*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
Hello everyone. This week’s question focuses on what gives you pleasure in your daily life. I recently read an interesting news article about a survey that was conducted in England that asked people what gave them pleasure, or more clearly, what were their greatest LITTLE PLEASURES in life.
Life’s little pleasures are the simple things that make you feel good or put a smile on your face. These things don't usually cost money but rather, are things you either don’t anticipate or sometimes overlook in your daily life. They are sometimes called life gifts. If you don’t understand, I will give you an example. Almost everyone likes to travel, so we don’t consider taking a trip a little pleasure. However, getting through the airport quickly or having your plane leave on time or a few minutes early is something that could be considered one of life’s little pleasures.
There are many little pleasures in my life. For example, I love to make Hiroe laugh. I love to turn on the television and find a great movie has just begun. I love to wake up in the morning and smell coffee. I love getting into bed 30 minutes after turning on my electric blanket. I love when my dog sits next to me. I love a glass of lemonade on a hot day. I love freshly washed sheets on my bed. I love putting on hot clothes directly from the dryer. I love watching Hiroe and Lily (my dog) sleep next to each other. I love getting dressed up for a nice dinner. I love completing a task. And I love to “eskimo kiss” Hiroe. Of course, there are MANY more...
How about you. What are some of the little pleasures in life for you? I will REALLY look forward to hearing what makes you smile when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
focus
自動詞〈光レンズなどが〉焦点に集まる［合う］；（…に）焦点を合わせる, 注意［考え］を集中する｟on ...｠.
pleasure
Ｕ喜び, （…する）楽しさ, 愉快, 満足｟in ..., in doing, of doing｠；Ｃ（1つの）楽しみ, 喜びを与えるもの
show pleasure｜うれしそうな表情をする
express one's heart-felt pleasure｜心からの喜びを表す
have the pleasure of ...｜｟形式的｠…の喜びに浴する；｟おどけて｠…の憂き目にあう
find pleasure in ...｜…に喜びを見つける
conduct
〈クラスなどを〉指導する, 〈会合などを〉運営する, 〈業務などを〉管理する, 処理する, 実施する
conduct a business｜業務を遂行する
conduct a study of ...｜…の研究を行う.
life’s little pleasures
人生の小さな喜び
anticipate
［III名 詞/doing/that節/wh-節］…を予想［予期, 予知］する；…を心配［楽しみに］して待つ, 待ち望む, 当てにする；…を確信する（▼expectとは異なりto doは用いない）. ⇒EXPECT[類語]
anticipate a favorable change｜望ましい変化を期待する
We anticipate much pleasure from our trip to London.｜ロンドン旅行をたいへん楽しみにしている
I anticipated getting a letter from my aunt.｜おばから今に手紙が来るぞと待っていた
electric blanket
電気毛布
dryer
乾燥させる人［物］；乾燥器, ドライヤー. ⇒SPIN-DRIER
task
（一定期間内にやるべき）仕事, 課業, 学業；自発的に請け負った作業；職務. ⇒DUTY[類語]
be at one's task｜仕事をしている
set a person (to) a task［＝assign a task to a person］｜人に仕事を課す
take a task upon oneself｜仕事を引き受ける.
Eskimo kiss
エスキモーキス
（鼻と鼻を、突き合わせるキス）
Also, for your information, I will include the top 50 “greatest little pleasures in life” for Britons according the the survey. See how many of them you can understand!
1. A good night's sleep
2. Finding a forgotten money in your pocket
3. Cuddling up with a partner in bed
4. Crying with laughter
5. Having a lie-in
6. Sleeping in newly laundered bedding
7. Getting a bargain
8. Making someone smile
9. Catching up with an old friend
10. Laughing at things that have happened in the past
11. Eating Sunday dinner with your family
12. Someone saying you look nice
13. Curling up on the sofa with a good book and a hot drink or soup
14. Discovering you've lost a few kilograms
15. Breakfast in bed
16. Waking up thinking it's a work day and then realizing it's the weekend
17. A random person (stranger) smiling at you in the street
18. Looking through old photo albums
19. Eating takeaway food
20. The first snow fall of the year
21. Singing loudly to your favorite song in car
22. Having lunch with friends
23. Listening to a baby laughing
24. Having a massage
25. Reading a book or listening to your iPod on holiday by the pool
26. Playing in the snow
27. Finding a pair of jeans that fit perfectly
28. Being chatted up (flirting with someone)
29. A girly-night in
30. A pampering session at home
31. The smell of freshly cut grass
32. Sitting in the pub with your friends
33. Looking at a sleeping baby
34. Waking up in a room with an amazing view
35. Clothes shopping
36. Receiving a letter from a friend
37. Fitting into an old pair of jeans again after losing some weight
38. Staying up all night getting to know someone special
39. Your mom's cooking
40. Getting dressed up for a night out
41. Watching a live band
42. Drinking a cold beer after work
43. Browsing in a secondhand book shop
44. Going out to a movie
45. Getting a new hairstyle
46. Your queue being the quickest in the supermarket
47. The cold side of the pillow
48. Watching a DVD
49. Getting tipsy
50. Popping bubble wrap
2010/01/31
2010/01/24
もし人生にこんなシナリオを与えられたら、あなたはどれを選びますか？
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
This week’s question requires us to think about our own well-being versus the well-being of others.
