2012年11月号-　エイゴパス英会話レッスン　月刊ニュースレター

| 月間ニュースレター |
英語ニュース Current Internet NEWS!!　＜新着ネットニュース＞
英語のビデオ Video News (Domestic and World Events／国内＆世界の動画ニュース)
Business English ＜ビジネス英語フレーズ＞
Grammar Study＜今月の文法学習＞
TOEICクイズ TOEIC Study Quiz＜ＴＯＥＩＣテスト＞
Monthly Column – ＜今月のコラム＞
 
   
—You can read the article below and use it in your lessons to discuss with your teacher. — この記事を読んで先生とレッスンで話し合おう！
Do politicians only care about getting elected?

With the dissolution of the House of Representatives, an election approaches, and a variety of Diet members and party heads have been appearing on TV news programs and elsewhere, talking about their resolve ahead of the election.

What I find a little strange is how full of energy all those politicians look and sound. There are even some who, smiling, look like they are expecting some fun thing to come to them. I feel there’s a gap between them and voters, who are uneasy about what the future will bring.

In the past a friend who was knowledgeable about politics told me, "You can’t become a politician if you don’t like elections." Perhaps these politicians really are happy because they like elections. After putting together strategies and conducting political campaigns, when their feelings of exhaustion, anticipation and worry have reached their peak, they watch closely the vote results, and after the results emerge they are suddenly liberated from their anxiety.

This somewhat resembles the experience of shopaholics. After touring products and thinking about this and that, talking to the store employees, and reaching a peak of indecision and pent-up nerves, they make a decision to buy, and then sink into mixed feelings of liberation and self-loathing. Generally shopaholics are thought to be addicted not to the actual products, but to the process leading up to a purchase. Without that stimulus, life feels insufficient.

So what about politicians who like elections? I don’t think they have chosen their path because they are addicted to the stimulus and excitement of elections, but when I see politicians’ faces light up as they say things like, "Now the time to fight has come," I can’t help but think, "Could it be that the part of a politician’s job you are putting the most effort into is elections?" Of course, it would also be a problem to have a weak-willed

person who avoids stimulation becoming a politician. But is it OK to only have politicians who get full of excitement as soon as they hear that there is going to be a decisive battle? I have a feeling they cannot understand the feelings of those who avoid argument and are easily wounded. I also fear that if Japan were about to become involved in an international dispute, these politicians would declare, "We must fight!" and make a dangerous decision. Where are the politicians who think not only of themselves, but of the people?
 

ディスカッションポイント！：

＜日本語訳＞

ちょっと不思議だな、と思うのは、どの政治家も表情や声が生き生きしていることだ。「いよいよです」と笑顔で楽しいことが待っているかのような顔をする人さえいる。有権者としては「この先、どうなるんだ」と不安でいっぱいなのに、と落差を感じる。かつて政治の世界にくわしい知人に、「選挙が好きでないと政治家にはなれない」と聞いたことがあるが、もしかするとこの人たちは本当に選挙が好きでうれしいのかもしれない。

　いろいろ戦略を立てて選挙運動をやり、疲れと期待、不安がピークに達したあたりで投票日を迎え、ドキドキしながら開票速報を見守り、勝敗が決まって一気に緊張から解放される。このプロセスは、買い物依存症の人たちに少し似ている。あれこれ考えながら商品を見てまわり、店員さんたちと話をし、「買おうか、やめようか」という迷いや緊張がピークに達したところで、「じゃ、買います！」と思いきった決断をして、自己嫌悪と解放感が混じったような心境に陥るのだ。

　一般に買い物依存症の人たちは、商品そのものではなくて、何かを購入するまでのプロセスの刺激に依存していると考えられている。ハラハラ、ビクビク、ドキドキといった日常にはない刺激がないと、物足りなく思えてしまうのだ。

　さて、“選挙好きの政治家”はどうなのだろう。まさか、選挙の刺激や興奮に依存しているからこの道を選んだのではないはずだ。しかし、「いよいよ戦いだ」と言ってほおを紅潮させている人たちを見ると、「もしかしてあなたが政治家としていちばん力を入れている仕事は選挙？」とつい言いたくなってしまう。

