2008.07.02
2008年7月第1週分 Lesson 8 Business Trip to New York (1)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Shiga and his colleagues trade tips on how to pack for business trip to New York.
● up to speed 軌道に乗っている，精通している
"Up to speed" is an idiom people often use to mean, "Do you have the latest information?" "Do you know what’s going on?" "Are you ready to go?"
・ up to speed 1.performing at an expected rate or level: the cost of bringing the chosen schools up to speed 2. having the most recent and accurate information or knowledge (OALD)
● the golden mean 中庸，中道
"The golden mean" is a philosophical idea about moderation. This idea pops up all over in the West — I suppose in the East, also.
・ pop up = appear suddenly
● tote 持ち歩く，持ち運ぶ
"Tote" is a verb that means "carry." "Carry" is a verb with a very wide application. If you’re not sure, you can always say "carry" for that meaning. "Tote" is a bit more of a carrying in a way that’s not so difficult — a little bit sort of a lighter kind of a carrying. So you probably wouldn’t talk about toting a heavy load. You might tote quite a few bags though. They are not always heavy, but if you have a lot of them, they are easy to lose.
・tote はあまり重いものには使わない，と言っていますが，イギリス系の辞書には「アメリカ英語」と指摘した上で，「特に重いもの」に使う旨記載されています。
(informal, especially NAmE) to carry sth, especially sth heavy (OALD)
(informal / especially American English) to carry something, especially regularly: Kids have to tote heavy textbooks around. (LDOCE)
また，アメリカの辞書には重さについての言及がありません。どちらかの間違いなのか，英米差なのか，はたまた使われているうちに逆のニュアンスを帯びることも時々あることですからその一種なのか，興味深いところです。
● "a couple ties"
Potter says "a couple ties." Couple is actually a noun, so you should probably say "a couple of ties." But recently lots of people drop the "of," following "couple." People tend to use it as an adjective.
● fill the bill 要件を満たす
・ fit/fill the bill to be exactly what you need: This car fits the bill perfectly. It’s cheap and gets good mileage. (LDOCE)
● dilemma
"Dilemma" is often used in English these days to mean a problem. However, dilemma is actually a specific kind of problem. It’s a situation where you have to choose between two things that are equally bad or where they mutually exclude each other. Dilemma has a very specific meaning, but I think most people nowadays use the more general meaning of problem.
● pooped へとへとになる
"Pooped" is a slang for "fatigued" or "all tired-out." There’s also a phrase it occurs in, "too pooped to pop," which means you’re just too tired to show any kind of energy.
● You can say that again. まったくそのとおりです。
You can use ‘You can say that again’ to express strong agreement with what someone has just said. (INFORMAL): ‘Must have been a fiddly job.’—’You can say that again.’ (COBUILD)
● cumbersome 煩わしい，やっかいな
・ = 1. large and heavy; difficult to carry 2. slow and complicated
● life in the fast lane 競争に明け暮れる人生
"Life in the fast lane" is a way to refer to people who have a lot of money, work hard, work fast, do many things and generally sort of live more of an exciting life than average people. In the past, I think they also used to be called "jet-setter."
・ the fast lane (informal ) an exciting way of life that involves dangerous and expensive activities: Brenda is a lady who loves life in the fast lane. (LDOCE)
● I’d rather be safe than sorry. あとで悔やむよりはましだ。
・ better (to be) safe than sorry (spoken) used to say that it is better to be careful, even if this takes time, effort etc, than take a risk that may have a bad result: Set the alarm clock – better safe than sorry! (LDOCE)
● get someone’s goat 怒らせる，いらだたせる
If something gets your goat, it means it really irritates you, it deeply hits you just the right spot, that it really upsets you.
・ get somebody’s goat (informal) to annoy sb very much (OALD)
● "Travel right is travel light."
I think this phrase is also interesting, because it doesn’t really matter which way you say it. It has the same meaning — "Travel light is travel right."
● rig
"Rig" is a word with many meanings and applications, although maybe central to it is the idea of equipment. And not just equipment but equipment that needs to be put together properly. So on sailing ships, you talk about the riggings — sails and masts and ropes. Trucks can be called rigs. They need to be put together correctly and when you talk about truck being a rig, it’s especially tractor-trailer type of truck: a semi.
2008.07.03
2008年7月第1週分 Lesson 8 Business Trip to New York (2)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
The team goes on to discuss sightseeing ideas and how Great Lakes is trimming travel costs.
● "I heard that, Don." 後に否定的なことを言うときに使う
It might seem a little strange that Kinkaid says "I heard that, Don," when she’s sitting in the same room with everybody and participating in the same conversation. But in this case, it means, "Oh, I don’t think it’s a good idea, Don" or "You shouldn’t say things like that, Don."
・ 辞書的な定義としては「強い同意」と記述しているものが多いようです（たとえば，ジーニアスやURbaN DICTIONARY）。おそらく音調によって変わってくるでしょう。ねちっこく言うと「ふ～ん，そうなんだ」みたいな。
● keep his feet on the ground 地に足が着いている
This is an example of where you actually could use the word "literally" correctly. People often use "literally" as an emphasizer, for emphasis. But it means exactly as the words say. So in this case, instead of using the idiomatic meaning of this phrase, she is using that literal meaning.
● "he may prefer a more down-to-earth experience"
Here again, Cortez is doing the same thing. "Down-to-earth" has the meaning of "realistic," or "sensible," but it also has a literal meaning of touching the earth.
