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８月第２週〜第４週は、この７年間に配信した233本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 最終回（通算７回目）の今回は"Men and Women"をテーマに、男女間に起こるさまざまな出来事についての話題を選びました。好きな女性のことでお悩み中の男の子、イケメンチェックに励む女子、さらには恋多き最低男まで、さまざまな男女のドラマ（？）を、どうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: TanteTati via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. 　↓　↓　↓ Download MP3 （初級〜中級）1. やさしい英語会話 (224) Girl-Boy Relations and the Cuban Missile Crisis M: Hey Rachel, can I ask you something real quick? W: Sure, Kento, what is it? M: Well, there's this girl I have a crush on… and I think she likes me, but I'm not sure because sometimes she acts so weird! W: OK, what makes you think she likes you? And what do you mean by "weird"? Remember, girls are the most complex creatures that ever existed! You could spend a lifetime studying their ways and still know next to nothing. M: I mean, the way she looks at me sometimes, and how she giggles at what I say, and sometimes she offers me gum!... And, I mean, weird because sometimes she'll act like I'm invisible to her! It's the most stressful thing to have happened since the Cuban Missile Crisis… W: I'm pretty sure the Cuban Missile Crisis was WAY more stressful than not knowing whether a girl likes you or not! Ha ha! But, don't worry about it too much. Girls like guys who act like they don't care… like they're "too cool". M: But I'm NOT cool. I'm a nerd! I own every gaming console that ever was! W: Some girls like nerdy guys. But really, though, the fact that she giggles and offers you gum doesn't mean she likes you! Is it possible at all she just thinks you have bad breath…? M: Ah! I wish I could set up a direct line between us, like Kennedy and Khrushchev did in the crisis. W: It would be too funny if you two had a red phone that flashes in lights when you call it. M: Hey, that would be pretty cool… W: Oh Kento, you ARE a nerd. M: Hey, are you going to help me, or are you just going to make fun of me! W: Oh, don't worry! It's not so hard. Like I told you: just be cool, act like you don't care, and maybe, eventually, you can install a pretty red, flashing phone between the two of you! Haha! (Written by Humberto) 2. やさしい英語会話 (214) Appreciating Men Scene: Sitting in a cafe talking W: Oooh… HE looks nice. M: Hey, are you checking that guy out? W: Well, yeah. I mean, look at him! He's gorgeous! M: Wait. I thought that women didn't do things like that because… you should be reserved, or something. W: Oh, please! Women appreciate an attractive man when they see him just as much as men appreciate an attractive woman when they see one. Women just know how to be discreet about it, because nobody likes to be leered at. M: Come on now. Men don't always leer at beautiful women, do they? W: Not always, no. But sometimes you guys just don't realize that there's a way to check out a girl without her feeling like an object. M: Is that really even possible? Isn't the entire concept of checking a person out based on good looks and beauty? W: No! If you go after girls only because they're beautiful, then I think the girls should run away from you. Brains are more important than beauty! M: What? Don't you think that's a bit extreme? W: Not at all. M: Well then, why don't all girls run away when we compliment them? W: Because everyone likes to be complimented every once in a while; it's human nature, right? M: So what makes the way that you check out guys any different from the way that I check out girls? W: Simple. I only appreciate their attractiveness for a second, and then go back to what I was doing before I saw them. I don't stare pointedly at them for a good five minutes before moving on to the next one. M: Is that what men do? (Written by Lauren DeCosta) 3. やさしい英語会話 (166) True Love W: That movie was great, wasn't it? M: Oh, I do love how it combined super-duper expensive visuals with light humor. "But first, we need to get high." There's awkward pause. "No-no, I mean, really high" - and then they've climbed a skyscraper. W: It was an awesome moment. Anyway, we should go next week too, to see the one with several super-heroes in it. M: Cool, I'm in. Although all these stunning visuals make my head a bit empty. A Korean arthouse movie, maybe? For the sake of feeling great and snobbish? W: Anything is fine, as long as we're together. M: Oh, that's why I keep saying those ridiculous words to you. W: What words? I'm a simpleton and know little of those "words." Do tell me. M: Ha-ha, OK, but just once. "I really, really fancy you, Sarah". W: You're making such a silly face, when you're saying it! M: Hey, that face is the only one I have. And now it feels offended. W: Oh, please don't be, silly face. ‘Cause I do fancy you too. M: Ah! Oh no! W: An unexpected response, but oh well. M: No… Oh no... I've lost my key for my bike! W: Did you check all of your pockets? M: I sure did. Listen, why don't you go ahead, and buy something for dinner. I'll go back and look for the key in the cinema. W: Hmm... OK, I guess. Give me a call when you find it. M: Of course. OK, catch you later! (Phone dialing) M: Hello, Daria, sweetie? It's me. I've called as soon as I could. Late night research - you know, hard work, lots of coffee, stars greeting you when you leave the lab... I just wanted to say that I really, really fancy you... W: Hey, it's Sarah, you lowly cheater. Never call me again, got it? And check your speed dial settings, for Christ's sake. (Written by Dmitry Mamchur) 4. やさしい英語会話 (142) Checking Out Guys W1: Hey girl, what are you doing? W2: It's kind of embarrassing, but to be honest, I was just sitting here checking out guys! Want to join? W1: Checking out guys? Are you looking to meet someone? W2: Not particularly! I'm just enjoying the afternoon and the eye-candy! C'mon, it's fun! W1: Ha ha. This will be interesting! Anyone good-looking walk by yet? W2: Yeah, you just missed a guy who cleaned-up really nice in a suit. W1: Ooh, is that your type? The serious, strong type? W2: Well, I don't really have a type, I guess. I like guys based off the vibe I get when talking to them. W1: Have you talked to any of them yet? W2: No, not yet. W1: Alright, what about THAT guy. The one with the hat on? W2: He's not bad, but he looks more fashionable than I am! I couldn't handle always being around someone like that. Too much pressure! W1: OK, what about him? W2: The guy with the jean jacket? Yeah, he's really good-looking. I like his curly hair! W1: So, why are you checking out guys and not talking to them? I mean, they'd probably appreciate having a cute girl walk up to them and start a conversation. W2: Think of it as window-shopping! Window-shopping means that I'm looking at what's for sale, but it doesn't exactly mean I'll be buying the merchandise! Just because I don't talk to them doesn't mean I can't appreciate their good looks!! (Written by Hannah Klein)

８月第２週〜第４週は、この７年間に配信した233本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 最終回（通算７回目）の今回は"Men and Women"をテーマに、男女間に起こるさまざまな出来事についての話題を選びました。好きな女性のことでお悩み中の男の子、イケメンチェックに励む女子、さらには恋多き最低男まで、さまざまな男女のドラマ（？）を、どうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: TanteTati via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. 　↓　↓　↓ Download MP3 （初級〜中級）1. やさしい英語会話 (224) Girl-Boy Relations and the Cuban Missile Crisis M: Hey Rachel, can I ask you something real quick? W: Sure, Kento, what is it? M: Well, there's this girl I have a crush on… and I think she likes me, but I'm not sure because sometimes she acts so weird! W: OK, what makes you think she likes you? And what do you mean by "weird"? Remember, girls are the most complex creatures that ever existed! You could spend a lifetime studying their ways and still know next to nothing. M: I mean, the way she looks at me sometimes, and how she giggles at what I say, and sometimes she offers me gum!... And, I mean, weird because sometimes she'll act like I'm invisible to her! It's the most stressful thing to have happened since the Cuban Missile Crisis… W: I'm pretty sure the Cuban Missile Crisis was WAY more stressful than not knowing whether a girl likes you or not! Ha ha! But, don't worry about it too much. Girls like guys who act like they don't care… like they're "too cool". M: But I'm NOT cool. I'm a nerd! I own every gaming console that ever was! W: Some girls like nerdy guys. But really, though, the fact that she giggles and offers you gum doesn't mean she likes you! Is it possible at all she just thinks you have bad breath…? M: Ah! I wish I could set up a direct line between us, like Kennedy and Khrushchev did in the crisis. W: It would be too funny if you two had a red phone that flashes in lights when you call it. M: Hey, that would be pretty cool… W: Oh Kento, you ARE a nerd. M: Hey, are you going to help me, or are you just going to make fun of me! W: Oh, don't worry! It's not so hard. Like I told you: just be cool, act like you don't care, and maybe, eventually, you can install a pretty red, flashing phone between the two of you! Haha! (Written by Humberto) 2. やさしい英語会話 (214) Appreciating Men Scene: Sitting in a cafe talking W: Oooh… HE looks nice. M: Hey, are you checking that guy out? W: Well, yeah. I mean, look at him! He's gorgeous! M: Wait. I thought that women didn't do things like that because… you should be reserved, or something. W: Oh, please! Women appreciate an attractive man when they see him just as much as men appreciate an attractive woman when they see one. Women just know how to be discreet about it, because nobody likes to be leered at. M: Come on now. Men don't always leer at beautiful women, do they? W: Not always, no. But sometimes you guys just don't realize that there's a way to check out a girl without her feeling like an object. M: Is that really even possible? Isn't the entire concept of checking a person out based on good looks and beauty? W: No! If you go after girls only because they're beautiful, then I think the girls should run away from you. Brains are more important than beauty! M: What? Don't you think that's a bit extreme? W: Not at all. M: Well then, why don't all girls run away when we compliment them? W: Because everyone likes to be complimented every once in a while; it's human nature, right? M: So what makes the way that you check out guys any different from the way that I check out girls? W: Simple. I only appreciate their attractiveness for a second, and then go back to what I was doing before I saw them. I don't stare pointedly at them for a good five minutes before moving on to the next one. M: Is that what men do? (Written by Lauren DeCosta) 3. やさしい英語会話 (166) True Love W: That movie was great, wasn't it? M: Oh, I do love how it combined super-duper expensive visuals with light humor. "But first, we need to get high." There's awkward pause. "No-no, I mean, really high" - and then they've climbed a skyscraper. W: It was an awesome moment. Anyway, we should go next week too, to see the one with several super-heroes in it. M: Cool, I'm in. Although all these stunning visuals make my head a bit empty. A Korean arthouse movie, maybe? For the sake of feeling great and snobbish? W: Anything is fine, as long as we're together. M: Oh, that's why I keep saying those ridiculous words to you. W: What words? I'm a simpleton and know little of those "words." Do tell me. M: Ha-ha, OK, but just once. "I really, really fancy you, Sarah". W: You're making such a silly face, when you're saying it! M: Hey, that face is the only one I have. And now it feels offended. W: Oh, please don't be, silly face. ‘Cause I do fancy you too. M: Ah! Oh no! W: An unexpected response, but oh well. M: No… Oh no... I've lost my key for my bike! W: Did you check all of your pockets? M: I sure did. Listen, why don't you go ahead, and buy something for dinner. I'll go back and look for the key in the cinema. W: Hmm... OK, I guess. Give me a call when you find it. M: Of course. OK, catch you later! (Phone dialing) M: Hello, Daria, sweetie? It's me. I've called as soon as I could. Late night research - you know, hard work, lots of coffee, stars greeting you when you leave the lab... I just wanted to say that I really, really fancy you... W: Hey, it's Sarah, you lowly cheater. Never call me again, got it? And check your speed dial settings, for Christ's sake. (Written by Dmitry Mamchur) 4. やさしい英語会話 (142) Checking Out Guys W1: Hey girl, what are you doing? W2: It's kind of embarrassing, but to be honest, I was just sitting here checking out guys! Want to join? W1: Checking out guys? Are you looking to meet someone? W2: Not particularly! I'm just enjoying the afternoon and the eye-candy! C'mon, it's fun! W1: Ha ha. This will be interesting! Anyone good-looking walk by yet? W2: Yeah, you just missed a guy who cleaned-up really nice in a suit. W1: Ooh, is that your type? The serious, strong type? W2: Well, I don't really have a type, I guess. I like guys based off the vibe I get when talking to them. W1: Have you talked to any of them yet? W2: No, not yet. W1: Alright, what about THAT guy. The one with the hat on? W2: He's not bad, but he looks more fashionable than I am! I couldn't handle always being around someone like that. Too much pressure! W1: OK, what about him? W2: The guy with the jean jacket? Yeah, he's really good-looking. I like his curly hair! W1: So, why are you checking out guys and not talking to them? I mean, they'd probably appreciate having a cute girl walk up to them and start a conversation. W2: Think of it as window-shopping! Window-shopping means that I'm looking at what's for sale, but it doesn't exactly mean I'll be buying the merchandise! Just because I don't talk to them doesn't mean I can't appreciate their good looks!! (Written by Hannah Klein)

８月第２週〜第４週は、この７年間に配信した233本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 第２回（通算６回目）の今回は"Fantasy"をテーマに、科学にまつわるファンタジーを選びました。もしも地球に巨大隕石が接近したら…？あるいは、もしもタイムマシンで時間旅行ができたら…？ロマンあふれるこれらの話題を、どうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: LoganArt via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. 　↓　↓　↓ Download MP3 （初級〜中級）1. やさしい英語会話 (185) Will the Earth be Hit by a Big Meteorite? M: Hey, did you hear about that meteorite that hit Russia about a year ago? W: Yeah, of course. It was all over the news. M: Did you see the reports of people claiming it marked the end of the world? W: Ha ha. Yeah, and some people apparently yelled that America was attacking! M: In the beginning I heard that almost 200 people were injured, but now I see the real number was close to 1,000! Which is weird, because the meteorite supposedly broke into a bunch of fairly small pieces after entering the earth's atmosphere, and mostly hit buildings or non-human things. W: That's because people were injured by the debris. M: I still don't understand how there could be 1,000 injuries, though. W: I recently watched an interview with the head physicist from the National Science Museum in New York. He explained that people first saw the light of the meteorite and, logically, walked to the window to see what it was. But, light travels faster than sound, so when they reached the window, they were then hit by the shockwave of the blast. Boom: Glass in face. M: Ooooohhhh~~~ That makes so much sense! But the fragments were still pretty small. Could they really create such a powerful blast? W: It's kind of scary to think, but yeah, they can. Little fragments can hit with the force of a bullet, but the 20-meter rock that hit Russia struck with the force of small atomic bomb! M: Wow! No wonder the dinosaurs went extinct! What are we going to do if one of those things hits us, and it's even bigger? Shouldn't we be building rockets or something to blast them out of the sky before they can hit the earth? W: Well, according to that physicist, rockets wouldn't be fast enough to destroy anything that has already entered the earth's atmosphere. M: Then what can we do? Anything? W: Maybe if we put satellites around earth's orbit, and we can somehow redirect the trajectory of a meteorite before it gets pulled in by earth's gravity. Since dangerous meteorites have a lot of metal in them, one idea would be to use giant magnets to redirect the trajectory. A small change in the asteroid's path early on in space can cause a huge shift in it's trajectory later on. M: Use magnets? Sounds impossible to me! But science sure is interesting and fun, don't you think? (Written by Sadie Cornforth) 2. やさしい英語会話 (205) Time Traveling Troubles (1) W: Hey, I've finally done it! I've built a fully-functioning time machine! Hahahaha! Now I can rule the world! But first, let's take a test run. Hmm… let's see… Yesterday around 2 in the afternoon should be good. I was at lunch then, so I shouldn't run into myself and potentially cause the destruction of the universe as we know it! OK. So, I just put the watch on, and turn this dial, and press this button… (Time traveling noises) W: Did I do it? Did it work!? Wait this doesn't look my laboratory. M: (With cowboy accent) Hey, can I help ya there, little lady? W: What! Who… Who are you? Where am I? M: Well, yer in the fine state of Texas! And I'm sheriff of this here town. W: Great… just where I always wanted to go, Texas (sigh). M: Excuse me, Miss. Were ya just disrespecting our great state? (pulls out six-shooter and cocks the gun) W: No, no, no. Of course not, my good sir! Um… Can you tell me what year it is? M: Well, it's 1865 and has been for 'bout five months. Um… are ya doing OK there, little lady? Did ya bump yer head or somethin'? W: Yes, yes, something along those lines… Darn, I really thought I had it this time, though I guess I did travel back in time, just not where or when I had thought. Man, how am I going to get back home? M: Hey, why ya wearin' such strange clothes? W: Oh… I… M: Well, it don't matter. Come on and get up on this here horse, and I'll take ya back to town and we can have the doc take a look at ya. W: Get on the horse? M: Yes, ma'am. (Written by Matthew Bola) 3. やさしい英語会話 (206) Time Traveling Troubles (2) W: Um… I think I'll just walk. M: Now really, ma'am, I must insist. It's a three-hour ride back, and there's all sorts of snakes, and coyotes, and a bunch of other stuff ya don't wanna be runnin' into. W: But… I've never been on a horse! M: What? Well, I'll be darned. Ya must be worth a pretty penny if you've only ridden in carriages yer whole life! I can tell by yer talk you've been brought up real proper too! W: What da ya mean “worth a pretty penny.” I'm not an object, you know! M: Well, yer a woman, ain't ya? W: I… I'm not going to even begin that conversation with a person such as yourself. Huh, I thought people in this time period would be a lot more polite… and… and less sexist. M: Hey, I done offered ya a ride. Now come on. Lets get goin' before the sun sets and we get stuck out here. W: All right, fine. Hey, wait. I have a time machine! Why don't I just try going back home!? M: A time what? W: Oh, oh. I hope I don't end up in a worse place than this. (sound of wolves) M: Hey, quiet! I think I can hear some coyotes comin'. W: And on that note, I'll take the risk. Well, good luck Mr. Sherriff. Bye! (Time machine noises) M: What? Where'd she go? I was gonna take her fer my wife! (Time machine noises) W: Ugh, wow, time traveling really makes ya nauseous. I wonder where I ended up, though anything is better than being out in the middle of nowhere with coyotes and a sexist sheriff. M: Hello there, good sister, where dost thou come from? (Written by Matthew Bola) 4. やさしい英語会話 (207) Time Traveling Troubles (3) W: Aww, man, here we go again. Um… Hello there… brother? I comest from-eth another village-eth, a far, far away village. M: Thy talk is so strange, so the village must be far indeed. W: You have no idea! M: Thou must be tired, weary traveler. Follow me back to town and we can accommodate you with some bread and shelter. W: Thank you. I AM actually starving. By the way, could you tell me which town exactly we are going to? M: Of course! We are on our way to Salem, a most noble and peaceful town. W: Salem… Salem… why does that name ring a bell? M: I should hope thou recognize the name Salem. It is renowned for being a town of good God-fearing people. W: God-fearing people?… It's right on the tip of my tongue, but I can't figure out where I've heard that name before. M: But before entering town, I'll have to ask thou a few simple questions. They're but precautions to protect us from the devil and his evil ways. W: OK. Shoot. M: Why dost thou wear such strange clothes? They look almost like the clothes a witch would wear. W: First, I'm wearing the normal clothes of people in my time?um, I mean VILLAGE?wear. And second, I thought witches wore black dresses and pointy hats. M: Yes, but they CAN disguise themselves easily, and indeed they love to take on such seductive forms such as thine. W: Somehow I don't think that was really a compliment. M: Oh, no! Why did I not see it before!? Thy speech, thy clothes, thy looks, surely thou art a witch! W: Ohhhh, the Salem witch trials. Ah! (Written by Matthew Bola)

