N: Nicole K: Koichi T: Tetsu
N: How are things, Koichi?
K: Oh, you know. Same old same old.
Did you have a nice ride today (referring to the taxi ride)?
N: Now that you've mentioned it, I think that was the most
entertaining taxi ride I have ever had.
K: Tell me all about it.
Just before Nicole started her story, Tetsu arrived on that
precise moment.
T: Hi guys! I hope I am not interrupting.
K: Nicole was just about to recount her cab ride.
T: Were you involved in a vehicular accident?
N: Calm down, Tetsu. I am fine. It's nothing like that.
On the contrary, it was a very interesting experience.
Nicole told the two eager learners about how the taxi driver
wanted to talk about Steve Jobs and her take on nuclear
energy issue.
K: That's one smart taxi driver!
N: And a very loquacious man at that!
T: I admire him for carrying on a conversation with you for
20 minutes. He must really have wanted to practice English
with you.
N: He sure did! It felt like it was a lesson.
K: So, you had a lesson with him.
I hope you got paid.
N: Actually, I teased him about it.
I was hoping he would take the bait.
As he pulled the taxi to a halt in front of the building,
I asked him if it was a free ride.
T: And what did he say?
N: He was flabbergasted and couldn't say anything.
I think it was the only moment that he was at a loss for
words during the entire time we were together.
K: Looks like you got him with that comment, Nicole.
Vocabulary
★Same old same old. - いつもと同じである。相変わらずだ。
★now that you've mentioned it~ - そう言われてみると～、
★entertaining - 面白い、愉快な
★precise - まさにその、ちょうどその
★recount - ～について詳しく話す、～を物語る
★cab - タクシー
★vehicular accident - 自動車事故
★calm down~ - ～を落ち着かせる、なだめる
★on the contrary~ - それどころか
★eager - しきりに～したがる、～を切望した
★take on~ - ～についての見解（見方・解釈）
★smart - 賢い、頭が切れる
★loquacious - 多弁な、おしゃべりな
★at that - さらに、その上
★admire - ～を称賛（敬服）する
★carry on a conversation - 会話を続ける
★take the bait - 餌に食いつく
★pull to a halt - 駐車場に車を止める
★free ride - 無料乗車、ただ乗り
★flabbergasted - あっけに取られた、あぜんとした
★loss for words - 言葉に詰まる、絶句する、言葉を失う
「いつでもどこでも英語のレッスン」
N: ニコル K: コウイチ T: テツ
N: 調子はどう、コウイチ？
K: ああ、いつもと一緒だよ。
（タクシーについて）今日は快適だった？
N: そう言われてみると、今までで一番面白いタクシー移動だった
たわね。
K: それは聞きたいな。
ニコルがまさに話を始めようとした瞬間、テツが現れる。
T: やあみんな！ 邪魔してないといいけど。
K: ニコルがタクシーについて話そうとしてたとこなんだ。
T: 交通事故に巻き込まれたのかい？
N: 落ち着いてよテツ。私は大丈夫。そういうんじゃないの。
逆にとても面白い体験だったの。
ニコルは聞きたがる生徒たち２人に、タクシーの運転手がどんな
ふうにスティーブ・ジョブズについてや原子力エネルギー問題に
ついての彼女の見解について話したがったかを聞かせた。
K: それはなかなか知的なタクシー運転手さんだったね！
N: それにとても話し好きで！
T: きみと20分も会話をしたなんてすごいね。ニコルと本当に英語
の練習をしたかったに違いないよ。
N: ほんとそうね！ まさしくレッスンのようだったわ。
K: じゃ、彼とレッスンしたんだね。お金もらえたならいいけど。
N: 実はそのことを冗談で言ってみたのよ。食いついてくれればと
思って。タクシーがビルの前にとまったとき、この料金は無料？
って聞いたの？
T: それでなんだって？
N: あっけにとられて何も言えなくなってたわ。一緒にいるあいだ
言葉を失ったのはその瞬間だけだったと思うわ。
K: その一言で一杯食わせたせたようだね、ニコル。
10/23/2011
English Lesson: Anytime, Anywhere
10/16/2011
Not Again
S: Scott F: Felicity E: Euneece
One ordinary evening, when classes are over…
E: Goodbye, Scott! We’re leaving now.
S: Wait for me, please.
F: (whispering to Euneece after a minute or two) What’s taking him so long?
E: He was logging out... about five minutes ago. (In a more audible voice) Let’s go!
F: We’ll be missing our train if he dilly-dallies. (Peeping at the door to see where Scott is) Come on! After a few minutes…
E: OK, Scott, we’ll just send you your pillows.
S: (in a pleading tone) Saint Peter, please!
F: (impatient) … and your futon, too! Any other essentials?
S: Hahaha! (coming out of the office) Thanks for waiting.
