9/2 - 9/4, 2019

遠山顕の英会話楽習 　　　Monday, September 2

――――
U R the ★
――――
Jeff...
Uh-huh.
Now, you are the star.
All right.

Yokiha Dental Clinic.
Hello, I'd like to make an appointment with Dr. Yokiha.
There's an opening today at 11.
That'd be great.
All right. I've got you down for 11 then.
I'll see you then.

―――
Say It!
―――
Carolyn, are you ready five times in one breath?
Sure. Just quick double check. It's V as in victory, right?
That's right.
All right.
You got it.
Good. Here I go.

It's V as in victory. ×5

Well...
Wait.
Carolyn, you're not perfect, either. My goodness.
You needed to take a bigger breath.

Yeah.
All right.
You are victorious.

(victorious = 勝利を得た、勝った、勝利の having won a victory; triumphant)

――――
Write It!
――――
★ ある男性がある眼科医院に
「ある」というのは certain でよろしいでしょうか？
Well, I don't really think we need to use the word "certain" here. I think we can just say "a man and an eye clinic." So it'll be, "A man calls an eye clinic."

★ 予約をするために電話をします
to make an appointment, a man called an eye clinic この順番でいいですか？
Yes, it's not wrong.
OK.
But in English, there is an actual, more conversational way of putting it, which is just the opposite. You start out with "A man calls an eye clinic to make an appointment."
Oh.
So the order is "who" and then "the action" and then "the purpose."

★ 男性はそれに決めます
He decides on it. でどうでしょう？
I think we can just say "takes it." We don't need to say "He's thinking about" or "deciding to do something." It just, "The man takes it." is fine.
―――

A man calls an eye clinic to make an appointment. The receptionist tells him there is an opening at 3 the next day. The man takes it.

―――――――――
In Another Situation!
―――――――――
So Carolyn...
Yeah, Ken.
What's another situation going to be like?
Well, now, the receptionist seems to pronounce /v/ as /b/.
―――

Berry Eye Clinic.
Hello, my name is Tom Vee. I'd like to make an appointment with Dr. Verry.
Bery (Very) good.
That's funny.
Is it?
Sort of.
There's an opening tomorrow at 11.
That'd be great.
All right. How do you spell your last name, Mr. Bee?
It's V as in victory V-E-E.
B-E-E. That's what I said.
Um... you know, V as in Vietnam.
Bietnam... Yes.
Or very?
Berry, right.
Just...just... ugh... Fine.
I've got you down for tomorrow at 3, Mr. Bee.
Thanks. Bye.
Vye.

You said "Vye." You can say "V" too. You can pronounce that?
Oh, sometimes I get a little confused.
Oh.
Um, maybe I should study with Eikaiwa Gakushu.
Hey! That's a great idea.

Well, I guess she should make an appointment with the… Mr. Vee to practice more.
Sounds like it.
Yeah.

=======================

遠山顕の英会話楽習 　　　Tuesday, September 3

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
Great!
That was nearly perfect.
Nearly?
Just joking.
―――

All right, Carolyn.
Uh-huh.
You are the star.
Great.

You look different.
I got new glasses. My prescription was too strong.
I like them.
Thanks.
They suit you.
Well, thanks.

―――
Say It!
―――
Jeff, are you ready five times in one breath?
Yeah, I think so.
All right.

Let's check your vision. ×5

Yeah.
A vision of perfection.

(vision = 視力eyesight)
(perfection = 完全　excellence)

――――
Write It!
――――
★ 患者
Right. This is not in the dialog. So we're going to learn a new word. The word is "patient."

★ 最近……に気付きました
noticed lately でどうでしょう？
Yeah, but I think I'd say "has noticed lately," right?
Oh.
Because we're not talking about the specific time. It's a non-specific time. So we'd use present perfect here.

So, what's non-specific time?
Well, let's look at the opposite. The opposite would be specific time, and specific time is like tomorrow, yesterday, last year. So a non-specific time is we don't know when. We know it happened, but we don't know when. Nothing specific about it. And sometimes we don't always need to talk about when something happened. We can be vague about it.

(vague = unclear, non-specific, hazy)

★ 伝えます
reports to him, says to him でどうでしょう？
Well, some of our listeners might remember we've discussed this before in some other lessons. The most conversational or most natural way of saying this is "tells him."
Very simple.
―――

The patient has noticed a change in his vision lately. The doctor checks his vision and tells him that his prescription is too strong.

The patient has noticed a change in his vision lately. The doctor checks his vision and tells him his prescription is too strong.

――――――――
In Another Situation!
―――――――――
So Jeff...
Uh-huh.
What's another situation going to be like this time?
Well, the man may be a superhero.
―――

So you've noticed a change in your vision lately.
Yes. Road signs seem somewhat blurry when I drive with my glasses on.
Let's check your vision. Take off your glasses and cover your left eye and look at the eye chart. Can you make out any letters on the bottom line?
N... B... X... V... Z... U?
That's perfect! Your prescription is too strong.
Japan Super Precision Company 2020 Hakkiri Mie Prefecture.

(precision = 正確さ、精密さ accuracy)

Wow! You can make out the very bottom line too.
I'm back.
You don't need glasses any more. Mr....?
Kent, Clark Kent.
Wow, you have super powerful eyes. I mean it's just super.
Ha, ha, ha. Shhhh.
Oh.

―――
I know who he is now.
Uh-huh.
Oh, yeah.
Well, speaking of glasses, you wear glasses, right, Carolyn?
Yes, I do.
What's your prescription like?
My prescription is just right.
Right.
Ah, I wear contacts.
Oh.
You do.
And they are a little weak, but without them, I can't see a thing.
Oh.
So,
Maybe you should get your eyes check.
Yeah, I should check my vision, I think.

====================

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Wednesday, September 4

A little too much, maybe.
No, that's ... that's sweet.
Maybe not.

Well, I'd like to say, "We love to have you join us again next time."
Great.
So until then...

8/26 - 8/28, 2019

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Monday, August 26

He's getting hungry.
Yeah.
It's a miracle.
It is, isn't it?
Well, it didn't start off like a miracle, though. It started off a little sad.
Yeah.
It was ... The samurai wanted his silk, his beautiful silk.
Yeah.
Right.
So he took it. It wasn't really a fair deal to start with.
It was a terrible scene.
Yeah.
Such a disappointment for the man.
I know. It seems like everything is going great, going great, going not so great.
No!

