2008.12.03
2008年12月第1週分 Lesson 5 Airport Hassles (1)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Kinkaid relates her most recent troubled travel, and the team joins in.
● Exactly what happened? いったい何があったんですか。
Shiga adds the word exactly to his question "What happened?" It makes it sound a little bit more like he really wants the details, although he could’ve said just "What happened?"
・ exactly <informal> used to ask for more information about something : Where exactly did you stay in France? / Exactly what are you trying to tell me? (OALD)
● get stranded 足止めされる，立ち往生する
・ stranded a person or vehicle that is stranded is unable to move from the place where they are [= stuck]:
Air travellers were left stranded because of icy conditions. (LDOCE)
● grounded 離陸できない，地上待機になっている
In this case, the word grounded makes very literal sense: the planes have to stay on the ground. But grounded is also used as a kind of punishment. It has a broader meaning that says you have to stay where you are, not that you can’t take off. So often in the U.S., a parent will punish their kid, usually older kids like teenagers, by telling them they’re grounded — they can’t go out of the house, they can’t do anything fun and special, they can only go to school.
・ Do you want to be grounded? 遊びに行けなくなってもいいの。 （ジーニアス大英和）
・ ground
If an aircraft or its passengers are grounded, they are made to stay on the ground and are not allowed to take off. : The civil aviation minister ordered all the planes to be grounded. / A hydrogen leak forced NASA to ground the space shuttle.
When parents ground a child, they forbid them to go out and enjoy themselves for a period of time, as a punishment. : Thompson grounded him for a month, and banned television. (COBUILD)
● on a wait list 順番待ちをしている
・ wait list = waiting list
● the Great Lakes は日本では「五大湖」と言っているが，
I think everybody knows there’s five of them
● some かなりの，ちょっとした
Some, of course, means "not all but more than none", but another way to use some is as an intensifier. It has pretty much the same meaning as remarkable or remarkably.
● take refuge 避難する
・ take/seek refuge (in something)
During the frequent air-raids, people took refuge in their cellars.
● cove 入り江
A cove is actually a fairly small and rather sheltered inlet or bay, so massive tankers were probably not actually in coves. But choosing the word cove makes it sound nice and cozy and safe.
● 接続詞の only
(LDOCE) used like ‘but’ to give the reason why something is not possible: I’d offer to help, only I’m really busy just now.
(OALD) except that; but : I’d love to come, only I have to work. / It tastes like chicken, only stronger.
(COBUILD) 1. Only can be used to add a comment which slightly changes or limits what you have just said. <INFORMAL> : It’s just as dramatic as a film, only it’s real. / Drop in and see me when you’re ready. Only don’t take too long about it. = but, except
2. Only can be used after a clause with ‘would’ to indicate why something is not done. <SPOKEN> : I’d invite you to come with me, only it’s such a long way. / I’d be quite happy to go. Only I don’t know what my kids would say about living there. = but
● a seven-hour flight to nowhere
Flight to nowhere. You can say something to nowhere to describe something that you think is useless. It doesn’t even actually have to be some kind of transportation or something that moves you. I checked on the Internet. You can find all kinds of things. For example, the fuel to nowhere or the pipeline to nowhere, the diploma to nowhere. It’s something that doesn’t help you.
・ in the middle of nowhere なんにもないところに
● cover ～を補償する
Cover is a verb you can often use to talk about paying for something. You can cover the cost, you can cover a bill. The same word is used in insurance. "Does your insurance cover your costs for medical care or getting your car repaired?" for example.
● signage 案内表示，標識
signage = signs, especially ones that give instructions or directions to the public (OALD)
● 空港における表示のわかりにくさについて
Yeah, that can be pretty irritating, especially if you’re in a rush, if you weren’t able to have enough time between flights. Another thing that really annoys me is customs and immigration, because .. I don’t mind them asking questions so much, they’re doing the right job, but it seems like there’s often not enough people processing travelers. We came from Mexico once through Houston. Hundreds, hundreds and hundreds, probably thousands of people were in lines trying to get through. Luckily, we were coming into the U.S. and I’m a U.S. citizen and my husband could come with me because we were married. But it still took us probably an hour to get through.
● get mixed up 頭が混乱する
・ mixed up [not before noun] confused, for example because you have too many different details to remember or think about: I get all mixed up over the money whenever I travel abroad. (LDCOE)
2008.12.04
2008年12月第1週分 Lesson 5 Airport Hassles (2)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Shiga says he worries about losing his luggage. And the others talk about how the system works.
● connecting flights （飛行機の）乗り継ぎ便
● transfer 乗り継ぎする，乗り換える
My parents just went to Lincoln. And they flew from Mexico and then they had to transfer twice in the U.S.
