to do just that when I was an online movie click.
I had weekly drawings in which I gave away movie goods and tickets
to my readers.
And I always included a small hand written card saying "Congratulations!"
to the winners.
I often got emails and there were even a few hand written letters saying,
"Thank you. It was so nice of you to send a card."
I also agree with Pearson's advice about reading and writing a lot
to get better at writing ourselves.
And when we're writing, we should always think "shorter, tighter, stronger."
One of my favorite films(A River Runs Through It かも…) shows a son
writing an essay for his father, and each time he shows it to him,
the father says, "Good. Now make it half as long."
I think I might actually try that myself with my daughter someday.
 
S: Umemura Seiji also suggests finding a mentor which he says often
happens naturally.
 
H: That's true.
There are a number of people that I emulate.
But some of them probably don't even know that I think of them
as Ms. Mentors. 
I also read an article once that recommended patterning our behavior
after famous people we admire.
The idea was to think about what we admire in them,
and then apply those qualities to our own lives.
I'm a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, for example.
And one of his best traits was not rushing to judgment or action.
So I try to make sure I have all the facts or that I've cooled off
before I take action on something.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thanks for listening. Take care.

「謎」の進学校 麻布の教え 神田憲行
 
「捜査組曲」 今野敏
 
「毛深い闇」 園子温
 
******************************
 
「謎」の進学校 麻布の教え 神田憲行 …すごい。大学なんか出るより麻布を出た方が教養はつくかもな。
 
P39  麻布の過去の入試問題で、岡本さんが「感動した」というエピソードを紹介しよう。
 ある年の社会科で出た問題を要約すると、

 <<かつて、白黒テレビ・冷蔵庫・洗濯機が『三種の神器』と呼ばれた時代がありました。そのあと一九六〇年代にクーラー・カラーテレビ・カー()が登場して、今度は『三C』と呼ばれるようになりました。家電製品におけるこの変化によって、人々の生活はどのようにかわりましたか>>

 麻布は入試問題の解答を公開していないが、市販問題集の答えでは、
「エネルギーの需要が増えた」
 とあった。なんとなくピンとこなかった岡本さんは合格した子どもに、
「あの問題、なんて答えた?」
 と訊ねたところ、こんな「解答」があったそうだ。
「その子の答えは『コミュニケーションがとれない社会になった』。いわく、『車を使うから公共交通機関を使わなくなった、クーラーがあるから外に出なくなった、カラーテレビも同じ。だから人同士がコミュニケーションする機会が減った』と。それを麻布の先生が○にしたかはわかりませんけれど、たぶん○だと思うんです。こういう発想が麻布らしいんじゃないでしょうか」
 
P52 勉強もしなくて、最初の学期の平均点が五五点、次が六三点だったのを覚えている。お袋に「私の成績はこれですから東大は諦めてください」って手紙を書いた。でも海外から帰ってきたら急に勉強ができるようになってたんだよ。向こうの学校では英語で授業を受けてて、英語は主語と述語とか論理的な言葉だから数学の証明なんか明快でわかりやすいんだよね。ただ漢文、古文がさっぱりで、一年浪人して東大の文一に入りました。東大の授業はつまらなかったなあ。教養学部って、高校の復習みたいな授業だった。それだけ麻布の授業のレベルが高かったということかもしれない。 (与謝野馨 政治家、元財務大臣 一九五七年卒)
 
P131 「センター試験の政経の問題は、リード文は格調高いのに設問がちゃちなんです。リード文を読まなくても解けたり、消去法と国語力だけで解けたりする。でも麻布生は知らない形式の問題やテーマにぶつかると戸惑ったりするんです。だから授業ではリード文と同じくらい突っ込んだ話をやっておく。『受験のための授業はやらないよ』と言うと生徒はついてこないんですが、一方で受験のためだけの授業をしてもついてこないんです()。知的関心はそこそこあって、でも受験も気になっている。そこを両方くすぐりながら生徒の関心をこちらにもってくる」
 
P197 子どものの勉強の面倒だけを見るのではなく、心の問題、家庭まで踏み込んでいく教師たちの姿は、世間一般が想像する私立進学校のイメージからかけ離れているのではないだろうか。ただ生徒を「放牧」して「自由」を与えているのではなく、教師たちが陰で支えているからこその自由である。そのことがこの学校の最大の価値観であることを、教師・生徒ともに認識を共有できていることも大きい。
 