And yet..
Yes...
Even this might turn out to be better, I think.
Yeah, but the horse came back to life.
Yeah.
It was a miracle.
And the man is really kind, and he has a nice heart, and he didn't wanna (want to) leave the horse. He thought the horse was half dead. But...
Yeah, so he's gonna (going to) stay with him.
Yeah, he stayed with him, and took care of it, and..
He was praying for him.
Yeah.
And he prayed for him.
The horse opened its eyes, and came back to life.
And they went to this castle town.

Yeah. That's interesting.
And the first thing he said was "Let's find food.”
Yeah.
Let's find something to eat, yeah.

I think for both of them, right? Probably not just for the man, for the horse.
Yeah, not for the man. Yeah, we will know probably in the last act.
Yeah.
Where he would go for the food, for whom. We'll find out more about that person.
Yeah.

But I also wonder how he's going to obtain food, because he doesn't have any money any more.
True.
Oh!
So, that's gonna (going to) be interesting.
No silk.
Yeah.
No silk.
Just the horse.
Yeah.
Yeah.

★ Questions
OK, here is the first question for Jeff, this time.
OK.
Who did the man meet after he helped out the young woman?

Jeff?
A samurai with a half dead horse.
So it's a half dead horse.
Yeah.
That was with the samurai.

I have my suspicions, I think the horse was playing dead. Because it didn't like the samurai. Because he was mean.

(suspicions = 疑惑)

Well, I think the samurai says, "He is not dead, he is just resting." Doesn't he say that?
Yes, "Far from it."
Yeah, he's a little tired.
He's just resting. That's right.
So maybe it was an act by the horse.
Maybe.

So, here is the second question, which is for Carolyn.
OK.
What happened to the dying horse?
―――

Didn't we talk about it before?
You remind of…
Yeah.
Yes, so it came back to life.

So his luck is still holding, still going strong
So far.

All right. Now what will happen next?
Well, he has the horse and they're going to the castle town. So maybe he'll try to sell the horse. Or maybe...
Ah, he'll race the horse in a famous race and get the prize money. I don't know.
Or maybe he'll just go to the town, and then go home with the horse, and call it a day.

(call it a day = decide or agree to stop doing something)

I don't know.

Or he gets on the horse, and rise to the NHK Broadcasting Center, and meet us and thank us, and…
Oh, yeah.
You know, we go to dinner and...

Oh! I kind of like that ending.
We'll provide the food, okay. All right.
Sounds good.
We could do that.

Well, that's about it for today. So until next time.
Keep listening.
Keep practicing.
And keep on smiling and looking forward to the final Act 4.

========================

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Tuesday, August 27

So, how does the Act 4 begin?
Well, once in a castle town they make their way to a huge mansion.
OK.
And they go straight to the stables there.
Yeah, he's... once again he's showing his kindness by hoping to find some food for the horse first.
So he asked for some hay. Oh, my

Yeah, he spoke to, what was that, this stable hand there, right?
Yeah, and I think the stable hand was really impressed or surprised to see that horse.
Yeah, he ran away to get the owner of that wealthy estate to come and take a look at the horse.
Yeah.
So both of the stable hand and the owner are really impressed with this horse.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes, and he... so he invites the man into his huge mansion. You know, and... and wants to buy the horse from him.
And how much did he offer?
Two thousand ryo.
Oh, my!
Yeah!
And the man passes out.
Yeah, because he's so shocked.
And when he wakes up, who does he see? But the young lady that was on the road. Anyway to make a long story short.

Estate owner wants the horse and he also wants the man to marry his daughter.
That's right.
And take over the estate.
Become his successor.
My goodness.

★ Questions.
OK. Here is the first question for Jeff.
All right.
Now, what was the first thing the man did when he arrived at the huge mansion?
――――

He went to the stable and asked for a hay for the horse.
Very kind man.
Very kind man.
Feed the horse first.
I know, right?
―――

OK, here is the very, very last question and this is for Carolyn.
Alrighty.
What happened to the horse and the man at the end?
―――

The owner of the mansion got the horse. And the man married the owner's daughter.
Wow!

Oh, wow, these things could happen in a day.
Yeah.
It took us two weeks.
Oh, yeah.
Well, some things take longer.
It was well worth it.
It was worth the wait.　

===================

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Wednesday, August 29

What's the moral of the story?
Well, I would say it's to be kind to everyone or be kind, uh...
Yeah.
And humble. So those are good trade to develop, I would say.
And noting you expect anything when you are kind...
No.
But it always pays to be nice to people. Even if you get nothing in return, it's always nice to be, you know, thoughtful to other people. And I would think...
How nice!
Yes.
And this man was very lucky, because he was very kind and he got a lot in return.
It sure did. He certainly did.
Not everyone will get that much.
No.
But I think good things happen to nice people.
I think so too.
Yeah.
Yeah, I read somewhere that asking for help ..
Yeah.
... is a part of your strength. So,
Really?
I believe it.
Yeah, it's not a weakness, I guess, just you wanna (want to) be able to ask people for help.
Well, the fact that everyone will need help sometime during their life.
Yeah.
Everyone does.
I'm sure.
Yeah, I mean ups and downs, right?
Absolutely.
Everyone will need. And I think, those times you can ask for help, and then when your situation improves and then you can help others. Yeah.
How true.

8/19 - 8/21, 2019

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Monday, August 19

What a difference a day makes.
―――

Wow! That was pretty amazing. The Goddess sounded a little scary.
Yeah, she started "Psst!"
Yeah.
That was funny.

So to begin the beginning…
Yeah.
Uh-huh.
A long, long time ago…
Yes.
… this man was very poor and unlucky.
Uh-huh.
… goes to a temple and for the last time, he prays to Kan-non sama.
Yes.
Yeah. What's he got lose, right?
And he prays very hard.
Yes.
All day long.
Oh, wow! And finally he hears this voice.
Finally.
She was very quiet at first, wasn't she? She says "Psst!"
I guess that's a kind of a way of saying "Hey, you!"
And then she starts talking to the man.
Yes.
Her prophecy is that he is going to have some luck from now on.

