ビジネスマンに捧ぐ～　英語学習に役立つ！PEGL事務局ブログ -22ページ目

Lost in Translation Part.8 カメラマン（Photographer）

和製英語と英語の違いを説明するシリーズLost in Translation
第8回の今日は”カメラマン”です。

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Lost in Translation Part 8 カメラマン (Photographer)

Tyler Ayala

Japanese and English have borrowed a great many words from each other. So far, we have only scratched the surface. Some words- like トイレ- are quite similar, but are not polite in English. Other words- like マンション- are completely different with no distinguishable connection. However, there are some, like today’s word, that are different from each other, but you can see the connection.

カメラマン in Japanese is used like the word photographer in English to mean someone like the person in the picture below.

In English, however, a cameraman is not a photographer, but a person who films movies like the picture below.

It is a very small variation with very serious consequences. Though we call both of these machines ‘cameras’ in English, they are quite different. The serious problem with this is that if you are in America and wish to advertise for your company in a magazine, you might ask an American if he can arrange for a good ‘cameraman’. If you say this, though, the American probably wouldn’t imagine that you want to do a magazine advertisement- he might assume that you want to do a TV commercial. If both of you assume that everything was understood then you could have a big problem when it comes time to make the advertisement.

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※The English described in this blog is from an American perspective. Cultural reactions and vocabulary might be different in other countries like Canada, Britain and Australia.

OPRAH'S BOOK CLUBのご紹介

あまり日本では有名ではないのですが
「アメリカのみのもんた」とも呼ばれている女性司会者
オプラ・ウィンフリー(Oprah Winfrey)さんが、

アメリカで人気のある長寿番組
「オプラ・ウィンフリー・ショー(Oprah Winfrey Show)」を
2011年に終了すると発表し、ニュースになっていました。

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6926328.ece

25年続いている超人気番組で、
世界145か国で放映されているというから驚きです。

その番組の中で彼女が
好きな本を紹介していた名物コーナー
”Bookclub”のサイトをご紹介いたします。

▼OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB
http://www.oprah.com/entity/oprahsbookclub

彼女が面白いと思った本を月に１回紹介していたのですが
（最近は不定期になっていたようですが）

紹介されると瞬く間に販売部数が伸び
必ずベストセラーになっていたほど
とても影響力があったコーナーだったようです。

過去に選ばれた本も、ミリオンセラーばかりです。
映画化されたものも沢山あります。

下のリンクは今までに選ばれた本のリストです。
洋書を選ぶ際に参考にされてはいかがでしょう。

▼Complete List of Oprah's Book Club Books
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/pastselections/20080701_orig_list

▼Oprah's Book Club selections 2000 - 2002
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/20080701_orig_list/2

▼Oprah's Book Club selections 1998 - 1999
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/20080701_orig_list/3

▼Oprah's Book Club selections 1996 - 1997
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/20080701_orig_list/4

※本によっては、内容の抜粋が読めるものもあるようです。
　レベル感のチェックにもお勧めです！

事務局・山口

WWWW Vol.53 年末年始のご挨拶の際に使える英語表現

職場で使える英語表現を毎週ご紹介するシリーズ
Weekly Workplace Word Wisdom(W.W.W.W.)

第53回の今回は
この時期にぴったりな話題
ビジネスの場での”年末年始のご挨拶”について、
Jonathan講師がご紹介します。

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Season’s Greetings

Around this time of the year many western offices host their office Christmas parties and co-workers start taking more and more time off to be with their families. With these events and happenings we start to use some new expressions when saying good-bye.

So what do you say to your colleagues as they leave town for the holidays? Merry Christmas? Happy Hanukah? What about Happy New Year?

Not sure? Don’t fret; there are a lot of native speakers who are unsure about what they should say too. A few years ago holiday greetings actually were quite controversial as major retailers started avoiding using “Merry Christmas” because they did not want to offend people of other religions.

For me, I try to be aware of the people I am speaking with and I use “Happy holidays” when leaving a conversation or saying good bye to someone.

Co-worker: Hey, I am leaving the city tonight, spending the holidays with my family back East.
Me: That sounds great! I hope you have happy holidays! See you in the New Year.