・ down to earth sensible and practical, in a way that is helpful and friendly
● put out a mandate 指令を発する
A "mandate" is a kind of command or instruction from an authority. Cortez could have said an order or an instruction or a requirement.
● accommodations 宿泊施設
・ accommodation [uncountable] also accommodations (American English) a place for someone to stay, live, or work:
● camp out
Kinkaid uses the phrase "camp out." She could have just said "camp," but by adding "out," it adds a second meaning. One meaning is "sleep outside" instead of "at your home", but "camp out" can also mean "stay somewhere temporarily." So for example, you could camp out on your friend’s couch. So by using "camp out" in this phrase, she picks up both meanings.
● … or what
Another interesting part of Kinkaid’s sentence here is the ending — "or what." That’s kind of an aggressive way to say "or something," meaning "if you don’t do what I just asked, what will you do?"
・ or what (informal) 1. used to emphasize your opinion 2. used when you are not sure about sth (OALD)
・ In conversation, you say or what? after a question as a way of stating an opinion forcefully and showing that you expect other people to agree: Look at that moon. Is that beautiful or what?…/ Am I wasting my time here, or what? (COBUILD)
Matsushitaさんの言う「攻撃的」というのは，COBUILDの"forcefully", "expect other people to agree" に当たっているようです。
● competitively priced 価格競争力のある ≒ 安い
"Competitively priced" is a phrase that’s often used when people don’t want to say "cheap," or "inexpensive."
● "So we can leave our sleeping bags at home."
You probably can’t actually sleep in a sleeping bag in Central Park anyway.
So even if you tried it, eventually the park security or the police would find you and make you move on.
● "How do I expense the trip?" 名詞の動詞的使用
Shiga uses the verb "expense." I was sort of surprised to see that. I thought "expense" was a new usage of a noun as a verb. And these tend to be frowned on. But when I checked it in the dictionary, I found it’s been around at least for hundred years and I just wasn’t familiar with it.
Some new examples of nouns being used as verbs are "text." So you can take your cell phone and text someone — send them a text message. That’s pretty new, and I have to admit I find it rather irritating.
Another one is the noun "source." "Source" has recently been used as a verb, which is also kind of irritating. But it’s a little bit older than text, and I think people, including me, sort of get used it. So "source" is also a little irritating, but not quite as bad as "text."
2008.07.04
2008年7月第1週分 Lesson 8 Business Trip to New York (3)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
The conversation moves on from how to spend less on travel to how to cut business expenses in general.
● shoeshine
I think it’s interesting that Potter mentions shoeshine because I think it would be pretty hard to find a place to have your shoes shined if you’re not doing it yourself these days in the U.S.
Ooh, and those are pretty high service type hotels. Most places I stayed in, if they have anything at all, they have a strip of paper that you can use to kind of polish up your shoes.
● penny-pinch 節約する，倹約する
To "penny-pinch" is to save money. It’s looking for ways so that you can spend less money than you’ve been spending. Depending on how you use it, it can be somewhat positive, if you’re good at it. But generally people don’t want to have to pinch pennies.
・ penny-pinching (adj.) <disapproving> unwilling to spend money (OALD)
● settle expenses 費用を精算する
・ settle = to pay money that is owed
settle a bill/account/claim : I always settle my account in full each month. (LDOCE)
● reimbursement 払い戻し
"Reimbursement" has always been one of my favorite words. Not only does it mean money coming back, but the "re-" part means "again," and "im-" means "in," and "burse" means "purse" or "wallet" or where you keep your money. So "reimbursement" means "putting money into your pocket."
● bells and whistles ぜいたく品
"Bells and whistles" is an idiom that means the fancy or showy options. They are usually not the substance of whatever you are doing or buying or renting.
・ bells and whistles <informal> attractive additional features or trimmings
● カーナビについて
In the U.S., you’d call it standard equipment.
● add up （積もり積もって）大きな量になる
・ add up (informal) (not used in the progressive tenses) to increase by small amounts until there is a large total: When you’re feeding a family of six the bills soon add up. (OALD)
● レンタカーのガソリン補充代を会社が払い戻さないことについて
Cortez, of course, is speaking from the point of view of the company.
● reach for the check 勘定書に手を伸ばす
If you reach for the check, you’re indicating that you’re gonna pay the check. The other people don’t need to chip in. And you can use this phrase whether you’re talking about your personal money like if you go out with your friends, or if you go out with business colleagues. If you reach for the check, it’s coming out of your expense account. If you want to do this in words, you can say "I’ve got the check." That’s telling everybody that you’re gonna pay for it.
・ chip in 横から口出しする，金を出し合う
2008.07.09
2008年7月第2週分 Lesson 8 Business Trip to New York (4)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
This time, the conversation takes a final turn from curbing expenses to things tourists can do in the Big Apple.
● big spender = person who spends a lot of money
"Big spender" tends to be used for people who find themselves important, and one way to try to show their importance is by spending money, and giving things to people paying bills for other people. You could call them lavish or even ostentatious.
・ lavish 気前のよい，浪費癖のある very generous and extravagant
・ ostentatious 見せびらかしの behaving in a way that is meant to impress people by showing how rich, important, etc. you are (OALD)
● Having said all that とはいえ，とは言うものの
・ having said that = that said used to introduce an opinion that makes what you have just said seem less strong: I sometimes get worried in this job. Having said that, I enjoy doing it, it’s a challenge. (OALD)
・完了分詞構文で，直訳すると「それを言った後で，そう言ってしまったが」。that said は that having been said （that は分詞構文の意味上の主語）。分詞構文は一般的には書き言葉で使われ，完了分詞構文などは特にそうだと思われがちですが，こういうのは意外に会話でも使われています。
● power lunch 昼食を取りながらの会議，要談昼食
・ power breakfast/lunch etc (informal) a meal at which people meet to discuss business (LDOCE)
● 出張旅行中の観光･娯楽についての日米差
It seems to me in the US, it’s a little more acceptable and a little more common to use a business trip also as a chance to visit the places you’re traveling to. I think it’s less common here in Japan to do that, unless of course your business trip extends over weekend.