P205  「…教員たちの間にも、現役合格を増やそう、という声は出ていません。あんまりそっちの方に目がいくと学校が違う学校になってしまう気がします。『最終学歴・麻布』で十分やっていける教育でやってますから」
 
P223  「…うちは東大合格率の高い学校という旗ではなくて、人間形成という旗を立ててやっている。自分で考える人を育てるというのは麻布の生命線だから、それができないということは、なんのためにこの学校をやってるのかわからなくなってしまう」
 
P247 麻布の学校説明会を聞いていて、彦坂先生のひと言にふと胸を突かれた瞬間があった。
「この学校はどんな子どもにも居場所があります」
 中学高校と学校に馴染めず、半分登校拒否のような子どもだった私には、どこにも居場所はなかった。居場所を確保してくれる先生も、一緒に探してくれる人もいなかった。
 そうか、麻布の子には居場所を探してくれる先生がいるのか。
 中学生や高校生だったころの私が欲しかった言葉がそこにあった。
 
「捜査組曲」 今野敏 … 読みやすくてよかったよ。
 
 
p237 上の対応を考えているうちにだんだん腹が立ってきた。ちゃんとした態勢を作らないまま、仕事をどんどん持ち込んでくる。
 しわ寄せは全部現場がかぶるのだ。
 
「毛深い闇」 園子温 … うーん、よくわからん本だった。

 
 
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.
 
A Word to the Wise (5)
 
 
McMillan says advice can sometimes be harmful instead of helpful
and that he dislikes it when people tell him in an arrogant manner
that he should be doing something.
Umemura criticizes the preachy tone of some advice.
Pearson advises learning whenever possible.
And Umemura says he was told to develop himself professionally
whenever he could.
Pearson recommends giving advice without seeming to do so.
 
 
Counterproductive: Have the opposite effect of what's intended.
Work against our purpose.
For example, losing our temper in an argument is counterproductive.
It makes us look overemotional and unprofessional.
 
Bristle: When "bristle" is a noun, it refers to short, stiff coarse hairs
or filaments, like the bristles on a hairbrush.
As a verb, we often use it to mean "get angry because we're offended."
Imagine the hairs of an agitated animal rising up.
For example, he bristled when our boss criticized his presentation.
Or, she bristled when he doubted her excuse for coming in late.
 
Come over all superior: In this case, "come over" means
"make a certain impression."
And if we come over all something, we give a strong impression of that word.
We act strongly that way.
So, she came over all apologetic.
Or, he came over all Mr. Know It All. 知ったかぶり屋さん
 
And I think, "come over all" is usually used in a critical sense.
You're saying, "And then, he did this."
Or, "Can you believe he did this?"… sort of feeling.
 
Well-meant: Something well-meant is done with good intentions.
Well-meaning is another way to say this.
Or, mean well.
For example, Helen meant well when she critiqued John's report.
But he took offense.
 
Never pass up a chance to learn:
Here "pass up" means forgo some opportunity.
Not take advantage of some opportunity.
For example, this salary is too high to pass up.
Or, I've got to go to the office party.
I never pass up a chance to mingle with the bosses.
 
Higher-up: Someone ranked higher in an organization.
The plural is "higher-ups."
Things like, this is a great idea. But we need approval from the higher-ups.
And as far as I know, there is no opposite expression.
I don’t think we call anyone lower-downs.
 
Direct report  私は人間で、レポートではない。
 
I have 10 reports. I have 10 direct reports.
 
If need be: If necessary, in other words.
You could say, "I can come in on Saturday if need be."
Or, "We'll take a taxi if need be."
 
Trick: The secret, the key to doing something right.
To getting the outcome you want.
Such as: One of the tricks to being a good manager is to treat everyone
equally, fairly.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
See you next time. Take care.

 
 
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.
 
A Word to the Wise (4)
 
McMillan is getting the impression that Americans are addicted to advice.
And Collins says not all advice is equally helpful.
McMillan says Americans always believe there are someone
who can solve their problems.
And Collins describes how she responds to unsought advice with thanks
and the statement that she's not looking for advice right now.
Pearson recommends asking for specific advice.
 
