7/8 - 7/10, 2019

遠山顕の英会話楽習 Monday, July 8

Oh, yes. Their cellphone doesn't click, right? ... when they take a photo.
No, it's quiet.
Evidently, not.

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
OK, Carolyn.
Uh-huh.
You are the star.
Alrighty.

So that's the famous Great Buddha!
Yes, it is.
Nice.
Let's take a selfie with the Great Buddha in the background.
Great idea.
Smile.
Say cheese.

―――
Say It!
―――
Carolyn, are you ready five times in one breath?
Well, I'll try. Here goes nothing!
I knew you were gonna (going to) say that.

Here goes nothing! ×5

She did it.
She did!
Wow!
That's something!
Wow! Thank you.
You're welcome.

That was something.

―――
Writ It!
―――
★ 二人は……に行きます
the two of them や the two でよろしいですか?
Yeah, we could say the "two of them." It's not wrong. I mean if there were three people, you could say "the three of them" and so on. But it's a little wordy, right?

(wordy = containing too many words / using more words than are necessary, especially long or formal words)

Uh-huh.
Maybe it's a bit simpler and easier just to use the form "they" here. So it'll be "They go to どこどこ."

★ それは映画そのままです
Well, this is right from the dialog. And it's kind of directly translated from the Japanese. "It's just like in the movies."
Uh-huh.
Or you can say more casually by taking out the "in." "It's just like the movies."
―――

They go to the famous Santa Monica Pier. It's just like in the movies. They take a selfie with the Ferris wheel in the background.

They go to the famous Santa Monica Pier. It's just like the movies. They take a selfie with the Ferris wheel in the background.

――――――――――
In Another Situation!
――――――――――
So Carolyn...
Uh-huh.
What's another situation going to be like?
Well, now, they are at a famous scramble crossing in Japan.
―――

I think I know where it is.
Me too.
―――

So this is the famous Sibuya scramble crossing, just like in the movies!
About a million people cross it daily.
No kidding. Let's take a selfie with the giant screens in the background.

(a selfie = a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.)

Smile!
Look! There is the famous dog! Are you up for posing in front of him?
No way!
Don't be shy. You'll be great.
Okay, here goes nothing! That wasn't rough.
(rough と犬の鳴き声ウッフ!とかけている)
Wonderful!
―――

How nice!
I was right. I knew where it was.
I think you cheated. You already knew.
I knew where it was. Yeah.
Well, after the show, why don't we go to the Hachiko Statue?
Oh, the dog statue.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Take a selfie?
Yeah, right.
That would be fun. I'd love it.


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遠山顕の英会話楽習   Tuesday, July 4

Well, they've got their what? ... portable stereos as blasters what they call.

(Portable Blaster Boom Box Stereoという商品があるようです)

OK.
And they're just flexing their muscles.

(flex = 手足などを曲げる、筋肉を動かす、ほぐす、筋肉が収縮する[ピクピク動く]
to move or bend a muscle or body part, usually in order to stretch or exercise it)

Oh, wow!
Yeah.

―――――
U R the ★
―――――
That was picture-perfect.

All right, Carolyn. You are the star.
Alrighty.

That's the statue of Saigo Takamori
I've seen it on TV.
How about posing like him with your dog?
That's a great idea!
You look awesome! Say cheese.
Thank you. Cheese!

―――
Say It!
―――
Carolyn, are you ready?
I'll pass.
Well.
I knew she was gonna say that.
Am I that predictable?
So predictable. I can't stand it. Carolyn, would you do this ten times in one breath, please with sugar on top and everything?

(Pretty please with sugar on top. の形で使うことが多い。「お願い、お願い!」「絶対お願い」「ホントにお願い」など、お子さんがおねだりをするときに使う表現。大人も時々ふざけて使うことがあります)

Well, when you say it like that, of course.
Let's hear it.

I'll pass. ×10

All right! Nice!
You pass with flying colors.

(with flying colors = 大成功を収めて、見事に exceptionally well or very successfully)

――――
Write It!
――――
★ 誰でもできます
Well, 誰でも would be "anyone."
OK.
So anyone can what they can train.

★ anyoneが主語になっていますが、heやsheで受けますか?
You can use those. But in this particular instance, we want to use what's called, a "singular they." So "Anyone can train, if they 何々." "They," it's a singular they and it's very convenient. It includes he, she, that person.