I think a lot of companies in the US have rules for how long you can extend your trip: for example, how many of your own vacation days you can add on to it. But within those rules, it’s fairly common and accepted.
● Big Apple 都市のニックネーム
"The Big apple" is the nickname for New York City. A lot of US cities have nicknames like that. Chicago is also called the Windy City or Second City. Los Angeles is often called the City of Angels, and Detroit of course is Motown or Motor Town. Almost all the cities have nicknames, although they are not all as famous as the ones I’ve just mentioned.
● I’ll second that! 同感！
"I’ll second that" really comes from the rules for running a formal meeting. But people often use this to say "I agree," "I think that’s a good idea," "I endorse what I just heard."
・ second (verb) = to formally support a suggestion made by another person in a meeting (LDOCE)
● "All work and no play makes Rosa a dull girl."
This is a proverb that’s been around for a long time. One of the first examples in English is in a 17th century book of proverbs. The basic proverb is actually "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Also based on the original proverb, sometimes people cut it short: All work and no play makes Jack, where Jack is a slang for money.
● "You ought to mix business with pleasure."
There’s another adage, "You should never mix business with pleasure." But Cortez has a different idea: we ought to, we should, it’s a good idea.
● lure 魅力，誘惑するもの
"Lure" is something you use in fishing to attract fish so that you can catch them. He could have said "attraction," instead of "lure."
● must-see 絶対見るべきもの
Occasionally, you see "must-," also with a "do" or "have," but those are less common and aren’t in a lot of dictionary.
・ must-see / must-read / must-have, etc. used to tell people that sth is so good or interesting that they should see, read, get it, etc.
● chow down 食べる
・ chow down = to eat: She had to chow down with the others in the cafeteria. (LDOCE)
● easy on the budget 経費に優しい，安上がりな
・ If you tell someone to go easy on something, you are telling them to use only a small amount of it. (INFORMAL) : Go easy on the alcohol.
If you tell someone to go easy on, or be easy on, a particular person, you are telling them not to punish or treat that person very severely. (INFORMAL) : ‘Go easy on him,’ Sam repeated, opening the door… (COBUILD)
前者は物の量について，「～をほどほどにする」，後者は人について「手加減する，お手柔らかに扱う」。
2008.07.10
2008年7月第2週分 Lesson 8 Business Trip to New York (5)
== Key Phrases to Remember ==
● I mean つまり，その
・ You say ‘I mean’ when making clearer something that you have just said. (SPOKEN) (COBUILD)
● fill[fit] the bill 要求・用件を満たす
This phrase seems to come from 19th century shows where the theater owner would have few major acts, but needed a few more, shorter or smaller ones, to fill up the evening bill. The bill was a list of what was on the show for that day. So someone who could fill the bill was exactly what they needed.
・ fit/fill the bill to be exactly what you need: This car fits the bill perfectly. It’s cheap and gets good mileage. (LDOCE)
● dilemma 窮地，ジレンマ
・ be on the horns of a dilemma to be in a situation in which you have to choose between two equally unpleasant or difficult situations
● at an all-time high
・ all-time = used when you compare things to say that one of them is the best, worst etc that there has ever been
an all-time high/low : The price of wheat had reached an all-time low. / They reached an all-time record score. (LDOCE)
● to one’s heart’s content 思う存分
You could say, "as much as one wishes," or "as much as one wants."
・ do something to your heart’s content = to do something as much as you want: She took refuge in the library, where she could read to her heart’s content. (LDOCE)
● easy on the budget 経費に優しい，安上がりな
→ 前回参照
red-eye (informal, especially NAmE) a flight in a plane at night, on which you cannot get enough sleep
2008.07.11
2008年7月第2週分 Lesson 8 Business Trip to New York (6)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
S = 杉田敏 I = Susan Iwamoto
S : In our most recent vignette, Shiga Hiroshi and his colleagues were talking about an up-coming business trip to New York. Do you travel for business often?
I : I usually travel at least once a month for business, and sometimes several times a month. Now most of my business trips are to Nagoya, Osaka, and Kyoto, so I’ve gotten to know the bullet train very well over the past few years.
・ upcoming やがて（近々）やってくる
S : How about international trips?
I : That happens occasionally too, and I’ve been to the US, Canada, Taiwan, and several countries in Europe for business over the past several years. I enjoy international travels but it definitely … requires more planning than my quick hops to Nagoya.
・ hop 小旅行
S : Hiroshi and his colleagues were trading packing tips. How about you, Susan? Do you usually pack light for business?
I : I’d like to say that I’m a light packer, but I could relate to what Melinda Kinkaid and Rosa Cortez were saying in the vignette. I’ll never be able to pack as light as some of my male colleagues, who can throw an extra shirt into their workbag and be done with it.
・ relate to ～ ～に共感する
・ be done with ～ ～を終える （can throw… and be done with it 投げ込んでそれで終わりにできる）
S : Do you make a point to see the sights and cities you visit? Or go sky diving like Don Potter?