When I mention “have a happy holiday” I am talking about all the holidays, Christmas and New Years. I could say “Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” But it seems a little long and sounds like a Christmas carol. Once Christmas is over on the 26th I start saying “have a Happy New Year.”

Me: So how was your Christmas?
Co-worker: It was great; my wife gave me a new golf bag.
Me: That is a great gift. My wife gave me a new lawn mower!
Co-worker: So I guess you will be mowing the lawn while I golf!
Me: Looks like it. Have a Happy New Year. I’ll see you next week.

After the New Year has arrived I always use Happy New Year as a greeting when seeing people for the first time that year. I do this for a week or two unless it is a close friend or colleague that I haven’t seen in a while; then I might use it up until the end of January.

Me: Happy New Year Jim, how were your holidays?
Jim: Thanks, Happy New Year to you too. We have a great time visiting friends in Niseko.

As you can see, timing and personal preference are the keys in deciding which expression to use. I don’t worry too much about what holiday the person recognizes because it is the intent of the comment, to wish the person a happy and joyous time with friends and family that is at the heart of it, rather than a comment with religious connotations.

I wish you and yours a happy holiday season!

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＜本日の単語＞
fret 【動】心配する、思い悩む、くよくよする
major retailer 主要小売店、小売大手
mower 【名】芝刈り機、草刈り機
intent 【名】〔計画された〕意図、目的
connotation 【名】〔文字通りの意味に加えらる〕言外の意味、含蓄、含み、暗示

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２００９年の年明けとともに始まった
Weekly Workplace Word Wisdom(W.W.W.W.)ですが
５３回の本日で、最終回とさせていただきます。

１年間ご愛読ありがとうございました！

今後もOne to One Online Lessons講師による
新しい英語ブログシリーズをお届けする予定ですので
お楽しみに♪

Happy holidays！

事務局・山口

Lost in Translation Part.7 電子レンジ（Microwave Oven）

和製英語と英語の違いを説明するシリーズLost in Translation
第7回の今日は”電子レンジ”です。

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Lost in Translation Part 7
電子レンジ / レンジ (Microwave Oven / Microwave)

Tyler Ayala

The Japanese word レンジ - ‘range’ in English- is a derivative of an English word with a wide variety of meanings and applications- such as: a driving range in golf, a stovetop range, a mountain range and countryside.

Each of these meanings of range can be implied without additional explanation. For example, if used in context, I can simply say ‘range’ instead of ‘mountain range’.

Though there are a wide variety of uses for this word, none of them are equivalent to ‘microwave’. In addition, since ‘range’ can be used contextually and we find both microwaves and stoves in the kitchen, this can cause an extra bit of uncertainty.　Range, in general, is not often used for ‘stove’- as in the picture on the bottom left. However, it is never used to mean ‘microwave’ these days. When the microwave first came out, range would occasionally be added to the name- but no longer.

As well as the word ‘microwave’, we have a variety of different names that we use in casual situations in reference to a microwave and the uses for a microwave. For example:

-(Zap, Nuke ) it for 15 minutes = Cook it in the microwave for 15 minutes.

スリランカのクリスマス

世界のクリスマス紹介ということで、

２日間にわたって、フィリピンとブルガリアのクリスマスをご紹介いたしましたが、

本日は
One to One Online LessonsのKethaki講師より
スリランカのクリスマスの様子をご紹介させていただきます。

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Christmas and New Year celebrations in Sri Lanka

Once again the holiday season has begun. Let me take you to Sri Lanka for a moment to give you an idea as to how the holiday season which includes Christmas and New Years is celebrated in Sri Lanka.

The Christmas season in Sri Lanka begins on the 1st of December with lighting of firecrackers to mark the beginning of the Christmas month. Despite the fact that only 7% of Sri Lanka’s population are Christians it is celebrated by Christians and shared by non-Christians in true Lankan style.

By the end of first week of December the holiday season begins for children as the schools are closed for the rest of the school year. Sri Lankans begin to prepare for the Christmas and New Year by renovating houses, buying new clothes, buying presents and decorating houses, etc.

In schools and churches, they organize Christmas carols and Christmas dramas to share out the Christmas spirit among the people. During the Christmas season, the collection of offertories from the holy masses will be send to the poor and needy people of the country, as holiday gifts. People also send Christmas and New Year greeting cards to their friends and relatives.