★ ソフィアはイアンに……かどうか尋ねます
「かどうか」はどうしましょう?尋ねるは ask
Yes, that's right. "かどうか" here we would say in English, we would use the word "if." So since we are, like you said, we're using the verb "asks" here. And we're reporting Sofia's question. So the whole pattern is going to be, "A asks B if 何々." So it'll be "Sofia asks Ian if 何々.”
―――

Anyone can train at this outdoor gym if they get a day pass. Sofia asks Ian if he wants one. Ian passes.

――――――――
Another Situation!
――――――――
So Jeff...
Uh-huh.
What's another situation going to be like?
Well, this time, they are at a ninja training center.
―――

Can anyone train here?
You can get a day pass for one thousand yen. Want one?
I'll pass.
In its heyday, about forty Samurai and ninja movies were shot in this place every year.
Is that right?
How about trying some free syuriken throwing? I'll take your picture.
OK. I hope I hit the target. Here goes nothing.
Wow! You hit a crow. Are you OK?
I'm not OK. I'm crow. Just crawl away. 

(crawl away = はって逃げる)

Crow...
Sorry, crow.
That's all right. Call me Russel. (Russel Crowe)
Oh.
―――

Oh, how about a body building pose from you, Carolyn?
Sure, no pass is here. Here I go!
All right. Say cheesecake.
Cheesecake?
Wow! We can't see her face.
That's amazing.
Behind her bicep.

(bicep = 上腕二頭筋、力こぶ)

Yeah. That's amazing.
Oh, come on!
Bigger than mine.


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遠山顕の英会話楽習 Wednesday, July 10

★ Joke 1
OK. I've got one.
All right.
OK.

What do you think?
I don't know.
Wow. That beats me. So what's the answer?
Well, "a stamp." Get it?

Ahhh... Okay. That's pretty good.
Yeah.
So the stamp stays one place but it goes around the world.
You got it.
That's pretty good. Yeah.

★ Joke 2
OK. I've got a good one.
All right.
All right.

Beats me.
Yeah, I have no idea.

Hamsterdam.

Ahhhh...
Oh, come on!
Very funny.
It's so bad it's good. Come on!

It's a play on word.
It is.
Oh, yeah. Because ... What's it? ... Amsterdam is the place in the Netherlands. And if you add an "h," it sounds like Hamsteldam as in hamster.
That's right.
Hamsterdam.
There you go.
See.

★ Joke 3
All right. I have another one.
OK.
All right.

Hmm.... this time, it’s sheep.
I have no idea.
No. Beats me.

Oh, you didn't even try.

How about the Baaa-hamas.

Ohhhh...
Those islands.
Yes.
Wow!
Oh, that was so bad it's good too.
Thank you.

★ Joke 4
OK. I've got one for you.
Great!

I don't get it.
How can this be?
I don't understand.
It's a riddle. Come on!

So hey! What's the answer?
Yeah.
The answer is, "His horse's name is Friday."

Ohhhh.....
You didn't tell me that. You should have told us in the beginning.
Yeah.
Oh, that would have given it away.
(そんなことしたら答えがわかっちゃうでしょう。 give it away = 秘密を漏らす)

He travels to a village on his horse on Friday.
That's right.
Yeah.
That's good. That was a good one.

★ Joke 5
All right. Here's one.
All right.
Uh-huh.
Listen closely or carefully.
All right.

I think I got it.
You got it?
Yeah.

It was so expensive.
Yes.
He paid so much.
So much money. He almost bought a hotel
He almost bought their hotel.
He felt like he almost bought it

So what goes in the blank?
I've almost bought your hotel.

He has to pay anyway though.
Yeah, of course.
He cannot get the hotel.
No.
―――

I'm so delighted all those jokes. Let me tell you one.
Oh, great. Sure.

Is that funny? No?
So it was so expensive that he thought he'd almost bought the hotel.
Yeah. It's a weak kind of humor. But uh...
Sounds like something my dad would say.
That's good, right?
Yeah. That's good.
Dad (that) joke?
Dad joke. That's right.

OK. So what's the last word for today?
Laughter is the best medicine.

So until next time…
Keep listening.
Keep practicing.
And keep on smiling and l