今週から始まる
Lost in Translationシリーズでは
PEGL講座のOne to One Online Lessonsで
レッスンを教えているTyler講師が
実際に日本で出会った数々の和製英語を例に
英語との違いを説明していきます。
※アメリカ英語を基準にしています。
第一回は「マンション」です！
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Lost in Translation Part.1 マンション
Tyler Ayala
I have spent more than a year living in Japan, and there is one word that has continued to evade my understanding in Japanese-English: マンション. To be honest, I don’t know the exact meaning and use of it in Japanese. However, I do know that this is nowhere near the meaning in English. I will try to explain my confusion.
In Japanese, if someone says マンション, you probably think of this picture below.
However, in English, we would think of something more like the picture below.
Obviously, these are two very different types of buildings. So, when you are in an English-speaking country, try to remember this difference. For example, if you are visiting some business partners and they invite you to their home, they may live in what we would call an apartment complex (マンション). If you were to comment on how lovely their ‘mansion’ is, then they would most likely feel that you are giving them a much greater compliment than you intended and would most like try to disagree. This might give them the impression that Japan is a poor country if they do not know better since you called their apartment a mansion and pressed forward with your compliment. In your mind, you would be emphasizing the word ‘lovely’ while they would be focusing on the word ‘mansion’.
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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.
They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great state and the heart of this great American community. This is the fact that makes the tragedy even more painful, even more incomprehensible.
彼らはここアメリカの地で、この偉大な国家とコミュニティーの中心で殺害されました。
この事実が、この悲劇をより辛く、より理解し難いものにしています。
と悲しく複雑な想いを述べ、
No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor. For what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice -- in this world, and the next.
We're a nation that guarantees the freedom to worship as one chooses.
我々の国家は信教の自由を保障しています。
とも述べ、犯人が信仰するイスラム教の教徒に
偏見が生じないようにする配慮も見せました。
また
These are trying times for our country. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the same extremists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans continue to endanger America, our allies, and innocent Afghans and Pakistanis.
In the one-to-one lessons, one of the lessons introduces the phrase “she’s out sick”, while associating the phrase with a picture of a person with a broken leg. I’ll explain this image here.
In the U.S., companies by law are required to allow employees to take a minimum number of days for short-term illness or hospitalization without a penalty to their wages. These days are referred to as “sick days”. Many American companies offer 2 or 3 days of “sick leave” per year to employees that have been with the company for less than 10 years, and increase the number of sick days for more senior employees. These sick days do not act like vacation days in that they do not carry over into the following year. That is, if you do not use them, you lose them at the end of the year.
If someone did not come into work due to illness or physical injury, we would say that theyare “out on sick leave”. This phrase has since been shortened to “They’re out sick”. So, while the woman in the textbook has a broken leg, we’d still say “she’s outsick”. To be more precise, we’d say “she’s on sick leave with a disability”.
When we relay a message that someone called the office to say that they are sick and will not come into the company, we use the phrase “call in sick”. An example is, “Where’s Tom?”
“He’s not coming in to work today. He called in sick.”
There are two kinds of sick leave - short-term and long-term. Short-term sick leave would be used by someone with a bad cold or the flu that only lasts a few days. Long-term sick leave is needed by patients with severe injuries, like car crash victims that may leave them hospitalized for several months. The length of long-term sick leave depends on the insurance package the company has, and usually pays less than 75% of the employee’s salary per day during that period.
Another form of leave from a company is “maternity leave”. Maternity leave is used by pregnant women during the days before and after giving birth. In the U.S., companies generally do not offer paid maternity leave. Instead, companies offer up to 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave, which includes the time prior to giving birth and then the recovery time and child rearing time afterwards.
Most U.S. companies have realized that the father also needs to take time from work to help care for the mother and baby, and they may make “paternity leave” available to the male employees. Again, in the U.S. paternity leave is unpaid, up to 12 weeks.
Canada offers paid parental leave, at 55% of the regular salary, at 15 weeks of maternity leave for the mother and 35 weeks of “parental leave” shared with the father.
In summary, companies in western countries offer 2 or 3 short-term sick days per year; long-term disability leave; and unpaid maternity and paternity leave. If we don’t know the details, we can simply say that someone “is out sick”.
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Customer Service
I am a loyal customer but also a difficult one to impress and win over. I have high expectations not because I am trying to be difficult but because I know what is possible and after many years in the hotel industry I know what is understandable and forgivable and also what is unacceptable. I also feel like I know what is possible. I hate the word “No” and have always tried to avoid using it. If I hear now as a customer there is a good chance that I will not be a satisfied one.
Why am I hard to impress? Largely because after working in 9 different hotels in my career I have been to countless training sessions regarding service. In every session they stress customer service.