The festivities spread through all shopping centers all over the island. Christmas trees decorated and lit up are a common sight in shopping complexes and every Christian house. Even non Christians make Christmas trees for their children and let them enjoy a lovely Christmas.

The 25th of December, the commemoration day of the birth of “Jesus Christ” is a public holiday and at the midnight of 24th of December cathedrals, churches and little chapels all over the island hold the “Mid night Mass” to rejoice this precious event.

On the Christmas day, people visit their relatives, friends and elders to greet them and exchange presents. Mostly children visit their god parents to get their blessings. They usually take the Christmas lunch all together and enjoy their Christmas cakes and candies. In Sri Lanka, Christians share their Christmas even with their non Christian neighbors by sending a plate of Christmas goodies to them. At night, they attend Christmas dinners, parties, etc. Most hotels and offices also organize Christmas parties.

The holiday spirit continues throughout the Christmas week and everyone awaits very eagerly to celebrate the new year. Although the original new year of Sri Lanka is celebrated in April, January 1st is also considered eqally important as it’s the start of a new year. At the mid night of the 31st December the whole island is lighted with fire crackers to welcome the new year. January 1st is considered as a normal working day and people very eagerly engage in their occupations hoping for the year to come brings them success in every endevour. Various religious activities are also organized throughout the country in all Buddhist temples, Christian and Catholic churches, Hindu kovils and Muslim mosques.

In Sri Lanka, the Christmas and New Year is not only a mere celebration but also a season of loving and sharing the holiday spirit among everyone.
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ブルガリアのクリスマス

昨日、世界のクリスマス紹介ということで、
One to One Online LessonsのGEB講師より
フィリピンのクリスマスの様子をご紹介させていただきましたが

本日は同じくOne to One Online LessonのIrina講師より

ブルガリアのクリスマスの様子をご紹介いたします！

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Christmas in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria the celebration of Koleda (Christmas) is primarily founded on religious believes. The traditions include fasting, enjoying special meals, singing carols around the village, going to church, and in modern times- decorating a Christmas tree and exchanging Christmas presents. In the different regions of Bulgaria the traditions differ a little. I am going to tell you how I and my family usually celebrate Christmas.

Budni vecher (Christmas Eve) has always been one of the most anticipated evenings for all people in Bulgaria. On 24th December we have a special Christmas Eve dinner. The preparations for the dinner start from early morning. The traditional foods we have must not contain any meat. Among them are white bean soup, vegetarian sarmi (rice and vegetables rolled in white cabbage leaves or vine leaves), oshav (boiled prunes served in their juice), different kinds of nuts, dried fruits, wheat grains, the Ignajden (Saint Ignatius’ Day) kolaks (ring-shaped cake) and banitza. In some areas in Bulgaria people put on the table an odd number of meals.

Please follow the links to see pictures of some of the traditional meals:
http://blogs.sch.gr/evsarig/files/2009/03/picture-559.JPG
http://images.ibox.bg/2007/11/12/2537.jpg
http://imagesfrombulgaria.com/d/52116-4/sarmi.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Oshav.jpg
http://therawchef.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/stuffed_vine_leaves_1.jpg

An interesting tradition is the inserting of a coin into a homemade round bread, called pita or pitka, before it was baked. The eldest member of the family breaks it off and gives a piece of it to everyone at the table. The person who finds the coin in their piece is expected to be healthy, become wealthy and have good fortune in the coming year. In the region where I am from, the Christmas Eve table is not cleared until the following morning to insure that there will be plenty of food in the coming year.

After dinner the young men of the village dress in costumes and do Koleduvane- singing carols for the rest of the villagers wishing in this way health, good luck and fertility to them, their houses, livestock, land, etc. The Koledari, those that sing the carols, are gifted with money, fruits, wine, meat, flour, and other foods in return for their blessings. The Koleduvane custom ends up with a festive treat. The provisions that remain are sold and the money is given to the poor or to the church.

You can see a photo of Koledari here:
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/photo804016.htm

Today, in the big cities, the Koleduvane tradition has almost disappeared. However, those who live in the cities are sometimes visited by children (survakari) who sing a song, wishing happiness, love, health, and wealth during the coming year.