● per se それ自体は
Tyson uses the word per se. It’s two words — p-e-r and then a space and s-e. I think most English speakers don’t know exactly what those words mean. They come from Latin. The meaning, though as a phrase they understand it, means as such or the thing as it is.
・ per se used meaning ‘by itself’ to show that you are referring to something on its own, rather than in connection with other things : The drug is not harmful per se, but is dangerous when taken with alcohol. (OALD)
● drive ～ clean out of one’s mind ～の頭をおかしくさせる
Tyson also talks about "being driven clean out of his mind." Clean can also be used to mean thorough or complete. You can use it, for example, in the phrase "clean getaway."
・ drive somebody out of their mind / drive somebody up the wall = make someone feel very annoyed (LDOCE)
・ clean Clean is used to emphasize that something was done completely. (INFORMAL) : It burned clean through the seat of my overalls. / I clean forgot everything I had prepared. (COBUILD)
● harried 責められている，悩まされている，いらいらした
Harried is very similar to harassed in meaning. It means you’re being disturbed or bothered as if by repeated attacks. So something that keeps irritating you and bothering you and it comes again and again there’s(?) many similar ones makes you feel harried.
・ harry to make repeated attacks on an enemy (OALD)
● scramble to V 先を争って～しようとする
Scramble is a verb that, of course, means mixed-up eggs. But you can also use it to mean struggle or fight franticly. It’s often used when there isn’t enough of something and everybody is trying to get it at the same time. In this situation, you could also use the phrase, "Hurry up and wait," which sounds like an oxymoron, but doesn’t it feel like that in the airport? You hurry, hurry, hurry to get to the right place at the right time and they you wait. Hurry up and wait!
・ scramble to try to do something difficult very quickly
scramble to do something : They were scrambling to give the impression that the situation was in control. (LDOCE)
● pilfer くすねる，盗む
・ pilfer to steal things of little value or in small quantities, especially from the place where you work (OALD)
● meet the same fate 同じ運命に遭う
● go missing なくなる
・ Two files have gone missing. / Our cat’s gone missing again. (OALD)
● file （書類などを）提出する
・ file <law> to give a document to a court or other organization so that it can be officially recorded and dealt with
file a complaint/lawsuit/petition etc (against somebody) : Mr Genoa filed a formal complaint against the department. (LDOCE)
● lost baggage claim 紛失届け
Tyson talks about "filing a lost baggage claim." A claim is a paper or statement that says something is true. It’s often about a complaint but it’s not a complaint itself.
● some dark corner of the world 世界のどこかの暗い片隅
You can use the phrase "some dark corner of the world" to talk about places where things disappear, you can’t really see it very well. It sounds like a bit of a doubtful or dangerous kind of a place. You could say an out-of-the-way place. But that has a more neutral meaning.
・ out-of-the-way 人里離れた，へんぴな
= far from a town or city (OALD)
● song and dance 大騒ぎ，ごたごた
The phrase "song and dance" can be used to refer to almost anything that’s meant to mislead, that’s kind of confusing, that is a sort of an explanation or justification of something that happened.
・ a song and dance (about something) <informal>
a) <British English> if you make a song and dance about something, you behave as if it was worse, more important, more difficult etc than it really is: Suzy was there, making a song and dance about her aching feet.
b) <American English> an explanation or excuse that is too long and complicated: She gave us a long song and dance about why she was late. (LDOCE)
2008.12.05
2008年12月第1週分 Lesson 5 Airport Hassles (3)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
The group discusses how luggage gets lost and what you can do about it.
● carousel 回転コンベアー
A carousel is a circular conveyer, especially the kind you see in airports. But you can also use the word to mean merry-go-round, which is sometimes a circular conveyer for kids to play on.
● hub ハブ空港（貨客を中継する役割を持った拠点空港）
A hub is a central point of a circle. So also on cars, the centers of wheels are called hubs and so cars have hubcaps.
● "Connecting bags and travelers can become a real nightmare"
Cortez uses the word connecting at the beginning of her sentence, but she’s not talking about connecting flights. She’s using it also in the meaning of "put together", but in this case she means keeping bags and the people who own them on the same flight.
● antiquated 時代遅れの，老朽化した
Although many people like antique, if you use this antiquated, it’s always used negatively to mean something that’s really too old and needs to be updated.
・ antiquated old-fashioned and not suitable for modern needs or conditions – used to show disapproval [= outdated]: antiquated laws (LDOCE)
● stop over 途中下車する，旅の途中で止まる
stop over = to stop somewhere and stay a short time before continuing a long journey, especially when travelling by plane: The plane stops over in Dubai on the way to India. (LDOCE)
● business pitch = business presentation
Pitch, in English, has many meanings. In this case, a business pitch is usually some kind of proposal, some kind of a plan that you want the other people to go along with.
・ go along with ～ ～を支持する = agree with ～
● I didn’t think to plan ahead
Tyson starts off by saying "I didn’t think." He could have said "it didn’t occur to me." That phrase might be a little difficult for non-English speakers to use. It doesn’t seem like it sort of logically will come into your head to use the word occur to talk about something you are thinking about.
● think to V Vすることを予想する・予期する(expect)
・ [think to inf.] to remember something; to have something come into your mind : I didn’t think (= It did not occur to me) to tell her.
● trans- 横断の
Kinkaid talks about transatlantic travel. Trans- is a prefix you can use with many words to mean "across" or "on the other side" or even "through." So you will also hear transpacific, the trans-Siberian railways, very famous, and transcontinental is used quite a bit in the U.S. because people do go all the way across the continent fairly often.
2008.12.10
2008年12月第2週分 Lesson 5 Airport Hassles (4)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Kinkaid observes that no matter what you’re up against when flying you’ll do better if you stay calm and treat airline workers politely.
・ be up against ～ 直面する = facing problems or opposition : Teachers are up against some major problems these days. (OALD)
● check one’s luggage 荷物を預ける
・ check （所持品を札などと交換に）一時預ける
● ship 発送する
Almost anything larger than a letter that you send somewhere, you can say you are shipping it.
● walk off
Walk off is kind of a nice verb to use here, because it sounds like "walk off the plane." You don’t have to go near baggage claim. You just take your time and stroll away. You could also use the verb walk off, though, to show that you’re not paying attention to someone. Instead of talking or interacting, you just walk off.
・ walk off = to leave someone by walking away from them, especially in a rude or angry way: Don’t just walk off when I’m trying to talk to you! (LDOCE)
● 飛行機登場の際の液体の持ち込み規制以降，荷物の量が異常に増えたこと
I was unlucky enough to be flying the day after this happened, when everything was still pretty chaotic. But luckily, I got to the airport really early, like almost four hours early, and of course at that point I went right through all of the security and everything and ended up waiting for hours until I could get on my plane.
・ end up Ving しまいにはVする，Vするはめになる
● Duty-free shop で買ったものも規制される場合があり，空港によってまちまち
It’s always best to check every time you fly.
● slash 削減する
= reduce something by a large amount
● take it on the chin 状況を受け入れる
Kinkaid uses the phrase "take it on the chin." This phrase is often used when you just have to put up with something. You could say you have to be stoic, you have to be brave and not complain. A similar phrase is "take it like a man."
The idiom comes from boxing. If you can take a punch on your chin, and continue fighting, you are considered a very good boxer.
・ take something on the chin = to accept a difficult or unpleasant situation without complaining — used to show approval: One of our great strengths is our ability to take it on the chin and come out fighting. (LDCOE)
● Believe me. ほんとうですよ。
・ Believe (you) me. You can use believe you me to emphasize that what you are saying is true. : It’s absolutely amazing, believe you me. (COBUILD)
● empathize with ～ ～の身になる
・ empathize = to understand another person’s feelings and experiences, especially because you have been in a similar situation (OALD)
● you get better service, if you can empathize with the harried person standing on the other side of the counter.
I’ve even read lots of advice that says, if you can be extra-kind and helpful to the counter people, at times like this. If there’s a chance of giving something away, you’ll be considered long before many other people.
● counterproductive 逆効果を招く
・ counterproductive = having the opposite effect to the one which was intended (OALD)
● at the end of the day 結局は，最後には
・ at the end of the day <spoken> used to give your final opinion after considering all the possibilities: At the end of the day, it’s his decision. (LDOCE)
● in one piece 無事に
Tyson makes a nice. .., almost, pun, using the word piece. If you’re in one piece, it means you came though OK, you’re safe, you’re not damaged, everything is fine. But he also uses the word piece to talk about luggage. When you count luggage, you count pieces of luggage. So, if you get through the airport in one piece (meaning you’re safe) with all your pieces (with all your luggage), you’ve had a pretty good trip.
・ in one piece If someone or something is still in one piece after a dangerous journey or experience, they are safe and not damaged or hurt. : … providing that my brother gets back alive and in one piece from his mission. ( = intact) (COBUILD)
2008.12.11
2008年12月第2週分 Lesson 5 Airport Hassles (5)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
== Key Phrases to Remember ==
● get stranded 足止めされる，立ち往生する
Get stranded is kind of an interesting phrase. Strand as a noun is another word for "beach." So, if you get stranded, it’s similar to a boat being left on the beach, away from the water. A similar phrase is "be left high and dry."