Recently I was traveling back to Japan after my summer holiday in Canada. We had some problems on the first flight which was beyond the pilot’s control and he communicated with us very well about his attempts to rectify the situation. While inconvenienced I was not unhappy despite missing our connection and having to spend an extra night in Toronto with a very sleepy 6 month old baby. The real problem arose when we could not get our luggage and I never once got the sense that the person I was dealing with cared. He would not listen to my concerns; he simply told me to wait at a certain point. An hour later with still no luggage I returned and he said “Oh, you’re back!” and then told me where to wait again. In the end we spent 36 hours in Toronto without our luggage and never once did anyone apologize.
Japan has very good customer service. It is very consistent and you can count on it. In Canada my experience was that the service was less consistent but you did have amazing experiences on occasion. When I look back to what the staff would attempt to do at my hotel when compared to here in Japan I would say that they took more chances to “wow” the guest; to do something way beyond their expectations. While working at a hotel here I found that we didn’t take those risks but we made up for it with consistency.
For me I also look at two types of service, reactive and pro-active. Basic service is reactive. The customer asks for something and you provide it for them. They asked for today’s newspaper to be delivered to their room and it was. You met their expectations by reacting to their request. But what if you can anticipate their request before they ask? That is being proactive and I think it is a huge difference. If the guests ask for the New York Times and you provide it but then go one step further and make sure it is always delivered to his room, you have anticipated that he will want to read the NY Times every day. The next morning when he opens the door, it is ready for him, perhaps on the room service tray with his breakfast. You have now saved him having to call for the paper again and no doubt made his day a little easier.
I am not sure that there is any easy way to teach service. I always ask my staff to “care” and that goes a long way. If you care about your work, your coworkers, your customers and your company you will probably provide great service because people return to places where they are cared for. It is when you don’t care that things start to slide.
So what about you? Have you had any bad experiences? What about great service experiences? How do you like to be treated? How are your service skills?
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45回の今回は、
エレベーター内で同僚と一緒になったときにする
Elevater Small Talkの注意点・会話例を
Kethaki講師がご紹介いたします。
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It's lunchtime and co-workers Ken and Andy are on the elevator.
Ken: So where are you headed for lunch?
Andy: There is this new curry place close to the station. Want to come?
Ken: Sounds really nice, but I’m in the mood for something light today. Maybe another time?
Andy: Sure, next time it is.
This is a typical small talk conversation that we hear on the elevator in the lunch time. What differentiates this conversation from typical small talk? Elevator small talk happens in a very short time frame. The length of conversation usually lasts anywhere from a few seconds to one minute, or possibly longer if you and your colleague with whom you are chatting exit the elevator from the same floor. Therefore, the small talk should be kept basic and brief.
Good topics to make elevator small talk would be; Weather, sports, food, complimenting on clothing and weekend plans.
These are acceptable and appropriate because they can be discussed quickly.
Here are a few examples of good ways to start small talk; - “How about the game last night?”
“Did you watch the game?”
“Wow. Nice shoes, Jennifer.”
“Have you tried the new dough-nuts place?”
“Nice weather, isn't it?”
“Have you seen the new Twilight movie?”
“Did you have a good weekend?”
Whatever topic you choose, keep in mind that you want to avoid starting a conversation that will take a long time to wrap up.
Let's look at some example elevator dialogues.
In the morning on your way to work Andy: Good morning, how are you doing?
Sean: Good, thanks. And you?
Andy: Fine. Still a little bit groggy from partying though. What did you do on the weekend?
Sean: Nothing much, the same old stuff.
Andy: Well, this is my floor. I'll see you around.
Sean: See you.
After work Kevin: Hello, Has it been a long day?
Mira: Kind of. How about you?
Kevin: It was okay. How are your studies going?
Mira: I don't get much time to study these days.
Kevin: Oh! I hope things improve. Well, I have to catch the train.
Mira: Okay. Nice talking to you.
Elevator talk lasts only for a few seconds and it should stop in time when people want to exit the elevator. For this reason, how to exit conversation respectfully without damaging any relations is very important. These phrases usually indicate the end of the conversation.
"Nice talking to you, catch you later.”
"Well, guess this is my floor..."
"Later.”
"Enjoy the lunch.”
"Have a good one.” (Have a good day/ have a good weekend)
"See you around.”
A transition word like Well… can also communicate that it is time to stop.
"Well, I have to catch the train.”
"Well, see you later.”
"Well, guess this is my floor..."
"Well…"
Although a lot of people find 'elevator talk' awkward, it doesn't have to be so. If you follow
these few simple strategies that can make small talk easy, fun, and also productive.
Good luck!
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＜本日の単語＞
time frame タイムフレーム、時間枠、時間（フレーム）、
groggy 【形】〈米俗〉酔っぱらった
＜本日のイディオム＞
head for ～に向かう、～の方に進む
in the mood for 《be ～》～を食べたい気分だ
wrap up 終える、終わりにする、切り上げる
と出産育児休暇
について解説し、
「こんなに英語を勉強しているんだからもっと話せていいはずなのに、口を開くと全然思うようにいかない」
「TOEICではそこそこの点数を取れるけど、英会話には自信がない」
「なんだか怖くて、英会話を自然に遠ざけてしまっている」
