遠山顕の英会話楽習 Monday, December 23 & 30
K: Jeff-san, take it away.
(Take it away. = さあ始めてください to start playing or singing music)
―――
K: What a couple.
C: Really.
K: What a wonderful couple.
J: Wow. They don't get angry at anything.
C: No. They seem like they just love spending time together.
J: Uh-huh.
C: Just everything makes them happy.
★ Question 1
J: Right. Question 1: What did the old man put around the sixth jizo's head?
K: Carolyn, the answer?
C: Well, we know it wasn't a sedge hat.
J: That's right.
C: It was his towel.
K: Well, oh, that must keep its head pretty warm there in the snow.
J: Uh-huh.
C: Yeah, but it means he is cold, right? Because there's nothing to keep him warm.
J: Yes. I wonder what he is going to do now, because he has given his towel away.
C: Yeah.
★ Question 2
C: All right. Here's question 2: What did the old couple have for supper?
K: What did they have, Jeff?
J: Oh, unfortunately they don't have any mochi. So, they had some pickles and hot water.
K: Wow. I'm glad to know that they had something to eat.
C: Yes.
J: They did have something, yes.
K: And drink?
J: Uh-huh.
C: Yes. But would they have been nice if they had some mochi? That's all.
J: Yeah.
K: Would have.
C: So, this begins with a problem, right?
K: Yes.
J: Uh-huh.
C: Right there, six jizo statues, right?
K: Yeah.
C: The man only had five hats.
J: Oh, yes, five hats.
K: Right.
C: So...
J: So, he comes up with a kind of clever solution, I think.
C: Uh-huh.
J: He takes his own little towel off his head, and he wraps it around the sixth jizo's head and says, "That's the best I can do. I don't have another hat."
K: Well, such a good thing to do for the jizo.
C: Yeah.
J: Uh-huh.
K: So, he is bear headed now.
CJ: Yes.
C: But satisfied that all the jizo statures have something to keep them warm.
K: Right.
J: Uh-huh.
C: And keep the snow off.
K: Yeah.
C: So, after he does that, he makes his way back home, right?
J: Right.
K: Right.
J: And sometimes, in other stories, the wife kind of gets upset.
C: Oh.
J: But in this particular case, she's happy. She thinks he did a wonderful thing.
K: Right.
J: So, she is very kind as well.
K: Right.
C: Yeah.
K: This is unusual.
C: Yeah, because I guess she was probably expecting to have some mochi.
J: Right.
C: Yeah.
K: This would be an unusual story in any country.
J: Yeah, I think so.
C: Yeah.
J: Yes. So, they just decide to have pickles and hot water for dinner?
C: Well, before that, they come up with a good idea, don't they? Because they don't have real mochi, right?
K: Right.
C: They pretend.
J: They pretend.
C: Right? To make ...
K: They play a game!
C: Yeah.
J: Yes.
K: Where does that sort of energy come from?
J: I don't know.
C: That's funny.
K: I'm really amazed.
C: Yeah, they were both very energetic pretending to make the mochi.
J: And happy and laughing and... very, very childlike. It's ... it's wonderful.
CJ: Now, let's listen to Act 3 again.
―――
J: So, that's the end of the story, right?
K: Ah, not quite.
C: Jeff...
J: Well, still we don't know what the miracle is.
K: Yeah.
J: So, I have no idea what's going to happen next.
C: Hmm...
K: Yeah, we shouldn't forget that he did such a great thing. So, something may come in return for that kindness.
C: That would make sense.
K: Uh-huh.
J: Karma.
(karma = カルマ、業、宿命 the result of a person's actions / the belief that all the good and bad things that you do in this life affect how good or bad your future lives will be, according to the Hindu and Buddhist religions)
K: So, they sleep through the night and the next morning, they wake up and maybe those six jizo statues are standing right in front of their house.
J: Um... maybe ...
K: And they say, "Omedeto gozaimasu," and so on.
J: Say, "Thank you. Happy New Year."
C: Happy New Year! See you later.
J: Bye.
K: Oh, no, Carolyn. Oh, no. That's the biggest wet blanket I have ever seen throw it in.
(今までで一番白けた話だね
wet blanket = 話を白けさせる、雰囲気を壊す
今まで見た中で一番大きな wet blanket [白けたことを言うこと]を投げ入れたね。)
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遠山顕の英会話楽習 Tuesday, December 24 & 31
J: Wow! There is the miracle.
K: There it was.
J: Yes.
★ Question 1
C: All right. Here's question 1 again.