　もちろん、刺激を避けてばかりの弱気な人が政治家になるのも問題だ。とはいえ、「勝敗が決まる戦い」と言われるととたんに高揚し、やる気が全開になる人ばかりでいいのだろうか。彼らは、争いごとを避けようとしたり傷つきやすかったりする人たちの気持ちなど、理解できないような気がする。あるいは万が一、国際社会の中で日本が争いごとに巻き込まれそうになったら、「これは戦うしかない！」ととんでもない決断をしそうで怖い。自分のことだけではなくて、本当に国民のことを思ってくれる政治家は、いったいどこにいるのだろう。
 
 
 
   
  New! Learning through Speeches
 
 
 
 
Business English Expression and Phrases　＜ビジネス英会話フレーズ＞
-Learn expressions such as idioms and slang that is unique to culture, age, and business!
新しい英語表現：　文化・時代・ビジネスで使う特有なイディオム表現や俗語を覚えよう！

Hiroko drops by Sam’s cubicle to talk with him. She needs to prepare for her first customer presentation.

 
Hiroko: Hi, is this a good time for you to talk?
 
Sam: Sure, please have a seat. Jimmy wants our team to only speak English in all our meetings. I hope you don’t mind.
 
Hiroko: Sure, no problem. I heard you just joined Menttal this year. I joined about a year ago, but the learning curve is pretty steep.
 
Sam: Yes, the biggest challenge is getting oriented. It’s not at all like my previous company. What’s on your mind?
 
Hiroko: Well, as you know, I have my first customer meeting as a Technical Sales Engineer this week, and I’m scared to death.
   
Sam: Scared to death — you mean very nervous?
   
Hiroko: Right.
   
Sam: Well, that’s normal, but customer meetings are not so intimidating if you’re prepared. You want to talk about it?
   
Hiroko: Sure, if you’ve got time.
   
Sam

I’m not sure I understand the problem. Could you explain in more detail?

   
Hiroko: Well, I was just beginning to get the hang of it around here when my job was changed.
   
Sam:

I thought you asked for the change. It is a promotion.
   
Hiroko: I did. Don’t get me wrong. I was dying for this promotion, but when I was a customer support rep, I had some issues.
   
Sam: What kind of issues?
   
Hiroko: You see, I spent high school and college in the US and learned presentation skills there. Maybe my tone with customers will be too direct and casual.
   
Sam: So, you feel you might not be polite enough in Japanese for the customer meeting?
   
Hiroko: Well, I completed training in business Japanese, but I’ve only talked with customers on the phone before, meeting them face-to-face is different!
   
Sam: Well, remember, prepare your presentation thoroughly and review it with me before the meeting.
 

上記の会話の日本語訳はこちらをクリック’（印刷可）: JAPANESE VERSION
steep angled very sharply
orient(ed) familiarize
scared to death extremely nervous
intimidating causing fear or nervousness
promotion

a move to a higher position
rep representative, someone who speaks on behalf of the company
tone manner of speaking
direct frank; straightforward
review discuss, look at something critically
 
This Month’s "Janglish" :　Agendas vs. items on the agenda
 

 
–This section will cover a broad range of different grammar rules and explanations to help you understand sentence structure and improve awareness of English grammar.
このコーナーでは文法の規則や英文の構成についてわかりやすく学べます。
English Comprehensive Grammar Review 2012
Phrasal Verbs Review :　復習テスト
Read each of the following of sentences/questions and determine which option is correct.
 
1 Could you (go back/go over) this report with me? It needs to be perfect for my meeting.
2 I heard your printer (broke in/ broke down) yesterday. Are you going to get a new one?
3 If you are not doing anything during Christmas, let’s (get through/ get together) for dinner.
4 The professor always (calls on/ calls off) on me when he feels I don’t know the answer.
5 Let’s (go out/ go in) for dinner for a change. I do not feel like cooking.
6 I waited at the station for over an hour but John didn’t (come in/ show up).
7 To get to Shinjuku, you should (get in/ get on) the Chuo line.
8 I think we had better (call out/ call off) the picnic due to inclimate weather.
9 Hiroko was offered the job but she (turned it off, turned it down) as the salary was low.
10 While John was driving, he was so fatigued that he (dozed off, drove off) and hit a tree.
   
