2/26 (Wed.) 〜 2/28 (Fri.)

実践ビジネス英語　　　Wednesday, February 26

1) Breakstone advises Umemura not to let other people take advantage of him and get his help when he's already busy with his own work. Umemura agrees that he often takes on too much. And Lyons recommends assigning certain tasks to others if that would better suit his schedule or the other people's talents. Breakstone says experts agree that adults are sharpest mentally in the late morning.

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Be More Productive (4)

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2) be better devoted to: Breakstone also could have said "be better spent on." Otherwise it would be better spent something on this, apply it to this, she means. Imagine a company is going to hire a new executive at a very expensive salary, someone might say, "That money would 'be better devoted to' developing new products." Or something like, "Her energy would 'be better spent on' improving her own performance instead of criticizing others."

3) not to mention: This means in addition to what's already been said or besides, things like, "Everyone's busy with the new product launch, 'not to mention' moving to a new office."

4) take advantage of: Breakstone uses this to mean exploit something in an unethical or mercenary way. But it can also mean just avail oneself of an opportunity or a resource. There's no negative connotation then, things like, "She 'took advantage of' the year end sales to get some new suits." Or "He 'took advantage of' the low interest rate to buy a condominium."

5) stretch oneself too thin: This is doing too much so that we exhaust ourselves or we can't devote sufficient energy, time, money, etc. to it all. Breakstone also could have said "spread oneself too thin". For example, "He's taking on freelance translating, in addition to his regular job and volunteer work? He's 'spreading himself way too thin.'"

6) delegate or outsource tasks: "Delegate" means entrust, assign a task to someone else, things like, "Our boss has 'delegated' Lena to choose a new supplier." Or "I've been 'delegated' with planning Cameron's good-bye party."

7) "To outsource" is to get someone outside your own company or organization to handle a certain job. A company might "outsource" the design of its new logo, for example, or "outsource" the management of its website.

8) outsource = 外部に委託する、委譲する
外部に仕事として出す、発注する firm out という phrasal verb を使うこともできる

9) be a better fit: Better match someone's talents, needs, etc. For example, "John has such good people skills and empathy. I think the personnel department would 'be a better fit' for his abilities." Or "This product was more successful because it 'was a better fit' with our customers' needs."

10) consensus: The general opinion, the agreement among a certain group. For example, "The 'consensus' among analysts is that the economy will grow 3% this fiscal year." Or "There is no scientific 'consensus' on whether this chemical substance is harmful to humans."

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実践ビジネス英語　　　Thursday, February 27

1) Breakstone says people's temperatures start to increase just before they wake up and continue rising until mid-day. This enhances their working memory, alertness and ability to concentrate. Lyons says he works best later in the day, but Breakstone says most successful business leaders are early risers. She recommends going to sleep early as well, eating a good breakfast and drinking water immediately after waking up.

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Be More Productive (5)

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2) be in the minority: Be in the smaller of two groups, Lyons means. He does his best cognitive work later in the day unlike most people who are sharper in the morning. We also say "in the majority," such as "Opponents of the bill are 'in the majority' in the Diet."

3) get firing on all cylinders: Be working at one's full energy and effectiveness, like an engine that's going full-bore using all its cylinders, things like, "Company X is 'firing on all cylinders' lately with a hit new product and soaring stock price." Or "Lydia was 'firing on all cylinders' this morning. Her presentation was innovative and exciting."

4) in the a.m.: In the morning, in other words. I took a look online and I only found a handful of examples for "in the p.m." I've never used it myself, and I'd say it's very rare. I personally would avoid it.

5) old adage: An old saying, an old proverb. Something that's been said over many years and is widely accepted as true, well-known adages include "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Or "Don't judge a book by its cover."