Image you have been given the following 3 scenarios and you must choose ONLY ONE of them to come true.
Your choices are:
To end world famine;
To win ¥100,000,000;
To add 10 years to your life.
Which would you choose and why?
My answer:
Of course, if I won ¥100,000,000, my life would probably be a little more relaxed than it is now. I am sure I would play a little more golf, I would buy an old house in the countryside and spend my time fixing it up and I would certainly do a lot more gardening. Besides that, I could help any friends or family that needed any assistance.
None of us know just how long we will live. However, my assumption is that I have at least another 30 or 40 years left of my life here on earth. And quite honestly, that is plenty for me. For that reason, living until I am 70 or 80 seems like enough time to do what I want to do. However, if I knew that I would die anytime soon, then adding another 10 years might be a good idea since dying young would only hurt the people around me. However, I don’t want to add another 10 years onto my life so that I live until 90 or perhaps even longer.
However, if I am honest with myself and if I really had to choose between the three scenarios, there is no internal debate. As much as I would like some extra money or extra time in my life, those things don’t compare to helping others.
How about you? Which would you choose and why?
I will look forward to hearing your answers this week when we speak.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabulary:
well-being 名詞
幸福, 安寧, 福利
the well-being of the nation｜国家の安寧
material well-being｜物質的幸福.
versus 前置詞｟形式的｠
（比較や二者択一において）…に対して, 対比して, 対照して
scenario 名詞
（複 〜s）
1 （映画の）シナリオ, 脚本
a scenario writer｜シナリオライター.
2 （劇などの）台本, 筋書
under this scenario｜このような筋書で.
famine 名詞
1 飢きん；Ｕ飢え, 空腹, 飢餓(starvation)
a region ravaged by famine｜飢きんに見舞われている地方
famine prices｜飢きん相場.
2 大変な不足, 大欠乏.
［中フランス語←俗ラテン語famīna（famēs飢え＋īna -INE2＝飢えの状態）］
fix (something) up
自動詞｟米略式｠修理する、改善する
assumption 名詞
1 仮定, 想定, 前提, （…と）仮定すること｟that節｠；了解事項；〘論理学〙（三段論法の）小前提
on the assumption that ...｜…という仮定のもとに
It's a mere assumption.｜単なる仮定の話だ.
plenty 名詞
1｟ふつう肯定文｠十分, たくさん, 多数, 多量（の…）｟of ...｠
There was plenty of money.｜たくさん金があった
There were plenty of apples on the tree.｜木にはリンゴがたくさんなっていた
internal debate
（心の）内なる討論
This week’s question requires us to think about our own well-being versus the well-being of others.
Image you have been given the following 3 scenarios and you must choose ONLY ONE of them to come true.
Your choices are:
To end world famine;
To win ¥100,000,000;
To add 10 years to your life.
Which would you choose and why?
My answer:
Of course, if I won ¥100,000,000, my life would probably be a little more relaxed than it is now. I am sure I would play a little more golf, I would buy an old house in the countryside and spend my time fixing it up and I would certainly do a lot more gardening. Besides that, I could help any friends or family that needed any assistance.
None of us know just how long we will live. However, my assumption is that I have at least another 30 or 40 years left of my life here on earth. And quite honestly, that is plenty for me. For that reason, living until I am 70 or 80 seems like enough time to do what I want to do. However, if I knew that I would die anytime soon, then adding another 10 years might be a good idea since dying young would only hurt the people around me. However, I don’t want to add another 10 years onto my life so that I live until 90 or perhaps even longer.
However, if I am honest with myself and if I really had to choose between the three scenarios, there is no internal debate. As much as I would like some extra money or extra time in my life, those things don’t compare to helping others.