(prophecy = 予言 a prediction of what will happen in the future)

Oh, good.
Uh-huh.
But he has to follow exactly what she says though.
Right.
He has to go to sleep and then he is going to wake up
... in the morning and leaves the building.
And then he is going to trip and fall.
"Story of my life," he says.
OK.
But what she says ... so she says when he trips he'll grab something.
Uh-huh.
Right? I don't know what. We don't know what he is going to grab. But he can't let go.
I see.
Hmm...
He has to hold on to it.
―――

Questions;
Here's the first question for you.
Who talked to the man at the temple hall?

Kan-non sama, the Goddess of Mercy.

Well, the Goddess of Mercy.
Yeah.
Uh-huh.
She was pretty forceful.

(forceful = expressing opinions strongly and demanding attention or action)

Yeah, you would think for a Goddess of Mercy, she would sound very kind and loving.
Well, she did it first, and then he started disbelieving her.
Yeah.
And so she started get a little irritated, maybe.
So she had make her point.

（make one's point = 主張を通す）
Right.
―――

Question 2
OK.
Did the man believe the prophecy?

No. He thought he was dreaming and fell asleep.
OK.

Wasn't he talking about something like pinching him or something?
Yeah, we say that quite a bit when we don't believe it actually happens, "Somebody pinch me. I must be dreaming."

Because it'll hurt, so you'll realize you're not dreaming. ... that you’ll realize you're awake.

Well, this is the end of Act 1 but I wonder what will happen in Act 2.
Well, the Goddess of Marcy said that he would wake up in the morning and leave the building.
And then he is going to trip and fall. So she says when he trips he'll grab something.
So what is going to be in his hand?
Or maybe he won't trip and fall and he'll just go home.
No.
I think he'll grab a bag of money that was dropped by some robbers and he'll live happily ever after.

(robber = burglar, thief)

• A robber is someone who steals money or property from a bank, a shop, or a vehicle, often by using force or threats.
• A burglar is a thief who enters a house or other building by force.
• A thief is a person who steals something from another person.

How about he grabs a copy of Eikaiwa Gakushu and goes home?
And learns how to speak English.
Yeah.
Great.
And then he gets... you know, does really well for himself and great success.
Yeah… becomes an interpreter.
An International star.
It's the interesting ideas.
Yeah ... of an International fame.

(fame = celebrity, honor, glory)

==================

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Tuesday, August 20

So here's Act 2, we just heard it.
Yes.
And he did trip and fall.
Just like the Goddess had said he would.
That … prophesied, yeah?

(prophesied = 予言された)

But, when he gets up…
He has a straw in his hand.
Wow!
He has to keep it, right? Just like she told him to do.
OK.
But along the way he catches a horsefly and he attaches it to the tip of the straw.
And we also know he is very kind to people, because the next person that he meets is an old woman with a baby on her back.
And the baby was crying. Don’t forget.
It is crying.
Yeah.
And it wouldn't stop crying.
No.
No, but the baby stops crying, all of a sudden. Because it sees the straw with a horsefly on it.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
And he gave it to the baby, and baby's face lights up, and it's really happy. The baby loves it.
So the lady thanks him.
Yeah.
For his kindness. She offers uh...
Three satsuma tangerines.
Yeah.
So he keeps wondering after he gets the tangerines. He comes across a young woman and her servant, right?
Yeah, and her servant says, "My lady suddenly felt pain. I believe she's suffering from heatstroke.”

You sound just like the servant in the story.
You are good at doing mimicking people.

(mimicking = to imitate or copy in action, speech, etc., often playfully or derisively)

That's amazing!
And he has just what she needs.
Yeah, surprisingly
Tangerines.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah. Now she's hydrated.
Yeah. And she's recovered, and feels good. And in exchange for the tangerines, she gives him three rolls of silk. Exquisite silk.
Exquisite silk.

(exquisite = elegant, graceful)

That's quite a trade up from tangerines to silk.
Yes.
Well, it's from a piece of straw.
Yes.
―――

Here is the first question for you, Carolyn.
OK.
Who did the man meet first after he started his journey?
―――

An old woman with a crying baby on her back.
And the baby liked the man's straw so much.
Yes.
You know, horsefly, it was probably buzzing, making a noise. I don't know.
I picture kind of moving around or something, kind of, shaking like a rattle.　

(rattle = ガラガラ)

Yeah, I don't know how he attached it to the straw. That's still a mystery.
―――

OK, here is the second question for Jeff.
All right.
What did the young woman give the man for his help?
―――

Three rolls of exquisite silk.
So it was not just silk.
No, it looks like it’s very high quality and very beautiful.
Exquisite silk.

Yeah, so he is really trading up.
Yes.
Silk for tangerine. That's great. Of course, he helped her. What… she could have really, maybe died of heatstroke. I mean, you know, she was in a really　bad way so the tangerines were really what she needed. So it's a good trade.
Yeah!
What… she really appreciated his help, right? And she says, "I'll never forget your kindness."
There you go.
Wow! Sounds just like her.
You know, strange.
Just like her.

So, here is a big question, again. What will happen next?
OK. Umm... What do you think, Carolyn?
Well, he's carrying three rolls of silk with him.
So maybe, he'll sell it.
Sell it for a lot of money, and go home and live happily ever after.
Yeah.
The end.
Or maybe he'll exchange them for a copy of Eikaiwa Gakushu.
Yeah, that would be kind of trading up, too.
Yeah.
Or maybe, he'll regret it.
No, no, no. His English will get better. He'll become an international star.

Well, that's about it for today. So until next time...
Keep listening
Keep practicing
And Keep on smiling and looking forward to Act 3.
Right.

=================

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Wednesday, August 21

Oh, here is an interesting topic, I hope.
Oh, sure
It's about a proverb, which goes 溺れる者は藁をもつかむ。わらしべをつかまんとする。
A drowning man clutches at a straw. You know, those two proverbs.
Yeah.
Arguably, supposed to be synonymous, identical.

(arguably = ほぼ間違いなく、議論の余地はあるかもしれないpossibly, probably, maybe, perhaps)
(synonymous = of a word or phrase) having the same meaning as another word or phrase in the same language.)

OK.
But there is one part that is not like わらをもつかむ, right? This is "grabs a straw."
So, it's in a hand.
It's in a hand.
OK.
And this English proverb goes "clutches at a straw." Now...
Yeah.
What's the meaning of "clutches at a straw"?