・ high and dry （船が）岸に乗り上げて，どうしようもない状態で 1. in a position out of the water 2. in a difficult situation, without help or money (OALD)
● massive 巨大な
● file a claim 賠償［補償］要求を出す，被害届を出す
This is a good way to use the word claim. It’s never used in English to mean complaint. It’s a formal statement of something that you say is true. I think the mix-up occurs because often you file a claim you formally say that something was not correct. It’s a formal complaint. I guess you could think of it that way.
● be at risk 危険にさらされる
● on the verge of ～ ～しかけて，～の直前で
I think it’s only … , as a noun, it’s only used in this phrase. As a verb, it’s also used quite a bit to mean you’re coming too close to something you shouldn’t do. So, for example, you could warn someone who’s written a strong letter that what they’ve written verges on libel. Maybe you’re not quite sure if it tips into the legal description of libel or not, but it’s very very close.
・ verge on ～ ～に近い，ほとんど～に等しい to be very close to an extreme state or condition: Some of his suggestions verged on the outrageous. (OALD)
・ libel 名誉毀損
● downturn 低迷，沈滞
Downturn is used a lot and has many synonyms such as fall, decline, down trend or even downswing. The opposite, upturn, is the same: upturn, increase, upswing, up-trend.
== あんな時，こんな時 ==
「心配している」と言う時
● go under = go bankrupt 破産する
● be worried sick 心配して病気になりそう
There’s a similar phrase, "I’m worried to death about tax audits." So, maybe that worry was pretty accurate.
● Something’s not right.
There’s a similar phrase: something has been gnawing at me.
・ gnaw かじる，苦しめる
2008.12.12
2008年12月第2週分 Lesson 5 Airport Hassles (6)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
S = 杉田敏 I = Susan Iwamoto
S: Recently we’ve been discussing the downside of air travel; namely, delays, lost luggage and other frustrations. Any horror stories of your own, Susan?
I: Well, I’ve had my share of hassles, but I’ve heard a lot worse from other hardened travelers. Of course it’s important to be prepared for delays, and also for security and checking procedures, which may vary from airport to airport. It’s helpful to have some sort of contingency plan. And by this, I don’t mean that you have to have everything planned out to the last detail. But you need to have some idea of what you might do if a problem arises.
・ horror stories 悲惨な体験（談） a report that describes an experience of a situation as very unpleasant (OALD)
・ hardened 常習の，常連の
S: Right. Be prepared, right?
I: Exactly. For example, like I always allow extra time for delays and I bring work or magazines, books, other reading materials, just in case I end up with too much time on my hands. I wear clothes and accessories that aren’t likely to set off the metal detectors, and shoes that can be easily slipped on and off. Now Rosa Cortez in the vignette mentioned the lack of clear signage in many airports. I think this is definitely another important point. If I have a connection, especially in an airport that I’m not familiar with, I check the airport web site in advance to get the rough idea of the layout. That way, I can have a clear idea of how to get where I need to go once I arrive. Often connection times are really tight and I had to dash through airports on numerous occasions to make my connection. I once ran at full speed through several concourses at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to make a connection, only to find out my connecting flight was delayed for two hours, but I definitely got to work for the day.
・ allow time 時間を見込んでおく
・ have ～ on one’s hands ～を抱え込む
・ set off （アラームなどを）鳴らす
S: That happens sometimes.
I: Definitely.
S: Have you ever had any problems with lost or delayed luggage?
I: Sure, my bags have been delayed or (?) in the past. Now the first time it happened, it was really stressful. I was flying in for friend’s wedding and I had packed my bridesmaid’s dress which was this(?) really formal dress that had been selected by the bride for me to wear. I put that into my suitcase and checked my luggage, and it was lost, delayed. And I was really stressed out, really worried. Now luckily, the suitcase showed up in time for the wedding. But from that moment on, I’ve always made sure that if I have anything that’s crucial or not easily replaced, I put it in my carry-on bag. I’d really hate to be faced with Jay Tyson’s situation, having to show up to meet in aloha shirt and shorts.
・ bridesmaid 新婦の付き添い
・ be stressed out 神経がすり減っている，ストレスに陥っている
・ carry-on 機内持ち込みの
S: Right. Shiga Hiroshi mentioned shipping luggage by express delivery service as one way to deal with that, and certainly many business travelers prefer not to check luggage at all, preferring to pack everything in a carry-on bag.
I: Yeah, definitely. That seems to be the most popular rule. And especially I think too, recently. A lot of airlines have introduced fees for checked bags, and so I think more people are going to try to pack as much as possible into the carry-ons. Now of course I understand their reasoning, but I’m a little worried that this is going to cause more problems on board the airplane itself. Even now, passengers argue a lot about space in the overhead bin. And I can’t imagine that the flight attendants and other members of the crew are going to be too happy about having to settle even more arguments about that. Now for me, I do try to take carry-ons for trips of about two or three days. But for anything longer, I tend to check bags. I haven’t really mastered the art of packing lightly.