I : Well, I definitely don’t sky-dive. I do like to do some sightseeing if I have time. But I’ve realized over the years that business travel, even international business travel, isn’t as glamorous as I once thought it was. When I was starting out, I had visions of staying in expensive hotels, going out to great restaurants and exploring the city in my spare time. Now that.. those happen occasionally on trips, perhaps the longer ones, but I found that business in business trips sometimes doesn’t leave much time for anything else. However, I do think it is important to get out and explore when I have a chance. Then my trips in Japan are usually just one or two days long, but if they’re scheduled close to a weekend, I might stay an extra day at my own expense to hang around the city. A couple of years ago, I did just that on the trip to Taiwan. The business part of the trip took place from Monday to Thursday, but I decided to stay an extra day, so that I could get out and see Taipei. It was well worth it. I visited museums, night markets, and had some great food. Actually, one of my favorite business trips of the past was a great example of mixing business with pleasure.
・ make a point to V 「必ずVする，Vするよう努力する」 辞書的には，make a point of Ving か make it a point to V ですが，make a point to V も結構使われるようです。(Googleでは，make で35
万，made で29万例)
・ hang around ～ ～をぶらつく
S : Where did you go?
I : Well, this is going back a few years to when I was still working for a big Japanese corporation. I was sent on a business trip to Europe, the US and Canada for a series of meetings. We hit six countries in two weeks, and it was great fun meeting colleagues I’d only previously spoken to on the phone, or maybe e-mail. When we arrived at North America, I had a chance to get together with some friends and family along the way. Best of all, the end of the trip coincided with Golden Week, and I was able to stay in New York for the holidays before flying back to Tokyo.
・ hit ～に着く
・ coincide with ～ 偶然～に当たる，一致する
S : How about expenses? Do the companies you work for have general travel policies?
I : Well, the company I just mentioned had a fairly generous policy. But the companies I traveled for now are a bit different. One of the companies has a generous per diem and a higher budget for hotels. But on the downside, it takes a while to reimburse. Another company I work for has a much lower budget and doesn’t provide meal allowance, though they do cover the hotel, usually in an inexpensive business hotel. It’s fine for the most part, but when I have several business trips, I do long for extra accommodations.
・ per diem 日当
・ on the downside マイナス面としては
・ allowance 手当
・ long for ～ ～をのぞむ，あこがれる
S : What are some of your strategies for staying comfortable on the road?
I : Well, in addition to always bringing my computer, a good book, I’d like to pamper myself a bit, especially on longer business trips. I often bring bath goods or skin-care products I can use to give myself many spa treatments in my hotel room. I’ve been trying to make more of an effort to exercise on trips, too. But that can be a challenge, especially if there’re events scheduled at night.
・ pamper oneself 気ままに振る舞う
S : Have you noticed the difference between business travel in the US and Japan?
I : Yes, and this is just my experience but one of the things I’ve noticed is that, when Japanese business people host international guests, they often plan the events for nearly every night while(?) the guests are there. I think this is a great example of Japanese hospitality, especially for those guests who may be concerned about the language barrier when wandering around on their own in Japan. Now this happens in the US too, but not nearly as much, and of course it depends on the length of the business trip.
・ be concerned about ～ ～を心配している
S : Do you like having a lot of events scheduled after hours?
I : I like a balance. I think having business dinners is a great way to build relationships. But I do like a bit of free time too. Sometimes after a long day of work, I just want to head back to the hotel and veg out.
・ head back 戻る
・ veg out = to be very lazy and spend time doing very little
＝ Word Watching ＝
● life in the fast lane 刺激がいっぱいでペースの速い生活
So "life in the fast lane" refers to a very fast-paced, exciting life. It’s not just busy, but perhaps a little glamorous. People who live life in the fast lane might sometimes be called jet-setters, and you might people ask, "How’s life in the fast lane?"
・ jet-setter = a rich, fashionable person who travels a lot
● I’d rather be safe than sorry. 転ばぬ先の杖
Now this is a very common expression and it’s used with a feeling of "just in case, you should do this." So for example, "you should bring an umbrella today. It might rain, so better safe than sorry."
・ just in case まさかの時に備えて
● get someone’s goat 人をイライラさせる
This is one of those great colorful expressions and it means you annoy someone and perhaps to the point of anger usually. And you can use some other expressions to mean the same thing; for example, you could say, "That really ticks me off, in addition to "that really gets my goat," or "That drives me crazy."
・ to the point of ～ ～の程度まで，ほどまで
・ tick off
- (British English) (informal) to tell someone angrily that you are annoyed with them or disapprove of them
- (British English) to mark the things on a list with a tick to show that they have been dealt with, chosen etc [= check off American English]
- (American English) (informal) to annoy someone
- (American English) to tell someone a list of things, especially when you touch a different finger as you say each thing on the list
● keep one’s feet on the ground 現実的･実際的である
So, to keep one’s feet on the ground or to be down to earth means that you are very realistic or practical, or perhaps that you are staying in touch with your roots. You often hear this used to describe celebrities who haven’t become too concerned with their star power but instead keep in touch with old friends. You can say, "Ah, you know, he’s really down to earth, even though he is a movie star."
● bells and whistles あれば便利で，飾りとしての役には立つが，必須ではない物
So, "bells and whistles" refers to all of the extras or extra options that you can get with things like cars, for example. In fact, I just used this expression the other day, talking to my father about his new car. I asked, "So, did you get all the bells and whistles?"
● All work and no play makes Rosa a dull girl. よく遊びよく学べ。
Now, with this expression, it is most common to use the name "Jack" in particular, but you could use your own name or your friend’s name, if you’d like to kind of spice it up a little bit. But this is a wonderful expression to use, if you’re trying to convince your workaholic friend to go out for some drinks. You could say, "Ah, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. C’mon. Let’s go out."
