実践ビジネス英語 Wednesday, June 5
1) Nissen and Collins complain about how many people tell them they are crazy busy with Collins adding that many people pretend to be griping when they lament how busy they are but are really bragging about it instead. Nissen says most of the people complaining are actually busy by their own choice. And Collins says such people are addicted to being busy and frightened not to have something to do.
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Crazy Busy (1)
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2) insanely: Extremely in other words. There's a nuance here of being so extremely something that you think, "Wow!" "Yikes!" "My Lord!" as in "Trevor is 'insanely' talented. His writing is fantastic." Or "Sales at company X have soared because of its 'insanely' popular new tablet computer."
3) better that than the alternative: In this case, "alternative" is a noun. Nissen says "the alternative," so he is talking about one of two options. However, you can also use "alternative" when there are more than two choices, something like "I think we should hold the convention at this venue. The other two 'alternatives' are very expensive."
4) fall into the busy trap: When we "fall into some trap," we make the mistake of doing something that seems right or attractive, but is actually harmful to us. A financial advisor might say, "Don't 'fall into the trap' of making high-risk, high-return investments. Slow and steady gains are better."
5) run around like chickens with their heads cut off: This is a bit of gruesome image, isn't it? If you cut off a chicken's head, you know sometimes it runs around aimlessly before finally dying. So this idiom refers to doing something in a frantic, frenzied manner. I misplaced an airline ticket once and I "ran around my house like a chicken with its head cut off" trying to find it.
6) badge of honor: A mark of distinction, Collins means, a proof of distinction like a medal pinned on someone's chest. A craftsman might consider scars on his hands to be a "badge of honor," you know, a proof of his hard work over many years.
7) self-imposed: When something is "self-imposed" we impose it on ourselves. We do it to ourselves. We apply it to ourselves. It's often used in reference to rules that we set for ourselves, such as "The company was unable to meet its 'self-imposed' deadline for getting out of the red." Or "He broke his 'self-imposed' ban on alcohol.
8) workload: This refers to the amount of work someone has to do that they are metaphorically carrying. Works on the same principle as a number of words that end in “–load” and refer to the amount that a certain thing can actually carry, like "armload" "carload," "boatload." And some of these can be used metaphorically too to mean a very large amount of something like, "I've got a 'boatload' of work to do." Or "I've got a 'truckload' of work to do."
9) dread: Collins uses this as a verb meaning to fear something greatly or to anticipate it with distaste or reluctance. "A shy person would 'dread' having to meet new people." "A company employee would 'dread' having to give his boss bad news." And it can also be a noun. "He has a real 'dread' of meeting new people," for example.
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実践ビジネス英語 Thursday, June 6
1) Lyons says he talks about his busy schedule to demonstrate his devotion to his work and family, and that always being occupied makes him feel important. Collins describes how even her sister's children are constantly busy with homework and after-school activities. Nissen recalls how much more freedom he had as a child and says his time at play also involved valuable learning experiences. Collins adds that just relaxing can also be productive.
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Crazy Busy (2)
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2) Now that I think about it: Lyons also could have said " now that I give it some thought" or "on reflection," such as "'Now that I give it some thought,' it might be better to leave on Friday instead of Saturday." Or "'On reflection,' I don't really need a new briefcase. I'll get a new suit instead."
3) on second thought という言い方もある
4) be run off one's feet: The image here is having so much to do or rushing so quickly, we fall over. So to "be run off one's feet" means you have an enormous amount work to do, you have to work extremely fast. You could say something like, "Our entire office has been run off its feet getting ready for the National Sales Conference.
5) That's what I call crazy: This is a really good example of something crazy, Nissen is saying. I find this to be quite crazy. And you can use any number of words after this phrase. For example, your boss could praise someone by saying, "Now 'that's what I call original thinking." Or criticize them by saying, "'That's what I call' disorganized."
