バンクーバーでの生活が始まりました。
初日のノートには、自己紹介に使った名前と故郷「NAGANO」の文字。
初対面のときは自己紹介から始まりますが、相手が名前を名乗ったら、” How do you spell?” “Could you spell your name?” に続いて、” Is your name common in your country?” と質問してみてはいかがでしょう。名前ひとつで会話が深まります。
上記の質問に対する答えは、Yes, I think so. / No, I don’t think so. It’s rather unusual. などと答えます。
「common」は、単純に「よくある、よく起こる事」という意味の形容詞です。「Popular」という形容詞は、「人気、人気がある、流行っている」という意味の、ポジティブなニュアンスがある英語です。
なので、「風邪が流行っているので気をつけてね」と言いたい場合は「popular」は使わず、” There’s a cold going around at the moment. / 今は風邪が流行っています” などと言います。
また、職種尋ねるときは、”What do you do?” 、勤務先を尋ねるときは、”Who you work for?” となります。
ぶしつけな感じをなくすため、冒頭に “May I ask …” をつけると、良いでしょう。
以下に、故郷を英語で紹介するときの定型文をまとめてみました。
逆に、相手から故郷の説明を受けたときは、” I think it must be beautiful place.” などといった相づちをうつとよいでしょう。
1. 位置や自然環境の説明
Nagano is situated at a latitude between 35 and 37 degrees north, about the same as San Francisco and the Mediterranean Sea.
Nagano Prefecture is located in the center of the Japanese archipelago.
Hakuba village is situated at the foot of the Japanese Northern Alps, about 40km west of Nagano City.
It takes 90 minutes from Tokyo to Nagano by bullet train.
特徴的なことを表現するためには「最上級」が便利です。
The north of Nagano prefecture has one of the largest snowfalls in the world. Snow reaches a depth of 3m in some places.
The Nagano Olympics are held the farthest south of any Winter Olympics so far.
最上級は序数をつけて、上から何番目かを言い表すこともできます。second last prize (ブービー賞) のように、下から何番目かを言うこともできます。
Nagano is the fourth largest prefecture in Japan.
Nagano is surrounded by sixteen mountains over 3000m tall, and is known as The Roof of Japan.
逆に、以上のような説明を受けたなら、以下のような質問をして会話を発展させることができますね。
Is mountain climbing popular in Nagano ?
2. 都市の特徴や代表的な産業の説明
known, famous, popular などの形容詞が使われます。
Nagano is well known for soba.
Visitors to Nagano can try the vegetarian food of Buddhist priests. It is known as Shojin Ryori.
Shiojiri region is famous as a wine producing area.
Mt. Shiroumadake is famous for its large glacier.
Nagano prefecture is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan.
After (next ではない) Aomori Prefecture, Nagano is the top producer of apples in the country.
The Nakasendo was one of the five major roads of the Edo Period. It run from Edo to Kyoto by way of Karuizawa.
In Matsushiro there are many important cultural treasures.
You can see wild monkeys bathing in the hot springs in Jigokudani.
Nozawa Onsen Village has been known as a hot spring resort since Edo times.As you can tell by the name, Nozawana pickles originated in Nozawa Onsen Village. They are the most popular pickles in Japan. Another famous product from Nozawa Onsen Village is the Hatogurma.
逆に説明を受ける立場ならば、冒頭でも述べましたが、以下のような相づちで会話を発展させることができますね。
I guess with all the beautiful mountains, resorts and hot springs here, tourism must be a major industry in Nagano.
3. 起源・ルーツの説明
主要産業を紹介したら、その理由も説明してみましょう。
The sake made in Nagano is delicious due to its clear water and high quality rice.
- due to は、because of の改まった言い方です。ポジティブな理由であれば、thanks to を使ってもいいでしょう。to は不定詞ではなく前置詞なので、いずれの場合も後ろに名詞がきます。
Because of its volcanoes, Nagano has the second largest number of hot springs in Japan.
Nagano’s cool climate produces high quality buckwheat for making soba.
In order to promote internationalization, it is necessary for us to deepen our understanding of each other’s cultures.
The name Nagano comes from the Japanese words meaning long plain. Japanese names often refer to something in nature.
Nagano city grew up around Zenkoji Temple. It is said that people who visit Zenkoji Temple can go to the Buddhist Paradise. As pllgrims came to visit the temple, they stopped at the nearby shops and city was born.
It is said that the hunting lifestyle of the people living in the mountainous areas of Europe was the origin of Biathlon.
The six-colored emblem for the Nagano Games symbolizes the alpine flowers found in Nagano’s highlands.
4. 人口・統計
The population of Nagano Prefecture has been gradually increasing. The number of foreigners living in Nagano is also increasing.
Recently, people livng in metropolitan areas have begun to move to Nagano.
Nagano has more community centers, per capita, than any other prefecture.
“per capita”は”一人当たり”という意味の経済用語です。国民一人当たりの収入（an income per capita）といったコンテクストで使われます。”capita” はラテン語の”caput”（頭）を語源としています。
The total output of Nagano prefecture’s manufacturing industry is a little less than the entire Gross National Profit (GNP) of Greece.
5. 教育
I hear that school in Japan is very tough and competitive.
Since the Meiji Era, Nagano has placed an emphasis ( émfəsɪs / 重点) on educating its children. As a result, Nagano gained a reputation (rèpjʊtéɪʃən / 名声) as the ” Education Prefecture”
Ninety – seven percent of students in Nagano continue on to high school. After high school, about one – third of students go on to higher education.
6. 文化
Nagano city is twinned with Clearwater, Florida, USA, and with Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
As well as traditional culture, contemporary culture also flourishes (flