ビジネスマンに捧ぐ～　英語学習に役立つ！PEGL事務局ブログ -8ページ目

In the News #22 - Rocky

オンライン英会話講師のCurtis講師が提供する
ニュースの英語を解説する" In the News"シリーズ
第22回の本日は"Rocky"です。

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In the News #22 - Rocky

In the Oct. 1, 2010, Japan Times newspaper, we had the following headlines:
Rocky road ahead for Kan as DPJ addresses economy
Pakistan government on rocky ground amid flooding, terrorism, plummeting economy

In the Oct. 2 issue, in the story Marines beat Buffaloes, earn PL Climax Series spot, there was the line “pitcher Yoshihisa Naruse rebounded from a rocky start”.

“Rocky” is often used to refer to something that is “difficult”. Common phrases include:
A rocky road
Rocky ground
A rocky start

Of these, “rocky road” and “rocky start” are the easiest to visualize. These phrases come from the fact that throughout history, people have traveled between towns by walking along poorly-maintained roads. If a road was not smoothed out and paved over, the surface would be bumpy and covered with large rocks. It would be difficult to walk along this road. Hence, traveling along a rocky road represents a hard task. An example of this usage is “We expect that implementing national fiscal reform will be a rocky road”, meaning “it will not be easy”.

Often, though, once we get outside of a small town, the roads between larger cities are in better condition. So, the start of the travel may be hard, but eventually it may get easier. This is when we use “a rocky start”. However, if we are traveling in a car or wagon, the damage caused to the wagon by the rocks in the road may cause the wagon to break down. For this reason, “a rocky start” has the additional meaning of “a difficult beginning that may soon lead to failure”. An example of this is “the peace talks in the Middle East got off to a rocky start and then collapsed by the second week”.

This leaves “rocky ground”. While this phrase is similar in idea to “a rocky road”, it also carries the sense of someone trying to go camping in an open field and setting up a tent on the rocks there. First, the tent will collapse because the ground is too hard to set in the ropes, and second it will be hard to sleep on such rocks. In this sense, “rocky ground” means “difficult situation”. The above headline “Pakistan government on rocky ground” could be reworded as “Pakistan government is at risk of rebellion”. An example could be “our competition’s recent decision to cut their prices by 30% leaves us on rocky ground regarding market share for next year” (that is, we may lose the entire market next year).

Just as a final comment, the idiom “don’t rock the boat” means “don’t make a disturbance” or “don’t cause trouble”. This is a completely different usage of the word “rock” and is not related to “rocky start” or “rocky road”.

As you read the newspapers this week, try to find more examples of people getting off to a rocky start or who face a rocky road ahead of them.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101001f1.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/29/AR2010092903307.html?wprss=rss_world
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sb20101002j2.html

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In the News #21 - Finding a voice

オンライン英会話講師のCurtis講師が提供する
ニュースの英語を解説する" In the News"シリーズ
第21回の本日は"Finding a voice"です。

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In the News #21 - Finding a voice

In the Sept. 22, 2010, Japan Times newspaper, we had the headline:
New Peko-chan finds her voice

Peko-chan is the easily-recognized mascot for Fujiya Corporation. In order to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary, and the 60th year since the mascot was created, Fujiya Co. is installing new Peko-chan statues in approximately 100 stores. According to the Japan Times article, these new statues will have voice chips installed that will issue 90 different phrases when the statue is touched or hugged, including “thank you for coming to see me” and “I am feeling energetic”.

Therefore, the Japan Times article headline refers to the ability of the new Peko-chan statues to speak. However, it is important to note that there are two different phrases in English - “to give someone a voice” and “to find your voice”.

When you “find your voice”, it means that you have discovered a subject that fills you with great passion that you want to tell other people about, and that you have decided how you want other people to hear about it. Examples of this usage include, “famed actor finds his voice as a spokesman for cancer research” and “she found her voice on the stage as a villainous character”.

Conversely, “to be given a voice” or “to give someone a voice” means that a minority group that previously was under-represented now has a visible presence, or has gained a high-profile spokesman. Examples of this usage include: “Selection of Bill Gates as a representative gives malaria victims a voice” and “the group of delegates to the U.N. gives Cuba a voice on the world stage”.

As shown above, “finding your voice” and “being given a voice” have completely different meanings. Because the Japan Times article describes the addition of a voice chip in a company mascot that previously was unable to speak, the more correct headline would be “New Peko-chan given a voice”. The question is why the Japan Times editors chose to use the wrong phrase in their headline. While the only way to get an answer is to ask the editors directly, one possible speculation is that “finds her voice” was more eye-catching.