８月第２週〜第４週は、この７年間に配信した233本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 第２回（通算６回目）の今回は"Fantasy"をテーマに、科学にまつわるファンタジーを選びました。もしも地球に巨大隕石が接近したら…？あるいは、もしもタイムマシンで時間旅行ができたら…？ロマンあふれるこれらの話題を、どうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: LoganArt via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. 　↓　↓　↓ Download MP3 （初級〜中級）1. やさしい英語会話 (185) Will the Earth be Hit by a Big Meteorite? M: Hey, did you hear about that meteorite that hit Russia about a year ago? W: Yeah, of course. It was all over the news. M: Did you see the reports of people claiming it marked the end of the world? W: Ha ha. Yeah, and some people apparently yelled that America was attacking! M: In the beginning I heard that almost 200 people were injured, but now I see the real number was close to 1,000! Which is weird, because the meteorite supposedly broke into a bunch of fairly small pieces after entering the earth's atmosphere, and mostly hit buildings or non-human things. W: That's because people were injured by the debris. M: I still don't understand how there could be 1,000 injuries, though. W: I recently watched an interview with the head physicist from the National Science Museum in New York. He explained that people first saw the light of the meteorite and, logically, walked to the window to see what it was. But, light travels faster than sound, so when they reached the window, they were then hit by the shockwave of the blast. Boom: Glass in face. M: Ooooohhhh~~~ That makes so much sense! But the fragments were still pretty small. Could they really create such a powerful blast? W: It's kind of scary to think, but yeah, they can. Little fragments can hit with the force of a bullet, but the 20-meter rock that hit Russia struck with the force of small atomic bomb! M: Wow! No wonder the dinosaurs went extinct! What are we going to do if one of those things hits us, and it's even bigger? Shouldn't we be building rockets or something to blast them out of the sky before they can hit the earth? W: Well, according to that physicist, rockets wouldn't be fast enough to destroy anything that has already entered the earth's atmosphere. M: Then what can we do? Anything? W: Maybe if we put satellites around earth's orbit, and we can somehow redirect the trajectory of a meteorite before it gets pulled in by earth's gravity. Since dangerous meteorites have a lot of metal in them, one idea would be to use giant magnets to redirect the trajectory. A small change in the asteroid's path early on in space can cause a huge shift in it's trajectory later on. M: Use magnets? Sounds impossible to me! But science sure is interesting and fun, don't you think? (Written by Sadie Cornforth) 2. やさしい英語会話 (205) Time Traveling Troubles (1) W: Hey, I've finally done it! I've built a fully-functioning time machine! Hahahaha! Now I can rule the world! But first, let's take a test run. Hmm… let's see… Yesterday around 2 in the afternoon should be good. I was at lunch then, so I shouldn't run into myself and potentially cause the destruction of the universe as we know it! OK. So, I just put the watch on, and turn this dial, and press this button… (Time traveling noises) W: Did I do it? Did it work!? Wait this doesn't look my laboratory. M: (With cowboy accent) Hey, can I help ya there, little lady? W: What! Who… Who are you? Where am I? M: Well, yer in the fine state of Texas! And I'm sheriff of this here town. W: Great… just where I always wanted to go, Texas (sigh). M: Excuse me, Miss. Were ya just disrespecting our great state? (pulls out six-shooter and cocks the gun) W: No, no, no. Of course not, my good sir! Um… Can you tell me what year it is? M: Well, it's 1865 and has been for 'bout five months. Um… are ya doing OK there, little lady? Did ya bump yer head or somethin'? W: Yes, yes, something along those lines… Darn, I really thought I had it this time, though I guess I did travel back in time, just not where or when I had thought. Man, how am I going to get back home? M: Hey, why ya wearin' such strange clothes? W: Oh… I… M: Well, it don't matter. Come on and get up on this here horse, and I'll take ya back to town and we can have the doc take a look at ya. W: Get on the horse? M: Yes, ma'am. (Written by Matthew Bola) 3. やさしい英語会話 (206) Time Traveling Troubles (2) W: Um… I think I'll just walk. M: Now really, ma'am, I must insist. It's a three-hour ride back, and there's all sorts of snakes, and coyotes, and a bunch of other stuff ya don't wanna be runnin' into. W: But… I've never been on a horse! M: What? Well, I'll be darned. Ya must be worth a pretty penny if you've only ridden in carriages yer whole life! I can tell by yer talk you've been brought up real proper too! W: What da ya mean “worth a pretty penny.” I'm not an object, you know! M: Well, yer a woman, ain't ya? W: I… I'm not going to even begin that conversation with a person such as yourself. Huh, I thought people in this time period would be a lot more polite… and… and less sexist. M: Hey, I done offered ya a ride. Now come on. Lets get goin' before the sun sets and we get stuck out here. W: All right, fine. Hey, wait. I have a time machine! Why don't I just try going back home!? M: A time what? W: Oh, oh. I hope I don't end up in a worse place than this. (sound of wolves) M: Hey, quiet! I think I can hear some coyotes comin'. W: And on that note, I'll take the risk. Well, good luck Mr. Sherriff. Bye! (Time machine noises) M: What? Where'd she go? I was gonna take her fer my wife! (Time machine noises) W: Ugh, wow, time traveling really makes ya nauseous. I wonder where I ended up, though anything is better than being out in the middle of nowhere with coyotes and a sexist sheriff. M: Hello there, good sister, where dost thou come from? (Written by Matthew Bola) 4. やさしい英語会話 (207) Time Traveling Troubles (3) W: Aww, man, here we go again. Um… Hello there… brother? I comest from-eth another village-eth, a far, far away village. M: Thy talk is so strange, so the village must be far indeed. W: You have no idea! M: Thou must be tired, weary traveler. Follow me back to town and we can accommodate you with some bread and shelter. W: Thank you. I AM actually starving. By the way, could you tell me which town exactly we are going to? M: Of course! We are on our way to Salem, a most noble and peaceful town. W: Salem… Salem… why does that name ring a bell? M: I should hope thou recognize the name Salem. It is renowned for being a town of good God-fearing people. W: God-fearing people?… It's right on the tip of my tongue, but I can't figure out where I've heard that name before. M: But before entering town, I'll have to ask thou a few simple questions. They're but precautions to protect us from the devil and his evil ways. W: OK. Shoot. M: Why dost thou wear such strange clothes? They look almost like the clothes a witch would wear. W: First, I'm wearing the normal clothes of people in my time?um, I mean VILLAGE?wear. And second, I thought witches wore black dresses and pointy hats. M: Yes, but they CAN disguise themselves easily, and indeed they love to take on such seductive forms such as thine. W: Somehow I don't think that was really a compliment. M: Oh, no! Why did I not see it before!? Thy speech, thy clothes, thy looks, surely thou art a witch! W: Ohhhh, the Salem witch trials. Ah! (Written by Matthew Bola)

８月第２週〜第４週は、この７年間に配信した233本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 第１回（通算５回目）の今回は"Appreciating Other Cultures"をテーマに、異文化に関する話題を選びました。結婚式のお国事情、若者のあふれるロシアの町、オーストラリアの面白い英語表現、さらには日本人になじみの薄いチップの習慣まで、どうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: stokpic via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. 　↓　↓　↓ Download MP3 （初級〜中級）1. やさしい英語会話 (208) Cross-cultural Weddings F: Hey! I heard you're going back to Indonesia! M: Yeah, for my sister's wedding. F: Wow, congratulations to her! How long are you going to be there? M: Pretty long. About three weeks. Since it's my sister's wedding, I have to help with preparations for the ceremonies as well. F: Ceremonies? As in more than one? M: Yeah. In Indonesia, just like in Japan, usually there are two parts to a wedding: the ceremony and the reception. But besides them, there are also some traditional pre-ceremonies. And it depends on the region of the bride and groom. F: What do you mean by pre-ceremonies? M: Indonesia is divided into provinces, and each province has its own specific culture, including wedding traditions. So usually there are special ceremonies before the wedding. F: What if the bride and groom come from different provinces? Is that possible? M: Yeah, it's possible. When that happens, it depends on the agreement between the two families. Sometimes they decide on one culture, and sometimes they do all the ceremonies from both provinces. F: That's interesting! What about the dresses? M: Oh, you'll love it! Just like wedding traditions, clothing also varies depending on the province. Most of them are really colorful and gorgeous. F: I really want to see them. Make sure you take a lot of photos! M: I will! Well, I have to go now. I'm leaving really early tomorrow morning. F: How long does it take to go to Indonesia? M: It takes about 7 hours from Osaka to Jakarta. And after that I have to take another domestic flight to my hometown… Bye-bye then. See you later. F: Good bye, have a safe flight! (Written by Armafitriani Zaitoon) 2. やさしい英語会話 (155) An Interesting Russian City W: So, what would you like to know about Tomsk? M: Anything, really. But mostly, are there any cool places to go to? W: Of course there are! Tomsk is a pretty unique place, man, with its wooden architecture dominating the city centre. And there are tons of universities, so one out of five people in the whole city is a student! M: I see! W: However, I have a particular fondness for a place called "2 plus Koo". M: Knowing you, it's probably a bar, right? Or a game center? Or both! W: Wrong! It's a theatre. Though I can tell you a few things about bars and game centers in Tomsk! M: No, thanks. So, what about that theatre? W: First of all, it's extremely hard to find. They have a special "on-line journey" section on their website to help potential visitors. Of course, they have a map too, but that's not quite as useful. M: An obscure location is a good sign for an art object, isn't it? W: Yeah. Next, the theatre's building is shaped like a huge log hut, or "izba", as we call it. M: A log hut? Nice! I guess it helps to create a theater atmosphere? Does it also keep you warm in winter? W: Better than anything else! Last but not least, listen to this: all the actors in the theatre are robot dolls, controlled by a computer. M: Err, what? W: The owner of "2 plus Koo" is a graduate of Tomsk Polytechnic University. He's an engineer of robotics by vocation. After working for the State Puppet Theatre, he decided to create his own theater. He made all of the dolls, their costumes, music, controlling programmes, everything! M: Wow, unbelievable! I definitely wanna go there. How far away is Tomsk from Saijo, again? W: Um… About 3,500 kilometers or so. A piece of cake, right?! (Written by Dmitry Mamchur) 3. やさしい英語会話 (148) Would You Have Any Thongs? Scene: In a beach store in Australia. The shopper is a British woman. M: G'day mate! W: Good morning. How are you? M: Can I help you, mate? W: Would you have any sandals? I'm looking for a pair for the beach. M: Oh, thongs? W: No, no. SANDALS. M: OK. Thongs are around the corner. Can you see? Over there. Next to the surfboards. W: Excuse me, sir. I would like sandals, please. M: Yeah, mate. They're over there. W: Oh, don't poke fun at me! M: The thongs in my shop are beautiful, mate. Do you want to try them on now? W: No, no, never. I just want sandals for the beach. M: OK, I'll bring them. What colour do you like, mate? W: I like orange. Oh, come on, sir. Do not bring them here. M: Here you go. Nice, inexpensive thongs. W: Oh, really? But thongs mean "women's knickers" or "men's underwear" in England. So I just thought you were crazy! M: No worries, mate. In Australia, thongs are flip-flops. Do you like them, mate? W: Yes, of course. Oh, I'm going to make other mistakes while I'm here! What should I do? Would you have an Australian slang book? M: Bloody oath. Australian slang is unique. She'll be right, mate. W: Indeed. Thank you, sir. Bye. M: See ya. (Written by Helen Needs) 4. やさしい英語会話 (65) Tipping W: Dinner was lovely, dear. Happy Anniversary. M: "Happy Anniversary" is what I'd like to say, except the service here was terrible. W: Oh, come now, dear. Don't spoil the evening with your disappointments. It wasn't that bad. M: I'm sorry, but they expect us to tip them every time we eat here. And the quality of the service never gets better. W: Well, tipping is necessary. They only make about 3 dollars an hour, you know. They live on their tips. M: Well, they should do a better job earning it. If I knew that I could only eat tonight based on my tips, I'd have gone as far as giving the customers complimentary massages! W: Now, don't exaggerate. How would you feel if, while you were eating, someone just came up to you and gave you a massage? M: I don't know, but if he does in the next few minutes I'll let you know. W: So, tell me what went wrong with the service tonight. Give me a list and we'll deduct it from the 20 percent we're supposed to give. M: OK. The bill was 75 dollars, so 20 percent of that would be 15 bucks. Our table was still dirty when he seated us. So that's 2 bucks off. Next, was the fact he brought us the wrong wine: 3 dollars off. He mixed up our orders with another table: 5 dollars! And, ruining your anniversary surprise: I told him to put the ring in your slice of cake and he puts it in mine! I think that's worth 4.99 off. W: Well, that leaves him with a penny. That's a bit unfair, don't you think? It's our anniversary night; don't spoil it by ruining someone else's. M: Alright. He's lucky that I might get lucky tonight. (He gives her a sexy look.) W: Nobody says that anymore. Maybe I should start deducting YOUR tip, huh? M: Oh oh... (Written by Tijan Nicholson)

８月第２週〜第４週は、この７年間に配信した233本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 第１回（通算５回目）の今回は"Appreciating Other Cultures"をテーマに、異文化に関する話題を選びました。結婚式のお国事情、若者のあふれるロシアの町、オーストラリアの面白い英語表現、さらには日本人になじみの薄いチップの習慣まで、どうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: stokpic via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. 　↓　↓　↓ Download MP3 （初級〜中級）1. やさしい英語会話 (208) Cross-cultural Weddings F: Hey! I heard you're going back to Indonesia! M: Yeah, for my sister's wedding. F: Wow, congratulations to her! How long are you going to be there? M: Pretty long. About three weeks. Since it's my sister's wedding, I have to help with preparations for the ceremonies as well. F: Ceremonies? As in more than one? M: Yeah. In Indonesia, just like in Japan, usually there are two parts to a wedding: the ceremony and the reception. But besides them, there are also some traditional pre-ceremonies. And it depends on the region of the bride and groom. F: What do you mean by pre-ceremonies? M: Indonesia is divided into provinces, and each province has its own specific culture, including wedding traditions. So usually there are special ceremonies before the wedding. F: What if the bride and groom come from different provinces? Is that possible? M: Yeah, it's possible. When that happens, it depends on the agreement between the two families. Sometimes they decide on one culture, and sometimes they do all the ceremonies from both provinces. F: That's interesting! What about the dresses? M: Oh, you'll love it! Just like wedding traditions, clothing also varies depending on the province. Most of them are really colorful and gorgeous. F: I really want to see them. Make sure you take a lot of photos! M: I will! Well, I have to go now. I'm leaving really early tomorrow morning. F: How long does it take to go to Indonesia? M: It takes about 7 hours from Osaka to Jakarta. And after that I have to take another domestic flight to my hometown… Bye-bye then. See you later. F: Good bye, have a safe flight! (Written by Armafitriani Zaitoon) 2. やさしい英語会話 (155) An Interesting Russian City W: So, what would you like to know about Tomsk? M: Anything, really. But mostly, are there any cool places to go to? W: Of course there are! Tomsk is a pretty unique place, man, with its wooden architecture dominating the city centre. And there are tons of universities, so one out of five people in the whole city is a student! M: I see! W: However, I have a particular fondness for a place called "2 plus Koo". M: Knowing you, it's probably a bar, right? Or a game center? Or both! W: Wrong! It's a theatre. Though I can tell you a few things about bars and game centers in Tomsk! M: No, thanks. So, what about that theatre? W: First of all, it's extremely hard to find. They have a special "on-line journey" section on their website to help potential visitors. Of course, they have a map too, but that's not quite as useful. M: An obscure location is a good sign for an art object, isn't it? W: Yeah. Next, the theatre's building is shaped like a huge log hut, or "izba", as we call it. M: A log hut? Nice! I guess it helps to create a theater atmosphere? Does it also keep you warm in winter? W: Better than anything else! Last but not least, listen to this: all the actors in the theatre are robot dolls, controlled by a computer. M: Err, what? W: The owner of "2 plus Koo" is a graduate of Tomsk Polytechnic University. He's an engineer of robotics by vocation. After working for the State Puppet Theatre, he decided to create his own theater. He made all of the dolls, their costumes, music, controlling programmes, everything! M: Wow, unbelievable! I definitely wanna go there. How far away is Tomsk from Saijo, again? W: Um… About 3,500 kilometers or so. A piece of cake, right?! (Written by Dmitry Mamchur) 3. やさしい英語会話 (148) Would You Have Any Thongs? Scene: In a beach store in Australia. The shopper is a British woman. M: G'day mate! W: Good morning. How are you? M: Can I help you, mate? W: Would you have any sandals? I'm looking for a pair for the beach. M: Oh, thongs? W: No, no. SANDALS. M: OK. Thongs are around the corner. Can you see? Over there. Next to the surfboards. W: Excuse me, sir. I would like sandals, please. M: Yeah, mate. They're over there. W: Oh, don't poke fun at me! M: The thongs in my shop are beautiful, mate. Do you want to try them on now? W: No, no, never. I just want sandals for the beach. M: OK, I'll bring them. What colour do you like, mate? W: I like orange. Oh, come on, sir. Do not bring them here. M: Here you go. Nice, inexpensive thongs. W: Oh, really? But thongs mean "women's knickers" or "men's underwear" in England. So I just thought you were crazy! M: No worries, mate. In Australia, thongs are flip-flops. Do you like them, mate? W: Yes, of course. Oh, I'm going to make other mistakes while I'm here! What should I do? Would you have an Australian slang book? M: Bloody oath. Australian slang is unique. She'll be right, mate. W: Indeed. Thank you, sir. Bye. M: See ya. (Written by Helen Needs) 4. やさしい英語会話 (65) Tipping W: Dinner was lovely, dear. Happy Anniversary. M: "Happy Anniversary" is what I'd like to say, except the service here was terrible. W: Oh, come now, dear. Don't spoil the evening with your disappointments. It wasn't that bad. M: I'm sorry, but they expect us to tip them every time we eat here. And the quality of the service never gets better. W: Well, tipping is necessary. They only make about 3 dollars an hour, you know. They live on their tips. M: Well, they should do a better job earning it. If I knew that I could only eat tonight based on my tips, I'd have gone as far as giving the customers complimentary massages! W: Now, don't exaggerate. How would you feel if, while you were eating, someone just came up to you and gave you a massage? M: I don't know, but if he does in the next few minutes I'll let you know. W: So, tell me what went wrong with the service tonight. Give me a list and we'll deduct it from the 20 percent we're supposed to give. M: OK. The bill was 75 dollars, so 20 percent of that would be 15 bucks. Our table was still dirty when he seated us. So that's 2 bucks off. Next, was the fact he brought us the wrong wine: 3 dollars off. He mixed up our orders with another table: 5 dollars! And, ruining your anniversary surprise: I told him to put the ring in your slice of cake and he puts it in mine! I think that's worth 4.99 off. W: Well, that leaves him with a penny. That's a bit unfair, don't you think? It's our anniversary night; don't spoil it by ruining someone else's. M: Alright. He's lucky that I might get lucky tonight. (He gives her a sexy look.) W: Nobody says that anymore. Maybe I should start deducting YOUR tip, huh? M: Oh oh... (Written by Tijan Nicholson)