・ on board ～ （前置詞） ～に乗って
S: Have you ever been stranded at an airport?
I: Yes, yes. This is going back a few years, but I was stuck in Atlanta overnight once. I was delayed getting out of Boston due to heavy snow storm. And even when I got on the plane in Boston, I knew that I was going to miss my connection in Atlanta, so I had already prepared myself for that, mentally I think. I arrived too late for my connection and the airline didn’t give any vouchers for hotels, so I thought about it and that, well, should I spend extra money or time for a hotel when really I could probably just stick it out for a few hours in the airport and catch the early flight? I tend not to get too stressed out about misconnections, because I’m always convinced that there’s something that the airline staff can do, I mean. But of course that depends on the patience and the very smart approach with the airline staff.
・ voucher クーポン券，割引券
・ stick it out かんばる，がまんする
S: Both Rosa and Melinda mentioned the importance of keeping cool when dealing with airline personnel in the event of delay or other problems. I’ve seen plenty of passengers, though, who take the opposite approach and end up shouting at the airline staff.
I: I know, it’s terrible as I’ve seen that many times. But, you know, there’s an old saying: You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar. And I think this is really true. I have a lot of sympathy for airline staff, because they have to deal with these, you know, really angry, irate passengers every day, and sometimes all at once if there is some major problem with the flight. And you know that the lack of common courtesy of these passengers really bothers me, and I found that the gate agents or ticket agents or other members of airline staff — they are much more receptive to a very calm, friendly approach. And to be honest, I’ve had a lot of success over the years with that, and have had some unexpected benefits as a result, such as being bumped up to first class on a few occasions.
・ be bumped up to ～ ～に格上げされる
S: Well, lucky you!
I: Indeed. A few kind words go a long way.
・ go a long way 大いに役立つ
2008.12.17
2008年12月第3週分 Lesson 6 Corporate Volunteering (1)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
A Great Lakes colleague has just returned full of enthusiasm for his experience as a volunteer in Vietnam.
● savvy 精通している
Computer-savvy. Savvy is a word that’s often used to talk about people who are in the know, who are kind of hip. They know a little more about something that everybody would like to know about. It comes from a Spanish word for "you know"; sabe. You can also use it negatively; you can call someone unsavvy. And the word then is usually used for new comers or inexperienced or untrained people.
・ If you describe someone as having savvy, you think that they have a good understanding and practical knowledge of something. (INFORMAL) : He is known for his political savvy and strong management skills. (COBUILD)
・ in the know 内情に通じた （having more information about something than most people (LDOCE)）
・ hip ものしりの，情報通の
● early-bird presentation 早朝のプレゼンテーション
Early-bird is often used to talk about anyone who does things early, and it also carries the meaning of cheerful and happy and up early and everything’s fresh and new when we are getting started. It really makes things sound kind of chipper and that. You often see it in coffee shops or diners. For breakfast, they often have an early-bird special.
・ chipper 機嫌の良い，元気な（happy and active）
● "Take a look for yourself."
Tyson could have said simply, "Take a look." But "Take a look for yourself" means "Persuade yourself," "You really need to see this yourself, not just listen to what I say."
● intranet と Internet の発音
Intranet and Internet are a little bit hard to hear the difference between in English. However, if you listen to North Americans who are speaking very rapidly, you’ll probably hear Internet pronounced more like Inernet, Innernet. You can’t hear the t, which is the very common pronunciation change in North America. Intranet always has the t sound.
● spread one’s wings 活動の幅を広げる
Spread one’s wings. This is an idiom that people often use to describe trying new experiences or making fuller use of your talents and abilities. It’s a very positive kind of idiom. If you think about standing up and stretching and doing something new and fresh, you could say you spread your wings.
● do-good 慈善家ぶった
・ do-good designed or disposed sometimes impracticably and too zealously toward bettering the conditions under which others live (Merriam-Webster)
● pro bono 無料奉仕の
Pro bono is short for pro bono publico, and it’s a well-known phrase in the U.S. Usually you’ll hear only pro bono. Most people use it to describe work done for free as volunteers. But the basic meaning of it is something done for the public good.
・ pro bono [only before noun] (especially of legal work) done without asking for payment
2008.12.18
2008年12月第3週分 Lesson 6 Corporate Volunteering (2)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Cortez says that she was skeptical of corporate volunteerism at first, but changed her mind when she’d learned more about it.
● on company dime 会社の負担で
"On company time and on company dime" is kind of a nice set of phrases. "On company time" of course means "during the time when you should be focusing on your work." "On company dime" means "the company pays for it," so probably they’re paying your salary and they’re paying your expenses and things like that. Similar to this is; if someone asks you for permission or agreement, you can say, "Sure, it’s your dime," meaning "you pay for it."