As you read the newspapers this week, try to find more examples of people finding or getting a voice.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100922f5.html

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3コース誕生記念：3カ月連続キャッシュバックキャンペーン

実践ビジネス英語講座初級・中級・上級の新コース発売開始を記念して
3カ月連続キャッシュバックキャンペーンを実施中です。

[キャンペーン詳細]

2010年11月期、12月期、2011年1月期にお申し込みされた方が、
修了条件を満たして各コースを修了された場合、以下の金額をご返金致します。

■初級コース（2010年12月期、2011年1月期開講）
　３万円キャッシュバック　

↓修了条件はこちら
実践ビジネス英語講座　初級コース　修了条件

■中級コース（2010年11月期、12月期、1月期開講）
　４万円キャッシュバック　

↓修了条件はこちら
実践ビジネス英語講座　中級コース　修了条件

■上級コース（2011年1月期開講）
　５万円キャッシュバック

↓修了条件はこちら
実践ビジネス英語講座　上級コース　修了条件

※修了された方に、講座終了月翌月中に返金手続きに関するご案内をさせて頂きます。
※実際の返金時期は、講座終了月翌々月頃になる予定です（お手続き頂くタイミングによって異なります）
※他のキャンペーンとの併用はできませんので、予めご了承ください。

お得なこの機会にご検討いただけましたら幸いです。

▼▼お申し込みのご案内はこちらから▼▼
実践ビジネス英語講座　お申し込み案内ページ

講座に関しまして不明点がございましたら、

下記お問い合わせフォームよりお気軽にお問い合わせください
https://www.ohmae.ac.jp/univ2/form.asp?course=pegl

事務局・山口

In the News # 20 - Out of Gas

オンライン英会話講師のCurtis講師が提供する
ニュースの英語を解説する" In the News"シリーズ
第20回の本日は"Out of Gas"です。

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In the News # 20 – Out of Gas

In the Sept. 10, 2010, Japan Times newspaper, we had the headline:
Car subsidy program runs out of gas early

I think that anyone over the age of 18, in just about any country, that has earned their car driver’s license, will be able to relate to the idea of “running out of gas”. This is what happens when a car’s fuel tank becomes empty. While British speakers refer to car fuel as petrol, Americans call it “gasoline”, which is usually shortened to “gas”. So, “running out of gas” means to “run out of fuel”, and that’s another way of saying that the car has stopped moving.

Used figuratively, “running out of gas” implies that something or someone no longer progresses forward. As given in the above headline, “car subsidy program runs out of gas” could be reworded as “The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry decides to discontinue the program for subsidizing new car sales”. However, there is a wordplay involved in this headline, in that cars run on gas, and therefore the car subsidy program had also been running on fuel (i.e. - money) until the very end.

Another wordplay appears in the first paragraph of the story: “[the end of subsidies] fueling fears [that the economy could be affected]”. The phrase “fueling fears” uses “fuel” (the act of supplying energy to an engine or to a fire) in the figurative sense of “to cause something to happen”. That is, the cut in funding for the car program increases the fear (“fueling the fear”) that other money used for helping the economy may also be cut. You can see that “fuel” can be used in both a positive and negative sense – money fueling the economy, and rumors fueling a growing fear.

On a different note, one variant of running out of gas is “running on empty”. This means that the car’s gas gauge is pointing to “E”, and that the gas tank will become empty very soon. This has the figurative sense of “becoming extremely hungry”. One example is, “I haven’t eaten a good meal in 2 days, and now I’m running on empty”.

As you read the newspapers this week, try to find more examples of programs or people that are “running out of gas”.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20100910a6.html

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Women in the Workplace#8 - Cuteness

オンライン英会話講師のJennifer講師が書く
Women in the Workplace Series

8回目の今回は「Cuteness」です！

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Women in the Workplace Series 8 – Cuteness

When speaking on the topic of cuteness, there are different concepts of it in the West than in Japan. As an American, I am most knowledgeable about the U.S. approach and will speak from that perspective.

Everywhere in Japan you can see different manifestations of cuteness, from children’s goods to professional advertisements. Cuteness is not reserved for children but can be found in traffic signs or logos for products, or even in the way that some adults dress or speak. In Japanese media, there are many female characters that follow the “cute” (“kawaii” or “moe”) stereotype, and amongst the general population there are some young women who model themselves off of such characters in manner and in speech.

Unfortunately, often one characteristic of the cute female is that she is also clueless, a word that we use in English to mean that someone is ignorant or “not too bright” (read: not intelligent). More often than not small of stature, the cute girl characters are delightfully confused and often energetic. They speak with childish language in a childlike tone of voice while giving an impression of innocence and purity.

The one possible reason a cute woman has special appeal is that she is not aggressive or overly opinionated and thus is not seen as an intellectual threat. In Japanese media we can see countless examples of the cute and clueless girl who is gentle, kind and supportive, presenting themselves as wife material. These are very positive qualities; however, usually the women possessing these qualities do so to defer to the power and influence of the men around them. Even if they are intelligent, they place emphasis on other qualities. Given this fact, it is understandable why this would be attractive to men.