今回の話題は、アメリカの問題としてしばしば取り沙汰される「銃」の問題に迫ります。映画などではアメリカ人の多くが銃を所持しているような印象を受けますが、果たして実際には、どのぐらいの割合なのでしょうか。 Image credit: RabidSquirrel via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. ※パソコンのブラウザでお聞きの方は、下に表示されている緑色のプレーヤーで、セクション単位での頭出し・巻き戻しができるようになりました。 （オープニング→スロースピードの会話→解説→ナチュラルスピードの会話→エンディング） Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （17:07　8.4MB　初級〜中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） What's up? = How are you? disgruntled = not happy, frustrated ※本文のように、look/seemとともに用いられることが多い。 Why would he even think that you would own a gun? 君が銃なんか持っているなんて、いったい誰が考えたりするんだろうか。 ※wouldは話し手の想像、驚きを表す。いわゆる仮定法も、話し手の（事実ではない）想像の表れと考えられる。 a notion 観念 Apparently there's a common notion that everyone in America has a gun. どうも、アメリカ人はみんな銃を持っているという固定観念があるみたいなの。 ※apparentlyは「どうも〜らしい」 ..., though. 〜だけれどね。 ※文尾にthoughをつけることで、But...で始める文よりも柔らかい感じになる。 ridiculous 馬鹿げている not just anyone can ... 誰もが〜できるわけではない ※イントネーションに注意。 to populate を住まわせる、生息させる ※本文のように、しばしば受け身の形で使われる。 a lizard とかげ to roam = to go around to keep ... in mind ...を心に留めておく I'll keep that in mind for when I meet Ultraman then. こんどウルトラマンに会った時のために心に留めておくわ。 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:15-05:20 (Natural speed) 12:45-14:30 Guns in the United States M: What's up? You look a bit disgruntled. W: I was just talking to one of my Japanese friends, and he asked me how many guns I own. M: What? Why would he even think that you would own a gun? W: Apparently there's a common notion that everyone in America has a gun. M: Really? I know a lot of American's who don't own a gun, though. W: Me too. It gets worse, though. M: Really? What else did he say? W: He thinks that anyone can just walk into a store and buy a gun! He actually tried to tell me that America doesn't have any gun control laws. M: Now, that's just ridiculous! Not just anyone can get a gun, and they certainly wouldn't be sold everywhere! W: And certainly not to children! M: Wait. Don't tell me he thought that even a kid could buy a gun!? W: Actually, he did. I don't know where people get these ideas from. M: Probably from movies. You know how a lot of Hollywood movies have gun fights in them. It's not too hard to see how someone who's never been to the States could make the mistake. W: That's true. But people should know that not everything in the movies is true. Last time I checked, England wasn't actually populated by wizards. And there aren't actually giant lizards roaming the streets of Japan either! M: Ha ha. W: I'm just saying that it should be common knowledge that not everything in movies is real. M: A lot of things in movies ARE real, though. W: OK. I'll keep that in mind for when I meet Ultraman then. (Written by Lauren DeCosta)

今回の話題は、アメリカの問題としてしばしば取り沙汰される「銃」の問題に迫ります。映画などではアメリカ人の多くが銃を所持しているような印象を受けますが、果たして実際には、どのぐらいの割合なのでしょうか。 Image credit: RabidSquirrel via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. ※パソコンのブラウザでお聞きの方は、下に表示されている緑色のプレーヤーで、セクション単位での頭出し・巻き戻しができるようになりました。 （オープニング→スロースピードの会話→解説→ナチュラルスピードの会話→エンディング） Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （17:07　8.4MB　初級〜中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） What's up? = How are you? disgruntled = not happy, frustrated ※本文のように、look/seemとともに用いられることが多い。 Why would he even think that you would own a gun? 君が銃なんか持っているなんて、いったい誰が考えたりするんだろうか。 ※wouldは話し手の想像、驚きを表す。いわゆる仮定法も、話し手の（事実ではない）想像の表れと考えられる。 a notion 観念 Apparently there's a common notion that everyone in America has a gun. どうも、アメリカ人はみんな銃を持っているという固定観念があるみたいなの。 ※apparentlyは「どうも〜らしい」 ..., though. 〜だけれどね。 ※文尾にthoughをつけることで、But...で始める文よりも柔らかい感じになる。 ridiculous 馬鹿げている not just anyone can ... 誰もが〜できるわけではない ※イントネーションに注意。 to populate を住まわせる、生息させる ※本文のように、しばしば受け身の形で使われる。 a lizard とかげ to roam = to go around to keep ... in mind ...を心に留めておく I'll keep that in mind for when I meet Ultraman then. こんどウルトラマンに会った時のために心に留めておくわ。 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:15-05:20 (Natural speed) 12:45-14:30 Guns in the United States M: What's up? You look a bit disgruntled. W: I was just talking to one of my Japanese friends, and he asked me how many guns I own. M: What? Why would he even think that you would own a gun? W: Apparently there's a common notion that everyone in America has a gun. M: Really? I know a lot of American's who don't own a gun, though. W: Me too. It gets worse, though. M: Really? What else did he say? W: He thinks that anyone can just walk into a store and buy a gun! He actually tried to tell me that America doesn't have any gun control laws. M: Now, that's just ridiculous! Not just anyone can get a gun, and they certainly wouldn't be sold everywhere! W: And certainly not to children! M: Wait. Don't tell me he thought that even a kid could buy a gun!? W: Actually, he did. I don't know where people get these ideas from. M: Probably from movies. You know how a lot of Hollywood movies have gun fights in them. It's not too hard to see how someone who's never been to the States could make the mistake. W: That's true. But people should know that not everything in the movies is true. Last time I checked, England wasn't actually populated by wizards. And there aren't actually giant lizards roaming the streets of Japan either! M: Ha ha. W: I'm just saying that it should be common knowledge that not everything in movies is real. M: A lot of things in movies ARE real, though. W: OK. I'll keep that in mind for when I meet Ultraman then. (Written by Lauren DeCosta)

皆さんは数学は好きですか？頭をフル回転させて、筋道を追いながら問題の正解に迫っていくプロセスは楽しいものですが、逆に「数式なんて見るのもいや！」という人も多いかも知れませんね。 会話の男性はあまり数学が得意ではないようで、数学の宿題に苦戦しています。そんな彼に女性がアドバイスをするのですが…。数学が好きな人も苦手な人も、今回のポッドキャストをどうぞお楽しみください！ Image credit: PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. ※パソコンのブラウザでお聞きの方は、下に表示されている緑色のプレーヤーで、セクション単位での頭出し・巻き戻しができるようになりました。 （オープニング→スロースピードの会話→解説→ナチュラルスピードの会話→エンディング） Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （14:25　6.7MB　初級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） to work on 〜 〜に取り組む a subject 科目 There are few things more satisfying in the world than 〜ing 世の中に、〜することより満足感を得られることはほとんどない an equation 方程式 do lines upon lines of work 何行も何行も（数式を解くための）作業を行う ※ "lines upon lines"のように、uponを挟んで同じ名詞を重ねるのは強調表現。 to have a grasp on 〜 〜を理解する a letter 文字 to be over 終わる ridiculous ばかばかしい work うまくいく、効く How come? どうして？ Oh, man! なんてこった！ ※主に男性がよく使う。同じ意味で女性がよく使う表現にはOh dear!などがある。 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:55-06:15 (Natural speed) 11:35-13:20 Fun with Math M: Ugh, this homework is killing me! W: Hey, what are you working on? M: (Sigh) The worst subject to be working on: math. W: What? I love math! I think there are few things more satisfying in the world than getting deep into an equation, doing lines upon lines of work, and then getting the right answer in the end! M: Well, if I EVER get a right answer, I'll let you know if I feel the same. W: Alright. It can't be that bad. Let me take a look. Hmmm… wait this is just simple algebra! M: Hey, this is hard. I had a grasp on all this math stuff until they decided to start adding in letters. After that, it was all over! W: Are you serious? M: Yes! I mean, look at this equation. Its ridiculous! W: Well, let me see. First, you want to take this x and move it over here… and multiply this by… M: Wait. That doesn't work. I've already done that. W: Oh, well, let's try dividing by… No, that's not going to work. M: Well, well. Is someone having some trouble? W: No! Just give me a minute. How about this? And this. And, and, as you can see, it is actually quite simple! I got it! M: Sure. Just let me check your answer real quick…. And… and… it's wrong, W: WHAT?! M: Yep. Your answer is definitely very wrong. W: No, this isn't possible! How come? M: Oh man, now I'm going to fail math for the third time! My parents are going to kill me! (Written by Matthew Bola)

皆さんは数学は好きですか？頭をフル回転させて、筋道を追いながら問題の正解に迫っていくプロセスは楽しいものですが、逆に「数式なんて見るのもいや！」という人も多いかも知れませんね。 会話の男性はあまり数学が得意ではないようで、数学の宿題に苦戦しています。そんな彼に女性がアドバイスをするのですが…。数学が好きな人も苦手な人も、今回のポッドキャストをどうぞお楽しみください！ Image credit: PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. ※パソコンのブラウザでお聞きの方は、下に表示されている緑色のプレーヤーで、セクション単位での頭出し・巻き戻しができるようになりました。 （オープニング→スロースピードの会話→解説→ナチュラルスピードの会話→エンディング） Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （14:25　6.7MB　初級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） to work on 〜 〜に取り組む a subject 科目 There are few things more satisfying in the world than 〜ing 世の中に、〜することより満足感を得られることはほとんどない an equation 方程式 do lines upon lines of work 何行も何行も（数式を解くための）作業を行う ※ "lines upon lines"のように、uponを挟んで同じ名詞を重ねるのは強調表現。 to have a grasp on 〜 〜を理解する a letter 文字 to be over 終わる ridiculous ばかばかしい work うまくいく、効く How come? どうして？ Oh, man! なんてこった！ ※主に男性がよく使う。同じ意味で女性がよく使う表現にはOh dear!などがある。 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:55-06:15 (Natural speed) 11:35-13:20 Fun with Math M: Ugh, this homework is killing me! W: Hey, what are you working on? M: (Sigh) The worst subject to be working on: math. W: What? I love math! I think there are few things more satisfying in the world than getting deep into an equation, doing lines upon lines of work, and then getting the right answer in the end! M: Well, if I EVER get a right answer, I'll let you know if I feel the same. W: Alright. It can't be that bad. Let me take a look. Hmmm… wait this is just simple algebra! M: Hey, this is hard. I had a grasp on all this math stuff until they decided to start adding in letters. After that, it was all over! W: Are you serious? M: Yes! I mean, look at this equation. Its ridiculous! W: Well, let me see. First, you want to take this x and move it over here… and multiply this by… M: Wait. That doesn't work. I've already done that. W: Oh, well, let's try dividing by… No, that's not going to work. M: Well, well. Is someone having some trouble? W: No! Just give me a minute. How about this? And this. And, and, as you can see, it is actually quite simple! I got it! M: Sure. Just let me check your answer real quick…. And… and… it's wrong, W: WHAT?! M: Yep. Your answer is definitely very wrong. W: No, this isn't possible! How come? M: Oh man, now I'm going to fail math for the third time! My parents are going to kill me! (Written by Matthew Bola)

８月は、この６年間に配信した207本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 最終回の今回は"College Life: Ups and Downs"（大学生活いろいろ）をテーマに、「やさしい英語会話」でよく登場する大学生活に関する会話を選びました。一人暮らしの苦労話、宿題を提出できない学生の言い訳、さらには日米の大学事情の違いまで、どうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: tpsdave via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （8:42　8.5MB　中級〜上級）1. やさしい英語会話 (61) College M: Hey, why do you look so glum? W: Just thinking. M: About? W: College life. M: Aren't you excited? We're finally on our own! W: That's just it. We're on our own now. We've taken so many things for granted until now. M: Like what? W: Free meals. I can't cook to save my life, but my Mom always made dinner the best part of my day. M: You can just go to McDonalds or something. You're free to do whatever you please! W: It's not as simple as picking what you want to eat. We have to pay for it out of our own pockets now. M: Don't your parents give you money? It's no different from an allowance. W: Well, mine just told me to get a job. They're cutting my allowance. M: That's harsh. What are you going to do? W: Face the music. I'm becoming an adult and its time that I start acting like one. M: You're growing up too fast for me. W: Or maybe you're not growing up at all? M: Hey, that's deep. W: I know. Oh, that reminds me, you going to the party at the Frat House? M: What happened to all that talk about acting like an adult? W: I figure I have a couple of more years to grow up, so why spoil it now. I'm young and free. Why be tied down by responsibility? M: Well, that didn't last long. Hey, lets go! (Written by Tijan Nicholson) 2. やさしい英語会話 (70) Handing in Homework M: Umm…Ms. Yamada? I’m sorry. I can’t hand in my homework today. Um, I think…the sheep took it from my bag on my way to school. W: What? How can sheep take your homework? You forgot your homework last week as well. Calvin, you need to work harder. M: I didn’t forget it last week. Last week… my dog ate it all up! W: Yeah, yeah, yeah…Calvin, you need to take more responsibility for what you do when you go to college or the workplace. You could get kicked out of school, or even lose your job! M: OK…but I’m still a kid. W: You’re already 18!! You’ll be out in the work force soon! Now, I want you to sit here and write “I’LL HAND IN MY HOMEWORK NEXT WEEK” 100 times. M: What!? Now? Here? W: Yes. Just sit here, write them on this paper. M: (in an adult-like way) Um, Ms. Yamada, I think this is meaningless. There is no guarantee that I’ll hand in my homework next week even if I write that sentence 100 times. It’s just a waste of time, paper, and ink. You will pollute the earth by making me do this thing. W: ……Calvin, that was the most logical thing I’ve heard you say in the last 10 months! M: Yeah?? So…can I go now? W: No. Now, I’d like to hear your story more. How can I get you to hand in last week’s homework? M: (in an adult-like way) Ms. Yamada, you need to keep moving forward. Some people say we should learn from the past, but I don’t think that’s always the case. We shouldn’t let the past pull us down. There is no future behind us; it’s ahead of us! So just forget about it and let’s move on! W: No! Now, you do last week’s homework right here, right now, and hand it in. Is that clear? M: Yes, Ms. Yamada. (Written by Ayumi Furutani) 3. やさしい英語会話 (162) A Boring Class Situation: 2 students are talking quietly during a class lecture. W: Hey, Ray, if you had only 14 minutes left to live, what would you do? M: Hmm… That's a tough one. I think I'd try to get to the high ground. When I was a kid, I used to spend summers at my grandparents' place, a small village in the mountains. One time I found this awesome rock. When I lay on that rock, the deep blue sky stretched endlessly all around. W: And, as I imagine, you would go directly to the sky from that rock? M: Exactly! What about you? W: I would behave like nothing's gonna happen. Cook my meal, surf the Internet, sit on the toilet. I mean, that's what my life is about, right? And I don't want it any other way. M: You have a point, unlike a certain person here. W: Mr. Jones IS a guru of boring lectures! Look how many students have fallen asleep under his hypnotizing gaze! 18 out of 20! M: Ha-ha, no way! Wait, are we the only ones awake now? W: Yep. M: And he doesn't seem to have a clue. How is that even possible? W: Maybe his sleeping magic backfired? Somniloquy in action! M: Hey, talking in your sleep is just one of the lesser wonders you can witness in class early on a Monday morning. W: Other wonders include a mass disappearance and/or a mass hangover! M: Anyway, what's with the question about the final 14 minutes? W: Oh, that's easy. Look at the clock. What do you see? M: As a student craving a cup of foul vending-machine coffee more than anything in the world, I see only how much time is left till the end of this lecture. And that is... exactly 13 minutes! Ah, got it. W: Now it's your turn to come up with a conversation topic we could use to pass the remaining, almost infinite amount of time! M: Hmm, what would you do if you had only 13 minutes left to live? (Written by Dmitry Mamchur) 4. やさしい英語会話 (202) Drinking In Class M: Hey! What are you doing?! W: (gulp, gulp) Um…drinking coffee? M: Hey, we're in the middle of class!! W: And that is related to this conversation how? M: You can't drink in the middle of a lecture! W: Really? Not even water, or coffee? M: No! W: Oh, that's strange… M: Why? Can you drink during class in America? W: Of course! You can drink water, tea, coffee, almost anything. Depending on the teacher and how discreet you are, you can even eat snacks! M: No way! You gotta be kidding. W: Well, sometimes there are a couple of teachers that won't let you drink or eat anything. But most teachers are very understanding, and even drink water or coffee themselves. M: Wow, that certainly sounds nice. W: Yes, but I've seen a few students fall asleep in the middle of a lecture here in Japan, and if that happened in a lecture in America the teacher would be furious! M: Is that so? Hmm, I guess it's give and take, though I could really go for something to eat now over taking a nap! W: Well, we only have about ten more minutes left in class, so I'm guessing we can both hold out for a few more minutes. M: True. Hey, do you want to catch some lunch after this? Maybe even head off campus and eat some curry? W: Sure, sounds good! Although I think maybe we should quiet down, the teacher's glaring at us and walking this way! (Written by Matthew Bola)