・ dime 10セント
● skeptical 懐疑的な
Cortez talks about being skeptical about some of these corporate volunteer programs. In English, you can be skeptical about something for various reasons; it could be because you don’t think it’s true; it could be because you don’t think it’s as it was presented, it has some other character; it doesn’t really work the way it was described. You could say you are skeptical because you don’t accept it at face value.
・ at face value 額面どおりに
・ take something at face value to believe that something is what it appears to be, without questioning
● "what specifically is in it for Great Lakes?"
It sounds like Shiga is also wondering if this really has some benefits for Great Lakes as well as the organizations that they help. He’s worried that it is a do-good scheme.
・ do-good → 実践ビジネス英語 2008.12.17
● "I look at it as something like a three-base hit in a ball game."
In US English, almost always if you say "a ball game," the first thing people will think of is baseball.
● come in handy 役立つ，非常に多くの
・ If something comes in handy, it is useful in a particular situation. : The $20 check came in very handy. (COBUILD)
● ongoing 進行中の
・ An ongoing situation has been happening for quite a long time and seems likely to continue for some time in the future. : There is an ongoing debate on the issue. / That research is ongoing. = continuing (COBUILD)
● revamp 刷新する
Revamp is kind of an interesting word. It means patch or restore or renovate. And it comes actually from shoemaking. One part of the top of shoes is called vamp. It’s basically between the toe and the laces on a very basic kind of shoe. And replacing that was called revamping. Then the word broadened, so now you can use it for anything that you’re improving.
・ revamp <informal> to change something in order to improve it and make it seem more modern: Many older companies are revamping their image. (LDCOE)
・ vamp （靴の）つま皮 → VISUAL DICTIONARY
● own a project プロジェクトを責任者として取り仕切る
Recently in companies in the U.S., to own something, to own a project, to own a result — the verb own has been used a lot to talk about employees who are dedicated to a specific task or project, especially projects where they are a part of the management, part of making sure the results come out the way they’re supposed to.
2008.12.19
2008年12月第3週分 Lesson 6 Corporate Volunteering (3)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
The team discusses how companies ensure that their volunteer programs are effective.
● "getting paid for volunteer work"
"Getting paid for volunteer work" almost sounds like a sort of oxymoron — paid volunteer work? But the word volunteer is often used as a joke even in this way. So sometimes you might hear someone say "I was ordered to volunteer." Or, you can also talk about being volunteered, meaning someone forced you to do it.
・ oxymoron 撞着語法・矛盾した言い方
● Companies are subsidizing volunteers for their time and expertise.
And here’s the answer: volunteers aren’t being paid by the people they are helping; in that cases they wouldn’t be volunteers. They’re being supported by their companies to do volunteer work; to do work for free for the recipients.
Subsidize or a subsidy is often money or support from governments to private groups that are doing good for society. But you can often use the word quite a bit more broadly to talk about any kind of support for good work.
・ subsidize ～に助成金を与える
● with open arms 心から喜んで
Hughes talks about "greeting volunteers with open arms." You can also say "welcome with open arms." And in this case, it might be literally "with open arms;" some cultures greet each other by hugging each other. But you can also use this phrase to simply mean ready to embrace, ready to accept, a new idea, a new person, a new way of doing things.
● groundwork 活動の準備，根回し
・ groundwork something that has to happen before an activity or plan can be successful: His speech laid the groundwork for independence. / Much of the groundwork has already been done. (LDOCE)
● get a boost 勢いを得る
Tyson talks about small companies getting a boost. He could have also said a leg up. You can use both phrases also literally, like to help somebody climb over a fence.
・ boost 押し上げること，上昇，励まし，はげみ something that gives someone more confidence, or that helps something increase, improve, or become successful (LDOCE)
get/receive a boost The community will get a boost from a new library and recreation center.
・ leg up 後押し
give somebody a leg-up <informal> a) to help someone to get up to a high place by joining your hands together so they can use them as a step b) <British English> to help someone succeed in their job
● millennial = those young workers born after 1980
I’ve also heard millennials described as people who came of age in the year 2000 or after that.
・ come of age 成人する
● when and as ～
When focuses on the point; as focuses on the span of time.
● social welfare 社会福祉・奉仕
Social welfare refers to working for the benefit of society and it really focuses on the poorest member of the society.
● canvass 訪問して回る
・ canvass to ask somebody to support a particular person, political party, etc. especially by going around an area and talking to people: He spent the whole month canvassing for votes. / Party workers are busy canvassing local residents. (OALD)
● stack up 比べられる
To stack up has two meanings. One is the physical meaning of pile something up. The other meaning and the way Hughes uses it here is compare with. You can also say measure up. Measure up is very similar to stack up and both of them use the adverb "against something else" — a way to compare them.