By contrast, typically when Americans say that someone is “cute”, oftentimes it means that they are good-looking in a mature way. For example, often when women see a handsome man they say “He’s cute” but it does not mean that he is like a boy; just that he is attractive. Men say “She’s cute” for women as well; however, it does not mean that the she is childlike, only that she has a pleasing appearance.

The issue with this in the U.S. is that in order for a woman to be taken seriously, especially in business, she must be mature and show that she can do things as well as a man. Feigning ignorance (or “playing dumb” as the expression goes) can work against a woman, especially when given that her gender may already give her certain disadvantages. The Women’s Liberation Movement, and feminism in general, in the United States was and still is largely intent on gaining equal rights for women and ending sexism. For some women, this means that they must adopt more assertive behavior in the workplace, which requires acting in an opposite manner of the “cute girl” stereotype.

All of these things being said, none of this behavior is universal, but varies from person to person. Also, this is not a criticism of cuteness in Japan but rather to compare and contrast between Japanese and Western culture. Americans do not have the same tolerance for cuteness (“kawaii”) as the Japanese, meaning that the acceptable levels of cuteness for adults are different. Japanese cuteness is exactly that – uniquely Japanese and often imitated but never duplicated. It is a special part of Japanese culture.

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新コースのご紹介: 第2回「英語トレーニング法セミナー」

新コースのご紹介★第2回「英語トレーニング法セミナー」

テーマ：PEGL情報

2010年11月期生より、実践ビジネス英語講座は
初級・中級・上級のレベル別コースの提供を開始いたします！

まず11月開講の「中級コース」を皮切りに、12月に「初級コース」、
2011年1月に「上級コース」と順にご提供を開始します。

今日は、前回の「大前研一ライブ」と同じく全コース共通に含まれております
「英語トレーニング法セミナー」をご紹介します。

このコースでは「英語＝勉強しなきゃ！」というネガティブなイメージを払拭し、

「英語＝おもしろい！」

と、みるみる引き込まれていく、全く新しいスタイルの勉強方法を紹介しています。

また、後半では実際に「音読筆写」することで、全く英語が話せなかった人が、
コース終了後、

「あ、私、ネイティブみたいに話してる！！」

と、体感できるという、とにかく必見の講座です！

講師を勤められている英語コンサルタント、

ＩＣＣの千田潤一先生と、鹿野晴夫先生の

楽しいトークと、ネイティブの独自の発音練習を、

身の回りにある身近な英語を使ってトレーニングします。

受講を考えてらっしゃる方、「英語＝苦手」というイメージのある方、
ぜひこのコースを最初に視聴することをお勧めします！

各コースの概要は、実践ビジネス英語講座「３つのコース」にて！

▼科目の詳細はこちらから

英語トレーニング法セミナー

事務局：外山

PEGL新コースからよりすぐりの無料映像プレゼント実施中

2010年11月期生より、レベル別コースの提供を開始した
実践ビジネス英語講座ですが、

レベル別コースの提供開始に伴い、

月に１回プレゼントさせていただいていた
”メルマガ読者限定の無料映像プレゼント”を

2010年10月7日発行のメールマガジンより
毎月２回、実施させていただきます。

次回、7日の映像は、先日ブログでもご紹介した

実践ビジネス英語講座新コンテンツの大前研一ライブより

http://ameblo.jp/pegl/day-20100930.htm

『大前研一ライブ　10月3日放送分』の
一部抜粋した映像をプレゼントさせていただきます。

大前研一による国際情勢に関する
本質的な解説を御覧いただけます。

よりすぐりの映像を無料で視聴でき、
新実践ビジネス英語講座のエッセンスを学べる
このチャンスをお見逃しなく！

▼メールマガジン登録はこちらから▼
大前研一の実践ビジネス英語講座メールマガジン・グローバルリーダーへの道

※7日のメールマガジン配信を希望の方は
　6日24時までにご登録ください。

事務局・山口

In the News # 19 – Forge

Online Speaking Lessons講師のCurtis講師が提供する
ニュースの英語を解説する" In the News"シリーズ
第19回の本日は"Forge"です。

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In the News # 19 – Forge

In the Sept. 10, 2010, issue of the Japan Times newspaper, we had the following headline:
Broad agreement is reached to forge free-trade pact with India

When we forge something, it can either be good or bad. This is because the word “forge” has two completely different meanings. Firstly, the meaning of forge can refer to the process of copying someone’s signature, or artistic style. In the U.S., writing bank checks is a popular alternative to making payments with cash. When we write a bank check, we sign our names on the check. If a thief steals our checks, they can copy our signature to use the checks as their own. In this case, they are forging our signature in order to forge a check.