８月は、この６年間に配信した207本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 最終回の今回は"College Life: Ups and Downs"（大学生活いろいろ）をテーマに、「やさしい英語会話」でよく登場する大学生活に関する会話を選びました。一人暮らしの苦労話、宿題を提出できない学生の言い訳、さらには日米の大学事情の違いまで、どうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: tpsdave via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （8:42　8.5MB　中級〜上級）1. やさしい英語会話 (61) College M: Hey, why do you look so glum? W: Just thinking. M: About? W: College life. M: Aren't you excited? We're finally on our own! W: That's just it. We're on our own now. We've taken so many things for granted until now. M: Like what? W: Free meals. I can't cook to save my life, but my Mom always made dinner the best part of my day. M: You can just go to McDonalds or something. You're free to do whatever you please! W: It's not as simple as picking what you want to eat. We have to pay for it out of our own pockets now. M: Don't your parents give you money? It's no different from an allowance. W: Well, mine just told me to get a job. They're cutting my allowance. M: That's harsh. What are you going to do? W: Face the music. I'm becoming an adult and its time that I start acting like one. M: You're growing up too fast for me. W: Or maybe you're not growing up at all? M: Hey, that's deep. W: I know. Oh, that reminds me, you going to the party at the Frat House? M: What happened to all that talk about acting like an adult? W: I figure I have a couple of more years to grow up, so why spoil it now. I'm young and free. Why be tied down by responsibility? M: Well, that didn't last long. Hey, lets go! (Written by Tijan Nicholson) 2. やさしい英語会話 (70) Handing in Homework M: Umm…Ms. Yamada? I’m sorry. I can’t hand in my homework today. Um, I think…the sheep took it from my bag on my way to school. W: What? How can sheep take your homework? You forgot your homework last week as well. Calvin, you need to work harder. M: I didn’t forget it last week. Last week… my dog ate it all up! W: Yeah, yeah, yeah…Calvin, you need to take more responsibility for what you do when you go to college or the workplace. You could get kicked out of school, or even lose your job! M: OK…but I’m still a kid. W: You’re already 18!! You’ll be out in the work force soon! Now, I want you to sit here and write “I’LL HAND IN MY HOMEWORK NEXT WEEK” 100 times. M: What!? Now? Here? W: Yes. Just sit here, write them on this paper. M: (in an adult-like way) Um, Ms. Yamada, I think this is meaningless. There is no guarantee that I’ll hand in my homework next week even if I write that sentence 100 times. It’s just a waste of time, paper, and ink. You will pollute the earth by making me do this thing. W: ……Calvin, that was the most logical thing I’ve heard you say in the last 10 months! M: Yeah?? So…can I go now? W: No. Now, I’d like to hear your story more. How can I get you to hand in last week’s homework? M: (in an adult-like way) Ms. Yamada, you need to keep moving forward. Some people say we should learn from the past, but I don’t think that’s always the case. We shouldn’t let the past pull us down. There is no future behind us; it’s ahead of us! So just forget about it and let’s move on! W: No! Now, you do last week’s homework right here, right now, and hand it in. Is that clear? M: Yes, Ms. Yamada. (Written by Ayumi Furutani) 3. やさしい英語会話 (162) A Boring Class Situation: 2 students are talking quietly during a class lecture. W: Hey, Ray, if you had only 14 minutes left to live, what would you do? M: Hmm… That's a tough one. I think I'd try to get to the high ground. When I was a kid, I used to spend summers at my grandparents' place, a small village in the mountains. One time I found this awesome rock. When I lay on that rock, the deep blue sky stretched endlessly all around. W: And, as I imagine, you would go directly to the sky from that rock? M: Exactly! What about you? W: I would behave like nothing's gonna happen. Cook my meal, surf the Internet, sit on the toilet. I mean, that's what my life is about, right? And I don't want it any other way. M: You have a point, unlike a certain person here. W: Mr. Jones IS a guru of boring lectures! Look how many students have fallen asleep under his hypnotizing gaze! 18 out of 20! M: Ha-ha, no way! Wait, are we the only ones awake now? W: Yep. M: And he doesn't seem to have a clue. How is that even possible? W: Maybe his sleeping magic backfired? Somniloquy in action! M: Hey, talking in your sleep is just one of the lesser wonders you can witness in class early on a Monday morning. W: Other wonders include a mass disappearance and/or a mass hangover! M: Anyway, what's with the question about the final 14 minutes? W: Oh, that's easy. Look at the clock. What do you see? M: As a student craving a cup of foul vending-machine coffee more than anything in the world, I see only how much time is left till the end of this lecture. And that is... exactly 13 minutes! Ah, got it. W: Now it's your turn to come up with a conversation topic we could use to pass the remaining, almost infinite amount of time! M: Hmm, what would you do if you had only 13 minutes left to live? (Written by Dmitry Mamchur) 4. やさしい英語会話 (202) Drinking In Class M: Hey! What are you doing?! W: (gulp, gulp) Um…drinking coffee? M: Hey, we're in the middle of class!! W: And that is related to this conversation how? M: You can't drink in the middle of a lecture! W: Really? Not even water, or coffee? M: No! W: Oh, that's strange… M: Why? Can you drink during class in America? W: Of course! You can drink water, tea, coffee, almost anything. Depending on the teacher and how discreet you are, you can even eat snacks! M: No way! You gotta be kidding. W: Well, sometimes there are a couple of teachers that won't let you drink or eat anything. But most teachers are very understanding, and even drink water or coffee themselves. M: Wow, that certainly sounds nice. W: Yes, but I've seen a few students fall asleep in the middle of a lecture here in Japan, and if that happened in a lecture in America the teacher would be furious! M: Is that so? Hmm, I guess it's give and take, though I could really go for something to eat now over taking a nap! W: Well, we only have about ten more minutes left in class, so I'm guessing we can both hold out for a few more minutes. M: True. Hey, do you want to catch some lunch after this? Maybe even head off campus and eat some curry? W: Sure, sounds good! Although I think maybe we should quiet down, the teacher's glaring at us and walking this way! (Written by Matthew Bola)

８月は、この６年間に配信した207本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 第３回の今回のテーマは"Which Is Better?"。スーパーマンvsバットマン、カープvsタイガースなど、それぞれのファン同士が意見を戦わせる会話を選びました。さて、あなたはどちらがお好き...? Image credit: PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （8:31　8.3MB　中級〜上級）1. やさしい英語会話 (15) Comics: Superman or Batman? M: Superman. W: Batman. M: Superman! W: Batman! M: Come on now. How can you pick that powerless loser over the strongest man in the Universe? W: How can you pick such a boring emotionless person over the suave Dark Knight? M: Oh really? Well for one Superman is actually super. He didn't buy his powers. W: Well, what Batman lacks in Brawn he has in brain. Anyone can be born with superpowers. It takes a real man to make his own ones. M: Oh yea? Well Superman can fly. W: Batman has the Batwing Jet. M: He can run really fast. W: Why run when you can drive? M: Well, Superman has x-ray vision, ice breath, and many other abilities… W: That I'm sure Batman has, with his brain, figured out how to manipulate and use as a weapon. Face it: Batman is just a lot cooler than Superman. M: I know one thing that Batman doesn't have that Superman does. W: And what would that be? M: Lois Lane. W: He doesn't need a Lois Lane. M: I'm surprised he has used his brain to make a beautiful woman for himself yet. (Written by Tijan Nicholson) 2. やさしい英語会話 (32) Classical or Rock? W: Hi, Tom. What's up? M: Hey, What's up, Yoko? W: Did you get my message yesterday? M: Yeah, I got it! Sorry, I didn't call you back last night. I checked the message in the middle of the night. So, what was that about? W: It's OK. Don't worry. It wasn't urgent. It was just about a concert. M: A concert? W: Yeah, you know Shiori, right? She gave me two concert tickets, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me. M: Sounds nice. What kind of concert is it? Rock? R&B? W: Sorry, but it's classical music. The Tokyo Philharmonic is coming to Hiroshima next week! M: Uh… I think I'll pass on it. Sorry. Actually, I'm no big fan of classical music…. I mean I fall asleep halfway through classical concerts! W: OK, OK. But think of it this way: you told me that you were really feeling stressed out the other day, right? I heard that classical music is really good at reducing tension and creating inner calm. I think that concert would help you to reduce the stress. M: I see, but thank you anyway, Yoko. I'll pass on the classical music. Ah, I wish that concert was rock! W: Rock? You like rock music that much? M: Yeah!! I love rock music!! Oh, it's darn cool. Everyone loves rock! Don't you? W: Uh…no thanks. I'm no big fan of rock music. It's just… loud. They're just… shouting, and there's no important message. There's no reason to listen to rock music. M: What? You kidding me, Yoko? Rock is fantastic! Rock's the real music! They're singing what we young people like. They're singing about the heart! W: But rock has a bad influence on young people, don't you think? M: That's ancient history, Yoko. No one's thinking that way any more. [sigh] By the way, have you ever listened to rock music? W: Um……no. M: Unbelievable! Hey, why don't you give this CD a try? Then talk about rock music, OK? I think you'll like it! W: OK, thanks. Now, Tom…. Have you decided to go to the classical music concert next week? M: Oh, dear… (Written by Saori Nakanishi) 3. やさしい英語会話 (25) Partying or Studying? M: Hey, Vickie, what are ya gonna do tonight? W: Well, I think I’m gonna study in the library. M: You’re kidding! You wanna study on a Friday night?? Oh, no, no… Vickie, you should relax. You study too much! Let’s go to a club and dance! W: Oh, I'm really sorry, Adam…I can’t. M: OK. I guess that’s a traditional Asian students’ life! W: Yeah, a traditional Asian students’ life! And, I see that you guys like to party! M: Yeah, we go to parties almost every weekend; and we almost always go to a club, too. There’re fewer clubs in Japan and far fewer parties. When I first came to Japan, it really was culture-shock; I just can’t bear this kind of boring life. W: Really? To tell you the truth, I’ve never been to a bar before! Only bad students go bars in China. M: Bad students? Ridiculous, what kind of students are bad students? Hmm… Maybe bars and clubs in Australia are different from those in Asia? They’re not as bad as you think. They’re actually a lot of fun. W: I see. M: I think you should go to clubs or bars once. You should experience the atmosphere there. It's so relaxing! W: Yeah, OK, but maybe some time… M: Oh, so you won't change your mind about tonight, no matter what I say, huh? I’m so sad that I think I’m going to cry! W: Please don't be sad, Adam. I promise I’ll go with you next time. M: Haha, I’m only joking! Hey, typical Asian girl: you’d better study a lot in the library! W: Haha! Yes, sir! (Written by Sun Guangna (Ruby)) 4. やさしい英語会話 (175) Which Team Is Better: The Carp or The Tigers? Situation: A Carp fan and a Tigers fan are about to watch a game in Hiroshima. W: Oh, it's so fun to be here! I really like Mazda Stadium. M: Hey! Who's that guy? He looks pretty important. W: Oh, that's Kenta Maeda! He's a great pitcher! We call him Maeken. I love him! He's got an array of pitches: a fastball, a slider, a changeup, and a curve! M: Yeah, I've heard of him. Are there any other good Carp pitchers? W: I think Takeru Imamura is really good. M: Who's he? I don't know much about him. W: Well…he's a good pitcher, and they say that he'll be a great pitcher in the future. His best pitches are his fastball and slider. But he also throws a forkball about 8% of the time! M: Wow, Tomoko. I see you really, really like baseball and the Carp! But, you know, the Hanshin Tigers are better. W: Oh, really? Are there any good pitchers on the Tigers this year? M: Hmm…I think Atsushi Nomi is a good pitcher. He was on Japan's national team in the World Baseball Classic. W: Hmm… I don't know much about him. M: Really? Boy, you only know about the Carp! Nomi's a great relief pitcher. He's really good at saving games. I watched the game last night, and Nomi was doing a great job. W: But I still like Maeken better. I'm really happy to see him pitching in this game. And we're sitting super-near him! We can see him really close up! M: I still think the Tigers have better pitching and hitting. Also, the atmosphere around the Tigers is really good this year. I hope that the Tigers win it all! W: No way! I'm sure the Carp will win everything this year! The team has a lot of young players. Also they're trying a lot of new things. People say that the Carp have not been champions for a long time, and it's impossible for them to be champions. But I don't believe a word of that! I'm sure that the Carp will win the Japan Series! M: Hey! The game's beginning. Here we go! W: Go Carp Go! M: Come on, Tigers! (Written by Kaho Yasuda)