Why did the old man wake up in the middle of the night?
K: Jeff...?
J: Because he heard a sled-pulling chant.
J: And here's question No. 2.
K: OK.
J: What are some of the presents they found outside?
K: Carolyn ... ?
C: Well, there's a lot. So, the answer is some of the following; rice mochi, millet mochi, miso, carrots, burdock roots, big write radishes, pine branches and a big bag of gold.
J: Wow.
K: So, this part of the story starts with ...
C: Sled-pulling chant.
K: Ah, okay.
C: Something that can be heard kind of from far away.
K: Uh-huh.
J: Yeah, and it wakes the old man up.
C: Yes. And it's getting louder because it's getting closer to their house.
J: That's right. It's coming towards their house.
K: Right.
J: And the chant suddenly stops and the old man hears people talking or mumbling and … outside.
K: Yeah. So, they are asking questions.
C: Yes.
J: Right.
K: And they are focusing where the old man lives.
C: Yes.
J: What's kind of unbelievable is that he seems a bit nervous, a little bit, scared. But he opens the door and says, "It's right here. I'm right here. This is the old man's house." If I were that scared, I probably wouldn't say that.
C: Okay. But he opens and he slams it really quickly.
K: That's true.
J: …. is that true.
C: It's not like he stands there. It's like, "It's here." And he slams the door. So, you know....
K: He was scared enough.
C: Yeah.
J: That's kind of fun. Yeah. And then he hears some several thuds.
K: Several thuds.
C: Yes. Both the old man and woman, they quietly open the window, right? And that's when they saw that it was the jizos that were doing this.
J: Wow!
K: And then they find ...
J: All kinds of stuff.
C: Wow.
J: All kinds of presents.
C: Yeah.
K: And then they hear another chant.
C: Yeah, that the jizo statues are saying, "We've delivered the New Year's gifts to these kind people," you know, and "Our mission is accomplished."
K: Oh, yes.
J: Ah, yes. So, it was karma. Kindness begets kindness.
(Kindness begets kindness. = 親切が親切を招く Acts of kindness make us feel good about ourselves, and our lives. An act of kindness is not only a good thing to do, it also makes us happier. Giving also connects us to others and helps to build a happier society for everyone. And it’s not all about money; we can also give our time and energy. So, if you want to feel good, do good! Helping others is a powerful way to boost your own happiness as well as the happiness of those around you.)
C: Hmm...
K: That's a nice one.
CJ: Now, let's listen for Act 4 again.
―――
J: So, Carolyn, you are right after all. They did end up living happily ever after.
K: Here, here!
(Here, here. = そうそう！)
C: Oh, thanks. I'm going to remember you said that.
K: Well, that's about it for the story. I hope you enjoyed it. So, until next time....
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遠山顕の英会話楽習 Wednesday, December 25 & January 1, 2020
C: So, what do think the moral is? Is there a moral to the story?
J: Hmm... maybe uh... "Kindness brings prosperity," or "Kindness brings... uh... What goes around comes around."
K: Right. And they are healthy too.
CJ: Yes.
K: It's incredible.
C: Yeah.
J: I think being healthy has a lot to do with positive attitude.
C: It does. Like being a good person, I guess, being positive and having no stress. It seems like they are not stressed or worried.
K: How true!
C: They seem very relaxed about everything.
J: The only time he was a little stressed was when the jizos showed up his house.
C: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, that was the only ...
J: But that was a good stress.
C: Oh, I guess in the market too, he was a little stressed, trying to sell.
J: Oh, in the market. He was a little disappointed. Yeah.
K: So, he had two big moments.
C: Yeah. But generally, yeah, I guess they seem pretty relaxed about life.
J: And pretty happy with ... with there are a lot in life, you know.
K: Yeah. All my respect for those wonderful people.
J: I wish I could be like that all the time.
K: The feeling is mutual.
C: And make that double mutual.
K: Sure.
J: Me three.
C: Yeah, that's it! Me three.
K: We're lucky that we were in that story.
C: Oh, yeah.
J: Yes. The pine branch seller was definitely the best part of the whole story, I thought.
K: Well, I beg to disagree there.
(beg to disagree = 私の意見は違います)
C: Oh? Oh yeah?
K: The rice seller wasn't so bad.
C: Look at you, Jeff.
J: Hmm... he was okay.
C: Sellers, duking it out. I don't know. The head jizo did okay as well.
(duke it out = fight, argue, battle, or compete)
K: Well, I knew you would say that.
C: Of course.