F: Now we have to dash to catch our train. Grrrr…
S: You don’t have to do that. There’s plenty of time.
E: Yeah, for the next schedule. We don’t have strides like yours, you know.
F: (Ignoring Scott) Hurry, Euneece. We could still make it. Let’s run for it!
E: I hate this! (starts running) Upon reaching the platform…
F: (Slows down, panting) The train is delayed.
E: Whew!
S: (catching up with Euneece & Felicity on his usual stride) Told you we could make it.
E: (still catching her breath) Thanks, psychic!
F: Please remind me not to wait for him again!
S: Poor me!
E: No, poor us!
●Vocabulary:
★whisper - 囁く
★log out - ログアウトする
★audible - 聞こえる
★dilly-dally - ぐずぐずする、
★peep at - ～を覗く、盗み見する
★pleading - 訴えるような、嘆願する
★Saint Peter - 聖ペテロ、サン・ピエトロ ※天国の鍵を司る人として知られる
★impatient -（待たされたり遅らされたりすることに）ジリジリして、 待ちきれずに
★essentials - 必需品
★dash - ダッシュする、突進する
★stride - （大股の）歩幅
★make it - 時間に間に合う
★pant - 息を切らす
★catch up with - ～に追いつく
★catch one’s breath - 一息つく、一休みする
★psychic - 霊能者
★poor - かわいそうな 「また？」
S: スコット
F: フェリシティー
E: ユニース いつもの夜、授業が終わり...
E: じゃあね、スコット！ 帰るわね。
S: ちょっと待ってよ。
F:（数分後ユニースに囁き）何に手間取ってるのかしら？
E: ログアウトしてたわよ...５分くらい前に。 （聞こえるように）行きましょ！
F: ぐずぐずしてると電車に乗り遅れるわ。（ドアからスコット のいるところを覗き込む）ほら！ 数分後...
E: いいわスコット、あなたの枕送ってあげるわね。
S:（救いを求めるように）どうか、聖ペテロ様！
F:（待ち切れずに）...それに布団もね！ 他に要るものは？
S: ハハハ！（オフィスから出てきて）待っててくれてありがとう。
F: 電車に乗るために走らないと。も～。
S: その必要はないよ。時間はたっぷりある。
E: ええ、次の電車までね。私たちはあなたほどの歩幅ないから。
F:（スコットに構わず）急いでユニース。まだ間に合うわ。 走りましょう！
E: もうイヤ！（走り出す） ホームに到着すると...
F:（速度を落とし、息を切らし）電車が遅れてるわ。
E: フー！
S:（ユニースとフェリシティーにいつも通りの歩調で追いついて） だから間に合うって言ったじゃないか。
E:（まだ息を整えながら）それはどうも、エスパーさん！
F: もう今度からスコットを待たないって思い出させて。
S: 僕かわいそう！
E: いいえ、私たちがかわいそうなの！
10/13/2011
The Modern English Alphabet
Most of us, if not all, started our journey with the English language learning our ABCs. Do you still remember the song?
10/12/2011
Enjoying "Gakuensai"
Do you have fond memories of your school festivals? It’s that time of the year again when students have fun playing games and setting up booths to entertain other people.
Last Saturday (Oct. 8), I visited my alma mater to take part in its annual “gakuensai” or school festival. I visited the booth of our association and was able to watch some performances by the students. At the same time, I sampled the various dishes being sold by the different association of the international community at the university.
I love going to these festivals because the air is always charged with a lot of energy. You can smell, feel and taste the energy that the students are emanating. I have the fondest memories of my own “gakuensai”. How about you?
10/05/2011
Deja vu
Have you ever had a déjà vu?
For those who do not know the meaning of déjà vu, it is the feeling that what is happening now has happened before in exactly the same way.
The recent stock market crash and the EU’s bailout plan for Greece are very reminiscent of the 2008 recession which caused a lot of companies to go bankrupt. Most countries (United States and Japan included) are not faring really well in this ongoing economic slump. However, some countries are using this economic stagnation to their advantage. While the big economies are halting, the developing countries are roaring ahead. Just take for example Brazil, Russia, India and China or collectively known as BRICs.
The situation is very unpredictable. It can go either way, for the better or (Heaven forbid!) for the worse. But what is interesting, the current situation of the United States right is depicted in an animation dating to the late 1940s.
10/04/2011
Book Cover
I have always been fascinated by the people I see in the trains.
You can see them kill time by doing different things.
Some sleep while the others play games on their phones or gadgets.
However, most of them use the time to catch up on their reading… be it the newspaper or a book.
What is interesting is that when people read a book, there is always a book cover (well, most of the time).
So, I thought it would be interesting to post this.
I read this in a website and found it hilarious!
I am pretty sure people will get the idea when you use this.
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