It feels like more he’s trying to
He's trying to ... trying to get it.
Yeah, trying to grab it. He's trying to get it.
But he or she doesn't have it.
Right. It's the motion of grabbing at it or clutching at it. Yes.
Oh, I see. So it's not in his or her hand yet.
No.
Not yet.
No.

Would actually... clutch or grab it, anything.
Yeah.
Even a straw.
Oh, yeah, a hint of straw. He is so desperate.

(a hint of = 少量の、少しだけ、ちょっぴり)

Yeah.

But in this story
Yeah.
He grabbed a straw.
Yes.
And
Yeah, he has it in his hand.
Yeah.
And he actually grabs a horsefly as well. He catches one.
Yeah.
So that's where he started.
Yes.
Right.
Straw.
With a straw.
Grabbing a straw.
And then making the best of the situation by making a little toy or something out of it.
Yeah.
By caching a horsefly, and attaching that to the tip of it.
Yeah. And then his luck gets better and better.
Yeah, he keeps trading for better and better things.
He always seems to have the right thing for the right situation.
What a story!
Yeah.

8/5 - 8/7, 2019

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Monday, August 5

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
That was hot.

Alrighty, Jeff, you are the star.
All right.

I'm getting nowhere with these rice balls.
They look fine.
The rice is so hot.
I'll take over now.
Thanks. You're a lifesaver.

―――
Say It!
―――
Jeff-san...
Uh-huh.
Five times in one breath.
I should be pretty good at this. I spill things all the time.
OK. Let's hear it.

Timmy spilled a lot of cinnamon! ×5

Great! Thank you for spilling the beans.　

(spill the beans = to tell people secret 秘密を漏らす)
(ジェフさんがよく「物をこぼす」という秘密を教えてくれたので……)

Right.
Yay!
That was a lot of fun.

――――
Write It!
――――
★ AがBにCさせてあげます
Well, we want to express permission here or more precisely giving someone permission to do something.

(precisely = 正確に exactly, quite, absolutely, right)

Uh-huh.
So I recommend using the pattern, "A lets B C." And the C here is what they are allowed to do. So it'll be, "A man lets his children make French toast."

★ 彼が引き受けなければなりません
must でどうでしょう？
"Must" is not wrong, but it's a little too strong. "I 'must' take over." It sounds almost animated. So we're going to use the phrase "has to 何々."
―――

A man lets his children make French toast, but they make a big mess and he has to take over.

―――――――――
In Another Situation!
―――――――――
So Carolyn, what's another situation gonna (going to) be like?
Well, Ken, things get worse.
―――

Dad, can we make French toast?
French toast, French toast.
On one condition: you clean up after yourselves.
It's a deal! Yay!
Okay. First, mix together two eggs and half a cup of milk.
I'll crack the eggs.
Ugh... Timmy made a big mess!
Look! You spilled half the milk on the floor.
Uh-oh.
Wipe it up with a dishcloth.
Yikes!
Now add a pinch of cinnamon.
Ugh... Timmy spilled a lot of cinnamon!
Now, look at yourself. You're licking it. It's so gross. Ugh...

(gross = 気持ち悪い、嫌な、ゾッとする、吐き気を催すような、いまいましい、ムカムカさせる、むかつく　disgusting)

I'll take over now.
Yummy.
No!
――――

Yikes. Carolyn, you're licking the cinnamon off the floor?
Well, in my defense, she was licking it off the floor.
Oh, that little lady there.
Uh-huh.
And were you cracking a bunch of eggs?
Oh, I don't recall. Poor daddy.
Yeah.
All right, guys. I'll take over now.
OK.

So that's about it for today.
OK. So until next time.
Keep listening.
Keep practicing.
And keep on smiling.

=================================

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Tuesday, August 6

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
That was possibly the best performance ever.

Jeff...
Uh-huh.
You are the star.
All right. I got this.

Did you find the name of the song?
No, I can hum the tune, though.
You can hum it into this app.
Is that possible?
Yup. Technology is pretty amazing.
Oh, let's do that right now.

―――
Say It!
―――
Jeff, are you ready, five times in one breath?
Well, I think I can do it. I mean you only need a tiny bit, right?
Well...
I guess he is right.
I guess so.
Well, let's let him do that and let's hear it.
OK.

You only need a tiny bit. ×5

That's great.
Yeah, you're right.

Yeah!
Nice.
You did great!

――――
Write It!
――――
★ 取っ手が取れてしまいます
Well, it is an unfortunate situation, but we already know that. So we don't have to say, "It's unfortunate or unfortunately." Because it goes without saying that it is unfortunate. So we're just going to say, "The handle breaks off."

★ ハウスメートとルームメートは違いますか？
Well, in English, when I hear the word "housemate," I pretty much assume that people are sharing a house together or a large living space.
OK.
But when I hear the word "roommate," it sounds more to me like people are sharing a room.

★ 彼女の持っている接着剤で付け直す
Well, there are two ways of saying this. In the dialog, they use the phrase "glue" something back on. And "glue" can be used as either a verb or a noun, so you can say, "He can glue it back on with her glue."

Right. But it sounds a little bit redundant.
Hmm....
It's not wrong, but it sounds a redundant. So the other way of saying it is, "He can stick it back on with her glue."

(redundant = 不必要な、余剰の、（余って）使われていない　unnecessary, not required)
―――

A man drops his coffee mug and the handle breaks off. His housemate says he can glue it back on with her glue because it's a clean break.

A man drops his coffee mug and the handle breaks off. His housemate says he can stick it back on with her glue because it's a clean break.

―――――――――
In Another Situation
―――――――――
So Jeff...
Right.
What's another situation gonna (going to) be like?
Well, this time, the woman is a Robot house helper.
―――

Ugh... I dropped my coffee mug and it broke into pieces.
Can I see it, my friend?
It was my favorite mug, Roboru-kun.
There are 98 pieces, big and small, but I can glue them back together.
Is that possible?
Absolutely. I have a super strength glue-ray-gun. (接着剤 光線銃)
Would that be costly?　
You only need a million dollars.
That's cheap. Great!
Inflation.
Ah!
Put the money in the pocket.
That's half a million.
Um... I'll pay you the rest next week.
You better.
―――

Hmm...
Well, we have to end the program.
Is that possible?
Oh, yeah, very much so.