８月は、この６年間に配信した207本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 第３回の今回のテーマは"Which Is Better?"。スーパーマンvsバットマン、カープvsタイガースなど、それぞれのファン同士が意見を戦わせる会話を選びました。さて、あなたはどちらがお好き...? Image credit: PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （8:31　8.3MB　中級〜上級）1. やさしい英語会話 (15) Comics: Superman or Batman? M: Superman. W: Batman. M: Superman! W: Batman! M: Come on now. How can you pick that powerless loser over the strongest man in the Universe? W: How can you pick such a boring emotionless person over the suave Dark Knight? M: Oh really? Well for one Superman is actually super. He didn't buy his powers. W: Well, what Batman lacks in Brawn he has in brain. Anyone can be born with superpowers. It takes a real man to make his own ones. M: Oh yea? Well Superman can fly. W: Batman has the Batwing Jet. M: He can run really fast. W: Why run when you can drive? M: Well, Superman has x-ray vision, ice breath, and many other abilities… W: That I'm sure Batman has, with his brain, figured out how to manipulate and use as a weapon. Face it: Batman is just a lot cooler than Superman. M: I know one thing that Batman doesn't have that Superman does. W: And what would that be? M: Lois Lane. W: He doesn't need a Lois Lane. M: I'm surprised he has used his brain to make a beautiful woman for himself yet. (Written by Tijan Nicholson) 2. やさしい英語会話 (32) Classical or Rock? W: Hi, Tom. What's up? M: Hey, What's up, Yoko? W: Did you get my message yesterday? M: Yeah, I got it! Sorry, I didn't call you back last night. I checked the message in the middle of the night. So, what was that about? W: It's OK. Don't worry. It wasn't urgent. It was just about a concert. M: A concert? W: Yeah, you know Shiori, right? She gave me two concert tickets, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me. M: Sounds nice. What kind of concert is it? Rock? R&B? W: Sorry, but it's classical music. The Tokyo Philharmonic is coming to Hiroshima next week! M: Uh… I think I'll pass on it. Sorry. Actually, I'm no big fan of classical music…. I mean I fall asleep halfway through classical concerts! W: OK, OK. But think of it this way: you told me that you were really feeling stressed out the other day, right? I heard that classical music is really good at reducing tension and creating inner calm. I think that concert would help you to reduce the stress. M: I see, but thank you anyway, Yoko. I'll pass on the classical music. Ah, I wish that concert was rock! W: Rock? You like rock music that much? M: Yeah!! I love rock music!! Oh, it's darn cool. Everyone loves rock! Don't you? W: Uh…no thanks. I'm no big fan of rock music. It's just… loud. They're just… shouting, and there's no important message. There's no reason to listen to rock music. M: What? You kidding me, Yoko? Rock is fantastic! Rock's the real music! They're singing what we young people like. They're singing about the heart! W: But rock has a bad influence on young people, don't you think? M: That's ancient history, Yoko. No one's thinking that way any more. [sigh] By the way, have you ever listened to rock music? W: Um……no. M: Unbelievable! Hey, why don't you give this CD a try? Then talk about rock music, OK? I think you'll like it! W: OK, thanks. Now, Tom…. Have you decided to go to the classical music concert next week? M: Oh, dear… (Written by Saori Nakanishi) 3. やさしい英語会話 (25) Partying or Studying? M: Hey, Vickie, what are ya gonna do tonight? W: Well, I think I’m gonna study in the library. M: You’re kidding! You wanna study on a Friday night?? Oh, no, no… Vickie, you should relax. You study too much! Let’s go to a club and dance! W: Oh, I'm really sorry, Adam…I can’t. M: OK. I guess that’s a traditional Asian students’ life! W: Yeah, a traditional Asian students’ life! And, I see that you guys like to party! M: Yeah, we go to parties almost every weekend; and we almost always go to a club, too. There’re fewer clubs in Japan and far fewer parties. When I first came to Japan, it really was culture-shock; I just can’t bear this kind of boring life. W: Really? To tell you the truth, I’ve never been to a bar before! Only bad students go bars in China. M: Bad students? Ridiculous, what kind of students are bad students? Hmm… Maybe bars and clubs in Australia are different from those in Asia? They’re not as bad as you think. They’re actually a lot of fun. W: I see. M: I think you should go to clubs or bars once. You should experience the atmosphere there. It's so relaxing! W: Yeah, OK, but maybe some time… M: Oh, so you won't change your mind about tonight, no matter what I say, huh? I’m so sad that I think I’m going to cry! W: Please don't be sad, Adam. I promise I’ll go with you next time. M: Haha, I’m only joking! Hey, typical Asian girl: you’d better study a lot in the library! W: Haha! Yes, sir! (Written by Sun Guangna (Ruby)) 4. やさしい英語会話 (175) Which Team Is Better: The Carp or The Tigers? Situation: A Carp fan and a Tigers fan are about to watch a game in Hiroshima. W: Oh, it's so fun to be here! I really like Mazda Stadium. M: Hey! Who's that guy? He looks pretty important. W: Oh, that's Kenta Maeda! He's a great pitcher! We call him Maeken. I love him! He's got an array of pitches: a fastball, a slider, a changeup, and a curve! M: Yeah, I've heard of him. Are there any other good Carp pitchers? W: I think Takeru Imamura is really good. M: Who's he? I don't know much about him. W: Well…he's a good pitcher, and they say that he'll be a great pitcher in the future. His best pitches are his fastball and slider. But he also throws a forkball about 8% of the time! M: Wow, Tomoko. I see you really, really like baseball and the Carp! But, you know, the Hanshin Tigers are better. W: Oh, really? Are there any good pitchers on the Tigers this year? M: Hmm…I think Atsushi Nomi is a good pitcher. He was on Japan's national team in the World Baseball Classic. W: Hmm… I don't know much about him. M: Really? Boy, you only know about the Carp! Nomi's a great relief pitcher. He's really good at saving games. I watched the game last night, and Nomi was doing a great job. W: But I still like Maeken better. I'm really happy to see him pitching in this game. And we're sitting super-near him! We can see him really close up! M: I still think the Tigers have better pitching and hitting. Also, the atmosphere around the Tigers is really good this year. I hope that the Tigers win it all! W: No way! I'm sure the Carp will win everything this year! The team has a lot of young players. Also they're trying a lot of new things. People say that the Carp have not been champions for a long time, and it's impossible for them to be champions. But I don't believe a word of that! I'm sure that the Carp will win the Japan Series! M: Hey! The game's beginning. Here we go! W: Go Carp Go! M: Come on, Tigers! (Written by Kaho Yasuda)

８月は、この６年間に配信した207本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 第２回の今回は"Amazing Stories...!?"。宇宙人からクリスマスの奇跡まで、日常生活ではありえない不思議なお話を集めました。お盆休みは、これらの奇想天外なお話でどうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: bngnaranjo via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （9:53　9.6MB　中級〜上級）1. やさしい英語会話 (131) A Visitor from "Up There" Scene: In the office, two co-workers are talking. M: Susan, we're having in-service training tomorrow. You'll be there, right? W: Jiff, I'm afraid I can't make it to the training. I'm going to take some days off till next week. M: Are you kidding? Don't be silly. Tomorrow's training is really important! All the bosses will be there. And we're having an important meeting after the training. If you miss this training, you'll be off the career track! W: You're going a little overboard, aren't you? The career track means nothing to me. I'm doing this job as an editor because I like it. I don't care about money, authority, or popularity. M: Hmm… That sounds great, but this training is different. It'll be lots of fun, too. And if you are in a lowly position forever, your motivation and satisfaction will eventually go down. Come on. You have to cancel your holiday. W: Um… I can't, really. M: OK, the decision's up to you! W: Hey, can you grab that scratch pad for me, please? M: Here you go. Um… What are you doing? W: Oh, I'm writing a letter of resignation. M: Wait! Don't be in such a rush to quit! W: Why? It's for me and for my life. The decision is always up to me. M: Yeah, true. But you like this job, don't you? W: Yes, there's nothing better than being an editor. M: Then why? W: I'm writing a letter of resignation for not the position of editor, but for my other job up there. In the upcoming paid holidays, I'm supposed to go back to our ship and make a presentation about the earth and human beings. M: Other job? Your ship up there? A presentation about the earth? W: Yes, Jiff. To tell the truth, I... I'm from another planet, and my body here is not real. I'm just borrowing this human body. But now I know that our company's training is more important. As you said: I like being an editor better than being an alien! M: What? Another planet? You're… you're an ALIEN? (scream) (Written by Inori Okawa) 2. やさしい英語会話 (139) Sleeping Well at Night Scene: At the hospital M: Doctor, I'm having a terrible time sleeping well at night. You got any tips for me? I haven't had a good night's sleep for a month. What's wrong with me? Is it insomnia? W: OK. Let me ask you a few questions. Is there anything you're particularly worrying about these days? M: No, not really. (The sound of a machine) W: Hey, what's that sound? Can you hear it? Anyway, have you ever been diagnosed with insomnia? M: No. I always used to sleep like a rock through any noises at night. I always had great dreams. But now… W: OK. Are there any big changes in your life, such as divorce, a promotion, or did you move recently? M: No. Divorce? I have a beautiful wife and I do love her. There have been no big changes. (the sound of a machine) W: Again? What's that sound?... Hmm… alright. Do you feel tired during the day because you can't sleep well at night? M: Hmm… It's a mystery, doctor, but I don't really feel tired at all! I'm fine. W: Wow, that's weird. What do you do when you can't fall asleep? M: I usually read books, watch movies, and just drive into my imagination. W: So, you do not actually have troubles with those things? M: No, doctor. I just want to sleep better at night! Like other human beings. W: What do you do during the day? M: I work for a company. I used to do lots of paperwork, but now I have lots of meetings. (The sound of the machine) W: Are those meetings stressful for you? M: I don't think so. We have the meetings in the huge conference room. Since there are lots of people, nobody cares if I nod off during mee… mee… meetings. Pi pi pi this machine is out of batteries….This, human-like machine is out of batteries W: Oh, he's not a human, but a machine!? (Written by Inori Okawa) 3. やさしい英語会話 (181) Knocking on Heaven's Door Scene: Outside the gates of heaven. M: Ugh, where am I? All I remember is driving, and then a bright light. Man, my head hurts. W: Hello, and welcome to heaven! M: Heaven? No way! W: Yes way, sir. M: Wait. Was it you? Were you the bright light I saw while driving? Did you save me? W: No, sir, unfortunately that was the sixteen-wheeler crashing into the front of your car. M: Oh… I see. W: But, as you can see, sir, you don't have to worry about any of that old stuff anymore, because… you're in heaven! M: Wow… I'm so excited! So, what's it like here? Do you guys have, like, beer and stuff here? W: Yes sir, heaven distills the highest quality spirits daily for your consumption. M: Great! W: OK, well, let me just get your name, sir, and then we can set you up with whatever your heart desires. And it's just your luck that we are having a special this week on all the carnal desires. M: What, really?! So all that stuff is OK up here? W: Actually, yes, whatever, whenever, however you want it. Anything. As soon as it pops into your head you can have it! There are no laws, no taboos. M: Oh my God… W: Actually, he's out right now. Sorry sir. M: Hey, this is too good to be true! I must be dreaming! W: Isn't life but a dream? M: What? W: Never mind. You'll have plenty of time to brush up on your intelligence while here. But again, let me just get you name sir. M: It's Bieber, Justin Bieber. W: Bieber…Bieber… hmmm I'm not seeing it on the list… M: Are you sure? Check again. W: Nope, sorry sir. I got a Justin Beetman, but no Bieber. M: What! NO! W: If you'd just step over here sir. This pack of wild dogs will drag you to your next destination. M: NOOOOOOOOOO! (Written by Matthew Bola) 4. やさしい英語会話 (152) A White Lie: Santa Claus M: Rika, do you think it's a good thing to tell a white lie. W: What's a white lie? M: A white lie is a lie that doesn't really hurt anybody. For example, if your boyfriend buys a new shirt and you don't really like it. He asks you what you think about it. How do you answer? W: I'd answer that it looks fine. M: See! That's a white lie. You don't think it's nice but you tell him it is. W: I got it. M: Another example is Santa Clause. The whole idea of a fat guy in a red suit, going around the world in a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer, sliding down chimneys with toys… The story doesn't harm anyone. It's a cute lie! W: Excuse me! Santa Clause is NOT a lie. He really exists! M: Ha! You're a dreamer. I'm a person who believes in science. So I'm not going to believe that. W: He IS real. I saw him when I was little. Didn't your parents tell you that Santa Clause only comes to children who really believe in him? M: Rika, grow up. You're an adult and still believe in Santa Clause? It's just a white lie. W: No, it's true! Have you ever read the article "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause"? A lot of things that we cannot see exist! Also I'm grown up, but I want to be childlike forever. I don't want to lose my dreams and hopes. M: OK. That's one idea. I'm different from you. W: Yes, maybe so. (Sounds of Christmas bells jingling) W: Hey, you hear that? M: What? (Sounds of Christmas bells jingling) W: He's coming! I know it! He's coming! Santa Clause: Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!! M: Hey, Rika. Did you see him? W: Yes I did! M and W: Santa Clause is really really real!! (Written by Inori Okawa)

８月は、この６年間に配信した207本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話を、スクリプトとともにお楽しみください。ウェブ上で元のエピソードを検索して、解説を聞くこともできます。 第２回の今回は"Amazing Stories...!?"。宇宙人からクリスマスの奇跡まで、日常生活ではありえない不思議なお話を集めました。お盆休みは、これらの奇想天外なお話でどうかお楽しみください！ Image credit: bngnaranjo via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （9:53　9.6MB　中級〜上級）1. やさしい英語会話 (131) A Visitor from "Up There" Scene: In the office, two co-workers are talking. M: Susan, we're having in-service training tomorrow. You'll be there, right? W: Jiff, I'm afraid I can't make it to the training. I'm going to take some days off till next week. M: Are you kidding? Don't be silly. Tomorrow's training is really important! All the bosses will be there. And we're having an important meeting after the training. If you miss this training, you'll be off the career track! W: You're going a little overboard, aren't you? The career track means nothing to me. I'm doing this job as an editor because I like it. I don't care about money, authority, or popularity. M: Hmm… That sounds great, but this training is different. It'll be lots of fun, too. And if you are in a lowly position forever, your motivation and satisfaction will eventually go down. Come on. You have to cancel your holiday. W: Um… I can't, really. M: OK, the decision's up to you! W: Hey, can you grab that scratch pad for me, please? M: Here you go. Um… What are you doing? W: Oh, I'm writing a letter of resignation. M: Wait! Don't be in such a rush to quit! W: Why? It's for me and for my life. The decision is always up to me. M: Yeah, true. But you like this job, don't you? W: Yes, there's nothing better than being an editor. M: Then why? W: I'm writing a letter of resignation for not the position of editor, but for my other job up there. In the upcoming paid holidays, I'm supposed to go back to our ship and make a presentation about the earth and human beings. M: Other job? Your ship up there? A presentation about the earth? W: Yes, Jiff. To tell the truth, I... I'm from another planet, and my body here is not real. I'm just borrowing this human body. But now I know that our company's training is more important. As you said: I like being an editor better than being an alien! M: What? Another planet? You're… you're an ALIEN? (scream) (Written by Inori Okawa) 2. やさしい英語会話 (139) Sleeping Well at Night Scene: At the hospital M: Doctor, I'm having a terrible time sleeping well at night. You got any tips for me? I haven't had a good night's sleep for a month. What's wrong with me? Is it insomnia? W: OK. Let me ask you a few questions. Is there anything you're particularly worrying about these days? M: No, not really. (The sound of a machine) W: Hey, what's that sound? Can you hear it? Anyway, have you ever been diagnosed with insomnia? M: No. I always used to sleep like a rock through any noises at night. I always had great dreams. But now… W: OK. Are there any big changes in your life, such as divorce, a promotion, or did you move recently? M: No. Divorce? I have a beautiful wife and I do love her. There have been no big changes. (the sound of a machine) W: Again? What's that sound?... Hmm… alright. Do you feel tired during the day because you can't sleep well at night? M: Hmm… It's a mystery, doctor, but I don't really feel tired at all! I'm fine. W: Wow, that's weird. What do you do when you can't fall asleep? M: I usually read books, watch movies, and just drive into my imagination. W: So, you do not actually have troubles with those things? M: No, doctor. I just want to sleep better at night! Like other human beings. W: What do you do during the day? M: I work for a company. I used to do lots of paperwork, but now I have lots of meetings. (The sound of the machine) W: Are those meetings stressful for you? M: I don't think so. We have the meetings in the huge conference room. Since there are lots of people, nobody cares if I nod off during mee… mee… meetings. Pi pi pi this machine is out of batteries….This, human-like machine is out of batteries W: Oh, he's not a human, but a machine!? (Written by Inori Okawa) 3. やさしい英語会話 (181) Knocking on Heaven's Door Scene: Outside the gates of heaven. M: Ugh, where am I? All I remember is driving, and then a bright light. Man, my head hurts. W: Hello, and welcome to heaven! M: Heaven? No way! W: Yes way, sir. M: Wait. Was it you? Were you the bright light I saw while driving? Did you save me? W: No, sir, unfortunately that was the sixteen-wheeler crashing into the front of your car. M: Oh… I see. W: But, as you can see, sir, you don't have to worry about any of that old stuff anymore, because… you're in heaven! M: Wow… I'm so excited! So, what's it like here? Do you guys have, like, beer and stuff here? W: Yes sir, heaven distills the highest quality spirits daily for your consumption. M: Great! W: OK, well, let me just get your name, sir, and then we can set you up with whatever your heart desires. And it's just your luck that we are having a special this week on all the carnal desires. M: What, really?! So all that stuff is OK up here? W: Actually, yes, whatever, whenever, however you want it. Anything. As soon as it pops into your head you can have it! There are no laws, no taboos. M: Oh my God… W: Actually, he's out right now. Sorry sir. M: Hey, this is too good to be true! I must be dreaming! W: Isn't life but a dream? M: What? W: Never mind. You'll have plenty of time to brush up on your intelligence while here. But again, let me just get you name sir. M: It's Bieber, Justin Bieber. W: Bieber…Bieber… hmmm I'm not seeing it on the list… M: Are you sure? Check again. W: Nope, sorry sir. I got a Justin Beetman, but no Bieber. M: What! NO! W: If you'd just step over here sir. This pack of wild dogs will drag you to your next destination. M: NOOOOOOOOOO! (Written by Matthew Bola) 4. やさしい英語会話 (152) A White Lie: Santa Claus M: Rika, do you think it's a good thing to tell a white lie. W: What's a white lie? M: A white lie is a lie that doesn't really hurt anybody. For example, if your boyfriend buys a new shirt and you don't really like it. He asks you what you think about it. How do you answer? W: I'd answer that it looks fine. M: See! That's a white lie. You don't think it's nice but you tell him it is. W: I got it. M: Another example is Santa Clause. The whole idea of a fat guy in a red suit, going around the world in a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer, sliding down chimneys with toys… The story doesn't harm anyone. It's a cute lie! W: Excuse me! Santa Clause is NOT a lie. He really exists! M: Ha! You're a dreamer. I'm a person who believes in science. So I'm not going to believe that. W: He IS real. I saw him when I was little. Didn't your parents tell you that Santa Clause only comes to children who really believe in him? M: Rika, grow up. You're an adult and still believe in Santa Clause? It's just a white lie. W: No, it's true! Have you ever read the article "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause"? A lot of things that we cannot see exist! Also I'm grown up, but I want to be childlike forever. I don't want to lose my dreams and hopes. M: OK. That's one idea. I'm different from you. W: Yes, maybe so. (Sounds of Christmas bells jingling) W: Hey, you hear that? M: What? (Sounds of Christmas bells jingling) W: He's coming! I know it! He's coming! Santa Clause: Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!! M: Hey, Rika. Did you see him? W: Yes I did! M and W: Santa Clause is really really real!! (Written by Inori Okawa)

This week's podcast looks at five big and interesting news stories from around the world. Image credit: OpenClips via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3

This week's podcast looks at five big and interesting news stories from around the world. Image credit: OpenClips via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3