 
From all and sundry: From everyone, from one and all.
This is a little formal, an old-fashioned sounding.
But we still use it.
Things like: The new marketing scheme has drawn praise from all and sundry.
Or, the company has sent invitations to all and sundry.
This will be a huge event.
 
A bit formal, an old-fashioned sounding.
 
Be addicted to: McMillan means Americans just can't stop doing something.
They have a compulsive need for it.
It can also mean that we really really like something.
You know, we can't get enough of it.
I'm addicted to beef jerky.
 
Not do any good: Not help at all.  Have no good effect.
For example, I tried to explain. But it didn't do any good. She won't listen.
Or, I restarted my computer. But it didn't do any good.
I still can't open the file.
 
Overrate: Evaluate something more highly than it deserves.
Think more highly of it than it deserves.
You could say, that hotel is overrated: It's very expensive.
But the rooms are small and the service is so-so.
The opposite expression is "underrate" when something or someone
is not valued as much as they deserve.
For example, good fashion sense is underrated.
Knowing how to dress well is very important.
 
Come in all sorts of shapes and sizes:
There's a wide variety of something, many different forms of it.
And you can also say just "come in all shapes and sizes."
Things like: Career opportunities come in all shapes and sizes.
Or, tax breaks come in all shapes and sizes.
 
Unsolicited: To solicit something is to ask for it.
A newspaper could solicit opinions from its readers.
An architectural competition could solicit submissions.
So if something is unsolicited, it was asked for, it was not sought.
For example, I hate getting unsolicited calls from telemarketers.
 
Respond with: Respond in the form of. Respond this way.
Things like:
When we tried to cancel our contract, they responded with a lawsuit.
Or, when they tried to cut his paying, he responded, "Forget it."
 
Give someone an out: Give someone a way to get out of a situation.
Provide an exit in case they need it.
For example, the three-month trial period gives a company an out
if an employee isn't a good fit.
 
Further down the road: Later on.  In the future.
Collins also could have said, "down the line."
Things like: We'll probably move to a bigger office a few years down the line.
Or, we'll hire more staff further down the road.
 
 
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.
 
Hi! Listen closely and you can learn a thing or two.
 
Here's a phrase you can use when you need
to schedule a meeting to discuss things further.
 
Here's the first one.
The next one is:
The last one is:
 
Another way to phrase this would be:
Why don't we pick this up again next week?
The image is that you're putting down the discussion for now.
 
That would be great.

Oh, well. I'd love to hear you sing the song for us now.
 
Hmm. I should pass this one.
 
No? Okay.Our phrase today is the great to-be-continued sentence.
 
I can see that. Let's talk about it.
 
This phrase has been used by several of my previous bosses
to set up evaluation meetings or organize a follow up meeting
for progress checking.
I have an idea.
Why don'tall of our listeners tune in again soon
and we can talk about a few more useful phrases?
 
Sure. Why not?
 
 
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, let's have a great show.
 
Having trouble scheduling a meeting?
We'll show you an easy way to ask for someone's availability.
 
Here ares one other examples that are related to 
"What day would work for you."
The first one is:
The next one is:
And the last one is:
 
English is a funny language.
We somehow manage to have the word, "work" and "suit"mean  the same thing.
Just remember not to say, "I have to go into suit today."
 
That's true.
In fact, isn't it considered rude at times?
But in English, I make a point of using personal pronounce out of respect
and to avoid ambiguity.
Imagine only saying, "what day would work?" to an entire group of people,
everyone would look at each other and say, "Who? Me?"
Experiment with English all you want.
Just keep our words of advice in the forefront of your mind to guide you.
 
 
Thanks for listening. And Join us again.

イメージ 1

今、9巻まで読み終わった。
伊坂幸太郎は天才だ。
魔王 JUVENILE REMIX
これは買う価値のある漫画

 
 
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.
 
A Word to the Wise (3)
 
Collins and Umemura agree that the best first job after college graduation
could be with a PR or communications agency.
Pearson says working one year at an agency is equivalent to three years
on the client side in terms of work experience.
Collins says she advises her nephew to write thank you and follow-up notes.
And Umemura suggests finding a mentor.
 
 
That's sound advice: "Sound" is used in many different situations to mean,
"free from error" or "flow."
In this case, the advice has no flaw in terms of logic or wisdom.
You could also talk about "sound reasoning" or "sound investments."
Investments that are reliable, secure.
 