For the following 10 sentences, select which of the following is the best choice.
up over off on into
down about of back out of
 
1 I think we we are going in the wrong direction. Should we go _______ ?
2 Anthony was sick last week but I think he has gotten _______ his sickness already.
3 John, do you know who she is? I know I have met her already but can’t think _______her name.
4 I hate the managers I work with! They are always gettting _______ fights at work for no reason whatsoever.
5 Airplanes always make me nervous. Especially during take _______.
6 I asked Samantha to go with me to the prom but she turned me _______ as someone had already asked her.
7 Yuko, I know you said you didn’t want to invite the managers to our year end party but it might be good to involve them for promotion purposes. Could you think it _______ and let me know if you will reconsider?
8 The police are on a massive manhunt for the inmate who broke _______ jail last night.
9 Jennifer, would you mind contacting Suzuki san to see if he can put _______ our meeting to a later time?
10 I am really surprised the members of accounting team like the new supervisor. They all seemed to have gotten _______ to a very good start.
   
Review of usage between "by" vs "until":
For the following sentences, select whether "by" or "until" is appropriate.
   
1 Mr. Edwards is out of town at the moment. He’ll be back _______ Monday.
2 I’m going out for lunch. Please take all my calls _______ I get back.
3 If anyone calls while I am out, let them know I’ll return _______ 2pm at the latest.
4 Oh my god! It is already 11pm. I promised my father I would be back home _______ 11:15.
5 I’m sorry I can not go tonight. I have to stay home _______ my mother returns.
6 All applicants wishing to take the TOEIC test must submit their application _______ the 15th.
7 We would love for you to work at our firm so we will hold off offering the position to anyone else _______ we receive your decision.
8 Haven’t you gotten your visa yet? You should have received it _______ now.
9 I should be done with my work _______ the time you arrive so don’t worry.
10 _______ we leave for the airport, I am going to continue watching this awesome soccer match.
   
Check your answers!
 
 
TOEIC対策（読解＆リスニング問題編）Eメールとﾕｰｻﾞﾈｰﾑの入力でテストの結果がメールで受け取れます。
 
[kml_flashembed publishmethod=”static” fversion=”8.0.0″ movie=”https://www.members.eigopass.com/flashquiz/toeicsentence/Quiz 21/quiz.swf” width=”636″ height=”480″ targetclass=”flashmovie”] [/kml_flashembed]
[kml_flashembed publishmethod=”static” fversion=”8.0.0″ movie=”https://www.members.eigopass.com/flashquiz/TOEIC850/quiz3audio/quiz.swf” width=”636″ height=”480″ targetclass=”flashmovie”] [/kml_flashembed]
 
 
NEW! – How do you feel about Christmas in Japan?

(Corey 24y.o. male US): This will be my very first Christmas in Japan so honestly speaking, I do not have much to base my opinion upon. However, I was a little bit surprised when I was with my girlfriend at the beginning of December.

As we were hanging out together in Harajuku together, I was looking at a jacket and mentioned that I was going to buy it. Upon hearing that I liked it, she said she would buy it for me as my Christmas present! I do love her effort and gesture but for some reason or another, I felt it was strange in that allowing her to buy it for me would take away the "surprise" part of gift giving. I like the idea of exchanging presents and not knowing what it is until Christmas day. Call me old fashioned but I think it keeps the "romance" alive in a relationship.

 

【日本語訳】

今年が日本での初めてのクリスマスなので、正直なところ特に意見がないけど、12月初め頃彼女と一緒に原宿を歩いていたら驚くことがあった。　僕はジャケットを見ていて購入しようとしたら、彼女がクリスマスプレゼントとして買ってくれると言うのだ。彼女の優しさはとても嬉しいが、どういう訳か僕はそれは変だと感じた。クリスマスプレゼントというワクワク感と驚きがなくなってしまうからだ。古い考えかもしれないが、その方が「愛」を持続できると僕は思います。
 
 

(Sarah 24y.o. female U.K.): Christmas in Japan is quite unique, I will admit that! It is very understandable for this "holiday" to be celebrated in different ways depending on various aspects such as age, nationality, religious beliefts, etc…

Just my two cents, I think Christmas in Japan is more for couples like Valentine’s day rather than a family affair. A case in point for me was last year when my parents came to Japan to spend Christmas with me because I had to work and couldn’t return home for the holidays. When I asked my boyfriend(Japanese) at the time if he would mind spending it with my parents, he didn’t seem to mind but asked me "Can we be alone afterwards"?