・ spice something up = to add interest or excitement to sth
2008.07.16
2008年7月第3週分 Lesson 9 Career Activist (1)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Tyson makes a surprising, unexpected announcement.
● Listen up! よく聞いてください。
"Listen up" is an informal way that you can introduce an announcement. You can catch everyone’s attention by saying "Listen up!"
● one and all すべてのみなさん
= everyone : Happy New Year to one and all! (OALD)
● "taking Friday off" 金曜に休みをとる
It seems to me that many Japanese people have trouble saying they’re taking a day off in English, because the vocabulary is different. You don’t need to translate a paid holiday in English. Usually people just say "take a day off." And if you want to, you can go into the reason for it, you can go into the way it’s managed at your company, but, you know, if there is no special reason to talk about the actual details, "taking a day off" works really well.
● I can’t believe my ears! 耳を疑ってしまいます。
You can also say, "I can’t believe my eyes!" if you see something that surprises you rather than hear it.
● What’s the occasion? 何かおめでたいことがあるんですか？
occasion = a special event, ceremony or celebration
● "if I may be so bold as to ask" さしでがましいことをお尋ねするようですが
"If I may be so bold as to" plus a verb is kind of a set phrase that people use when they are saying, "Is that OK to ask?" "Do you mind my asking this?" Some of the other verbs that tend to be used with this phrase are suggest — "If I may be so bold as to suggest something." You’ll also sometimes hear or read "recommend," "propose," or "say."
・ so ～ as to V = ～ enough to V
● anniversary （結婚）記念日
The word "anniversary" without other context is usually taken to mean a wedding anniversary. Tyson mentioned it’s his wedding anniversary, but he could have just said "it’s my tenth anniversary." And I think everyone would assume he meant his wedding anniversary.
● kick up one’s heels 思い切り楽しむ
When you kick up your heels, you enjoy yourself. This idiom’s been around since about the beginning of the twentieth century. And it seems to come from the idea of a prancing horse that looks very happy and like it’s enjoying itself, or even a dancer who’ having a good time dancing.
・ kick up your heels (British English) to enjoy yourself a lot at a party, event etc: The charity ball is a chance to kick up your heels and help a good cause. (LDOCE)
・ prance （馬が）飛び跳ねる
● 自分の妻を Mrs. ～ で呼ぶこと
It’s slightly formal. I think, in this case, because he has a good relationship with co-workers. He’s just been a little gallant and chivalrous talking about his wife and their tenth anniversary.
● volunteer 買って出る，自ら進んで申し出る
● a far cry from ～ ～とは大違いなこと，程遠いこと
You can describe something that’s very different from another thing as "far cry from …" If you think of having to yell a long distance, that’s where the idea of "very, very different" comes from.
・ be a far cry from something = to be very different from something: The company lost £3 million, which is a far cry from last year’s £60 million profit. (LDOCE)
● Rumor has it that … ・・・という噂である
・ rumour/legend/word has it used when you are reporting what people say or what a story says: Rumour has it that Kim is not his child. (LDOCE)
● on the prowl for ～ ～を求めて徘徊して
"On the prowl" means "on the look out for" or "on the hunt." You are trying to find something.
You can also say "prowler," which usually refers to some criminal who’s checking your house, maybe because he’s going to break in later.
・ prowler = a person who follows someone or hides near their house, especially at night, in order to frighten or harm them or to steal something (LDOCE)
● Far from it. とんでもない
・ You can use the expression ‘far from it‘ to emphasize a negative statement that you have just made : Being dyslexic does not mean that one is unintelligent. Far from it. (COBUILD)
● balancing act 対立する両者を満足させる均衡策
"A balancing act" is a difficult situation, usually where you are trying to keep at least two, and often more, things going at the same time. It’s a situation where it’s difficult to use your time wisely.
・ If you perform a balancing act, you try to deal successfully with two or more people, groups, or situations that are in opposition to each other : …a delicate balancing act between a career, a home, and motherhood. = juggling act (COBUILD)
● honcho リーダー・ボス
"Honcho" is one of the words that English has borrowed from Japanese. In English, it means the person in charge, so it’s usually a boss or a manager or a leader.
● cut the mustard よい成果を収める，期待に添う
Tyson also talks about "cutting the mustard." It may sound like something sort of strange, but cut possibly comes from the phrase make the cut, which means you’re good enough, you’re on the team, you weren’t cut away from the team. So "cut the mustard" means you’ve achieved what’s necessary.
・ cut the mustard ( informal ) to be good enough to do something: Other magazines have tried to copy ZAPP, but have never quite cut the mustard. (LDOCE)
・ make the cut なんとか目的を達する，成功する
● Is that it? そういうことですか？
this is it (spoken) used to say that something you expected to happen is actually going to happen: This is it, boys, the moment we’ve been waiting for.
that’s it (spoken)
a) used to say that something is completely finished or that a situation cannot be changed: That’s it then. There’s nothing more we can do.
b) used to tell someone that they are doing something correctly: Slowly…slowly. Yeah, that’s it.
c) also that does it used when you are angry about a situation and you do not want it to continue: That’s it. I’m leaving. (LDOCE)
2008.07.17
2008年7月第3週分 Lesson 9 Career Activist (2)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
What’s the difference between workaholics and hard-workers? The team talks about the answer.