Craft: Here "craft" is a noun referring to a job or activity
that will require skill, technique of some kind.
The craft of wood working, for example.
Or the craft of public relations.
 
The craft of communications communication という技能
 
Good for her: Well done. Her action deserves praise.
Imagine a friend of yours quit smoking, you could tell them,
"Good for you. You'll feel better and live longer."
 
On the client side: It's also common to say, "on the adjective side",
meaning someone or something tends to be this way.
They're somewhat…
Things like, that's a good laptop. But it's on the expensive side.
Or, personally, I'm on the clumsy side.
 
Set someone apart: Differentiate someone from the rest of the group.
Make them stand out.
This often means "stand out in a good way."
But not always.
Things like, his strong creativity set him apart from the other job candidates.
Or, my love of old movies set me apart from many kids my age.
They thought it was weird.
 
As far as it goes: We often use this expression to mean
"Something is good, effective to a certain degree. But it's not enough.
It's not adequate by itself."
Things like: Hard work is fine as far as it goes.
But skill, technique is also necessary.
 
Personal touch: An element, an action that shows a specific individual
was involved in something.
It makes it more excessive, gives it a more humanized feeling.
Adding personal anecdotes to a presentation can give it a personal touch.
 
Human touch
 
Mentor: This comes from a person's name in Greek mythology.
A man named Mentor was put in charge of the education of Odysseus's son.
It can be a verb as well as a noun.
For example, he mentor several new staff each year.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Thank you for tuning in. Take care.

「性犯罪被害にあうということ」 小林美佳
 
******************************
 
「性犯罪被害にあうということ」 小林美佳 … 男には到底わからないだろう。この恐怖・絶望感。
心あるカウンセラーもいる一方。
通った心理カウンセラー育成の専門学校にいたとんでもない講師。しかも女性講師。
裁判官自体が、ひどい目に遭わされる体験をしない限り、無理だと思う。
性犯罪者に対して、この世界は甘すぎる。
性犯罪の加害者の人権も守られなければならない、なんてことをほざく連中。
そんな連中は、まずひどい目に遭ったこともなく、常に、安全地帯にいて、傍観しているだけ。
この本では、事件後の両親との確執も語られている。
筆者に対して、事件後、暴力をふるうことさえあった父母ですら、筆者が自殺したら、自らも死のうと決意していた。
このような考えると、どうして被害者側がこれほどまでに苦しまなくてはならないのか、と慄然とする。
加害者のやった罪状はあまりにひどい。しかも加害者は野放しのままだ。
それと驚くのは、強姦より強盗のほうが量刑が重いとのこと。
まったく日本の法体系・裁判制度はどうしようもない。
 
被害に遭って、実名と自らの顔を表に出せる人というのは、非常に少ないだろう、ということは容易に想像がつく。
そして思うのは、従軍慰安婦の問題もリンクしているのではないか、ということ。
事の性質からいって、自ら声を上げる人はとてつもなく少数派だろう。
軍の関係者にしても、慰安婦の人も。
そして、加害者側は、「表立つた証拠」がない、ということを強調する。
そのあたりの想像力の乏しい人が、やたらと日本の名誉の問題、などとほざく。
 
P121 "警察も裁判官もマスコミも、私を守ってはくれない"
"裁判は辛い……絶対勧めない" 
"あそこのカウンセリングは全然だめ!"
 
P123 相手の弁護士からは、嫌なことをたくさん聞かれる。 
 裁判官には、
「どうしてそんなに平気でいられるのですか? 嘘をついているからでは? 普通の女の人はこんなところに立つことは耐えられないでしょう」
 と言われ、自分の味方がいないような気になったという。
 
P132-133 それならばプロの意見を聴こう。そう思いつき、インターネットや本で、カウンセリングルームを探した。
 いくつかに電話をしたり訪れてみたりしたが、電話に出た受付の人や、白衣を着たカウンセラーに、「辛かったですね」「わかりますよ」と、嘘くさい言葉や笑顔を浮かべられ、「もういいです」と逃げてきたとこが何軒あったことか。
 