オリジナルの物語"Time Traveling Troubles"の最終回をお届けします。 タイムマシンを発明し、時間旅行を始めた女性。19世紀のテキサス州で危ない思いをした後、次にたどり着いたのは17世紀後半。親切な男性と共にセイラム（Salem）に向かう彼女ですが、この時代のセイラムといえば、世界史で有名なあの裁判の最中でした…！ Image credit: bykst via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （22:00　13.2MB　初級～中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） brother 男性への呼びかけ I comest from-eth another village-eth 「私は別の村から参ったでござります」 ※17世紀にタイムスリップした女性が、古語表現をでたらめに使っていて、コミカルな響きになっている。comestはcomeの２人称単数現在形の古語なので、主語はthouに限られる。-(e)thは３人称単数現在形を作る語尾（he cometh）だが、前置詞や名詞にはつかない。ちなみに-thが変化して、現代の３単現の-sとなった。 thy = your thou = you weary = very tired / worried to accommodate = to provide starving = very hungry most noble = very noble to ring a bell = sound familiar to me renowned for = famous for God-fearing = religious right on the tip of my tongue ほとんど喉まで出かかっている ※日本語の慣用表現では「喉」だが、英語では「舌」になる。 to figure out 見当がつく They're but precautions ほんの用心に過ぎない butはonlyの意味 Shoot = Go ahead. Ask me questions. Why dost thou wear = Why do you wear a pointy hat 先の尖った帽子 to disguise oneself 変装する take on such seductive forms such as thine そなたのような妖しき姿に化ける thine = yours seductive「魅惑的な」 a compliment 褒め言葉 thou art a witch = you are a witch *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:20-06:00 (Natural speed) 18:25-20:20 Time Traveling Troubles (3) W: Aww, man, here we go again. Um… Hello there… brother? I comest from-eth another village-eth, a far, far away village. M: Thy talk is so strange, so the village must be far indeed. W: You have no idea! M: Thou must be tired, weary traveler. Follow me back to town and we can accommodate you with some bread and shelter. W: Thank you. I AM actually starving. By the way, could you tell me which town exactly we are going to? M: Of course! We are on our way to Salem, a most noble and peaceful town. W: Salem… Salem… why does that name ring a bell? M: I should hope thou recognize the name Salem. It is renowned for being a town of good God-fearing people. W: God-fearing people?… It's right on the tip of my tongue, but I can't figure out where I've heard that name before. M: But before entering town, I'll have to ask thou a few simple questions. They're but precautions to protect us from the devil and his evil ways. W: OK. Shoot. M: Why dost thou wear such strange clothes? They look almost like the clothes a witch would wear. W: First, I'm wearing the normal clothes of people in my time?um, I mean VILLAGE?wear. And second, I thought witches wore black dresses and pointy hats. M: Yes, but they CAN disguise themselves easily, and indeed they love to take on such seductive forms such as thine. W: Somehow I don't think that was really a compliment. M: Oh, no! Why did I not see it before!? Thy speech, thy clothes, thy looks, surely thou art a witch! W: Ohhhh, the Salem witch trials. Ah! (Written by Matthew Bola)

オリジナルの物語"Time Traveling Troubles"の最終回をお届けします。 タイムマシンを発明し、時間旅行を始めた女性。19世紀のテキサス州で危ない思いをした後、次にたどり着いたのは17世紀後半。親切な男性と共にセイラム（Salem）に向かう彼女ですが、この時代のセイラムといえば、世界史で有名なあの裁判の最中でした…！ Image credit: bykst via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 スマートフォン用（テスト中） （22:00　13.2MB　初級～中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） brother 男性への呼びかけ I comest from-eth another village-eth 「私は別の村から参ったでござります」 ※17世紀にタイムスリップした女性が、古語表現をでたらめに使っていて、コミカルな響きになっている。comestはcomeの２人称単数現在形の古語なので、主語はthouに限られる。-(e)thは３人称単数現在形を作る語尾（he cometh）だが、前置詞や名詞にはつかない。ちなみに-thが変化して、現代の３単現の-sとなった。 thy = your thou = you weary = very tired / worried to accommodate = to provide starving = very hungry most noble = very noble to ring a bell = sound familiar to me renowned for = famous for God-fearing = religious right on the tip of my tongue ほとんど喉まで出かかっている ※日本語の慣用表現では「喉」だが、英語では「舌」になる。 to figure out 見当がつく They're but precautions ほんの用心に過ぎない butはonlyの意味 Shoot = Go ahead. Ask me questions. Why dost thou wear = Why do you wear a pointy hat 先の尖った帽子 to disguise oneself 変装する take on such seductive forms such as thine そなたのような妖しき姿に化ける thine = yours seductive「魅惑的な」 a compliment 褒め言葉 thou art a witch = you are a witch *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:20-06:00 (Natural speed) 18:25-20:20 Time Traveling Troubles (3) W: Aww, man, here we go again. Um… Hello there… brother? I comest from-eth another village-eth, a far, far away village. M: Thy talk is so strange, so the village must be far indeed. W: You have no idea! M: Thou must be tired, weary traveler. Follow me back to town and we can accommodate you with some bread and shelter. W: Thank you. I AM actually starving. By the way, could you tell me which town exactly we are going to? M: Of course! We are on our way to Salem, a most noble and peaceful town. W: Salem… Salem… why does that name ring a bell? M: I should hope thou recognize the name Salem. It is renowned for being a town of good God-fearing people. W: God-fearing people?… It's right on the tip of my tongue, but I can't figure out where I've heard that name before. M: But before entering town, I'll have to ask thou a few simple questions. They're but precautions to protect us from the devil and his evil ways. W: OK. Shoot. M: Why dost thou wear such strange clothes? They look almost like the clothes a witch would wear. W: First, I'm wearing the normal clothes of people in my time?um, I mean VILLAGE?wear. And second, I thought witches wore black dresses and pointy hats. M: Yes, but they CAN disguise themselves easily, and indeed they love to take on such seductive forms such as thine. W: Somehow I don't think that was really a compliment. M: Oh, no! Why did I not see it before!? Thy speech, thy clothes, thy looks, surely thou art a witch! W: Ohhhh, the Salem witch trials. Ah! (Written by Matthew Bola)

先週に引き続き、オリジナルの物語"Time Traveling Troubles"の第２話をお届けします。 1865年のテキサス州にタイムスリップした女性。変な保安官に出会いさっそく危ない目に遭った彼女は、無事にピンチを切り抜けることができるのでしょうか…？ Image credit: bykst via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 （18:26　11.1MB　初級～中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） ma'am ご婦人（madamの略） ※男性に対してはsirを使う。接客など丁寧な言葉遣いが求められる場面で、今でもよく使われる。 all sorts of = all kinds of a bunch of （口語）たくさんの to run into ... ...に出くわす I'll be darned. = I'm surprised. ※darnは前回のエピソードでも登場したdamnの婉曲表現。 Ya must be worth a pretty penny あんたはお値打ちものに違いねえ ※pretty penny = plenty of money I can tell by yer [=your] talk (that) ... あんたの話を聞いていると…だとわかる You've been brought up real proper. 本当に家柄のいい家で育った（とわかる） What da ya mean =What do you mean ※アメリカ口語では頻繁にこのように発音される。 ain't ya? =aren't you? I'm not going to even begin that conversation with a person such as yourself. あなたのような人とは会話を始めることさえお断りよ。 a sexist 性差別主義者 ※Google Books Ngram Viewerによれば、1960年代半ばから使用頻度が増えた語で、その100年前にあたる1865年にはほとんど使われていなかった。 I done offered ya a ride = I did offer you a ride to get stuck 動けなくなる And on that note そんなわけで（=with that, so） I was gonna take her fer my wife! ※ferは"for"の弱形を綴りに表したもの。文中で特に強調する必要がない場合、通常forはferに近い弱形で発音される。 Time traveling really makes ya nauseous. 時間旅行はほんとうに気分が悪くなるわ。 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:10-05:35 (Natural speed) 15:00-17:05 Time Traveling Troubles (2) W: Um… I think I'll just walk. M: Now really, ma'am, I must insist. It's a three-hour ride back, and there's all sorts of snakes, and coyotes, and a bunch of other stuff ya don't wanna be runnin' into. W: But… I've never been on a horse! M: What? Well, I'll be darned. Ya must be worth a pretty penny if you've only ridden in carriages yer whole life! I can tell by yer talk you've been brought up real proper too! W: What da ya mean “worth a pretty penny.” I'm not an object, you know! M: Well, yer a woman, ain't ya? W: I… I'm not going to even begin that conversation with a person such as yourself. Huh, I thought people in this time period would be a lot more polite… and… and less sexist. M: Hey, I done offered ya a ride. Now come on. Lets get goin' before the sun sets and we get stuck out here. W: All right, fine. Hey, wait. I have a time machine! Why don't I just try going back home!? M: A time what? W: Oh, oh. I hope I don't end up in a worse place than this. (sound of wolves) M: Hey, quiet! I think I can hear some coyotes comin'. W: And on that note, I'll take the risk. Well, good luck Mr. Sherriff. Bye! (Time machine noises) M: What? Where'd she go? I was gonna take her fer my wife! (Time machine noises) W: Ugh, wow, time traveling really makes ya nauseous. I wonder where I ended up, though anything is better than being out in the middle of nowhere with coyotes and a sexist sheriff. M: Hello there, good sister, where dost thou come from? (Written by Matthew Bola)

先週に引き続き、オリジナルの物語"Time Traveling Troubles"の第２話をお届けします。 1865年のテキサス州にタイムスリップした女性。変な保安官に出会いさっそく危ない目に遭った彼女は、無事にピンチを切り抜けることができるのでしょうか…？ Image credit: bykst via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 （18:26　11.1MB　初級～中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） ma'am ご婦人（madamの略） ※男性に対してはsirを使う。接客など丁寧な言葉遣いが求められる場面で、今でもよく使われる。 all sorts of = all kinds of a bunch of （口語）たくさんの to run into ... ...に出くわす I'll be darned. = I'm surprised. ※darnは前回のエピソードでも登場したdamnの婉曲表現。 Ya must be worth a pretty penny あんたはお値打ちものに違いねえ ※pretty penny = plenty of money I can tell by yer [=your] talk (that) ... あんたの話を聞いていると…だとわかる You've been brought up real proper. 本当に家柄のいい家で育った（とわかる） What da ya mean =What do you mean ※アメリカ口語では頻繁にこのように発音される。 ain't ya? =aren't you? I'm not going to even begin that conversation with a person such as yourself. あなたのような人とは会話を始めることさえお断りよ。 a sexist 性差別主義者 ※Google Books Ngram Viewerによれば、1960年代半ばから使用頻度が増えた語で、その100年前にあたる1865年にはほとんど使われていなかった。 I done offered ya a ride = I did offer you a ride to get stuck 動けなくなる And on that note そんなわけで（=with that, so） I was gonna take her fer my wife! ※ferは"for"の弱形を綴りに表したもの。文中で特に強調する必要がない場合、通常forはferに近い弱形で発音される。 Time traveling really makes ya nauseous. 時間旅行はほんとうに気分が悪くなるわ。 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:10-05:35 (Natural speed) 15:00-17:05 Time Traveling Troubles (2) W: Um… I think I'll just walk. M: Now really, ma'am, I must insist. It's a three-hour ride back, and there's all sorts of snakes, and coyotes, and a bunch of other stuff ya don't wanna be runnin' into. W: But… I've never been on a horse! M: What? Well, I'll be darned. Ya must be worth a pretty penny if you've only ridden in carriages yer whole life! I can tell by yer talk you've been brought up real proper too! W: What da ya mean “worth a pretty penny.” I'm not an object, you know! M: Well, yer a woman, ain't ya? W: I… I'm not going to even begin that conversation with a person such as yourself. Huh, I thought people in this time period would be a lot more polite… and… and less sexist. M: Hey, I done offered ya a ride. Now come on. Lets get goin' before the sun sets and we get stuck out here. W: All right, fine. Hey, wait. I have a time machine! Why don't I just try going back home!? M: A time what? W: Oh, oh. I hope I don't end up in a worse place than this. (sound of wolves) M: Hey, quiet! I think I can hear some coyotes comin'. W: And on that note, I'll take the risk. Well, good luck Mr. Sherriff. Bye! (Time machine noises) M: What? Where'd she go? I was gonna take her fer my wife! (Time machine noises) W: Ugh, wow, time traveling really makes ya nauseous. I wonder where I ended up, though anything is better than being out in the middle of nowhere with coyotes and a sexist sheriff. M: Hello there, good sister, where dost thou come from? (Written by Matthew Bola)

This week's podcast looks back at the 2014 FIFA World Cup -- which was great for Germany, bad for Argentina, terrible for Brazil (and England), and where Japanese fans earned respect. Image credit: stux via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3

This week's podcast looks back at the 2014 FIFA World Cup -- which was great for Germany, bad for Argentina, terrible for Brazil (and England), and where Japanese fans earned respect. Image credit: stux via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3

今月の「やさしい英語会話」は、オリジナルの物語"Time Traveling Troubles"を３回にわたってお届けします。 タイムマシンを発明した女性が、その試運転でタイムトラベルに出かけた先は、何と19世紀のテキサス州！お国なまりの保安官に銃を突きつけられたり、さっそく危ない目に遭いますが、果たしてこの女性の運命は…？ Image credit: bykst via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 （17:13　10.4MB　初級～中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） Now I can rule the world! 助動詞"can" は通常「キン」「クン」に近い弱形（weak form）で発音される。 take a test run 試運転を行う potentially cause the destruction of the universe as we know it 私たちが知っている宇宙の終わりを引き起こす可能性がある ※potentially = maybe Did it work? タイムマシンが作動したかしら。 ya youのくだけた形。アメリカ口語で使われる。 little lady お嬢さん yer you are, you're ※通常、アメリカ口語ではyou areのように２語を分けて発音せず、you'reと短縮する。 I'm sheriff of this here town. 俺はここらの町の保安官よ。 ※this hereはアメリカ南部の方言。 Great... （皮肉を込めて）参ったな。最悪。 my good sir あなたさま、（この場合は）保安官さま ※男性に対する最高に丁寧な呼びかけ 'bout =about yer =your somethin' =something Did ya bump yer head or somethin'? あんた、頭かなんかぶつけたのかい。 something along those lines そんなところです（something like that） Darn. まったくもう。（Too bad.） ※同じ意味でDamn.という表現が映画などでは使われるが、非常に強い表現なので注意が必要。 it don't matter =it doesn't matter. ※３人称単数にdon'tを用いるのは、現在でもアフリカ系アメリカ人の英語（Ebonics）などで使われることがある。 The Beatlesの"Ticket to Ride"の歌詞"She's got a ticket to ride, but she don't care." は、John Lennonがブラック・ミュージックの雰囲気を出すために用いたと思われる。 the doc =the doctor ※映画Back to the Futureでおなじみの語だが、もともとは医者の先生を指すくだけた表現。 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:30-04:55 (Natural speed) 15:15-17:20 Time Traveling Troubles (1) W: Hey, I've finally done it! I've built a fully-functioning time machine! Hahahaha! Now I can rule the world! But first, let's take a test run. Hmm… let's see… Yesterday around 2 in the afternoon should be good. I was at lunch then, so I shouldn't run into myself and potentially cause the destruction of the universe as we know it! OK. So, I just put the watch on, and turn this dial, and press this button… (Time traveling noises) W: Did I do it? Did it work!? Wait this doesn't look my laboratory. M: (With cowboy accent) Hey, can I help ya there, little lady? W: What! Who… Who are you? Where am I? M: Well, yer in the fine state of Texas! And I'm sheriff of this here town. W: Great… just where I always wanted to go, Texas (sigh). M: Excuse me, Miss. Were ya just disrespecting our great state? (pulls out six-shooter and cocks the gun) W: No, no, no. Of course not, my good sir! Um… Can you tell me what year it is? M: Well, it's 1865 and has been for 'bout five months. Um… are ya doing OK there, little lady? Did ya bump yer head or somethin'? W: Yes, yes, something along those lines… Darn, I really thought I had it this time, though I guess I did travel back in time, just not where or when I had thought. Man, how am I going to get back home? M: Hey, why ya wearin' such strange clothes? W: Oh… I… M: Well, it don't matter. Come on and get up on this here horse, and I'll take ya back to town and we can have the doc take a look at ya. W: Get on the horse? M: Yes, ma'am. (Written by Matthew Bola)

今月の「やさしい英語会話」は、オリジナルの物語"Time Traveling Troubles"を３回にわたってお届けします。 タイムマシンを発明した女性が、その試運転でタイムトラベルに出かけた先は、何と19世紀のテキサス州！お国なまりの保安官に銃を突きつけられたり、さっそく危ない目に遭いますが、果たしてこの女性の運命は…？ Image credit: bykst via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3 （17:13　10.4MB　初級～中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） Now I can rule the world! 助動詞"can" は通常「キン」「クン」に近い弱形（weak form）で発音される。 take a test run 試運転を行う potentially cause the destruction of the universe as we know it 私たちが知っている宇宙の終わりを引き起こす可能性がある ※potentially = maybe Did it work? タイムマシンが作動したかしら。 ya youのくだけた形。アメリカ口語で使われる。 little lady お嬢さん yer you are, you're ※通常、アメリカ口語ではyou areのように２語を分けて発音せず、you'reと短縮する。 I'm sheriff of this here town. 俺はここらの町の保安官よ。 ※this hereはアメリカ南部の方言。 Great... （皮肉を込めて）参ったな。最悪。 my good sir あなたさま、（この場合は）保安官さま ※男性に対する最高に丁寧な呼びかけ 'bout =about yer =your somethin' =something Did ya bump yer head or somethin'? あんた、頭かなんかぶつけたのかい。 something along those lines そんなところです（something like that） Darn. まったくもう。（Too bad.） ※同じ意味でDamn.という表現が映画などでは使われるが、非常に強い表現なので注意が必要。 it don't matter =it doesn't matter. ※３人称単数にdon'tを用いるのは、現在でもアフリカ系アメリカ人の英語（Ebonics）などで使われることがある。 The Beatlesの"Ticket to Ride"の歌詞"She's got a ticket to ride, but she don't care." は、John Lennonがブラック・ミュージックの雰囲気を出すために用いたと思われる。 the doc =the doctor ※映画Back to the Futureでおなじみの語だが、もともとは医者の先生を指すくだけた表現。 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:30-04:55 (Natural speed) 15:15-17:20 Time Traveling Troubles (1) W: Hey, I've finally done it! I've built a fully-functioning time machine! Hahahaha! Now I can rule the world! But first, let's take a test run. Hmm… let's see… Yesterday around 2 in the afternoon should be good. I was at lunch then, so I shouldn't run into myself and potentially cause the destruction of the universe as we know it! OK. So, I just put the watch on, and turn this dial, and press this button… (Time traveling noises) W: Did I do it? Did it work!? Wait this doesn't look my laboratory. M: (With cowboy accent) Hey, can I help ya there, little lady? W: What! Who… Who are you? Where am I? M: Well, yer in the fine state of Texas! And I'm sheriff of this here town. W: Great… just where I always wanted to go, Texas (sigh). M: Excuse me, Miss. Were ya just disrespecting our great state? (pulls out six-shooter and cocks the gun) W: No, no, no. Of course not, my good sir! Um… Can you tell me what year it is? M: Well, it's 1865 and has been for 'bout five months. Um… are ya doing OK there, little lady? Did ya bump yer head or somethin'? W: Yes, yes, something along those lines… Darn, I really thought I had it this time, though I guess I did travel back in time, just not where or when I had thought. Man, how am I going to get back home? M: Hey, why ya wearin' such strange clothes? W: Oh… I… M: Well, it don't matter. Come on and get up on this here horse, and I'll take ya back to town and we can have the doc take a look at ya. W: Get on the horse? M: Yes, ma'am. (Written by Matthew Bola)