● point a finger 名指しする
Potter uses the phrase "point any fingers." He’s saying he doesn’t want to say it’s true in this situation. You can also use the phrase "point fingers" to mean "accuse" or "suggest guilt." Even the word fingers, you can use as a verb to mean "inform on." So, a police informant might finger another member of the gang.
・ point the/a finger at somebody to blame someone or say that they have done something wrong: I knew that they would point the finger at me. / I don’t want to point a finger of blame at anyone. (LDOCE)
・ finger [transitive] (informal) if someone, especially a criminal, fingers another criminal, they tell the police what they have done (LDOCE) 密告する
● "They live together, but they’re not close.
In this case, of course, Potter is using the word "close" in a psychological or emotional meaning, not physically.
● come to the forefront = come to the fore 先頭に立つ，前面に出る，台頭する
・ at / in / to the forefront (of sth) in or into an important or leading position in a particular group or activity: The new product took the company to the forefront of the computer software field. (OALD)
● "Can a three-day week-end once a year mend the fences?"
This sounds like a question, and she poses it as a question. But actually she’s saying it won’t work.
● mend the fences 関係を修復する
Finch also talks about "mending fences." It’s a phrase that’s often used to talk about improving or repairing the relationships between people. There’s another phrase in English — Good fences make good neighbors.
・ If one country tries to mend fences with another, it tries to end a disagreement or quarrel with the other country. You can also say that two countries mend fences. : Washington was last night doing its best to mend fences with the Europeans, saying it understood their concerns… (COBUILD)
・ Good fences make good neighbors. 垣根がしっかりしていれば，隣人とうまくやれる。
= A hedge between keeps friendship green.
= We remain better friends if we do not see too much of one another. Our neighbor does not live in our house and we do not live in his. Hedges or fences between our properties are not just physical barriers; they are a reminder to both of us that a good neighbor should never be obtrusive. (English Proverbs Explained : R. Ridout & C. Witting 1967)
● Hold on, everybody.
Yeah, and in English, also he could have said "Wait a minute, everybody," just like the Japanese version.
● I think I can buy that. それは認めましょう。
・ buy If you buy an idea or a theory, you believe and accept it. (INFORMAL) : I’m not buying any of that nonsense. (COBUILD)
● career activist キャリア志向人間
"A career activist" is someone who works hard and pays attention to his or her career and tries to get ahead through hard work and smart action. There’s another word, "careerist." That’s a negative term for someone who probably also works hard but is focused only on their own ambitions and their own success. It’s a negative way to describe some of the same activity.
・ careerist 出世第一主義者
・ get ahead = succeed
● workaholic と hard-worker の違い
So the difference between the two is, a workaholic can only think of work even when he or she is in other situations— it’s only work, work, work on their mind. A hard worker works hard, but also has other interests and looks forward to skiing after work.
● probe into ～ ～を探る
・ = to ask questions in order to find things out, especially things that other people do not want you to know
● quiz 質問する
・ = to ask someone a lot of questions [= question]
quiz somebody about something : Four men have been quizzed about the murder, but no one has yet been charged.
quiz somebody on/over something : They quizzed me on my involvement in the scheme. (LDOCE)
2008.07.18
2008年7月第3週分 Lesson 9 Career Activist (3)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Tyson talks about ways he’s found to work hard without shortchanging his family.
・ shortchange (v.) 不当に扱う
● transcendental meditation (TM)
There’s a kind of meditation called "transcendental meditation" in English. A lot of people use it for stress reduction. And that’s what they are talking about here.
● structured lifestyles
・ structured carefully organized, planned, or arranged
● blow her inner whistle 自ら警告を発する
Kinkaid talks about "blowing her inner whistle." I think she is imagining being her own referee and blowing the whistle to stop the game for a while for whatever reason.
・ blow the whistle on somebody (informal) to tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone is doing: He blew the whistle on his colleagues. (LDOCE)
● "a nice cup at teatime"
When Kinkaid uses the word "cup," she’s probably talking about the tea inside of it, but it is possible that she enjoys using very nice bone china or some sort of special vessel to hold (??)
・ 最後の(??)は /ðɪ/ に聞こえます。まさかフランス語の thé /te/ を/ðɪ/と発音しているんじゃないですよね。
● pursue a hobby 趣味を追求する
Usually, the verb to go together with hobby is pursue. You don’t usually do a hobby. You don’t usually make a hobby. You pursue a hobby. Of course, you can also have a hobby, but that’s less focus on the actual carrying-out of whatever your activity is.
・ If you pursue an activity, interest, or plan, you carry it out or follow it. (FORMAL) (COBUILD)
● "At work or play"
In this situation, it’s okay to use the word "play" as the opposite of "work." But most of the time, English speakers don’t use the verb "play" or the word "play" to talk about leisure time. They don’t say, "I’m gonna go out to play tonight after work." That’s what children do after school. "Play" tends to be connected with children, unless there’s this specific context where it’s being contrasted to"work."
・ 「遊びに行く」 はおとなの場合，あまり play は使わない，ということ
● keep something intact ～を維持［保全］する
・ intact (adj.) not damaged or impaired in any way; complete : The church was almost in ruins, but its tower remained intact. (OALD)
● nag がみがみ言う，小言で悩ませる
"Nag" is a very specific kind of complaining. It’s usually something that’s continuous and it’s annoying and it includes the idea also of scolding.
・ If someone nags you, they keep asking you to do something you have not done yet or do not want to do. : The more Sarah nagged her, the more stubborn Cissie became. (COBUILD)
● focus on the positives
I think this is probably the kind of advice you’d get for any kind of close situation where you can’t escape from the other person. So, at work also, if you are having trouble, I think you might get this kind of advice to try to make your working relationship better.