So until next time.
Keep listening.
Keep practicing.
And keep on smiling. See, I told you.
Bye!

====================

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Wednesday, August 7

★ Joke 1
OK. Here is a joke for you.
All right.
How does the ocean greet surfers?

Hmm... I don't know.
I have no idea.

It just waves.
Ah...
Right? It's a pun.
Oh, yeah.
On waves... the waves of the ocean. And waving is also when you move your hand back and forth.

(back and forth = 前後に、あちこちに、行ったり来たり)

That's right.
Ah... to greet someone.
To greet someone to say hello.
Ah, okay.

So what goes into the blank?
Waves

★ Joke 2
OK, here's a good one.
What do you say if a lifeguard says not to swim in the sea but stay on the beach?

Hmm... Beats me.
That's a hard riddle. I don't know.
Yeah.

Sure! (Shore)
Oh...okay! I get it.
That's another pun.
I'm slain. (slain = 圧倒された)
Kind of cleaver. Sure as s-u-r-e or in this case, s-h-o-r-e, shore.
Very close, those sounds, very close.
Yeah, they differently sound similar.
That's for sure.

So what goes in the blank?
Shore.

★ Joke 3
Alrighty. Here's one for you.
OK.
Why do monkfish always get bad grades?

I didn't know there was a school... Oh! School of fish.
Got it? ... school of fish.
School of fish
Uh... Beats me.
Beats me too.

Because they are below sea level. Get it?
Oh, yes.
Oh, that’s clever!
Right? It's a pun on the word "sea, s-e-a."
Uh-huh.
Because you have sea as in water, but also the letter "C" is a grade you'd get in school when you don't do great.
I see.
When you don't do well. Yeah, just very much average, which is fine.
Below C (sea) level.

So what goes in the blank?
Sea level.
All right.

★ Joke 4
All right. Here is another one.
OK.
Why aren't clams so charitable?

Clams ... charity.
Oh, my. Another brain teaser.

(brain teaser = パズル・クイズなどの頭の体操、難問 a problem or puzzle)

Yeah.
I don't get it.
Me, neither. I don't get it, either.

Why aren't clams so charitable? Because they are self-centered (shelf-centered).
Laughing alone there. No, joking.
OK. It's so bad it's good.
No, that was cute.
So what's the point of the joke?
Right.
Well, shell ... shelf…. self … It's a play on words with self-centered, means that they are not charitable. They only think of themselves.
Yeah.
And clams are selfish, so shelf-centered.
Ah, okay.
That's cute.
It's Kind of a pronunciation thing.
Yeah. I like it.

It's kind of a stretch. I know. (stretch = 拡大解釈、こじつけ)

So what goes in the blank?
Shelf-centered.
Right on.

★ Joke 5
All right. Here is one. I hope you'll like it.
All right.
On a fine day on the sea, what's the best way to communicate with a fish?

Hmm...
Communicate with a fish?
Yap!
On a fine day.
I have no idea.
Beats me.

Well, you drop it a line.
Ah! All right.
Get it a pun with… with line?
Yeah, that's cleaver.
Because when you drop someone in line, you get in touch with them. You communicate with them.
Ah...
That's right.
When you go fishing, you use fishing line.
That's right.
Right? ... to catch the fish.
Oh, yeah.

So what goes in the blank?
Line.

★ Joke 6
OK. Here is one you're gonna (going to) like.
OK.
When a fish is short of cash, who does it turn to?

Hmm...
Fish....
Fish bank.
Oh.
No, I don't know.
Yeah, I don't know either.

A prawn broker.
Oh, my!
Yeah. That's um ... anyway that's cute.
That's another pronunciation thing.
Yeah.

So what's goes in the blank?
Prawn.

What's a point of the joke?
Well... what …. sounds like…
Yeah, some people turn to a pawn broker when they’re short of cash.
U-huh.

Pawn and prawn.
Oh, no.
Ken, you're groaning.
Yeah.
Oh, my!
See the pain.

★ Joke 7
Alrighty, here I go.
OK.
A fish has been on the shore and he's dying when the tide comes in. The happy fish says to the tide, "Long time no see!"

This is funny.
Yeah. That's cute, right?
Yeah.
Get it?
So this fish is dying, right?
Yeah, I mean that's not funny.
That's not funny.
That's not funny. But ...
Because she has been or he has been on the shore for a long time.
Yeah, and he needs the water.
But the tide comes in. (low tide 干潮　　high tide満潮)

Yeah, and of course, he probably lives in the sea. So if we haven't seen someone for a long time, we say, "Long time no see, s-e-e." But this time, because he missed the sea, s-e-a. He is saying "Long time no sea, s-e-a."
Okay.

Well, so what goes in the bank?
No sea, s-e-a.
There you go.
All right. And it's a pun on the s-e-e.
Yes.
The last joke.

★ Joke 8
One salmon says to another, "Say, is that salmon John?" "No," said the other, "It’s someone else."

This is ... yeah, I got it.
It's so bad it's good, right?
Yap.
It's someone else. Yeah.
(It) works.
That’s right.
Right. Someone else is a sort of …. modify to salmon else.

(modify = 修正する amend, improve, revise)

That's right.
Someone … salmon
So what's goes in the blank?
Salmon

Wow! What a great guy I am.
It's even funny in Japanese.

Oh… I get it.

That's about it for today.
So until next time.
Keep listening.
Keep practicing.
And keep on smiling and laughing.

7/29 - 7/31, 2019

遠山顕の英会話楽習 Monday, July 29

―――
Say It!
―――
Nice start.

Jeff...
Uh-huh.
Now, you are the star.
All right.

You have whiteflies on this plant.
Yes, I know.
I had the same problem.
How did you get rid of them?
I just sprayed them.
With?
Whitefly spray.
Oh!
Easy to remember.
Yeah.

―――
Say It!
―――
Carolyn, would you like to model it saying it five times in one breath?
Well, sure. Yeah, you know, of course. This is actually my favorite kind of sentence.
Oh, it is.
Yeah.
OK. Let's hear it.

They spread quickly. ×5

You were right. It was nice and smooth.

All right.
Great.
Very nice.

――――
Write It!
――――
★ ある女性
a woman でいいですか？ a certain woman?
Well, I think it would be the easiest and sounds better to my ears just to say "a woman" here.

