実践ビジネス英語 Wednesday, July 3
1) Kay Breakstone says she is happy to be living in the same city with her family, now that they've all moved to New York, but her son has experienced some culture shock. She says their New York apartment is much smaller than their place in Toledo, and they had to deal with insects and bad neighbors. Her son was also initially disturbed by the noise and litter, she adds.
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Confessions of a Working Mother (1)
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2) the Big Apple: This is a very famous nickname for New York. Some other well-known nicknames for U.S. cities are: Sin City for Las Vegas, the Windy City for Chicago, and Motor City for Detroit. One of my favorites, Seattle is called the Emerald City because of all its greenery.
3) hassle: Breakstone means the trouble of a long-distance marriage, the bother of such an arrangement. She uses "hassle" as a noun, but it can also be a verb, meaning to bother or harass someone, such as "My boss has been hassling me all week to get the report done quickly."
4) long-distance marriage: A marriage in which the husband and wife live far apart. You can also have a long-distance relationship, like I did in my junior year of college. I was studying in Kyoto, and my boyfriend was at a university in the States.
5) long-distance romance = 遠距離恋愛
6) deny: When Breakstone says "I can't 'deny it'," she is referring to a truth that can't be denied, that must be acknowledged. You could say something like, "As much as I dislike Toby, I can't 'deny' he is good at his job."
7) laid-back: Easygoing, Breakstone means, relaxed. Think of someone casually reclining, you know, lying back in a relaxed position. Imagine you are late for an appointment, your colleague says, "Don't worry. Victoria won't be upset that we are late. She is pretty 'laid-back' about things like that."
8) to say the least: This is essentially the same meaning as that's putting it mildly. Something is an understatement, in other words. So if I say, "Fred and Tyler have a hostile relationship 'to say the least.'" That means they have a very acrimonious relationship.
9) troublesome: Something that's "troublesome" causes worry, difficulty, annoyance.
10) litter: Breakstone uses this word as a noun, meaning trash, rubbish that's strewn about. It can also be a verb meaning to strew about trash. You'll see signs on beaches that read "No Littering," for example.
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実践ビジネス英語 Thursday, July 4
1) Kay says her son struggled to adjust to his new school and make friends. And she felt extremely guilty at taking him away from his familiar surroundings. She goes on to say that working parent guilt can be a heavy burden with parents forced to be away from children due to busy jobs and working even during vacations. Garcia commiserates with her struggle.
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Confessions of a Working Mother (2)
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2) get settled: When we "get settled," we establish ourselves in some environment. We become comfortable, arrange things so that we can function smoothly. Long ago, my parents wrote me asking, "How is your study abroad program going, Heather? Are you 'getting settled' with your host family?" Or you could ask a friend, "Have you 'gotten settled' in your new job?"
3) go double for: Breakstone means that something is even more true for. It applies even more to - something like "Companies are proactive of their copyrights. And that 'goes double' for Corporation X. "So Corporation X is very protective. Or "'Better safe than sorry' is a good rule in life. And that 'goes double' for choosing investments."
4) feel bad about: We use this expression when we feel regret or shame, apologetic -- these kind of unpleasant emotions about something, such as "I 'feel bad' for snapping at Brandy this morning. I should apologize." Or "Don't 'feel bad' about your lack of experience. Everyone has to start somewhere."
5) Don't feel bad about it. = そんなこと気にしなくていいよ。大丈夫だよ。
6) uproot someone from: This is to displace someone from the environment they are used to, as if we pull them and their roots out of the ground like a plant. Naturally, we also use this literally, as in, "The typhoon 'uprooted' numerous trees."
7) 似たような言葉で transplant = 植物を植え替える 移植する、ということ
Can we transplant Japanese management to India?
（日本的経営は他の国でも活用することができるか？移植することができるか？
8) crotchety: A "crotchety" person is bad-tempered, cranky. Breakstone also could have said, "She got 'crabby,'" as in "He is always a little 'crabby' before his morning coffee."
9) demanding job: Something that's "demanding" requires a lot of work, attention or time. A company employee can have a "demanding" schedule. A student can be in a "demanding" class.
10) demanding person = いろいろなことを要求する人
demanding client = いろいろなことを要求するクライアント
>
11) out of kilter: When something is "out of kilter," it's out of its normal or proper state, condition. We often use this term to mean something is out of order, not functioning properly, such as "My computer has been 'out of kilter' for a week or so. I'd better have the system's people take a look."
12) one's heart goes out to: This expression uses the image of someone's heart literally moving toward another person, and it means I sympathize with your pain. I feel for your struggle. If someone has an enormous project, for example, on a really tight deadline. you could say, "'My heart goes out to' him. It's a nearly impossible job."
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実践ビジネス英語 Friday, July 5
1) Nissen says he's noticed that Breakstone's son uses his smartphone a great deal and asks her if she feels a digital gap with her son. Breakstone says parenting in the digital age is a difficult challenge as technology has altered the way people work, play and interact with each other. Garcia says many of her friends struggle to keep up with the changes.
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Confessions of a Working Mother (3)
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2) be happy to report: We often use this when we have some good news we want to announce to share. Company XYZ might issue a press release saying, "We 'are happy to report' that sales were up 17% last quarter." Or you could tell a colleague, "I 'am happy to report' that I actually managed to get us a reservation at that hot new restaurant."
3) be over to someone's place: Or "go over to someone's place," to be at their home or go to their home, in other words. You can also put it like this, "We are going to a 4th of July party at James', meaning at James' house.
4) strike someone as: Give someone a certain impression. So you could say things like, "Bonnie has always 'struck me' as very professional." Or "Marty 'strikes me' as very laid-back."
5) It's also common to ask, "How does something 'strike you'?" This means what impression does something give you? What do you think of it? as in "How does John's proposal 'strike you'? Do you think it's a good idea?"
6) digital gap: A gulf a separation between their children's use of digital technology and their own, Nissen means. The same image is generation gap. I'm sure I'll have a huge "digital gap" with my daughter. I used my first computer, a slow-moving bulky desktop when I was in
middle school. And she was born into a world where high school students are
designing smartphone apps.
7) gender gap とか credibility gap などもありますね。
8) epitome: The embodiment of something a perfect, ideal example of it. Things like, "This computer is the 'epitome' of convenience." Or "He was the 'epitome' of a conscientious boss."
9) no doubt about it: We use this to say something is definitely true. Breakstone also could have said, "without a doubt."
10) And there's also the expression "I doubt it," which means I don't think so, I think it's unlikely. Let's say a colleague asks you, "Do you think the boss will accept Evan’s proposal?" You might reply, "I doubt it. The budget is tight this year, and Evan’s idea is expensive."
11) a big rethink: "Rethink" is reconsideration, reexamination of something either to change it or with an eye to changing it. Here, it's a noun, but it can also be a verb. You could say, "I've decided to 'rethink' my presentation, add more graphs and other visual aids." Or "Frank should really 'rethink' his wardrobe for the office. His clothes are too casual for work."
12) hang in there: Keep trying, persevere. If someone's drooping on Friday afternoon in the office, you could say, "'Hang in there.' The week's almost over." Or if someone is frustrated by a new type of software, "'Hang in there.' You'll get the knack of it soon."