6) oodles of: This means a lot, a huge quantity of something." It's a cute, slightly childish word used with a sense of fun, I think. For example, there are "oodles of" benefits to regular exercise.
7) as frazzled as: When someone is "frazzled," they are in a state of physical or nervous exhaustion. The image is someone whose edges are being worn away like fraying fabric, such as "I was a bit 'frazzled' after 14 straight hours at the office.“
8) goof off: Nissen uses this expression to mean spend time idly or foolishly, such as "She was supposed to be working on her presentation, but she just 'goofed off' on her computer.“
9) fun and games: Nissen's literally talking about "fun and games," but this expression is also used to mean a wider range of playful, enjoyable activity. For example, we often say that something is not "fun and games" or not all "fun and games" to mean it's a serious business or it isn't always pleasant. A company executive might tell a subordinate, "This sales pitch isn't 'fun and games.' It's vital to the future of our company." Or you might hear something like, "Marriage isn't all 'fun and games,' sometimes it's hard work.
10) laze around: This is to pass the time being lazy, being idle. Many of us "laze around" the house on the weekends watching TV or reading. Or you could say, "Bill just 'lazes around' the office on Mondays. He hardly gets anything done."
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実践ビジネス英語 Friday, June 7
1) Lyons says the type of relaxation affects how much inspiration can strike, and that his practice of watching TV with a beer isn't very productive. Nissen concurs but cites the example of Newton discovering gravity while relaxing against the tree. Lyon speaks of the need to balance work and leisure and suggests assessing one's priorities by rephrasing, "I don't have time for X" as "X isn't a priority."
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Crazy Busy (3)
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2) slack off: This means not doing your work, your task with appropriate energy and dedication. But you think the characters here using it a little bit facetiously more in the sense of just relaxing. But for example, people often "slack off" when their boss is away.
3) ベビーブームの後の出生率が低下した世代
1960年代始めから70年代に生まれた人のことを
Generation X あるいは Generation Xer などと呼ぶ。
この人たちの別名は Slacker
4) in something mode: Lyons uses "mode" to mean focused on a certain activity, in a certain mindset, like a machine that's turned with a certain setting, such as "When I'm 'in vacation mode,' I sleep late every day." Or "Every December, I go 'into shopping mode' picking up lots of gifts for friends and family."
5) plunk oneself down: In this case, "plunk" is a verb meaning drop or fall heavily. Another way to say this is "plump." So Lyons also could have said, "I 'plump' myself down in front of the TV."
6) The muse strikes: Lyons is using "muse" lower case to mean inspiration. Inspiration doesn't usually strike at times like that. Lower case, it can also mean a person who inspires someone. Authors, film directors have "muses" often. Upper case "Muse" refers to one of the nine sister goddesses in ancient mythology who inspired achievements in things like poetry, dance, astronomy.
7) fair enough: We often use this to mean, "That's reasonable," "I see the justification, the logic for why someone would do this or say that," things like "He criticized her harshly for the project's failure. 'Fair enough.' She was in charge of it." Or "Company X is charging a high price for its new computer, which is 'fair enough.' It's got lots of great features.
8) chill out: Nissen uses this to mean relax. It can also be calm down. Imagine someone is freaking out about an upcoming deadline. You might think "'Chill out!' You still got two days to finish."
9) go on about: This means to talk a great deal about something, to be verbose about it, as in "She 'went on about' her new job for an hour." Or "Don't ask Heather about movies. She'll 'go on' forever."
10) We also say "go on and on about," which emphasizes the continuous talking more. She went on and on about her frustrations with the company.
11) put things in a different light: If we shine a different kind of light on something, it alters its appearance, doesn't it? So this idiom refers to allowing us to look at something in a different way, consider it in a different way. Imagine someone is rude to you and later you find out that they were exhausted and worried about a deadline. That would put their behavior in a different light. You would see their actions as the result of stress not deliberate rudeness.
【原稿チェック： Hiromi, Hiroko, Cecile】
【ディクテーション： Sanae】