★ 多肉植物に害虫がいます
There are bugs on a woman's succulent. でどうでしょう？
Well, it's fine grammatically. Sounds good to me, but it also sounds though a little too dramatic, too suspenseful. And I don't really think that's necessary in this situation. So I'd recommend starting the sentence with "a woman." So it'll be "A woman has bugs on her succulent."

Sounds like the beginning of a scary movie.
Yeah, like I expect something really bad to happen.
There are bugs.

★ 彼女の兄
Well, yes, in Japanese, you have words for older and younger brother. But in English, you don't have to specify whether they are older or younger unless it has a specific purpose to the story. So we're just going to use the simple "her brother."

★ 彼女に言います
Say to her でどうでしょう？
Well, again sounds good to me. But I think it sounds a little bit more conversational, just to say "tells her 何々."

★ すぐに
Now でどうでしょう？
Well, in the dialog she says, "I'll do that now." But in "Write It!" we're using it as a summary or reporting. If we use the word "now," sounds like she's right there doing it right now. So we're going to use "right away."
―――

A woman has bugs on her succulent. Her brother tells her to squish them by hand. She'll do that right away.

(succulent = plants have thick stems or leaves that store a lot of water)

――――――――――
In Another Situation!
――――――――――
So Carolyn...
Uh-huh.
What's another situation going to be like this time?
Well, now, they are talking online. The woman is scared of the bugs.
―――

This is the succulent. See this slimy stuff on it.

(slimy = covered with a thick wet unpleasant substance)

Yeah, you have bugs. I had the same problem with mine.
Ugh! How do I get rid of them?
Squish them.
Yikes! By hand?
Put on some gloves. That's what I did. They spread quickly. If I were you, I'd move it away from the rest of your plants.
I'll do that part. But could you do this squishing part for me?
I would if I could teleport or you could pay my air fare.
Hmm... I’ll use gloves.
―――

Yeah, you know, I had the same problem with my plants. But...
Oh, you did.
Squishing them is a great idea.
Oh, did you enjoy that?
I love that sound of it.
Oh.
OK. I know who to call next time I have the same problem.

====================

遠山顕の英会話楽習 Tuesday, July 30

三角形 = triangle 正方形 = square 五角形 = pentagon 六角形 = hexagon
七角形 = heptagon 八角形 = octagon 九角形 = nonagon 多角形 = polygon

This is a problem.
Oh, yeah.

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
All right, Carolyn. You are the star.
Great!

Now, "Step one: Log in to App Gakushu."
I did it.
"Step two: Press the Come-on-in Button."
Did it. Oh, there's your picture!
See? That wasn't so hard.
You are famous.
Well, no, no.
There's your picture too.
Now, wait a minute.
And your picture too, Ken.
Oh, my goodness. Fame at last!

(Fame at last! = ついに名声が…… I am finally famous)

―――
Say It!
―――
Carolyn, are you ready five times in one breath?
Yeah, I think so. Ready to take it away.
All right. Yeah, Carolyn, take it away!

(Take it away = さあ始めてください to start playing or singing music / Get started. / Go for it!)

I threw it away. × 5

Take it away, everybody.

All right.
Yeah.
You did it swimmingly.

――――
Write It!
――――
★ AはBがCするのを手伝っています
Well, basically we would say, "A is helping B C."
OK.
But you can also say it, "A is helping B to C."
You can use the "to" or not, either way.

★ 道具がひとつ
Well, it is "one tool." That's correct. But I think it's easier just to say "a tool" here. So the whole sentence is going to be, "A tool is missing."

★ ……できるでしょうか？
Well, some people might be tempted to use the word "can." But we can't say, "Will they can retrieve it?"
Oh, no!
No, that's not good English at all.
OK.
So, we're going to use the phrase, "Will they be able to 何々?" "be able to retrieve it."
―――

A woman is helping her son build a desk. A tool is missing. The son has thrown away the box. Will they be able to retrieve it?

A woman is helping her son to build a desk. A tool is missing. The son has thrown away the box. Will they be able to retrieve it?

Good job!

―――――――――
In Another Situation
―――――――――
So Jeff...
Uh-huh.
What's another situation going to be like?
They are in a huge box.　
―――

Hmm... The first thing you want to do is read through the instructions.
What about this book of pictures?
Open that too.
OK.
"Step one: Use screw A and washer D."

(washer = 座金[ざかね] a small flat ring used for filling the space between two metal parts, for example between a surface and the top of a screw)

Screw A is missing.
Check the box.
We are in it.
Well, let's hope we can build a rocket.
Otherwise, we'll be here on Mars for a while.
―――

Oh, they're in a box on Mars.
Amazing!
That's kind of interesting.
They want to go back home or go back to the moon or whatever.
They gotta (have got to) build that rocket.
Or I guess the big box will become their house, if they can't return.
Yeah, their home for a long time.

Well, we have gone through the usual steps today again.
Step 1, step 2,
And a final step will be ...

======================

遠山顕の英会話楽習 Wednesday, July 31

Wow!
That's kind of depressing… a little bit.
Oh, yeah. I mean... in a week, he is born and buried.
Life is short.
I guess so. Yeah.

I'm still depressed...
Yeah.
I'm really depressed.

It's kind of fun.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a good way to remember the days of the week.

Beautified, my goodness.

(beautified = past simple and past participle of beautify)

And now, it's your turn, right, Ken?
OK. Yeah.

That's too much, isn't it?
A piece of cake.
Still in one breath, though. Pretty impressive. Nice.

Take a deep breath! Ready, set. Go!
―――

Ken?
Yes?
I don't know if I can do it.
So you want me to do it.
If you don't mind.
I do. But I… OK.
I used to be able to do this in one breath, like three, four times.
Oh!
So we should do it three or four times.
Those were the days, my friend. My goodness.
Here we go.
―――

One more time!
Wow!
Are you going to...
That was great!
We have to add more events.
Yeah.
Oh, my goodness.
We need more days of the week.
Yeah, more days of the week.
Oh, my goodness.

Take a deep, deep breath. Let's go!
―――

Yay!
We did it!
You did it better than I.
Umm.... I don't think so.
I wanna (want to) change some of these life events.
You do?
Yeah.
In my version, Thursday would be "learned how to play the guitar."
Yeah.
And Friday would be "discovered sushi."
Oh, wow!

