実践ビジネス英語 Wednesday, May 14
1) Breakstone says it can be hard for people to relax as they age. And that stress can make a person unhappy and shorten their life. Lyons says giving up smoking and cutting back on alcohol can also help person age well, although a glass of wine a day can be good for the heart. Pearson and Collins agree that too much exercise can be detrimental.
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Healthy Aging (4)
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2) mellow out: This is to become more relaxed, less tense. Listening to
music or having a glass of wine can be a nice way to "mellow out" after
work.
3) comfy: This is short for comfortable. The sofas in a lounge are very
"comfy," for example. There's also the similar word "roomy," meaning
something has a lot of room, a lot of space. A new office has a "roomy"
lunch area.
4) let go and relax: With "let go," I've always thought of someone holding a rope, you know, of their worries, their concerns, their fears. And if they "let go" of that rope, they "let go" to some extent of those concerns, of those fears and they relax.
5) take years off someone's life: Breakstone means literally shorten
someone's life. But this phrase can also be used metaphorically like "lose years off one's life" when something has really scared us, just stressed us out. Imagine you are at the airport and you think you've lost your passport. When you find it, you could say, "Oh, that took a year off my life."
6) cut down on: Reduce, decrease, in other words. Lyons also could have said "cut back on." A company might try to "cut down on" its electricity use. I keep trying to "cut back on" my caffeine.
7) too much of a good thing: We often use this about a good thing that can be harmful in excess. When a beneficial thing leads to bad consequences if there's too much of it. Imagine a project team full of creative, independent people, you might say, "It was 'too much of a good thing.' They all had specific ideas and wouldn't compromise." And I once had a delicious ten course dinner with five different wines, which was way "too much of a good thing." I had a huge stomachache.
8) jeopardize: When we "jeopardize" something, we put it in danger of being damaged, ruined, lost. For example, "She's 'jeopardized' her career by plagiarizing another writer's work." We also say "put something in jeopardy," such as, "The budget cuts have 'put this project in jeopardy.'"
9) go overboard: This is to go too far with something, be excessive in it. The image is of flying over the side of a boat, things like, "He 'went a little overboard' in his presentation. He didn't need 15 different charts." Or "They 'went overboard' and ordered way too much food for the reception."
10) in moderation: Without excess, in other words, without going too far,
things like, "Eating chocolate is fine, but 'in moderation.'" Or "I let my son play videogames 'in moderation.'"
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実践ビジネス英語 Thursday, May 15
1) Breakstone describes a friend who used to practice karate but gave it up after being told by her doctor that more knee injuries could leave) her unable to walk in old age. The friend has since turned to less strenuous activities. Lyons adds that laughing increases the number of tumor-killing cells in the blood stream. And that some research shows people who laugh are less susceptible to heart disease.
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Healthy Again (5)
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2) hardcore: Someone who is "hardcore" is extremely devoted to something.
Uh, they take the principles, the practice of it to a very high level. They are "hardcore" conservatives, for example. Someone could also be a
"hardcore" gourmet, extremely passionate about food and always seeking the very best.
3) nagging: When something is "nagging," it won't go away. It continues to cause distraction, discomfort, things like, "I have a 'nagging' feeling I forgot something." Or "I have a 'nagging' pain in my elbow."
4) take pride in: This means to derive pride or pleasure from something.
"Jane 'takes great pride in' her accident-free driving record," for example. Or "The company 'takes great pride in' its employees' volunteer work." We also say "pride oneself on something," such as, "John 'prides himself on' his language skills." Or "The company 'prides itself on' its prompt delivery service."
5) wake-up call: Breakstone means something that opens our eyes to a danger or problem. It alerts us to this danger or problem. Many years ago, I missed an interview because I didn't leave early enough. That was a "wake-up" call for me. Now I always leave early for appointments. And it can be an actual call that we arrange to wake us up in the mornings, especially at hotels. You might say, "We have to be at the conference at 10. So I requested a 7:30 'wake-up call.'"
6) no laughing matter: It's serious. It's not to be made fun of or taken
lightly. Collins also could have said "getting older is 'no joke.'"
7) susceptible to: If we were "susceptible to" something, we can be
influenced by it, affected by it.
8) Such as, "I've installed new software to make my computer less
'susceptible to' hacking." Or "Some people are more 'susceptible to'
temptation than others."
9) take something to heart: Collins means take something seriously, be
deeply affected by it. And there's a nuance that you act upon what's moved you. You reflect it in your actions. So let's say, someone tells me, "You need to be more frugal." If I "took that to heart," I might cut back on impulse purchases or put off an overseas trip. And "take to heart" can also mean be deeply upset by something, such as, "He really 'took it to heart' when his proposal was rejected."
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実践ビジネス英語 Friday, May 16
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Healthy Aging (6)
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1[S]: In our current vignette, the H&B staffers talk about the travails of getting older. First is Alyce Collins who says celebrating her 43rd
birthday recently brought home to her that she is now middle-aged.
2[H] I had to laugh when I first read this vignette, because so much of it exactly parallels my own life. I turned 43 myself this year, and I have also heaved more than a few sights over my vanished youth.
Though, it wasn't my birthday that really made me feel it. It was sitting
across a large restaurant table from a group of American college students
late last year. Looking at them I realized that I graduated from college
more than one of those kids ago. In other words, when I was in college, they hadn't even been born yet. That's when it hit me I am middle-aged. I must seem as old to these kids as well forty-somethings once looked to me.
3[S]: Lyons says one of the first signs of aging is fatigue, and that he no longer has the energy he had only a few years ago. He also laments the
random aches and pains that come with aging.
4[H]: Yes, I've noticed my body getting stiffer over all. I like to sit
cross-legged on chairs and sofas when I work on my computer at home. And
until recently it never bothered me at all. I could stay in the same
position for a good long time with no ill effects. Since about last year,
however, I've often felt very stiff when I unwind myself. At the worst
times, I actually have to hobble straight-legged for ten steps or so before my legs loosen up again.
One thing they don't mention in the vignette is the change in metabolism
that comes with age. How I miss those younger days when I could eat just
about anything I wanted, and just about as much of it as I wanted, and not to worry about getting fat or feeling sick. When I was studying in Kyoto during my junior year of college, the school gave us 500 yen for lunch every day, and that was enough for instant yakisoba and some chocolate at a nearby store. So, that's what I ate almost every day, again, with no ill effects. But if I try that today, with this 43-year-old body, forget it.
5[S]: The conversation then turns to ways that middle-aged people can help themselves age gracefully. The H&B staffers say, for example, that it's important to exercise regularly but not overdo it and hurt ourselves.
6[H]: Very true. I hurt my knee while running a few years ago because I
tried to increase the distance I was running too quickly. I should have
known better, but I think there was an element of "I’m still young. I can take it" behind my recklessness. I didn't want to admit that I need to ease into things more gently and give myself more time to recover now.
7[S]: What about some of the other things they mention like staying out of the sun, eating certain foods and laughing?
8[H]: I do tend to stay out of the sun. I've never really been interested in sunbathing -- I burn very easily -- so that's an easy step for me to follow. I have to admit I don't pay a lot of attention to antioxidants in my food, though apparently there are a lot of them in blueberries, one of my favorite fruits.
It doesn't surprise me at all that laughing helps keep us healthy and young. Watching a funny movie always gives me a boost both mentally and physically. My body actually feels lighter after a good laugh. And if nothing else, laughing and smiling make us look younger. A bright, cheerful expression is always going to be more attractive than a scowl or a pout.
【原稿チェック： Ina, Hiromi】
【ディクテーション： Sanae】