This week's podcast looks at an interesting decision made by the residents of a very small village in the Italian Alps. Image credit: Simon via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3

This week's podcast looks at an interesting decision made by the residents of a very small village in the Italian Alps. Image credit: Simon via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3

This week's podcast looks at the beginning of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Image credit: Karlnapp75 via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3

This week's podcast looks at the beginning of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Image credit: Karlnapp75 via Pixabay Public Domain CC0. Download MP3

(image credit: OpenClips via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) 日本とアメリカの大学には様々な違いがあります。このうち、教室の風景として大きく違うことの一つは、アメリカの教室では飲み物の持ち込みが許されていることが多いという点です。日本の教室では考えられないことですが、何と授業中の食事も認めていることすらあるようです。 今回の会話では、授業中に飲み物を飲んでいるアメリカ人学生に日本人の友人が注意しているようです。教室での二人の会話に耳を傾けてみましょう。（でも学生の皆さん、授業中の私語はダメですよ…） Download MP3 （20:07　12.0MB　初級～中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） And that is related to this conversation how? = And how is that related to this conversation? ※このような「肯定文＋疑問詞」のタイプが会話で使われることがある。 最後の疑問詞を上がり調子で発音する。 discreet 慎重な、控えめな No way! とんでもない！ You gotta be kidding! 冗談でしょ！ understanding 寛容な Wow, that certainly sounds nice. へえ、それは確かによさそうだね。 furious 激怒した give and take お互いが妥協しあっている go for something to eat over taking a nap お昼寝をするよりも、何か食べる物を探しに出かける to hold out for a few more minutes もう少しの時間だけがまんする to catch some lunch 昼ご飯を食べにいく ※類似の表現で、to catch a bite to eatも覚えておこう。 to head off 〜に行く ※headは動詞。 to glare at 〜 〜をにらむ *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:25-06:00 (Natural speed) 15:05-16:50 Drinking In Class M: Hey! What are you doing?! W: (gulp, gulp) Um…drinking coffee? M: Hey, we're in the middle of class!! W: And that is related to this conversation how? M: You can't drink in the middle of a lecture! W: Really? Not even water, or coffee? M: No! W: Oh, that's strange… M: Why? Can you drink during class in America? W: Of course! You can drink water, tea, coffee, almost anything. Depending on the teacher and how discreet you are, you can even eat snacks! M: No way! You gotta be kidding. W: Well, sometimes there are a couple of teachers that won't let you drink or eat anything. But most teachers are very understanding, and even drink water or coffee themselves. M: Wow, that certainly sounds nice. W: Yes, but I've seen a few students fall asleep in the middle of a lecture here in Japan, and if that happened in a lecture in America the teacher would be furious! M: Is that so? Hmm, I guess it's give and take, though I could really go for something to eat now over taking a nap! W: Well, we only have about ten more minutes left in class, so I'm guessing we can both hold out for a few more minutes. M: True. Hey, do you want to catch some lunch after this? Maybe even head off campus and eat some curry? W: Sure, sounds good! Although I think maybe we should quiet down, the teacher's glaring at us and walking this way! (Written by Matthew Bola)

(image credit: OpenClips via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) 日本とアメリカの大学には様々な違いがあります。このうち、教室の風景として大きく違うことの一つは、アメリカの教室では飲み物の持ち込みが許されていることが多いという点です。日本の教室では考えられないことですが、何と授業中の食事も認めていることすらあるようです。 今回の会話では、授業中に飲み物を飲んでいるアメリカ人学生に日本人の友人が注意しているようです。教室での二人の会話に耳を傾けてみましょう。（でも学生の皆さん、授業中の私語はダメですよ…） Download MP3 （20:07　12.0MB　初級～中級）*** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） And that is related to this conversation how? = And how is that related to this conversation? ※このような「肯定文＋疑問詞」のタイプが会話で使われることがある。 最後の疑問詞を上がり調子で発音する。 discreet 慎重な、控えめな No way! とんでもない！ You gotta be kidding! 冗談でしょ！ understanding 寛容な Wow, that certainly sounds nice. へえ、それは確かによさそうだね。 furious 激怒した give and take お互いが妥協しあっている go for something to eat over taking a nap お昼寝をするよりも、何か食べる物を探しに出かける to hold out for a few more minutes もう少しの時間だけがまんする to catch some lunch 昼ご飯を食べにいく ※類似の表現で、to catch a bite to eatも覚えておこう。 to head off 〜に行く ※headは動詞。 to glare at 〜 〜をにらむ *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:25-06:00 (Natural speed) 15:05-16:50 Drinking In Class M: Hey! What are you doing?! W: (gulp, gulp) Um…drinking coffee? M: Hey, we're in the middle of class!! W: And that is related to this conversation how? M: You can't drink in the middle of a lecture! W: Really? Not even water, or coffee? M: No! W: Oh, that's strange… M: Why? Can you drink during class in America? W: Of course! You can drink water, tea, coffee, almost anything. Depending on the teacher and how discreet you are, you can even eat snacks! M: No way! You gotta be kidding. W: Well, sometimes there are a couple of teachers that won't let you drink or eat anything. But most teachers are very understanding, and even drink water or coffee themselves. M: Wow, that certainly sounds nice. W: Yes, but I've seen a few students fall asleep in the middle of a lecture here in Japan, and if that happened in a lecture in America the teacher would be furious! M: Is that so? Hmm, I guess it's give and take, though I could really go for something to eat now over taking a nap! W: Well, we only have about ten more minutes left in class, so I'm guessing we can both hold out for a few more minutes. M: True. Hey, do you want to catch some lunch after this? Maybe even head off campus and eat some curry? W: Sure, sounds good! Although I think maybe we should quiet down, the teacher's glaring at us and walking this way! (Written by Matthew Bola)

(image credit: OpenClips via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) 初めてのデートと聞くと、ロマンチックでどことなく甘酸っぱい響きがしますね。デートの雰囲気はカップルによって違うものですが、まだお互いのことを十分に知らない二人の会話は、緊張の中で時に途切れたり、はずまないこともあるかもしれません。 本日の会話では、そんな初デート中のカップルの会話です。そして二人が話している話題は、なんと「ゾンビ計画」。いったいゾンビ計画とは何なのでしょうか。ロマンチックなデートに似つかわしくない二人の会話に耳を傾けてみましょう。 Download MP3 （19:42　12.0MB　初級～中級）Picking Zombie Plans *** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） I'm really into country and bluegrass lately. =僕は最近カントリーとブルーグラス（音楽）にはまっているんだ ※カントリーとブルーグラスはアメリカ南部発祥の音楽。 besides 〜 = 〜以外の governments have always loved to dabble in things they can't control =政府は自分が制御できないことにいつも好んで手を出したがる ※to dabble inは〜「〜にちょっと手を出す、かじってみる」 an entertaining subject to discuss =話し合うのに楽しい話題 That's all it's supposed to be about: fun. =娯楽、それがすべての目的なんだ a pinch of =a little just in case =念のため Spill it. =言ってみてよ ※刑事ドラマで刑事が被疑者に「白状しろ。吐け。」という時に使われるセリフ。 sluggish =slow a flaw =欠点 the gist of 〜 =〜の要点 a ton of 〜 =たくさんの〜 luxury =贅沢品 port-hop =港から港へと動き回る ※〜-hoppingで「〜から〜へ渡り歩くこと」の意味。 bar-hoppingはいわゆる「はしご酒」。 to be bothered by 〜 =〜に邪魔をされる I admit it. =認めるよ。/ 確かにそうだね。 why =あら。 ※ここでは、驚きを表す間投詞。丁寧な感じ。 I say =いやあ ※驚きや感嘆を表す間投詞。上のwhyと同じ意味で使われている。 If the zombies don't get us first, that is! つまり、その前にゾンビが私達をつかまえたりしなければね！ *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:05-05:40 (Natural speed) 15:15-17:10 Picking Zombie Plans Scene: Two people on a first date. M: So, um… this Italian place is pretty good, isn't it? W: Ah… Yes… the food is very…interesting. M: Yep… so… hey, do you like any music? I'm really into country and bluegrass lately. W: Actually, I like almost anything BESIDES country music… Sorry. M: Oh, that's OK… So… Um… Have you got a zombie plan? W: A what? M: A zombie plan. In the past few years, zombie movies, zombie video games, and even zombie TV shows have gotten very popular, you know. Think about it: Technology these days is so advanced, and governments have always loved to dabble in things they can't control. W: Hmm… That DOES sound like an entertaining subject to discuss, for fun! M: That's all it's supposed to be about: fun! And also maybe a pinch of preparation, just in case. W: So, spill it: What's YOUR zombie plan? M: My plan is to go north, as far north as possible. Up there, the zombies will freeze, or become extremely sluggish, so they should be no problem at all! W: Well, while there are some major flaws in that plan, such as how YOU would survive in the freezing north, I think I understand the gist of it. M: OK then, what's yours? W: I would take over a cruise ship! They have got to have a ton of food on those things already, and they have a lot of entertainment and luxury, so I wouldn't be bored. I could port-hop for supplies and not be bothered by zombies because they can't swim! M: Ha ha! OK, I admit it: that DOES sound like a pretty awesome plan. W: Why, thank you! M: Now, I have another question for you. How about a 2nd date next week? W: I say that sounds great! If the zombies don't get us first, that is!

(image credit: OpenClips via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) 初めてのデートと聞くと、ロマンチックでどことなく甘酸っぱい響きがしますね。デートの雰囲気はカップルによって違うものですが、まだお互いのことを十分に知らない二人の会話は、緊張の中で時に途切れたり、はずまないこともあるかもしれません。 本日の会話では、そんな初デート中のカップルの会話です。そして二人が話している話題は、なんと「ゾンビ計画」。いったいゾンビ計画とは何なのでしょうか。ロマンチックなデートに似つかわしくない二人の会話に耳を傾けてみましょう。 Download MP3 （19:42　12.0MB　初級～中級）Picking Zombie Plans *** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） I'm really into country and bluegrass lately. =僕は最近カントリーとブルーグラス（音楽）にはまっているんだ ※カントリーとブルーグラスはアメリカ南部発祥の音楽。 besides 〜 = 〜以外の governments have always loved to dabble in things they can't control =政府は自分が制御できないことにいつも好んで手を出したがる ※to dabble inは〜「〜にちょっと手を出す、かじってみる」 an entertaining subject to discuss =話し合うのに楽しい話題 That's all it's supposed to be about: fun. =娯楽、それがすべての目的なんだ a pinch of =a little just in case =念のため Spill it. =言ってみてよ ※刑事ドラマで刑事が被疑者に「白状しろ。吐け。」という時に使われるセリフ。 sluggish =slow a flaw =欠点 the gist of 〜 =〜の要点 a ton of 〜 =たくさんの〜 luxury =贅沢品 port-hop =港から港へと動き回る ※〜-hoppingで「〜から〜へ渡り歩くこと」の意味。 bar-hoppingはいわゆる「はしご酒」。 to be bothered by 〜 =〜に邪魔をされる I admit it. =認めるよ。/ 確かにそうだね。 why =あら。 ※ここでは、驚きを表す間投詞。丁寧な感じ。 I say =いやあ ※驚きや感嘆を表す間投詞。上のwhyと同じ意味で使われている。 If the zombies don't get us first, that is! つまり、その前にゾンビが私達をつかまえたりしなければね！ *** Script *** (Slow speed) 03:05-05:40 (Natural speed) 15:15-17:10 Picking Zombie Plans Scene: Two people on a first date. M: So, um… this Italian place is pretty good, isn't it? W: Ah… Yes… the food is very…interesting. M: Yep… so… hey, do you like any music? I'm really into country and bluegrass lately. W: Actually, I like almost anything BESIDES country music… Sorry. M: Oh, that's OK… So… Um… Have you got a zombie plan? W: A what? M: A zombie plan. In the past few years, zombie movies, zombie video games, and even zombie TV shows have gotten very popular, you know. Think about it: Technology these days is so advanced, and governments have always loved to dabble in things they can't control. W: Hmm… That DOES sound like an entertaining subject to discuss, for fun! M: That's all it's supposed to be about: fun! And also maybe a pinch of preparation, just in case. W: So, spill it: What's YOUR zombie plan? M: My plan is to go north, as far north as possible. Up there, the zombies will freeze, or become extremely sluggish, so they should be no problem at all! W: Well, while there are some major flaws in that plan, such as how YOU would survive in the freezing north, I think I understand the gist of it. M: OK then, what's yours? W: I would take over a cruise ship! They have got to have a ton of food on those things already, and they have a lot of entertainment and luxury, so I wouldn't be bored. I could port-hop for supplies and not be bothered by zombies because they can't swim! M: Ha ha! OK, I admit it: that DOES sound like a pretty awesome plan. W: Why, thank you! M: Now, I have another question for you. How about a 2nd date next week? W: I say that sounds great! If the zombies don't get us first, that is!

(image credit: Zauberin via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) もうすぐ春。広島大学では本日一般入試（前期日程）が行われています。受験生の皆さんに輝かしい春が訪れ、それぞれの夢に向けてスタートが切れるよう、スタッフ一同祈っています。 ところで今回の会話には、輝かしいというよりちょっと「あぶない」夢が登場するようです。 夢といえば以前にも「明晰夢」の話や「変わった夢」についての会話をお届けしました。今回のお話も一風変わった夢の話からスタートしますが、途中からの予想外に「あぶない」展開をお聞き逃しなく…。 Download MP3 （16:09　9.8MB　初級～中級）Dangerous Dreams *** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） deranged =crazy a clown 道化師 to run 〜 over 〜を車でひく a butchers knife 肉切り包丁 to plunge 〜 into ... 〜を...に突っ込む multiple 多数の to drive 〜 crazy 〜の頭をおかしくさせる demonic 悪魔のような random でたらめな I don't like where this is going… この話の流れはいやだな... an overwhelming desire 抗いがたい欲望 to run 〜 down 〜をひく（to run over） to gun the gas （車の）スロットルを開いて加速する to pop open （目が）驚きで見開く to stab 〜を刺す *** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:05-04:35 (Natural speed) 11:55-13:50 Dangerous Dreams Scene: Two students discussing their dreams from the previous night. M: I had the weirdest dream last night! W: Really? What happened? M: I had a nightmare that I woke up from, and I went downstairs to go to school and talk to you, and then I was attacked by a deranged clown in a car! He tried to run me over! W: Then what happened? M: I woke up right when he hit me! But when I woke up I was lying in bed and I tried to get up, but I couldn't move! W: Oh no! M: And then the clown was standing over me with a butchers knife. I tried to scream and scream but nothing would come out. Then the clown took the knife and started to plunge it into my stomach! W: Wow, that sounds horrible. M: Yeah, I hate those dreams where there are multiple dreams within a dream. It drives me crazy! W: Well, I had an interesting dream, too, though not as demonic sounding as yours. M: Oh, what happened in it? W: Well, first it seemed like just a regular day… M: But I'm guessing it wasn't? W: Exactly. M: So…? W: I was walking to my car when I found a clown costume on the ground. At first I thought it was really random, for no reason, but then all the sudden I was already wearing it, and it felt so natural. M: Oh, I don't like where this is going… W: And then I was in my car… and I saw you… and I felt this overwhelming desire to run you down! So I gunned the gas! But then you disappeared right before I hit you! M: Oh god. W: But it's OK, because then I was in your bedroom, watching you sleep. Then, all of the sudden your eyes popped open, and I could see the fear in them. But you didn't move. It was, almost, like you couldn't move! M: Please stop… W: And so I took the knife, that appeared in my hand all of the sudden, and stabbed you. But again you disappeared! But this time… M: Stop… Get away! W: Ha ha ha!!! There's nowhere to disappear to! (Written by Matthew Bola)