This year I am going to experience Christmas in Japan and along with the way Japanese people celebrate Christmas, I will try to keep some of the Bulgarian traditions as well.

Happy holidays and looking forward to seeing you again next year!

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明日はKethaki講師よりスリランカのクリスマスをご紹介いたします！

お楽しみに♪

事務局・山口

フィリピンのクリスマス

今日はクリスマスイブですね！

本日は世界のクリスマス紹介ということで、
One to One Online LessonsのGEB講師より
フィリピンのクリスマスの様子をご紹介させていただきます。

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Christmas in the Philippines

Filipinos are very religious and family-oriented by nature. To us, nothing could ever measure to being with our family and love-ones on special occasions like birthdays, christenings, anniversaries, New Year, and of course Christmas, or Pasko (as we call it regardless of the many different dialect in the country). Filipinos have high regards for Christmas, having known as the ones who celebrates this sacred day the longest and in the moss blissful way.

Christmas preparation starts as early as September and the Christmas season does not only focus on just Christmas eve and the Christmas day itself. Every year when the clock strikes 00:01 of September 1st, people starts to hear Christmas Carols playing signaling the start of the Holiday Season in the Philippines. Some people even start greeting each other “Merry Christmas!”.

On December 16, the festivities peak with a daily pre-dawn Mass, called Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses) or Simbang Gabi (in Tagalog). From this day at 3 o' clock in the morning, the church bells rings a special melody to remind people that --“this is it!”. In some areas (like my city) a band might even play a medley of Christmas tunes to awaken the town. After the mass, churchgoers will filter out into the churchyard to stop by food stalls that line the perimeter of the church serving a wide variety of traditional Filipino foodstuff called kakanin.

Most homes all over the Philippines at Christmastime are decorated with Christmas lights and star-shaped lanterns called parol. Parols are crafted from bamboo sticks and cellophane or colored papers, and recently, recycled materials. These lanterns represent the star of Bethlehem, the guiding light that led the three wise men to the manger where Jesus is believed to be born. This emblem of Philippine Christmas embodies the extraordinary spirit of hospitality that prevails during the season. And this also explains why there is a star on top if every Christmas tree all around the world.

Philippine Christmas is not complete without music, and the season is also celebrated by Filipinos through caroling. In most urban centers and rural areas in the Philippines, a group of carolers visit houses to sing Christmas carols. Some of these carolers raise funds for less fortunate families, while others are simply doing it for the joy of singing. Carolers may be a group of friends, members of special christian communities or civic organization. Others may be family and relatives who have made it a tradition to sing together. In many neighborhoods, groups of kids often form together as amateur carolers and visit houses every night. They will be more than happy to receive coins(change) or candies as reward for singing Christmas carols. These kids often sing out of tune, but are however very creative in using tin cans, plastic containers, and bamboos as their musical instruments. It is the fun of doing it that matters, and the season is right to have that kind of fun.

On Christmas eve around midnight, family members gather for the best meal of the year called noche buena. This usually comes after the entire family has attended a late evening mass or church service about an hour or so before midnight. The noche buena could last until about four o'clock in the morning on Christmas day. Then it is during Christmas day that big family reunions are held with a feast of more good food, more singing, and more dancing. Even the poorest of the poor in the Philippines sees to it that they have something on their table to celebrate Christmas. Those who “can afford” would prepare a feast where the food would usually last for 2 to 3 days. Others would simply spend a bit more than their usual meal just to rekindle the Christmas spirit.

Christmas in the Philippines is also a special day for aguinaldo or Christmas gifts, for a courtesy call to godparents, and for visits to friends and relatives. In general, members of the family exchange gifts following noche buena. On the following day, inaanak (godchildren) visit their ninong (godfather) and ninang (godmother) on Christmas day to ask for their blessings and, in turn, godparents traditionally hand over gifts to their godchildren. It is also the day for many families to hold get-together of extended family clan members (grandparents, grandchildren, cousins, uncles and aunts) with a feast of good food, singing, and dancing.