OK, well. If we were allowed to change life events, then I'd like to change from Thursday to Sunday. And instead of being died and buried, just traveled around the world, and live...
Live happily ever after.
I wanna (want to) change Sunday.
Oh?
Yeah?
Instead of that, I would like to say, "Came back to life."
Oh!
That's impressive.
That's a good one.

7/22 - 7/24, 2019

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Monday, July 22

So, it's free.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Wow!

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
Jeff...
Yes?
Now, you are the star.
Got it.

Here we are at Gakushu Park.
It's very spacious.
It covers over 30,000 acres.
Is that right?
Uh-huh. It's huge.
Yeah.

―――
Say It!
―――
Are you ready, Jeff?
What do I get if I do it really well?
Hmm...
Well, applause?
Oh, Okay. Well, the best things in life are free, I guess.
Yeah, that's gonna (going to) be a free applause.
Yeah, lots of it.
OK? All right.

The best things in life are free. ×5

Here's your applause.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

All right.
Yeah.
You're getting a free round of applause.

(round of applause　= 拍手喝采 when people clap for a short time to show that they enjoyed something or approve of something)

――――
Write It!
――――
★ 二人は……に来ています
Well, I think I would recommend two ways we could do this.
OK.
We could either say, "They are at どこどこ," and the other way is, "They have come to どこどこ."

★ 俳優のジェームズ・ディーン
Well, there are two ways of saying this as well. So you can either say it in line with the Japanese same order as the Japanese "the actor, James Dean," or you can do the reverse, "James Dean, (comma) the actor."

★ 彼の映画のひとつ
Yeah, that's right. It wasn't in the dialog. Here, I suggest saying "one of his movies."
And don't forget to add an "s" to movies, even though the verb is going to be singular.
All right.
It's tricky.
―――

They are at Griffith Park. They see the bust of the actor James Dean. One of his movies was shot here.

They have come to Griffith Park. They see the bust of James Dean,(comma) the actor. One of his movies was shot here.

―――――――――
In Another Situation!
―――――――――
So, Carolyn...
Yeah.
What's another situation going to be like?
Well, now, they are at a museum of electrical inventions.
―――

I wasn't expecting this museum to be so big!
It has over 2,000 electrical inventions.
Wow! Say, is that the bust of Thomas Edison?
Yes, he is the role model of this museum.　
Shall we go in? I got the admission.
It's free admission.
You're kidding!
The best things in life are free.
Electrifying.　

(electrifying = extremely exciting)

Hmm... Good pun, young man.
Thomas Edison!?
That's right.
We're shocked.
Another good pun.

(pun = a humorous use of a word that has two meanings, or of words with the same sound but different meanings. For example, the joke ’When is a door not a door?’)

Oh, I see. I got it.
Electrifying...
Yeah. And...
Shocking.
Shocking, shocked
All right. Well, that covers today's program.

===========

遠山顕の英会話楽習　　　Tuesday, July 23

Oh, so, this is the end of the trip?
Yeah, unfortunately.
Yeah, sounds like it. But they had a great time.
Oh, yeah.
―――

rattlesnake = ガラガラヘビ
You call that a little toy for the baby?
a rattle = ガラガラ

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
You've done so well.

All right, Carolyn, you are the star.
Got it.

Gee, I can barely see the ocean from here.
Come over here, Jeff. Here's a better view.
Oh, yeah!
Let's take a selfie here.
Great idea. Say cheese!
Cheese!

―――
Say It!
―――
Yeah, I'm raring to go. I wanna (want to) do it like 20 times in one breath or 50 times or...

(raring = very enthusiastic and eager to do something)

Whoa, whoa, I wouldn't do that if I were you.
I wouldn't either.
I'd lose my voice, maybe huh? OK, I’ll settle for five then.
Great.

I wouldn’t do that if I were you. ×5

All right.
Nice.
You made our day.

――――
Write It!
――――
★　「ドゥーウィロウ！」と叫びます
Well, in English we'd use the word "shouts" here.
OK.
So, I'd suggest using this order "Shouts, DOOWYLLOH"
I see.

★ イアンは彼女が……してくれたことに感謝します
Well, there are a couple of words we can use: grateful, thankful. But those might be a little bit too over the top, a little bit too dramatic. So we're just going to use the basic friendly "Thanks." Ian thanks her for taking him around to see the sights.
―――

They are now up behind the Hollywood Sign. Sofia reads the sign and shouts "DOOWYLLOH!" Ian thanks her for taking him around to see the sights.

―――――――――
In Another Situation!
―――――――――
So Jeff...
Uh-huh.
What's another situation going to be like?
Two Martians are with an earthling tour guide.
―――

I'm going over there to take a panoramic picture.
Yeah, me too.
I wouldn't do that if I were you guys.
Why not?
Rattlesnakes.
Rattlesnakes?
Oh, no! They are dangerous creatures. On second thought...
We won't.
Here's a better view up behind the Hollywood sign. DOOWYLLOH!
It's not in the dictionary.
Not in mine, either.
No dictionary is perfect.
Well, this is a great way to end our trip!
Thank you for taking us around to see the sights!
My pleasure, Bbblan and Ggglan.
See you on Mars.
You must come again.
―――

They have dictionaries.
Yeah, I guess they were English dictionaries.
Yeah, English to Martian, Martian to English.
Well, what do you think?
I think this is a great way to end the program.
You said it.

=================

遠山顕の英会話楽習 Wednesday, July 24

What did she shout, Carolyn?
Hmm... this might sound strange.

So, that's the uh...
Hollywood.
Hollywood spelled backwards.
Backwards.
Pronounced backwards.
―――

Ahh... this is so nostalgic.
And yet timeless.

(nostalgic = remembering happy times in the past)
(timeless = not affected by time or by changes in fashion)

Yes.
I love it.

Nostalgic, yet timeless. Oh, yes. That'll make the composer so happy.
Burt Bacharach
You bet.
One of my favorites.
Yeah.
Same here.

Yeah, I thought we were all singing together, but ... OK! 　I will ask for forgiveness in advance.

A little flat, but you know....
Well, you didn't need any apology in advance there.\
And now?
Yeah.
Yeah? Let's hear it.