2008.07.23
2008年7月第4週分 Lesson 9 Career Activist (4)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
● 今日のテーマ
Tyson, Kinkaid, and Finch take a deeper look at the lives of workaholics and the quality-of-life crowd.
● "If both parents work full-time, like 60 or 70 hours a week" の like
Tyson uses the word "like" to introduce an example or estimate. He says, "If both parents work full-time, like 60 or 70 hours a week." This use of like is very common but mostly in casual or informal conversation. If you’re speaking more formally or if you’re writing, you probably say "for example."
● "a sort of career"
I think Kinkaid qualifies the word "career" with sort of, because most people don’t look at child-care and marriage as a career. A career is something you pursue outside of the home and get paid for. Recently, though, I read that if you estimate how much it would take to pay someone, to do all the things that the non-career spouse is doing at home. It would probably cost over $100,000 a year.
● be-all and end-all いちばんだいじなもの
"Be-all and end-all" is a phrase people use to mean most important. I think it tends to be used when you don’t think that’s the best idea.
・ the be-all and end-all (of sth) <informal> = the most important part; all that matters: Her career is the be-all and end-all of her existence. (OALD)
● OK, …. However, …
Tyson begins with the word "OK." You might be wondering what he’s agreeing to. He is kind of agreeing with himself. He’s saying, "Yes, it’s true," and then he tells you what he thinks is true.
It sounds like he accepts that — what he is going to say, but he’s also gonna say something that’s in contrast with it.
・ 2つめの発言にあるとおり，後ろの but, yet, however と呼応する譲歩の OK。It is true, to be sure, certainly, true などと同じ。
True, he is over 80, but … 確かに80を越えてはいるが，．．．
● sedentary あまり動かない，すわりがちの
・ sedentary <formal> spending a lot of time sitting down, and not moving or exercising very much
sedentary life/job/lifestyle etc : health problems caused by our sedentary lifestyles (LDOCE)
● put on pounds 体重が増える，太る
・ put on weight/12 lbs/4 kg etc = to become fatter and heavier [= gain]: Rosie’s put on five kilos since she quit smoking.
● quality-of-life crowd 生活の質にこだわる連中
Sometimes in English, you can use the word "crowd" to mean a specific group of people with similar characteristics. So in this case, Finch is talking about the group of people who are more interested in how they live rather than in what they have. You could also talk about the café crowd — people who like to go sit at coffee shops and talk.
・ A particular crowd is a group of friends, or a set of people who share the same interests or job. (INFORMAL) : All the old crowd have come out for this occasion. (COBUILD)
● major asset 大きな強み
・ Something or someone that is an asset is considered useful or helps a person or organization to be successful. : Her leadership qualities were the greatest asset of the Conservative Party… (COBUID)
● be stuck in a rut 閉塞状況にある，マンネリ化する
・ rut = If you say that someone is in a rut, you disapprove of the fact that they have become fixed in their way of thinking and doing things, and find it difficult to change. You can also say that someone’s life or career is in a rut. : I don’t like being in a rut — I like to keep moving on… (COBUILD)
● fly as high as the sky 高いところを目指す
cf. be flying high to be having a lot of success: The architectural firm has been flying high recently. (LDOCE)
● spread one’s wings 能力を発揮する，自分の力を試す
・ spread your wings = to start to have an independent life and experience new things: A year spent studying abroad should allow him to spread his wings a bit. (LDOCE)
● stand 耐える
Tyson chooses the word "stand" to mean "bear" or "put up with." I think he said "stand," because a contrast with "sit still and …" makes it kind of a nice little package to express his idea.
2008.07.24
2008年7月第4週分 Lesson 9 Career Activist (5)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
== Key Phrases to Remember ==
● I can’t believe my ears! 耳を疑ってしまう。信じられない。
● for a change たまには
People often do things for a change as well, to refresh themselves, to look at their lives a little bit differently. But on the other hand, people also say that you shouldn’t change just for change’s sake.
● quality time （家族などと過ごす）上質の時，充実した時間
quality time ということばは80年代頃から広まってきたという発言を受けて
Yeah, I think because both husbands and wives were spending more time at work, they felt sort of guilty about how much time they were spending with their kids or even how much time they were spending together. So to try to help themselves feel less guilty, the idea of quality time, really paying attention to each other in a shorter amount of time, became popular. I’ve heard, though, on the other hand, many people would say, "Oh, if you think back to the time when mother tended to stay home with their kids, they didn’t stay that much time directly together, having quality time." Usually, their kids were playing or doing something in their bedrooms and the mother was doing whatever she always did at home. So some people say, "Well, the idea of quality time is really to help working people’s guilt for not being home as much as they used to be."
・ quality time = the time that you spend giving someone your full attention, especially time that you spend with your children when you are not busy: Do you spend enough quality time with your children? (LDOCE)
● no wonder that … ．．．であるのも不思議ではない
In fact, I think if people begin with "No wonder," they’d almost always drop the "that." If they make the full sentence "It’s no wonder," then, depending on the person, they might use "that," they might not.
・ It is no wonder that S + V と完全に言うか，No wonder S + V と副詞的に使うかのどちらかで，後者ではあまりthat入れないということです。
● take a break 休みを取る
Hmm. There’s another phrase in English with a different verb — "Give me a break" — which means "Lay off," "Stop it," "Don’t pester me."
And because we also use that phrase rather idiomatically, it could easily be misunderstood, if you walked up to your boss, your supervisor, and said "Give me a break?" If you want to take a break, you’d probably have to ask your supervisor, "Can I take a break?"