6) the early bird gets the worm: Breakstone also could have said, "The early bird catches the worm." It uses the image, you know, that a bird that gets up before other birds will catch a worm, will eat when they want. Now, this originally refer to getting up early in order to be successful and we still use it that way like Breakstone does. But it can also mean that it's best to act immediately. Those who act quickly succeed, things like "If you want that transfer, you should talk to the boss right away. 'The early bird catches the worm.'"

7) early riser: A person who gets up early in the morning. You could say, "She is such an 'early riser,' always out of bed by 6 a.m."

8) Another way to refer to someone who gets up very early is "they're up with the birds." "She's always 'up with the birds,' goes out running before breakfast."

9) don't eat it in a rush: Don't eat it very quickly. Don't eat it in haste, Breakstone means. We also say a person is "in a rush," which means they are in a hurry. I had to run to catch a plane once. So I asked a colleague, "Could you put this camera back in the closet for me? I'm 'in a terrible rush.'"

10) recharge: This expression uses the image of recharging a battery, means do something to regain your physical or mental energy. And we also say "recharge one's batteries," such as "Taking a 10-minute break is a great way to 'recharge our batteries,' get a coffee, chat with a coworker."

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実践ビジネス英語 Friday, February 28

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Be More Productive (6)

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1[S]: Now, in our current vignette, the H&B staff talk about how to increase one's productivity. Kay Breakstone, for example, recommends paying close attention to what we eat. Is that something you are careful about, Heather?

2[H]: I started to pay more attention to that just recently. I mentioned my intention to snack less or at least better in an earlier conversation of ours. And I've actually had some success in that area. I've cut back on the empty calories I used to consume so much of and have been eating a lot more fruit instead.

I've also been trying to choose healthier foods for my three main meals. And I've been drinking a great deal more water, at least two bottles a day. I could feel the difference immediately. I'm much less lethargic than I used to be even at my regular 3 p.m. energy slump. My entire body feels lighter.

3[S]: That's great. I'm glad to hear it. Breakstone also stresses the importance of a good breakfast.

4[H]: Yes. I used to grab something at the convenience store in our office, but now I have a bowl of vitamin-fortified cereal and some fruit at home, usually a banana. That's a big help in getting enough nutrition each day.

Unfortunately I can't really follow her advice about eating it in a leisurely manner. My daughter has a canny ability to get up almost immediately after me and demand her breakfast right now. So I do tend to wolf it down.

5[S]: Are you doing anything else to boost your productivity?

6[H]: I've started exercising more. I'm not running yet, but I'm incorporating more walking into my daily schedule. I'm a morning person, so I've started getting off two stops before my office and walking the rest of the way to work.

If I walk quickly, it takes 20 to 25 minutes, just right for toning my muscles, burning some calories and getting my heart going in the morning. The route takes me alongside a big park and past some nice shops. So it helps get me in a cheerful mood as well. As my body gets stronger, it should give me more energy through the day. My muscles won't get tired as easily, which should stave off a lot of fatigue.

I also think it's very important to be organized and tidy. I firmly believe in the saying "Cluttered desk, cluttered mind." And that applies to briefcases, purses and email inboxes as well. It's so easy to forget important tasks amid a messy environment, plus it's stressful. I can actually feel tension draining out of my neck and shoulders when I'm tidying up. For me, cleaning and organizing works as well as yoga.

7[S]: Another point that comes up is not taking on too much work.

8[H]: Yes. I have the same problem as Seiji. I generally like to pitch in and help if someone asks me, and I have to be careful not to overload myself. I don't think people ever mean to take advantage of me. There's just no way for them to know whether I have the time or not. So it's up to me to protect myself and say, "I'm sorry, but I really can't take on any additional projects right now."

In the vein of Kay's advice on taking breaks, I think sleeping on things can also be an enormous boost our productivity. Sometimes I'm tempted to work all night to get something done, but I found that taking a fresh look in the morning after I recharge my batteries is much more productive. Problems that I was struggling with the night before suddenly become very clear. I often know just what to do with them after a good night's sleep.

【原稿チェック： Sei Shimura】
【ディクテーション： Sanae】