・ stack up If you ask how one person or thing stacks up against other people or things, you are asking how the one compares with the others. (INFORMAL) : How does this final presidential debate stack up and compare to the others, do you think? ( = compare) (COBUILD)
・ measure up against [with] ～ ～と比較する，～との優劣を試す
measure A against B to judge someone or something by comparing them with another person or thing: Bridget did not think she had to measure herself against some ideal standard. (LDOCE)
2008.12.24
2008年12月第4週分 Lesson 6 Corporate Volunteering (4)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Shiga observes that skills-based volunteering is different from traditional financial charity.
● in-depth 徹底的な，突っ込んだ
・ in-depth = very thorough and detailed : an in-depth discussion/ in-depth study (OALD)
● on the spot その場で，即座に
"On the spot" sounds like a location kind of a phrase, but it can also be used temporally to mean "at that moment."
● payback 見返り，復讐
Payback is sort of an interesting word. In this context, it’s clear that it means the return, the profits, the benefits. But payback can also be used to mean revenge.
・ payback
1 [countable] the money or advantage you gain from a business, project, or something you have done: The immediate payback for them is publicity.
2 [uncountable] <American English> <informal> when you do something to make someone suffer because of something they have done to harm you [revenge]: I guess it’s payback time.
● sweet charity 思いやりを大切にする慈善事業
Sweet charity is kind of an interesting phrase to use. It sounds very nice. It’s with also the name of the Broadway play from the 60s, the main character with a young woman named Charity. Sweet charity is also the name of the confectioner’s benevolent fund in the U.S. Benevolent funds are often set up by industry group so that they can give financial aid to other organizations or causes that they want to support.
・ benevolent fund 共済基金
● a matter of lending your head rather than your hand
If you think back to the beginning of this vignette, the group was talking about what corporate volunteerism used to be; for example, cleaning up parks or rivers. Those are good examples of how companies used to try to give back to the society that were active in: using their hands. They have large workforces. Recently, although they keep up that kind of corporate volunteerism, they have also shifted to this more skills-focused help.
● It’s more about donating expertise rather than money, yes.
Because Tyson adds the word yes to the end of the sentence, it sounds like he’s setting up to either add more information to it or perhaps even somewhat say what’s different about this statement.
● scheme of things ものごとのあり方，体制，事態，状況
・ in the scheme of things 全体から見れば，大きな枠組みで見れば
in the scheme of things in the way things generally happen, or are organized: the unimportance of man in the whole scheme of things
● in the long view 長い目で見れば
● hobnob with ～ ～との交流を深める
Cortez uses an interesting verb: to hobnob. Hobnob is used to mean socialize with. But it almost always means socialize with people at some higher level. So they could be celebrities, or they could be top management from the company. But in any case, if you can hobnob with someone, you’re socializing with someone that you admire or would like to be like. There are a couple of similar phrases. You could say you rub your elbows with, or rub shoulders with the same kind of people.
・ hobnob to spend a lot of time with somebody, especially somebody who is rich and/or famous
・ rub elbows with ～ （有名人と）交わる
● take a shot at ～ ～をためしにやってみる
To take a shot at something means to try it, to give it a go.
・ shot = attempt [countable] < informal > an attempt to do something or achieve something, especially something difficult
shot at (doing) something This is her first shot at directing a play. / If Lewis won his next fight, he would be guaranteed a shot at the title (=chance to win the title). / I decided to have a shot at decorating the house myself. / I didn’t think I had much chance of winning the race, but I thought I’d give it a shot (=try to do it).
The network finally Keaton a shot at presenting his own show.
・ give it a go 試す
● fit in the big picture 全体の中で位置づけられる
2008.12.25
2008年12月第4週分 Lesson 6 Corporate Volunteering (5)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
== Key Phrases to Remember ==
● the needy 貧しい人たち
Needy used with the refers to people who don’t have enough money. And it’s a collective noun, so usually it’s used with a plural verb. So most of the time you’ll hear something like "The needy are …"
・ Santa’s pot 社会鍋
● come in handy 役立つ，重宝する
● revamp 革新［刷新］する
● poll 世論調査
・ pollster 世論調査員，世論調査会社
・ straw poll 非公式な調査
● in-depth 徹底的な，突っ込んだ
・ eye-opener an experience from which you learn something surprising or new: The whole trip has been a real eye-opener. (LDOCE)
● innovative 創造的な，革新的な
Innovative is related to other words meaning new or different, such as novel and novelty.
== あんな時，こんな時 ==
be skeptical 「懐疑的だ」という時
● I doubt it. どうでしょうかね。
‘Do you think there’ll be any tickets left?’ ‘ I doubt it (=I don’t think so).’ (LDCOE)
● call in sick 電話で病欠を伝える
● マリッジ・ブルーは和製英語
In English if you said marriage blue, I think nobody would know what you are talking about. In fact, I even think about the idea that you should have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue when you get married. The bride should have those things. In the U.S., people would say "they are getting cold feet."