How about you? Which would you choose and why?
I will look forward to hearing your answers this week when we speak.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabulary:
well-being 名詞
幸福, 安寧, 福利
the well-being of the nation｜国家の安寧
material well-being｜物質的幸福.
versus 前置詞｟形式的｠
（比較や二者択一において）…に対して, 対比して, 対照して
scenario 名詞
（複 〜s）
1 （映画の）シナリオ, 脚本
a scenario writer｜シナリオライター.
2 （劇などの）台本, 筋書
under this scenario｜このような筋書で.
famine 名詞
1 飢きん；Ｕ飢え, 空腹, 飢餓(starvation)
a region ravaged by famine｜飢きんに見舞われている地方
famine prices｜飢きん相場.
2 大変な不足, 大欠乏.
［中フランス語←俗ラテン語famīna（famēs飢え＋īna -INE2＝飢えの状態）］
fix (something) up
自動詞｟米略式｠修理する、改善する
assumption 名詞
1 仮定, 想定, 前提, （…と）仮定すること｟that節｠；了解事項；〘論理学〙（三段論法の）小前提
on the assumption that ...｜…という仮定のもとに
It's a mere assumption.｜単なる仮定の話だ.
plenty 名詞
1｟ふつう肯定文｠十分, たくさん, 多数, 多量（の…）｟of ...｠
There was plenty of money.｜たくさん金があった
There were plenty of apples on the tree.｜木にはリンゴがたくさんなっていた
internal debate
（心の）内なる討論
2010/01/12
新年の抱負は何ですか？
Happy New Year everyone.
During this time of year, many people, including myself, make some new year resolutions. Resolutions are decisions we make to DO something or STOP doing something in our lives. Most people in the US have similar resolutions each year. In fact, the US government recently posted this year’s top ten new year resolutions—which are pretty much the same EVERY year.
The 10 most common American new year resolutions are:
To drink less alcohol
To get a better job
To get a better education or go back to school for more training
To lose weight and become physically healthier
To manage finances or manage debt more
To quit smoking
To reduce stress at work and at home
To save money
To take a trip
To volunteer to help others
Are any of these similar to your new year’s resolutions? Do you know anyone who made these resolutions for their new year? Are most people’s resolutions similar in Japan?
So the question this week is, what is your new year resolution?
I have made a few resolutions this week. One resolution is to become better at Japanese. Each day, my Japanese ability gets worse and worse and that is not right. So, I am going to make a change! Another decision is to travel more in Japan. I have wanted to visit western Japan for a long time but have never taken the time to go there. So, this year, I am going to visit as many places as I can and I will also visit Hiroshima and fill a life-long desire.
I will look forward to hearing about your resolutions or your plans for the new year when we speak next.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
resolution：（名詞） 決意、決心
a New Year resolution｜新年の抱負
similar: 似ている
post: (動詞）公表する
lose weight: 減量する
debt: （名詞）借金、負債
volunteer: 奉仕する（ボランティアをする）
life-long desire: 生涯の願望
During this time of year, many people, including myself, make some new year resolutions. Resolutions are decisions we make to DO something or STOP doing something in our lives. Most people in the US have similar resolutions each year. In fact, the US government recently posted this year’s top ten new year resolutions—which are pretty much the same EVERY year.
The 10 most common American new year resolutions are:
To drink less alcohol
To get a better job
To get a better education or go back to school for more training
To lose weight and become physically healthier
To manage finances or manage debt more
To quit smoking
To reduce stress at work and at home
To save money
To take a trip
To volunteer to help others
Are any of these similar to your new year’s resolutions? Do you know anyone who made these resolutions for their new year? Are most people’s resolutions similar in Japan?
So the question this week is, what is your new year resolution?
I have made a few resolutions this week. One resolution is to become better at Japanese. Each day, my Japanese ability gets worse and worse and that is not right. So, I am going to make a change! Another decision is to travel more in Japan. I have wanted to visit western Japan for a long time but have never taken the time to go there. So, this year, I am going to visit as many places as I can and I will also visit Hiroshima and fill a life-long desire.
I will look forward to hearing about your resolutions or your plans for the new year when we speak next.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
resolution：（名詞） 決意、決心
a New Year resolution｜新年の抱負
similar: 似ている
post: (動詞）公表する
lose weight: 減量する
debt: （名詞）借金、負債
volunteer: 奉仕する（ボランティアをする）
life-long desire: 生涯の願望
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