See?
Awesome!
That's all right. Good!

All right. Good job.
Nice.

That's about it for today. So until next time.
Keep listening.
Keep practicing.
And keep on smiling and singing.

7/15-7/17, 2019

遠山顕の英会話楽習 Monday, July 15

A lot of sea lions, I hear.
Uh-huh.

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
All right, Carolyn, you are the star.
OK.

How was Jimi Shima?
It was less touristy than Hade Shima and very relaxing.
Good.
I liked it there.
I'd like to go with you next time.
Well, I'll let you know when I go.
All right.
Count me in too.
All right. The three of us.

―――
Say It!
―――
Carolyn, are you ready, five times in one breath?
Absolutely, I feel very lucky I get to do this.
Oh, you've got it made!
Right?
Let's hear it?

They've got it made.　×5

You've got it made.

――――
Write It!
――――
★ 楽しげに……している
Well, we're reporting "how something is feeling." We're talking about sea lions here.
OK.
And we don't know one hundred percent how they actually feel, right? So we can use "seem to" to express what we think they're feeling.
OK.
So here we would say, "Sea lions seem to enjoy 何々-ing."
―――

Marina del Rey is less touristy and pretty laid-back. Sea lions seem to enjoy sitting on the boat docks. They've got it made!

――――――――――
In Another Situation!
――――――――――
So Carolyn...
Yes.
What's another situation going to be like?
I hope I can say this well. Now, they are on a little island called Umisuzume Shima.
―――

It's less touristy here than the town.
Yeah. It's pretty windy here. What's that noise?
Those are razor bills or Umisuzume. They like to sit on the rocks and wait for schools of little fish to come.　

(razor bill = ウミスズメ)
(school of little fish = 小魚の群れ)

They've got it made!
For sure! You know what? We could rent bicycles here and go round the island.

(go round = グルグル回る、一周する、巡回する)

Let's do it!
Okay. We'll go on the Umisuzume trail along the Kori Kaigan.
Cool!
I think so too.
―――

So, Kori Kaigan. だから cool ということですか？
Uh, yeah, it was kind of a play on words. Cool... ice.
Ohhh!
Kori.（氷）
Well, anyway, sea lions seem to enjoy lying there.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, and people seem to enjoy watching them.
For sure.
Right.
But I bet the sea lions would be a lot happier, if there were less people in boats around.
Really, why is that?
Well, wouldn't you? Then you'd have the whole place to yourself.

(have ~ to oneself ～を独占［独り占め］する)

Oh, and there'd be more fish.
Oh, yes. So this phrase "less touristy" is for the sea lions.
Yeah, that's right. They wish it was less touristy.
Definitely.

===================

遠山顕の英会話楽習 Tuesday, July 16

Wow!
Hmm... What a contrast!
From the last place they went.
Oh!
From sea lions to jewelry stores.
And fancy shops.
Yeah.

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
Carolyn, you are the star.
Great.

I need to drop by the post office.
Fine.
I'll just be a minute.
Take your time.
Thanks.

――――
Say It!
――――
Carolyn, are you ready?
Just five, right?
Just five times in one breath.
… or not just five... OK.
Oh, yeah.
We're in the easiest part of the program, I guess.
Yeah, for you guys.
OK. Let's hear it.
Alrighty.

We're in the glitzy part of town. ×5
You did.

Great!
Fantastic job!

――――
Write It!
――――
★ ロデオドライブで
「で」は at? でよろしいでしょうか？
Well, some might be tempted to use "at," but this shop is on a street. "Rodeo Drive" is the name of a street. So it's "on" the street. So "on" Rodeo Drive.

★（イアンは）ロデオドライブにふさわしい格好をしていないと思う
Ian thinks he is not dressed for Rodeo Drive.でいいでしょうかね？
Well, that's the direct translation from the Japanese, right?
That's right.
It's not wrong. It is totally fine grammatically.
Uh-huh.
But it feels a little more natural to me to state what he thinks or doesn't think closer to the beginning of the sentence. Like when I hear things he is not dressed, the negative part is a little far away, so it almost sounds positive at the beginning.
Uh-huh.
It almost sounds like this is what he thinks. So I think it's a little bit more natural to say, "Ian or he doesn't think he is dressed for Rodeo Drive."

★ イアンは……することにします
Well, this wasn't in the dialog. So we're going to use the word "decide." So Ian decides to 何々.
―――

On Rodeo Drive, Sofia goes into a shop, but lan decides to wait outside because he doesn't think he's dressed for Rodeo Drive.

―――――――――
In Another Situation!
―――――――――
So Jeff...
Uh-huh.
What's another situation going to be like this time?
Well, it's a new store now.
―――

We're here.
We're in the glitzy part of town!

(glitzy = bright, exciting, and attractive but with no real value / having a fashionable appearance intended to attract attention)

Do you want to go in that shop with me to see what their new bags go for?
I don't think I'm dressed for Rodeo Drive.
You're fine.
I feel kind of out of place. I'll just wait outside, okay?
Okay, I'll just be a minute.

Hi, I'm back.
Oh, that was quick.
It's a jewelry store now.
Huh?
They only sell huge diamonds.
You're pulling my leg.

(pull one's leg = deceive someone playfully; tease someone)
(You're pulling my leg. = You're teasing me. からかっているんだね)

No! Go see for yourself. You'll be surprised.
―――

Ruby and pearl.
Yes.
Puns.
Yes.
Puns.

Oh, here, I have to remember what to say at the end of the program.
Oh, yes.

===============================

遠山顕の英会話楽習 Wednesday, July 17

So in Canada, you don't use this word so much?
No, I think we mostly use "line," but I have heard "queue" used occasionally.
Is that right?
But "line" is more common.
How about in America, Jeff?
It's almost always "line."
All right.
Queuing up ... you hear once in a while.
Right?
Queuing up, people who have gone overseas, and they start using that word, but most people say "line up,” yeah.
I see.

Do you cut in line, Carolyn?
No.
She probably could. I couldn't.
I never cut in line. Why? Do you guys cut in line?
No.
Never.
Not knowingly.

(knowingly = 心得顔で)
(Not knowingly. ⇒　この場合は、「もし、割り込みしちゃったとしたら、わざとじゃないよ。知らないうちに割り込みしてしまっているということはあるかもしれないけれど」)