・ get/have cold feet <informal> to suddenly feel that you are not brave enough to do something you planned to do: The plan failed after sponsors got cold feet. (LDOCE)
● wonder drug 特効薬，妙薬
● I’m not so sure if it’s a good idea to …
Another phrase people use in exactly the same way is "I wonder." "I wonder if it’s a good idea to go to Alaska in January."
● with a grain of salt 懐疑的な態度で，割り引いて
・ take something with a pinch/grain of salt <informal> to not completely believe what someone tells you, because you know that they do not always tell the truth: Most of what he says should be taken with a pinch of salt. (LDOCE)
● I’m from Missouri. 疑い深い，証拠なしでは受け入れようとしない
2008.12.26
2008年12月第4週分 Lesson 6 Corporate Volunteering (6)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
S = 杉田敏 I = Susan Iwamoto
S: Our recent vignette took a closer look at the growing trend of corporate volunteer programs and the benefits they bring to everyone involved.
I: That’s right and I think this is a really exciting trend in corporate social responsibility. And it definitely can be a rewarding experience all around. In the past, many people volunteered in their spare time, perhaps on weekends, during the vacations, or just after work, but it’s great to see that corporations are seeing the value in having their employees donate time and expertise to work with causes, rather than just focusing on giving money, — you know, monetary contribution. Sometimes companies focus on local projects, but as we heard in the vignette, there’s a growing trend toward sending employees on overseas volunteer projects as well.
S: Have you been involved in this area?
I: No, not officially, not through a corporate volunteer program. Any volunteering I’ve done has been on my own or as a member of social organization. However, I did recently find out that one of my old college buddies is now heading up global brand philanthropy for a large corporation in the States. And this was just really wonderful to hear, because this friend of mine has always been active in volunteering, but for her career she chose to go the corporate route rather than working for non-profit organization. But now it’s just the perfect position for her. She can contribute her formidable business skills to helping all sorts of causes. Now she’s involved in, you know, the over-all organization, and also raising money. But she also rolls up her sleeves to pitch in on things like building homes for people affected by hurricane Katrina.
・ head up to be in charge of a team, government, organization etc: David was asked to head up the technical team. (LDOCE)
・ roll your sleeves up to start doing a job even though it is difficult or you do not want to do it: It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get some work done on the basics. (LDOCE)
・ pitch in If you pitch in, you join in and help with an activity. (INFORMAL) : The agency says international relief agencies also have pitched in / The entire company pitched in to help. (COBUILD)
S: Jay Tyson talked about an employee of Great Lakes volunteering in Vietnam for fourteen weeks. It seems more and more companies are offering these types of opportunities for their employees.
I: That’s true, and this is definitely on the increase, although it’s still unusual enough to give corporations an edge, when it comes to attracting new employees.
・ edge If someone or something has an edge, they have an advantage that makes them stronger or more likely to be successful than another thing or person. : The three days France have to prepare could give them the edge over England. / Through superior production techniques they were able to gain the competitive edge. (COBUILD)
S: Hmm. Both Tony Hughes and Rosa Cortez mentioned that corporate volunteer programs may help when recruiting new employees, especially those right out of school.
I: Yes. The millennials, also known as generation Y. Now, that generation in particular seems to place a high value working for companies that are committed to giving back to society. Now of course, these kinds of volunteer programs are a great way to attract employees of any generation who would like to combine volunteering with corporate work. I have several friends in the U.S. who worked for U.S. Peace Corps or other non-profit organizations or NGOs. But this doesn’t suit everyone. There are certainly many people who choose corporate work for financial reasons among others, but who would jump at the chance to be involved in corporate volunteer projects.
S: Charitable organizations always welcome skilled volunteers. And volunteers themselves also benefit from the experience, don’t they?
I: That’s right. You know, as Rosa Cortez said, it’s a great way to get to know other volunteers from your corporation whom you may not work with on regular basis. And Jay Tyson pointed out the opportunity to learn new ways of doing business and seeing things from a broader perspective. Those are excellent points. And also corporate volunteers who are working in small teams have a great opportunity to sharpen their skills all around, especially managing limited resources or adjusting to rapidly changing circumstances.
S: These kinds of programs help the corporate standing in the communities as well.
I: Yes. It’s all a part of good corporate citizenship. Many NPOs, consultants, and institutes or universities are offering advising services to the private sector, helping corporations design and implement corporate volunteer programs. Well, it’s good for the public image of the brand, of course, and it may help attract new employees or shareholders. It also reflects the trend in how corporations view their relationship with the society at large.