実践ビジネス英語 Wednesday, April 9
1) Nissen says adult playgrounds are a practical application of "nudge
theory," which posits that people are basically lazy and need to be nudged in the right direction. He adds that adult playgrounds combat isolation and that regular exercises have been shown to benefit one's health. Nissen says some such playgrounds have the kind of equipment you'd find in children's playgrounds, but most have outdoor versions of gym equipment.
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Summer Camp for Adults (4)
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2) do not have a problem with: We often use this expression to mean we are okay with something. We don't object to it. "He 'doesn't have a problem' working for a female boss," for example. There's also the opposite "have a problem with," which can mean object to something, be disturbed by it, such as "She 'has a problem working with' Randy. She thinks he is unreliable and lazy."
3) be keen to: This usage of "keen" means be eager to do something, be very interested in it. This appears to be a primarily British usage, but
Americans would certainly understand it. "'I'm very keen to' see our new
office," for example.
4) check out: Examine, take a look at, Collins is saying. Collins is using this expression in the sense of seriously examine, evaluate something. For example, "I think I'll 'check out' that new restaurant tomorrow, see if I like their food." But you could also use it in the sense of "Wow! Isn't this something?" For example, I could say to a friend, "'Check out' this new computer. It's got amazing features."
5) spread the word: Distribute information, notice about something. You
could say, "'Spread the word' everybody, Terry's good-bye party is Friday
night at the corner bar." So tell everybody who needs to know about the
party.
6) nudge theory: To "nudge" is to gently push something. So we often use
this metaphorically to mean urge someone to do something, prod them to
action. For example, "Her husband has been 'nudging' her to ask for a
raise." And it can also be a noun. "He asked for a raise after a 'nudge'
from his wife."
7) inherently lazy: "Inherently" means a basic part of something's nature. And we can use it about people and things, such as, "She is 'inherently' suspicious." Or "Opening a restaurant is 'inherently' risky."
8) antidote to isolation: An "antidote" can be something that counteracts a poison, but Nissen is using metaphorically to mean something that relieves or prevents a harmful thing, such as, "A time clock is a good 'antidote to' lateness in the office." Or "I find cleaning house is a great 'antidote to' stress.
9) work out: "Work out" has a number of meanings. Here, it means exercise. Something that exercises the body is a "workout." And it doesn't have to be formal, typical exercise. I got a great "workout" cleaning my kitchen the other day. I scrubbed the floor and rearranged all the shelves.
10) find: In this case, "find" means encounter, come across in a certain
place, such as, "You'll 'find' a lot of coffee shops in Seattle." Or "You
won't 'find' a lot of people doing overtime in this company."
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実践ビジネス英語 Thursday, April 10
1) McMillan says adult playgrounds are also very popular in Britain lately. Originally the Chinese government thought of introducing playgrounds for adults with modern gym equipment, he says, which inspire British companies and governments to do the same. McMillan also describes the natural movement in Europe, which bases exercise on the activities enjoyed by children, such as running, throwing and climbing trees.
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Summer Camp for Adults (5)
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2) catch on: Become popular, in other words, things like, "The company hopes its new app will 'catch on' among teenagers." Or "Cajun food has really 'caught on' lately."
3) in a big way: On a large scale or in a striking fashion, such as, "His
investment in that new company 'paid off in a big way.'" Or "He is changing his life in a big way, quitting his job and starting his own business."
4) I understand: McMillan means my grasp of the situation is, from what I've been told or learned this is the situation. So you could say things like, "'I understand' Jessie's been transferred to the sales department?" Or "'From what I understand' we need to cut costs by 20%."
5) hit upon an idea: McMillan also could have said "hit on an idea." It
means think of something, such as, "He's 'hit upon an idea' for a new
smartphone app." Or "I think I 'hit on a solution.'"
6) take a leaf from someone's book = 人のやることを手本にする、真似る （イギリス英語的な言い方）
turn over a new leaf = 心を入れ替える、心機一転する
7) What's this I hear about: I've heard about something and I want to know what's going on, give more detail, Collins is saying, such as, "'What's this I hear about' new computers for the office? That'll be great." Or "'What's this I hear about' Chris and Helen yelling at each other yesterday?"