P144-148   一人でも多くの被害者の声を聞きたいと思い、週に二回、仕事後に心理カウンセラー育成の専門学校に通い始めた。
 しかしここでも私は納得できないまま、むしろ反感を抱きつつ授業を受けることとなる。
 最初の授業。
「どんな人を相手にしたいか、どんな仕事をしたいか、どんなことに役立てたいか明確なものがある人いますか?」
 という質問に、誰も手を挙げないので、私は、
「犯罪被害者、特に性犯罪の被害者の危機介入やカウンセリングをしたい。私自身が経験して、足りないと感じたものが多かったので、それを補えるような仕事がしたい」
 と答えた。
「犯罪被害者」という言葉のイメージもわかっていたが、カウンセラー学校に来るくらいの人たちならそれなりに理解してくれるだろうと踏んで、あえてそのまま使った。
 が、講師はこう意見した。
「相手に気持を押しつけてない? 自分が辛いからって、相手も同じように辛いとは限らない」
 その後も話は続く。
「人間には意識・無意識というのがあって、いまのあなたの答えは、意識から出たもの。その奥にある無意識に気づいていない……あなたがいま誰かのためにと思っていることは、本当は自分を助けてほしいという気持があって、それに気づいていないだけなんじゃない? 本当は自分が救われたいだけじゃないの?」
 と、フロイトの「無意識の葛藤」論に話を持っていかれた。
『このための質問?』
 正直に答えたことを後悔した。怒りがこみ上げてきて、講師から目をそらし、話も聞かずにいた。
「他に誰か?」
 という講師の質問に、もう誰も答えなかった。
 授業の後、生徒の何人かに「熱いよね」と言われた。
『熱い??』
 驚いた。自分が「熱い」人間だとは認識していなかったから。
 そう思われているなら、イメージどおり、どんどん食いついてやろう。毎回の授業でも、思いつくままに質問をしていった。「決めつけるな」と力説したいた講師に、
「通り魔みたいに、自分の欲求を満たすためだけに人に手を下したり、殺人や危害を加えることは、絶対的に悪いことですよね?」
 と質問した。すると、
「それが悪いことだっていうのはあなたの価値観で、相手に対して押しつけているよね? それではだめです」
 との答えが返ってきた。
「じゃう、道徳とか善悪って何ですか?」
「何でしょう……哲学的で答えが出せないね」
……はぐらかされた。
 物事の善悪を曖昧にしてまで相手の存在を認めることが、カウンセリングなのか?
 それならば私は、カウンセラーにはなれない。
 被害者にとって、加害者は「悪」なのだ。
 どう転んでも、私には被害にあった経験があって、被害者を守るための仕事がしたかったのだから。被害者として、社会や周りの人に分かってもらうために必要なものを探したかったのだから。
 そしてもし、どこかに同じように被害を受けたり、もっともっと苦しい思いをしている人がいて、私がその人たちの存在を知ることができたなら、それは私にとって財産である。だから私は、一人でも多くの被害者の存在を知りたかった。私一人ではなく、被害者が求めていることを知るために。
 結局私はこの学校に一年間通い、「熱い人」をやり抜いた。
 最後まで、講師を尊敬することができなかった。
 
P156 気づいても、誰のせいにもできずにいるのが、性犯罪被害者。
 あの道を歩いたこと、その場にいたこと、容姿にまで後悔と反省を重ねている人さえいる。生まれてきたことや自分の存在そのものに矛先が向き、命を絶った人もいる。

 
 
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.
 
A Word to the Wise (2)
 
Pearson says the spread of digital media has reduced the number of jobs
in journalism.
And McMillan says a growing number of journalism students are
considering other professions.
Pearson confides that his son ultimately decided on a career in PR
though he may get an MBA later.
He also describes some of the advice he's given his son:
such as how to become a better writer.
 
 
Look at: Examine something, consider something
to see if we want to do it or use it.
Things like: We're looking at moving to a new office.
Or, she's looking at getting a graduate degree.
 
Content is King. 一番重視しなければならないのはコンテンツ、内容である。
 
Understandable: Capable of being understood.
Like, visible means capable of being seen.
The suffix "able" or "able(eibl)" can also mean "worthy of", "fit for."
"Commendable" means "worthy of being commended, should be praised."
You could tell a colleague who's doing a lot of overtime,
"Your dedication is commendable. But don't work too hard."
 
Under the circumstances: McMillan also could have said,
"Given the circumstances."
Both mean "when one consider the situation, the circumstances."
For example, given the circumstances, I think we should scrap project A.
We don't have the time or the budget right now.
 