I told him that I could not really guarantee that since I had no idea how long my parents would stay since I was preparing dinner with my mum at my apartment. I really do not want to throw my parents out of my apartment and send them back to the hotel especially since they had come all the way to Japan to visit me. Needless to say, he seemed irritated and it gave me other reasons to understand how cultural differences could be a strain on interracial couples. I just wished he could have understood my feelings of what Christmas meant to me and not focus on what is the "usual" custom of Christmas for him.

 

【日本語訳】

日本のクリスマスはとても独特で、私は受け入れています。　この”ホリデー”は　様々な年齢、国籍や宗教により違った形でお祝いされるのは理解できます。私の意見としては日本では家族でお祝いするよりむしろ恋人同士のためのお祝い事であるように思う。

というのも、去年私が仕事で忙しく帰郷できなかったので、両親がクリスマスに日本に来てくれた際、彼（日本人）にクリスマスを私の両親と一緒に過ごしてくれないか？尋ねると、構わないようだったが「後で二人きりで過ごせる？」かと聞かれた。

アパートで母とクリスマスディナーの支度をするので、両親がどれくらい居るかわからないし約束はできないと言った。せっかく遠くから来てくれた両親を無理やり追い出したくはない。言うまでもなく、それを聞いて彼はイライラしていた。このようなことが異人種間のカップルに生じる試練でありどのように（お互いの）文化の違いを理解し受け入れるかは課題である。彼にとっての”通常”のクリスマスの習慣だけにとらわれるのではなく、私にとってのクリスマスの意味も理解してくれたら嬉しいのにな。
 

(Alex 29y.o. male US) I have celebrated Christmas in Japan 3 times in my last 5 years living here and realized the one evident truth: Christmas seems to be more tailored to couples than families. My students seem surprised when I tell them I have to buy presents for my brothers, sisters, mother, father, nephew, niece, etc… (I forgot, my girlfriend in that list but we all know she will tell me what to buy for her 🙂

I can see the surprise on their faces when they hear this as most of my students seem to buy only for their boyfriend/girlfriend. In some cases, parents will get something for their children but why is it that children don’t give presents to their parents. Do married couples buy gifts for one another or is giftgiving dead after marriage?

When asked what their perfect image of Christmas is, alot of them explain a scene in Home Alone with a big Christmas tree and many presents underneath. I tell them that there is no right or wrong way to celebrate this festive occasion and that if they like a certain image of Christmas that they should do it! I tell them go and get a tree! Buy presents for your brother, sister, and every member of your family and change Christmas to fit your ideal image!

Unfortunately to that, I hear the same response: " mendokusai "… sigh… Most things in life that we remember must be done with effort. I know it is mendokusai but it is the our effort that builds memories.

 
 

【日本語訳】

日本に5年住んでいる間に、日本でクリスマスをお祝いするのは3回目、そして気づいたことは：クリスマスが家族向けより恋人たち仕様に象られていること。　僕が家族全員分のプレゼントを買うと話すと僕の生徒はみんな驚いていました。

彼らは驚きを顔に出し、ほとんどの生徒は彼氏／彼女のためだけに買うとのこと。時折、両親が子供たちにプレゼントを買うこともあるようだが、子供たちが両親にプレゼントを贈るということはないのはなぜだろう。　結婚しているカップルは結婚後にお互いに贈りあっているのだろうか？

クリスマスのイメージについて尋ねると、多くの人が「（映画）ホーム・アローン」の大きなクリスマスツリーと木の下にいっぱいのプレゼントのシーンを言っている。クリスマスの特別な祭りごとに良いも悪いもない。自分のイメージどおりにクリスマスをお祝いすればいいはず。だから僕は彼らにツリーを買って！家族全員にプレゼントを買って！自分のイメージするクリスマスで祝おう！

でも、残念ながら返ってくる言葉は「面倒くさい」（ため息。。。）僕たちが記憶する人生のほとんどのことは努力によって作られている。面倒だということはわかるが、僕たちの努力によって素晴らしい記憶が残っていくのだと僕は思う。
 
 

 

 

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