2/12 (Wed.) 〜 2/15 (Fri.)

実践ビジネス英語　　　Wednesday, February 12

1) Lyons says nearly half of American households earning between $50,000 and $150,000 a year have little or nothing left over each month, and Nissen says members of the middle class are primarily worried about job security. Collins adds that many are anxious about how to save for retirement while Breakstone cites a survey showing that nearly 90% of middle-class Americans feel that it's more difficult to maintain their standard of living than it was a decade ago.

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Middle-Class Squeeze (4)

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2) chew on: Consider, ponder. We "chew on" something and we think, "What does this mean?" "What do I want to do?" such as, "These survey results have given us a lot to 'chew on.'"

3) live from one paycheck to the next = その日暮らしをしている
live from paycheck to paycheck あるいは live paycheck to paycheck

4) not a pretty picture: We use this when something is very bad or unpleasant, such as "Our sales results are in from last quarter and it's 'not a pretty picture.'"

5) Nissen also could have said "not a pretty sight." For example, "I just got my latest credit card bill and it's 'not a pretty sight.'"

6) increasingly: This is a very useful word when something is continuing to rise, grow, expand. For example, "Things are 'increasingly' tense in the office as people worry about layoffs." Or "Customers are 'increasingly' drawn to eco-friendly products lately."

7) be stressed out: Someone who's "stressed out" is under a lot of stress, a lot of tension, such as "Meredith is really 'stressed out' about her job interview." Or "This new computer system is awful. It's really 'stressing me out.'"

8) nest egg: Collins means money put aside as a reserve. I'd say it's most commonly used about retirement savings, such as "People should start accumulating their retirement 'nest egg' in their 20s."

9) make ends meet: Manage so that we have enough money to cover our expenses. You could say things like, "He works two jobs to 'make ends meet.'" Or "She goes without new clothes to 'make ends meet.'"

10) telling statistic: That's a statistic that tells us a lot, in other words. That reveals a great deal about some situation. For example, "These survey results are quite 'telling.' Our customers clearly want cheaper products."

11) look at: Umemura means "Is this the situation before us?" "Is this what we need to deal with, face?" Other examples could be "Okay, we are 'looking at' a total cost of 650,000 yen for this project?" Or "We are 'looking at' a three-hour flight and then two hours on the train."

12) I'd hate to think: I wouldn't like it if this was the situation, Umemura means. I hope this isn't the situation, such as "Did Ted really imply that women are bad drivers? 'I'd hate to think' he is sexist that way."

13) You can also put other things after "I'd hate to" meaning, you know, you really don't want to do something, such as "I hope I don't have to work next weekend too. 'I'd hate to work' two weekends in a row."

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実践ビジネス英語　　　Thursday, February 13

1) Nissen says Manhattan has no really middle-class neighborhoods, and Collins describes how she spends about the same amount on yearly rent and utilities that her cousin just used to buy a house in Georgia. Breakstone says basic living costs in Manhattan are double the average in the rest of the country, and Lyons says housing expenses are especially large. Collins says she wants to live in Manhattan anyway as she likes the energy of the city.

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Middle-Class Squeeze (5)

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2) you don't have to look any further than: Nissen also could have said "look no further than." Both these expressions mean the thing you are looking for is here, you can find it here, such as "If you want low prices and reliable service, 'look no further than' this store." Or "If you need a good English speaker, 'you don't have to look any further than' Yumi. She is excellent."

3) to speak of: We use this to say there is very little of something, nothing worth mentioning, such as "That meeting was a waste of time. We didn't make any progress
'to speak of.'" Or "I'm very happy with my new laptop. There haven't been any problems 'to speak of.'"

4) too true: That's very true, Collins means, absolutely true. I'd say it usually refers to things that are unfortunately true. Bad things that are indeed a fact. Imagine I say, "So many people make a bad impression by not responding promptly to emails." You might respond, "'Too true.' They do themselves a big favor by responding within 24 hours."