8) gym-allergic: McMillan is using "allergic" metaphorically about things we really dislike that we are averse to. So if I say, "Kevin is 'allergic to' high risk investments," then he really doesn't like them. He avoids them whenever possible.
9) proponent: A "proponent" argues in support of something. They advocate
it. "An economist might be a 'proponent' of fiscal austerity." "A health
expert might be a 'proponent' of a vegetarian diet."
反対は opponent
10) be up to: Nissen means have the physical energy or ability to do
something. Imagine someone invites you out for a karaoke after a long, busy week. You might say, "I'm sorry. 'I'm not up to' it tonight. I'm really tired." It can also mean have the necessary skills, the ability to do something, such as, "Justin tried his best, but he 'wasn't up to' the job."
11) Oh, come on: We often use this to mean "Oh, don't say that." Imagine a colleague says, "I can't go out for drinks tonight. I'm too tired." You
might say, "'Oh, come on!' The... just... just a couple of drinks."
12) You don't know until you try: We can't know how something will work out, what will happen unless we attempt it. Imagine a friend says, "I could never get that job. You know, they never hire me." You could say, "'You don't know until you try.' Why don't you apply and see what happens?"
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実践ビジネス英語 Friday, April 11
1[S]: Now, in our current vignette, the H&B staffers discuss summer camps
for adults, specifically a bird-watching camp that Alyce Collins's father is going to visit. Would you like to do something like that, Heather?
2[H]: Well, I probably wouldn't go for bird-watching -- though my husband, who's a wildlife artist, would love it -- but the idea of an adult summer camp in general sounds fabulous. We've all got things that we'd love to do but just don't have the time for, or childhood fantasies that never came to be, and it would be wonderful to immerse myself in something like that for a while. It's quite an industry apparently. There are now about 800 camps for adults in the United States.
3[S]: So what kind of camp would you like to attend?
4[H]: I did a little Internet searching and came across a Broadway camp,
which lets participants live out their fantasy of singing, dancing or acting in a Broadway show. That was always my ultimate, crazy dream -- to be a Broadway singing star -- so I would jump into a camp like that with both feet.
According to their website, participants rehearse in the same studios that Broadway shows and touring companies use and meet award-winning performers. They offer everything from a one-day session where you learn songs and dances from a favorite musical and then attend the show, to a five-day package where you play a featured role in a review of classic Broadway tunes.
5[S]: That does sound like fun. Any other things you would like to try?
6[H]: I'd like to try an ice skating camp too. I've loved to watch competitive figure skating since I was a little girl, and I often went to an ice rink at a shopping mall near my home in Portland, Oregon.
But all I could ever do was skate forward and not fall down. I'd love to
learn how to skate backwards, do a simple spin and maybe, just maybe a
single jump, but maybe that would be reaching for the stars.
7[S]: The conversation eventually turns to alternative forms of exercise for adults. Pat McMillan talks about the natural movement in Europe, which bases exercise on the kinds of activities we enjoyed as children, including climbing trees, throwing and catching.
8[H]: That sounds like a great idea. One of the best workouts I ever got
came from two 4-year-old children in a park. My nephew and one of his
friends recruited me to play the bad guy from a cartoon show they like. And it was pretty strenuous. I hid behind rocks and trees and then jumped out to surprise them and chased them around the park, while hissing and shooting lightning bolts out of my fingertips. So I essentially did 45 straight minutes of jumping squats and running without even noticing it. It was terrific fun. And the next day my muscles were aching like you can't believe.
9[S]: Sounds like the only thing missing was an upper body component.
10[H]: Yes. And I could have easily added that with a ball. I did the other day, actually when my husband and I took our daughter to the park with some friends. He and I started running and throwing a ball around and really brought home how much weaker my arms and back have become recent years. Once again I was pretty soared the next day. That's probably one of the biggest downsides of modern urban living. We don’t use our upper bodies nearly as much as we should.
【原稿チェック： Sei Shimura, Hiromi】
【ディクテーション： Sanae】