Recession, global warming, typhoon, drought, unemployment, poverty and even war is beyond the Filipinos when it comes to Christmas. We celebrate Christmas as if it is indeed the time to be merry and gay like no other time. Just writing this blog puts me in that celebrating mood. This reminds me of the songs, the decorations, the atmosphere, the parties, the smiling people everywhere! As if it is in another planet on a different time!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

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年末年始の休暇の関係で、PEGL Supplement（１月学習開始）の

12月お申込み締切日は本日2009年12月23日（水）23;59までです。

来年1日から受講されたい方はお早めにお申し込みをお願いいたします！

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WWWW Vol.52 就職面接で使える英語表現

職場で使える英語表現を毎週ご紹介するシリーズ
Weekly Workplace Word Wisdom(W.W.W.W.)

第52回の今回は、
就職面接の際に自分の良い所と悪い所を聞かれた時に
便利な英語表現とTIPを、Eric講師がご紹介します。

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Job Interview - Strengths and Weaknesses

As the global economy begins to show signs of improvement, it’s likely that the job market will also begin to rally, meaning that jobs that had been previously unavailable will soon be up for grabs. For BBT students this spells opportunity and we’re confident that many of you reading this blog are already thinking about ways to turn the education you’re receiving into a great career. But before that happens you have to get the job. And that means a job interview.

For many people, the job interview is the hardest part of the job application process. Their resume looks good, the experience is there, but sometimes it can be hard to answer tough questions in person. Two of the toughest questions are “What are your strengths?” and “What are your weaknesses?” Your responses could mean the difference between getting the job you want and going home empty handed. Here are some tips to help you make a great impression in the interview.

Strong Points
Talking about your strong points isn’t as simple as saying, “I’m the best at this, this, this, and this.” Telling people how great you are can be off-putting and may leave the person interviewing you concerned about your ability to work with a team. After all, if you’re always the best, chances are you won’t listen to what others have to say. Instead, when someone asks you what your strengths are talk about your experience and your accomplishments. They should speak for themselves:

Thanks to the great team at my previous company, I gained valuable leadership skills such as decision making ability, a willingness to delegate authority, and a strong work ethic.

I learned a lot about working with a team. It taught me to be a good listener, to be open-minded, and to accept responsibility for failures as well as successes.

Here are some more ways to phrase it:
I really came to understand all aspects of my job. For example…
While there, I was proud that we were able to…
My experience allowed me to…
I think my ability to do… helped my team when…

Weak Points
Talking about your own weak points can be one of the most difficult parts of a job interview because you don’t want to give them a reason to reject you. On the other hand, claiming that you have no weaknesses is unrealistic and probably a deal-breaker for any HR department. The trick is to couch your weaknesses in positive terms. Are you improving on your weaknesses? Can your weakness be a strength when applied correctly? Always follow your honest assessment of your weak point with a positive statement that shows that it won’t be an issue at your new job:

I have had trouble in the past delegating authority but at my previous job I learned to trust my coworkers more and I’m much better.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to give up on my idea when the team wants to go in a different direction. But just being aware of that problem has made me more open-minded and willing to listen.

There have been times that I haven’t met a deadline because I was too caught up in the details, but I think an eye for detail can be a positive under the right circumstances. I’m working on better understanding what the situation calls for.

By using the guideline above, you should be able to navigate two of the hardest job interview questions and be one step closer to getting that job you are after. Good Luck!

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＜本日の単語＞
rally 【動】〈元気・体力などを〉回復する
off-putting 【形】不快感［嫌な感じ］を起こさせる、不快な、困惑させる、反感を覚えさせる
willingness 【名】意欲、いとわずにすること、快く［進んで・積極的に］～すること［気持ち］、乗り気であること、やる気
delegate authority （人に）権限を委ねる、（人に）権限を委任する
deal breaker 合意を壊すもの、交渉を難航させるもの
couch 【動】～を表す、〔考えなどを〕表現する

＜本日のイディオム＞
up for grabs 容易に手に入る

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今回のStrong PointsとWeak Pointsの例は
特に転職する方向けの例になっています。

以前のWWWWで紹介した
仕事の経験を話すときに使える英語表現を活用し

http://ameblo.jp/pegl/day-20091019.html

さらに、今回の例を元に
自分の強み・弱みも上手に表現できるよう
練習をしてみましょう

転職の予定が無い方も、
英語のOutputの練習として、
模擬面接応答集を作ってみてはいかがでしょう！

事務局・山口