(image credit: Zauberin via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) もうすぐ春。広島大学では本日一般入試（前期日程）が行われています。受験生の皆さんに輝かしい春が訪れ、それぞれの夢に向けてスタートが切れるよう、スタッフ一同祈っています。 ところで今回の会話には、輝かしいというよりちょっと「あぶない」夢が登場するようです。 夢といえば以前にも「明晰夢」の話や「変わった夢」についての会話をお届けしました。今回のお話も一風変わった夢の話からスタートしますが、途中からの予想外に「あぶない」展開をお聞き逃しなく…。 Download MP3 （16:09　9.8MB　初級～中級）Dangerous Dreams *** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） deranged =crazy a clown 道化師 to run 〜 over 〜を車でひく a butchers knife 肉切り包丁 to plunge 〜 into ... 〜を...に突っ込む multiple 多数の to drive 〜 crazy 〜の頭をおかしくさせる demonic 悪魔のような random でたらめな I don't like where this is going… この話の流れはいやだな... an overwhelming desire 抗いがたい欲望 to run 〜 down 〜をひく（to run over） to gun the gas （車の）スロットルを開いて加速する to pop open （目が）驚きで見開く to stab 〜を刺す *** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:05-04:35 (Natural speed) 11:55-13:50 Dangerous Dreams Scene: Two students discussing their dreams from the previous night. M: I had the weirdest dream last night! W: Really? What happened? M: I had a nightmare that I woke up from, and I went downstairs to go to school and talk to you, and then I was attacked by a deranged clown in a car! He tried to run me over! W: Then what happened? M: I woke up right when he hit me! But when I woke up I was lying in bed and I tried to get up, but I couldn't move! W: Oh no! M: And then the clown was standing over me with a butchers knife. I tried to scream and scream but nothing would come out. Then the clown took the knife and started to plunge it into my stomach! W: Wow, that sounds horrible. M: Yeah, I hate those dreams where there are multiple dreams within a dream. It drives me crazy! W: Well, I had an interesting dream, too, though not as demonic sounding as yours. M: Oh, what happened in it? W: Well, first it seemed like just a regular day… M: But I'm guessing it wasn't? W: Exactly. M: So…? W: I was walking to my car when I found a clown costume on the ground. At first I thought it was really random, for no reason, but then all the sudden I was already wearing it, and it felt so natural. M: Oh, I don't like where this is going… W: And then I was in my car… and I saw you… and I felt this overwhelming desire to run you down! So I gunned the gas! But then you disappeared right before I hit you! M: Oh god. W: But it's OK, because then I was in your bedroom, watching you sleep. Then, all of the sudden your eyes popped open, and I could see the fear in them. But you didn't move. It was, almost, like you couldn't move! M: Please stop… W: And so I took the knife, that appeared in my hand all of the sudden, and stabbed you. But again you disappeared! But this time… M: Stop… Get away! W: Ha ha ha!!! There's nowhere to disappear to! (Written by Matthew Bola)

(image credit: OpenClips via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) 現在お食事中の方、ごめんなさい！今回は「トイレ」についてのお話をお届けします。 トイレは私たちの生活に欠かせないものであるだけでなく、そのスタイルは国によって本当にさまざまです。海外を旅して、その国のトイレに驚いたり、使い方がわからなくて困惑した経験をお持ちの方も多いのではないでしょうか。一方で、日本を訪れた外国人も、日本のトイレに驚くようです。日本のトイレの特徴をユーモラスな英語で説明している今回の会話、どうぞお楽しみください！ Download MP3 （16:57　10.2MB　初級～中級）Japanese Bathrooms Are Unique *** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） a handkerchief ハンカチ（発音注意） no matter how [wh-] + S + V どれだけ〜でも to carry around 〜を持ち歩く to spread germs 菌をまき散らす though 〜だけれども ※口語英語では"〜, though."のように文末で使われることも多い。 Just rinsing with the toilet water goes against everything I learned about cleanliness. トイレの水道で流すだけでは、私が清潔さについて学んだすべてのことに反する（＝十分に清潔とは言えない） might as well do 〜するのと同然である a fighter-jet cockpit 戦闘機のコクピット as far as I am concerned 私に関する限り、私に言わせれば disinfectants 消毒薬 to fart おならをする ※婉曲表現は"to release gas"。 to befuddle を困惑させる *** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:40-05:40 (Natural speed) 12:20-14:35 Scene: Coming out of the bathroom. W: Hey, Tom, do you have a handkerchief with you? I forgot mine. M: Yeah, sure. Here you go. W: Ugh, no matter how long I've been in Japan, I still can't get used to the fact that they don't have paper towel in the bathrooms. Or hand soap, sometimes. M: Well, you know, it's considered to be cleaner to carry around your own handkerchief. That way bathrooms stay cleaner and you're not spreading germs. W: Still have germs on MY hands, though. Just rinsing with the toilet water goes against everything I learned about cleanliness. M: You should try using the bidet features on the toilet. That way you can, you know, "pre-wash" before drying it down there or…whatever it is girls do. W: Those toilets might as well be a fighter-jet cockpit as far as I am concerned. I have an equal amount of ability in correctly using either of them! M: Ha ha. Maybe the toilet behavior IS a bit different than what you're used to, but at least the seat is warm. And they have seat disinfectants and those little noise makers, so you can fart in public without worrying that everyone heard it. W: (chuckle) That IS a plus side, I guess. M: The toilet slippers might be a bit much though. Especially if you forget that you're wearing them and accidentally walk ANYWHERE else in them. W: Yeah, that particular customs befuddles me, too. I assume people know how to accurately aim into the toilet, and if they don't, then I definitely don't want to wear the same slippers they were wearing when they missed! M: Ha ha. And they have bathroom accessories for everything! The seat cover, the seat, the toilet paper cover, the base – I never realized toilets could be so decorated! W: I'm not a fan of the fuzzy seat covers. Because when a hair gets trapped there, it's there—forever! And I don't know where that hair has been, so I really don't want to sit on it. M: Well, even if you complain, Japanese toilets are still way better and much cleaner than the average Western toilet. Actually, it's funny they even call them "Western" toilets. I think most non-Japanese consider them a distinctly Japanese thing! (Written by Sadie Cornforth)

(image credit: OpenClips via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) 現在お食事中の方、ごめんなさい！今回は「トイレ」についてのお話をお届けします。 トイレは私たちの生活に欠かせないものであるだけでなく、そのスタイルは国によって本当にさまざまです。海外を旅して、その国のトイレに驚いたり、使い方がわからなくて困惑した経験をお持ちの方も多いのではないでしょうか。一方で、日本を訪れた外国人も、日本のトイレに驚くようです。日本のトイレの特徴をユーモラスな英語で説明している今回の会話、どうぞお楽しみください！ Download MP3 （16:57　10.2MB　初級～中級）Japanese Bathrooms Are Unique *** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） a handkerchief ハンカチ（発音注意） no matter how [wh-] + S + V どれだけ〜でも to carry around 〜を持ち歩く to spread germs 菌をまき散らす though 〜だけれども ※口語英語では"〜, though."のように文末で使われることも多い。 Just rinsing with the toilet water goes against everything I learned about cleanliness. トイレの水道で流すだけでは、私が清潔さについて学んだすべてのことに反する（＝十分に清潔とは言えない） might as well do 〜するのと同然である a fighter-jet cockpit 戦闘機のコクピット as far as I am concerned 私に関する限り、私に言わせれば disinfectants 消毒薬 to fart おならをする ※婉曲表現は"to release gas"。 to befuddle を困惑させる *** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:40-05:40 (Natural speed) 12:20-14:35 Scene: Coming out of the bathroom. W: Hey, Tom, do you have a handkerchief with you? I forgot mine. M: Yeah, sure. Here you go. W: Ugh, no matter how long I've been in Japan, I still can't get used to the fact that they don't have paper towel in the bathrooms. Or hand soap, sometimes. M: Well, you know, it's considered to be cleaner to carry around your own handkerchief. That way bathrooms stay cleaner and you're not spreading germs. W: Still have germs on MY hands, though. Just rinsing with the toilet water goes against everything I learned about cleanliness. M: You should try using the bidet features on the toilet. That way you can, you know, "pre-wash" before drying it down there or…whatever it is girls do. W: Those toilets might as well be a fighter-jet cockpit as far as I am concerned. I have an equal amount of ability in correctly using either of them! M: Ha ha. Maybe the toilet behavior IS a bit different than what you're used to, but at least the seat is warm. And they have seat disinfectants and those little noise makers, so you can fart in public without worrying that everyone heard it. W: (chuckle) That IS a plus side, I guess. M: The toilet slippers might be a bit much though. Especially if you forget that you're wearing them and accidentally walk ANYWHERE else in them. W: Yeah, that particular customs befuddles me, too. I assume people know how to accurately aim into the toilet, and if they don't, then I definitely don't want to wear the same slippers they were wearing when they missed! M: Ha ha. And they have bathroom accessories for everything! The seat cover, the seat, the toilet paper cover, the base – I never realized toilets could be so decorated! W: I'm not a fan of the fuzzy seat covers. Because when a hair gets trapped there, it's there—forever! And I don't know where that hair has been, so I really don't want to sit on it. M: Well, even if you complain, Japanese toilets are still way better and much cleaner than the average Western toilet. Actually, it's funny they even call them "Western" toilets. I think most non-Japanese consider them a distinctly Japanese thing! (Written by Sadie Cornforth)

(image credit: werner22brigitte via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) 来週13日に成人式を迎えるリスナーの皆さん、おめでとうございます！ 成人になって認められることの一つに「飲酒」がありますね。お酒はほどほどに楽しむのが大人の礼儀ですが、酔っぱらって街を歩いたり、公衆の場所で飲酒する人を見かけることがあります。 日本では、迷惑行為に及ばない限り、人前での飲酒には比較的寛容な社会であると言えるでしょう。一方アメリカでは、これらの行為はどう思われるのでしょうか。 Download MP3 （16:24　9.9MB　初級～中級）Drinking in Public *** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） to be drunk = 酔っぱらって not socially acceptable = 社会に容認されていない mind-blowing = crazy public drunkenness = 公衆の面前での酩酊状態 to get fined = 罰金を科せられる to get arrested = 逮捕される less acceptable (than in Japan) = （日本ほどは）受け入れられない to reel it in a bit = ちょっと遠慮する ※ reel it in（わきまえる） + a bit（ちょっと）。もともと"to reel in 〜"は釣りで使われる表現で「（獲物）をリールでたぐり寄せる」の意味。「状況をコントロールする」という意味合いから転じて、この会話の中では「わきまえる、遠慮する」。 「やさしい英語会話 (173) Seeing Stars」でも"to make it easy to understand"の意味でこの表現が使われている。辞書等にはあまり載っていないが、Google検索すると多数の用例がヒットする。 to get in trouble = トラブルに巻き込まれる too much of a 〜 = あまりに〜過ぎる a nuisance = 不愉快なもの、迷惑のもと tend to be a bit stricter = 少し厳しめになりがちである I guess (that) drinking laws and how people perceive other people who are drunk vary greatly due to culture. = 飲酒の法律や、人々の酔っぱらいに対する考え方は、文化によって大きく異なる。 ※that節の主語は"drinking〜drunk"、動詞は"vary"。 to vary「様々である」 due to「〜が原因で、〜によって」 to suck = 最悪だ、うんざりする ※スラング表現だが、映画などでも頻繁に登場する。軽蔑的表現なので、使用には注意を要する。 もともとの意味は「（口で）吸う」。 to grab = to get ※目的語に飲食物が来ると「さっと食べる（飲む）」「ちょっと〜でも食べる（飲む）」の意味。Let's grab some lunch.で「ランチでも行こうか」。 Care to join me? = 一緒に行かない？ ※誰かを誘う表現で、もともとはWould you care to join me? care to do「〜したいと思う」 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:35-05:15 (Natural speed) 11:55-13:55 Drinking in Public Scene: Two friends out walking around at night. M: Wow, look at those students! W: What about 'em? M: They're clearly drunk! And half of them are even carrying around open cans of beer and bottles of sake! W: I don't see the problem. M: Really?! So this is totally socially acceptable and legal in Japan? W: Yes, it is. M: That's mind-blowing. W: Why, in America is that NOT OK? M: No, that's called public drunkenness, and you can get fined, or even arrested for it. W: Really? So there's never anybody out in public completely drunk in America? M: Well… no, there is, but I think it's less common, or at least less acceptable. There are definitely drunk people in the streets, but usually near bars, and most people at least TRY to reel it in a bit in public, because you can get in trouble. W: Well, you can still get in trouble for it in Japan if you become too much of a nuisance. M: I guess. W: Well, what about open bottles of alcohol? Is that illegal in America too? M: Yes, in most cities these days, it's against the law. There are a few cities, such as New Orleans, where you ARE allowed to have an open bottle in public, but for the majority of places, you can't walk around in public while holding alcohol. And about open containers of alcohol, the police tend to be a bit stricter than in Japan, I think. W: That seems very different; I guess drinking laws and how people perceive other people who are drunk vary greatly due to culture. M: Yeah. Drinking alcohol in America, although very common and even celebrated, is still almost a taboo subject, I think. W: Really? M: At least, in my opinion it is. Which is probably also why our drinking age is so high. W: Ah, yes, that is very unfortunate for you guys, isn't it. M: Well, waiting until you're 21 to drink does suck, but now that I'm 21, I don't really care anymore! Anyways, all this talk about alcohol makes me want to grab a beer! Care to join me? W: Great! (Written by Matthew Bola)

(image credit: werner22brigitte via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) 来週13日に成人式を迎えるリスナーの皆さん、おめでとうございます！ 成人になって認められることの一つに「飲酒」がありますね。お酒はほどほどに楽しむのが大人の礼儀ですが、酔っぱらって街を歩いたり、公衆の場所で飲酒する人を見かけることがあります。 日本では、迷惑行為に及ばない限り、人前での飲酒には比較的寛容な社会であると言えるでしょう。一方アメリカでは、これらの行為はどう思われるのでしょうか。 Download MP3 （16:24　9.9MB　初級～中級）Drinking in Public *** It's a Good Expression *** （今回の重要表現） to be drunk = 酔っぱらって not socially acceptable = 社会に容認されていない mind-blowing = crazy public drunkenness = 公衆の面前での酩酊状態 to get fined = 罰金を科せられる to get arrested = 逮捕される less acceptable (than in Japan) = （日本ほどは）受け入れられない to reel it in a bit = ちょっと遠慮する ※ reel it in（わきまえる） + a bit（ちょっと）。もともと"to reel in 〜"は釣りで使われる表現で「（獲物）をリールでたぐり寄せる」の意味。「状況をコントロールする」という意味合いから転じて、この会話の中では「わきまえる、遠慮する」。 「やさしい英語会話 (173) Seeing Stars」でも"to make it easy to understand"の意味でこの表現が使われている。辞書等にはあまり載っていないが、Google検索すると多数の用例がヒットする。 to get in trouble = トラブルに巻き込まれる too much of a 〜 = あまりに〜過ぎる a nuisance = 不愉快なもの、迷惑のもと tend to be a bit stricter = 少し厳しめになりがちである I guess (that) drinking laws and how people perceive other people who are drunk vary greatly due to culture. = 飲酒の法律や、人々の酔っぱらいに対する考え方は、文化によって大きく異なる。 ※that節の主語は"drinking〜drunk"、動詞は"vary"。 to vary「様々である」 due to「〜が原因で、〜によって」 to suck = 最悪だ、うんざりする ※スラング表現だが、映画などでも頻繁に登場する。軽蔑的表現なので、使用には注意を要する。 もともとの意味は「（口で）吸う」。 to grab = to get ※目的語に飲食物が来ると「さっと食べる（飲む）」「ちょっと〜でも食べる（飲む）」の意味。Let's grab some lunch.で「ランチでも行こうか」。 Care to join me? = 一緒に行かない？ ※誰かを誘う表現で、もともとはWould you care to join me? care to do「〜したいと思う」 *** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:35-05:15 (Natural speed) 11:55-13:55 Drinking in Public Scene: Two friends out walking around at night. M: Wow, look at those students! W: What about 'em? M: They're clearly drunk! And half of them are even carrying around open cans of beer and bottles of sake! W: I don't see the problem. M: Really?! So this is totally socially acceptable and legal in Japan? W: Yes, it is. M: That's mind-blowing. W: Why, in America is that NOT OK? M: No, that's called public drunkenness, and you can get fined, or even arrested for it. W: Really? So there's never anybody out in public completely drunk in America? M: Well… no, there is, but I think it's less common, or at least less acceptable. There are definitely drunk people in the streets, but usually near bars, and most people at least TRY to reel it in a bit in public, because you can get in trouble. W: Well, you can still get in trouble for it in Japan if you become too much of a nuisance. M: I guess. W: Well, what about open bottles of alcohol? Is that illegal in America too? M: Yes, in most cities these days, it's against the law. There are a few cities, such as New Orleans, where you ARE allowed to have an open bottle in public, but for the majority of places, you can't walk around in public while holding alcohol. And about open containers of alcohol, the police tend to be a bit stricter than in Japan, I think. W: That seems very different; I guess drinking laws and how people perceive other people who are drunk vary greatly due to culture. M: Yeah. Drinking alcohol in America, although very common and even celebrated, is still almost a taboo subject, I think. W: Really? M: At least, in my opinion it is. Which is probably also why our drinking age is so high. W: Ah, yes, that is very unfortunate for you guys, isn't it. M: Well, waiting until you're 21 to drink does suck, but now that I'm 21, I don't really care anymore! Anyways, all this talk about alcohol makes me want to grab a beer! Care to join me? W: Great! (Written by Matthew Bola)

(photo credit: geralt via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) (music credit: しましまP＆箏姉 via Niconi Commons) Happy New Year, everyone! This week's podcast will look at three news areas of sport, movies, and news, and make some predictions on what we think will happen in 2014 -- for example, will Japan win the FIFA World Cup in Brazil? Download MP3

(photo credit: geralt via Pixabay Public Domain CC0) (music credit: しましまP＆箏姉 via Niconi Commons) Happy New Year, everyone! This week's podcast will look at three news areas of sport, movies, and news, and make some predictions on what we think will happen in 2014 -- for example, will Japan win the FIFA World Cup in Brazil? Download MP3