5) hang on by a thread: They are barely getting by, barely surviving, Collins means. They are in a very precarious position. We also say "hang by a thread," which means something is in danger of failing, having something bad happen, such as "Our relationship with Company X is very bad these days. Our contract with them is 'hanging by a thread.'"

6) drive out: The high cost of living has forced them out. It's chased them out, in other words. You could also say something like, "Large discount retailers have 'driven many mom-and-pop stores out' of business. They've forced them out of business."

7) real killer: Something very hard to deal with or survive. Imagine things that take a toll of some kind – financial, physical, mental. For example, you could say, "My commute used to be a 'real killer.' Ninety minutes one way."

8) "Killer" can also be an adjective that means impressive, having great power or impact, such as "He has a' killer' resume, a really impressive one. Or, "That new smartphone has a 'killer' design."

9) norm: This is a noun, meaning something standard, normal. Constant connectivity has become the norm in modern society, hasn't it? We can all be reached anywhere, anytime. You could also say, "His presentation was a refreshing departure from the
'norm.' He had some very original ideas."

10) high price tag: The high price, the high cost. This uses the image of the tag or sticker that indicates the price of a product. You could also say, "That new laptop boasts a very 'low price tag' for all its features."

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実践ビジネス英語　　　Friday, February 14

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Middle-Class Squeeze (6)

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1[S]: In our current vignette, the H&B staff talk about the middle class and how its members are considered the foundation of American society, the embodiment of important values.

2[H]: They certainly are. I know I've always associated the term "middle class" with concepts like honest labor. In my mind, members of the middle class work in many different jobs and industries, but they all evoke an image of income earned through diligence and hard work.

I think Steve Lyons is right when he says frugality is considered a middle class virtue, also honesty, a lack of pretension. I've always thought of middle class people, and I include myself in that group, as valuing frankness and shunning affectation.

3[S]: Alyce Collins says even American families with hundreds of thousands of dollars in income prefer to call themselves middle class.

4[H]: That doesn't surprise me at all. Equality is a very important concept to Americans, and I think calling oneself "wealthy" or "upper class" would seem arrogant to a lot of people. They'd feel like they were setting themselves above other Americans.

Concern over how others view them may also be a factor. Many people are extremely unsympathetic to the financial or other problems of people who are considered rich. There's often an attitude of if you make over a certain amount of money, you can't possibly have any problems worth caring about. You don't have the right to complain about anything. So I wouldn't be surprised if some people call themselves middle class partly to avoid being automatically labeled as selfish fat cats.

5[S]: What about Bill Nissen's comment that American politicians spend a lot of time praising the middle class?

6[H]: They do. U.S. politicians go to a lot of trouble to identify themselves with the middle class, to portray themselves as understanding its needs and concerns. And many of them have gotten into serious trouble by saying or doing things that made them appear out of touch with the middle class.

I remember one presidential candidate, a very wealthy man, who was asked in an interview how many homes he owned. He didn't know, off the top of his head, and his opponent used that to portray him as living in a different world from ordinary Americans, as incapable of understanding their problems.

7[S]: The H&B staff also discuss the high cost of living in Manhattan, particularly housing costs. Tokyoites have to deal with that too, don't they?

8[H]: Absolutely. I've had several different apartments over the years and every time I've told American friends or relatives what the rent was, they always gasped in surprise. I had to tell them over and over that's not anything special by Tokyo standards. It's right down the middle.

I still remember the first time my father visited Japan. I had a one-room apartment with a tiny kitchen and a combination toilet bath. And he was a bit shocked how small it was for what I was paying. A few days in, he asked me to mail some postcards for him, and I was pretty miffed when I saw that he'd written to one friend, "Heather's apartment is the same size as your upstairs bathroom," which was not true, by the way.

Food also takes up a big chunk of our monthly pay in Tokyo, doesn't it? Whenever we go to see my mother in Seattle, my husband buys enormous bags of fruit nearly every day. It's so much cheaper he can munch on grapes and blueberries to his heart's content.

【原稿チェック： Sei Shimura, Hiromi, Kodo Ogata, Cecile】
【ディクテーション： Sanae】