・ You can say ‘give me a break’ to show that you are annoyed by what someone has said or done. (INFORMAL) : ‘I’m a real intellectual-type guy, Tracy,’ James joked. ‘Oh, give me a break,’ Tracy moaned. (COBUILD)
・ "Lay off." やめてくれ。
● The trend is toward … ・・・の傾向にある
・ The current trend is towards more part-time employment.
== Key Phrases to Remember ==
「信じられない！」という時の表現
● You can’t fool me. だまされないよ。
● I’ll believe it when I see it. 証拠を見るまで信じない。
● Hey, I’m from Missouri. 証拠を見るまで信じない。
もともとミズーリ州は鈍臭いというイメージから，"Show Me State"という愛称をつけられていたが，ミズーリ人たちはそれを人にだまされない慎重さ・利発さの意味で受け取っていたという。 1899年，ミズーリ選出の下院議員Willard Duncan Vandiver はパーティで（一説では議会で），"I’m from Missouri, you’ve got to show me." （私はミズーリ出身です。証拠を挙げてください。）と言ったというのが，語源らしい。
● You can’t pull the wool over my eyes.
・ pull the wool over somebody’s eyes to deceive someone by not telling the truth
● I wasn’t born yesterday.
・ I wasn’t born yesterday <spoken> used to tell someone you think is lying to you that you are not stupid enough to believe them
「ばかにすんな。昨日や今日生まれたガキではない。」ということでしょう。
● That blows my mind.
・ blow somebody’s mind <spoken> to make you feel very surprised and excited by something: Seeing her again really blew my mind.
2008.07.25
2008年7月第4週分 Lesson 9 Career Activist (6)
《ディクテーション・ノート》
S = 杉田敏 I = Susan Iwamoto
S: Now, back to the topic of work-life balance, what is your take on this, Susan?
I: Well, I’m definitely not a workaholic. But I like the term Jay Tyson used to describe himself — a career activist. I look for new and interesting opportunities to further my career but not at the expense of my health or my relationships to friends and family.
・ somebody’s take (on something) ～についての見解 someone’s opinion about a situation or idea: What’s your take on this issue? (LDCOE)
S: Do you find it a challenge to balance your professional and private lives?
I: Oh, I’m lucky in that my career allows for a lot of flexibility. Well, maybe it’s not entirely luck. I’ve worked hard to create a career that allows me to take on a variety of interesting projects, while still being able to pay the bill and I have control of my schedule for the most part.
・ take on ～ ～を引き受ける，企てる to agree to do some work or be responsible for something
S: Do you work a lot of overtime?
I: That’s a good question, and when I worked full-time for a Japanese corporation, I often worked overtime. But not nearly as often, or as long as my Japanese colleagues did. I worked overtime when I had an urgent project, but I just couldn’t see the point of making several hours of overtime in my normal part of workday. I worked hard, but I knew that I wasn’t going to spend my entire career time at the company, so I suppose I didn’t have as much at stake as my colleagues did.
・ see the point of ～ 話の要点をつかむ・わかる We’re going to lose anyway, so I can’t see the point of playing.
・ If something is at stake, it is being risked and might be lost or damaged if you are not successful. : The tension was naturally high for a game with so much at stake… / At stake is the success or failure of world trade talks… (COBUILD)
S: Overtime is a fact of life in Japanese business. How about in the US?
I: Well, the US has its fair share of workaholics who enjoy putting in extra hours, but I think, for the most part, Americans work much less overtime than their Japanese counterparts. When I was growing up, my dad made it at home at 6:30 or 7:00 most nights, even with a forty-minute commute. He had a challenging job and a very successful career, but he made a point of coming home early enough to spend time with the family. That type of situation isn’t unusual in the US. Many of my friends and family, all hard-workers, tell me that they leave the office at the end of business-day, and that means five or five thirty, for the most part. Actually a lot of Americans leave early precisely because they are career activists.
・ fact of life 避けられない人生の現実 an unpleasant situation that exists and that must be accepted: Mass unemployment seems to be a fact of life nowadays.
・ one’s fair share of ～ それ（その人）なりの～，それ相応の～
if you have had your share of something, for example problems, success, or adventure, a lot of it has happened to you: You’ve sure had your share of problems, haven’t you? / He’d had more than his fair share of adventure.
S: What do you mean?
I: Well, I’d say the most Americans take an active role in their own professional development. Of course, that means looking for opportunities to advance during office hours, but it also means taking time to network, and to take courses after hours as well. I know many people who’ve taken continuing education course at night to help their careers or perhaps to prepare to move into a new career.
・ after hours 勤務時間後に If you do something after hours, you do it outside normal business hours or the time when you are usually at work.
S: Jay Tyson mentioned weekend getaways, exercise and acupuncture as some ways to release stress and maintain a good quality of life. How about you, Susan?
I: Oh, I agree wholeheartedly with the things Jay mentioned. I’m a big fan of massage, especially shiatsu, and I think that acupuncture is another great way to bring your body back into balance. Now, exercise’s another great stress-reliever. I’m an on-again-off-again runner. I’ve run a couple of marathons in the past, but I also go for long periods when I don’t do it at all. Recently I’ve started again, and it’s been nice to rediscover how relaxing and energizing a good run can be, especially after a hard-day’s work.
・ getaway <especially American English> 休暇 a short holiday away from home, or a place where people go for a short holiday: Big Bear Lake is a popular weekend getaway. (LDOCE)
・ on-again, off-again 断続的な
今週は時間がないので，ここまで。