Conversely, many famous artists have paintings that are worth millions of dollars, so unscrupulous artists will forge paintings like the “Mona Lisa” to sell at a discount and to make the forger wealthy.

On the other hand, the second meaning of “forge” is the large furnace (heater) used for heating metal before turning it into a specific shape. When we place the metal in the flames inside the forge and then hit the metal with a hammer, we are said to be forging the metal. That is, to forge a sword or to forge a plow blade. Or, in other words, when we forge metal, we are creating something new.

It is this second usage that comes into play for the above Japan Times headline. Here the writer is using the symbolic sense of “to create”, as in “to forge diplomatic ties between two nations” or “to forge a free-trade pact”. Generally, when we use “forge” this way, it takes on the nuance of doing something that takes a great deal of effort and skill, just as when we forge a new sword.

As you read the newspapers this week, try to find other articles using “forge” in its symbolic sense of “forming something new”.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20100910a4.html

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大前研一×柳井正著「この国を出よ」が発売になりました！

10月1日、大前研一×柳井正共著の「この国を出よ」が発売になりました

この国を出よ/大前研一: ￥1,470; Amazon.co.jp

＝＝＝＝書籍紹介（amazonより抜粋）＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

・誰が日本をダメにしたのか？

・「ユニクロ」はなぜ世界へ出るのか？

・そして、ビジネスマンと企業はグローバル社会でどう戦えばいいのか？

2大論客が初めて語り尽くした"斜陽"ニッポンへの処方箋。
中国がＧＤＰで日本を抜き去り、韓国ではサムスンやＬＧ電子が急激に業績を伸ばす一方で、
我が国では、依然として景気回復が遅れ、900兆円以上の借金を抱えて立ち往生している。

大前研一氏と、同氏と交流のある柳井正氏の2人は、そんな日本に警鐘を鳴らし、
世界に飛び出す必要性を説いている。

実際にユニクロでは、世界戦略を進め、上海やパリなど世界各都市に旗艦店を出店して
大成功を収めている。

では、この国は、企業は、そしてあなたはどうすればよいのか。

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また、読者特典として、株式会社ビジネス・ブレークスルーが提供する無料特別映像つきです！

ビジネス・ブレークスルーが選んだ、世界で活躍するための講義・名場面集をご覧頂けます。

ビジネスパーソン・企業経営者はもちろん、学生などにとっても必読の１冊となること、請け合いです。

みなさんもこの機会にぜひ、日本の未来を考えてみてください！

この国を出よ
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4093897298/bbt05-22/ref=nosim/

事務局・内藤

In the News #18 – Watchdog

Online Speaking Lessons講師のCurtis講師が提供する
ニュースの英語を解説する" In the News"シリーズ
第18回の本日は"Watchdog"です。

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In the News #18 – Watchdog

The Sept. 9, 2010, Yomiuri newspaper had the following article, which is still available on the Reuters website:
“EU agrees on new watchdogs”
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6861MH20100907

Our primary interest today is in the word “watchdog”. A related phrase is “guard dog”. According to Wikipedia, both watchdogs and guard dogs are trained animals that are used to alert property owners to possible invaders. If a burglar or robber attempts to break into a building, the trained dog is expected to bark loudly to either scare off the intruder, or to summon security personnel. The difference between a watchdog and a guard dog is that a watchdog just barks, while the guard dog is trained to attack and capture the intruder.

This difference is related to an English idiom – “to have no teeth”. That is, a watchdog can not hurt the burglar, while the guard dog can do serious injury to them. In this sense, the watchdog “has no teeth”, meaning that it is not a threat. A similar idiom is “all bark and no bite” (to make lots of noise but otherwise not be dangerous).

In business and government, a “watchdog” is an agency or organization designed to supervise a specific industry or type of activity to prevent potentially illegal or dangerous behavior. Example watchdog agencies in the U.S. include: The National Council Against Health Fraud, the Consumers Union, and Underwriters Laboratories (UL). UL in particular is well-known in the U.S. for its work in certifying that home electronics - like microwave ovens, refrigerators and washing machines - are safe to use and won’t cause fires or electrocution.

In the article mentioned above, the 27 nations that make up the European bloc have been trying to agree on the powers and scope of a regulatory agency to oversee the European banking system. The current difficulty is that while the policy makers want to impose, or “levy” taxes on the banks, they can’t decide on what to use the money they obtain from the banks. They have been able to agree on three watchdog agencies, but the questions remain “how to add teeth”, and what to do with the money “bitten” from misbehaving banks and financial agencies. The worst thing the politicians could do is to create yet another “toothless watchdog that is all bark and no bite” (i.e. - a regulatory agency with no real powers or purpose).

When you read the newspaper this week, try to find other stories that discuss regulatory groups “with teeth”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_dog

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