Debate: As we see here, "debate" can mean "argue the pros and cons of
something with oneself as well as with someone else."
For example,
the company is debating whether to spin off some of its departments.
Or, I'm debating whether to buy a new computer.
 
Ultimately: At the end of some process or period of time.
Such as: Company X ultimately won the bid for the public work's project.
Or, ultimately the negotiations were unsuccessful.
We couldn't agree on the terms on the contract.
 
Go for: In this case, "go for" means "attempt to achieve", "aim for."
She's decided to go for a raise this year, for example.
"Go for" can also mean "sell for a certain amount."
Someone might ask you, "How much does a new house in Tokyo go for?"
 
Wish someone the best of luck: Wish that someone will do well,
that things will go well for them.
We also wish someone all the best.
For example, we're very sorry to see you leave the company, John.
But we wish you all the best.
 
Transition: Here "transition" is a noun. But it can also be a verb.
Such as: It can be difficult transitioning to management:
former colleagues become subordinates and you interact differently. 
 
 
That's all for today.
 
Always great to see you. Bye, bye.

「家のない少女たち 10代家出少女18人の壮絶な性と生」 鈴木大介
 
「フォルトゥナの瞳」 百田尚樹
 
******************************
 
「家のない少女たち 10代家で少女18人の壮絶な性と生」 鈴木大介 
 
… すごいと思った。
何というか、一般的な常識では到底、及びもつかない。ものすごく複雑な思いを抱いた。
「援助交際で救われている女の子もいる」なんて、とても普通の大人には理解しがたいだろう。
でも、それはそれを言う大人が、当事者には絶対になれないからであって、当人たちの気持というか、大人のエゴも含めて、日本という国はほんとうにどうしようもないと感じる。
自分の生まれ育った家庭自体が地獄の苦しみの少女たちが実在する。
幼くして地獄を味わっている少女たちが現存する。しかも、先進国と言われる、この日本に。
こんな現実があるのに、従軍慰安婦の問題など、日本の名誉回復だけを唱えている人は暇な人としか思えない。
第一、今現在、地獄を味わっている少女たちの痛みに比べれば、日本の名誉回復など、実に些末なことだ。
南京事件にしてもそうだけど、自分の目で確かめたわけでもないのに、自虐史観はよくないとかどうとかいう人。
この本を読んで、そんな遠い過去の事よりも、現代の日本について自虐的に感じてしまった。
つい数年前から続いている原発の問題にしても、推進派と反対派の意見がこう真っ向から食い違っているというのに、
何十年も前のことがわかるはずがない。
今現在、嘘をついている人がいるというのに、70年くらい前の出来事など、いくらでも嘘がつけることだろう。
 
「フォルトゥナの瞳」 百田尚樹… おもしろかった。
 
P188-189 「たしかにあのパティシエは哀れだ。人生の絶頂を迎えながら、それを十分に謳歌することもできずに、命を失うんだから。しかし、人生とはそういうものだ。そういうケースは全然珍しくない。今、こうして話している間にも、交通事故で死んでいく人間は何人もいるんだ。みんな事故の瞬間まで、まさか自分が死ぬとはまるで考えていない。今夜の予定も入っていただろうし、来月のスケジュールも決まっていただろう。しかし、全部パーだ。」
 黒川はタバコの煙を天井に向かって吐いた。
「俺だってそうだが、人間というのは自分がいつ死ぬかがわからない。まあ、末期ガンにでもなれば別だがな。しかし、もし自分の人生が三十歳で終わるとわかっていたなら、誰でもまるで違った生き方をするだろう。だが、幸か不幸か、終わりがいつ来るかはわからない。で、たいていの奴が水で薄めたみたいな生き方をしている。やりたいことや夢は誰でも持っているが、本気でそれに向かって進む奴は少ない。なぜかと言えば、自分には時間がたっぷりあると信じているからだ。何の根拠もなく、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 Heather Howard.
Let's take a look at conversation at work.
 
A Word to the Wise (1)
 
 
Pearson says his son Jim just spent a year working as an intern
in Buenos Aires and is now in his last year of journalism school.
He explains that journalism students  have to write their own obituaries
to help them consider what kind of life they want to have.
Collins compliments Jim's determination and courage
given the poor job market for journalists.
 
 
Send someone one's best: Convey one's best regards, one's best wishes.
Let's say you have a colleague on maternity leave, you could write an email
saying "Everyone at the office sends you their best. We miss you."
 
Obituary: Umemura talks about literally writing one's own obituary,
an announcement of someone's death and a description of their life.
We also have the metaphorical expression "write one's own ticket."
This means be able to demand advantageous terms that the other side
will accept.
Imagine a very successful CEO with an incredible track record.
She can write her own ticket when moving to a new company.
For example, she can demand a high salary and lots of perks
and the new company will agree because they really want her.
 
What's that all about?: What's going on with that?
If two people in your office had a big argument, you could ask a colleague,
"What's that all about?"
What led to the fight?, in other words. What's going on?
 
Reflect on: In this case, "reflect" means "ponder",
"think about something carefully."
For example, every Friday, he reflects on the past week
and what he accomplished.
Or, she's taking some time to reflect on the job offer before
making a final decision.
 
Biography: This is an account of someone's life written by another person.
When a person writes about their own life, that's autobiography.
We also say "bio", which is often used to mean a short description of
someone's life and work so far.
You could say, the company newsletter always includes a short bio
on new employees.
 
Lead an orderly, linear life: We use "orderly" in many situations to mean
free from turmoil and disarray.
For example, it's important to me to have an orderly desk. I hate clutter.
Or, the passengers boarded the train in an orderly fashion meaning,
they were well-behaved, didn't crowd and shove. That sort of thing.
 
Sheer spunk: Collins uses "sheer" to mean unmixed with anything else,
disassociated with anything else.
You could say, in terms of sheer profit, Company X suffered a loss.
But they got a lot of good publicity.
"Sheer" can also mean "unqualified", "utter."
Things like: What a great idea! That is sheer genius.
Or, there's no excuse for this mistake. It's sheer carelessness.
 
"Spunk" is a little tricky to translate.
I'd say it's a combination of "spirit", "courage" and "determination."
The adjective is "spunky."
 
Be on the decline: The number of working journalists has been declining,
Pearson means.
We also say, "on the increase" and "on the rise."
Such as: Consumer prices have been on the increase
for the last five quarters.
Or, our sales are finally on the rise again.
 
 
That's all for today.
 
See you next time. Bye, bye.

 
It's timefor 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. 
Thinking caps on. Let's begin.
 
Today  we'll learn an easy way to convey your flexibility
when scheduling appointments and meetings.
 
Here ares ome other examples that are related to "any time would do."
The first one is:
The next one is:
The last one is:
 
This is a great phrase for when you have large chunks
of time open during a day.
You could also say, "Anytime before noon would do."
 
I have a story about that very thing.
When any time would do is spoken great care should be
taken in how quickly and how deliberately you say it.
Let me illustrate.
I was asked by a client to review details of a contract.
My client said,
"I have time Tuesday at 2 p.m. or Wednesday at 11 a.m."
I quickly replied, "Anytime would do."
And then he said, "In that case, how about Tuesday morning
before my other meetings around 6 a.m.?"
He had interpreted my quick anytime as anytime.
I was a bit embarrassed and backtracked immediately.
 
Thanks for joining us.
See you next time.


Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - Anything Goes (Studio Video)   

Tonny Bennett 88歳! とんでもない じい様だな。

 
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.

Hi, I'm feeling great. How about you?

Making an appointment is one of the basic tenets of business.
Listen up for tips  on how to do this smoothly.
 
 
The first one is:
The next one is:
And the last one is:
 
I always use this phrase when schedules are unclear.
Using questions I never demand a strict schedule.
I only allow the other party to confirm or request a better time.
 
I've had many different bosses in my professional career.
The two that I remember stand our for completely different reasons.
The first one because he was extremely good with people, kind,
considerate and never gave orders, only made requests.
He was particularly adept at utilizing
"Do you think you could…?" phrases.
The second boss I remember for never giving feedback making
unrealistic demands and ordering everyone around.
The more pleasant experience was more certainly the first boss.
But what I hope this story also illustrates is a better way to work.
 
 
See you next time.


先日、英検1級を初めて受けた、中3のK子ちゃん。

本人は、受ける気はなかったんだけど、

お父さんが申し込みをしていたため、仕方なく受験することに。

結果は、66点で、不合格A。(合格点80点)。

9年前、「この子にはいつか追い越される」って思ってたけど、

いよいよ現実になってきた。トホホ。

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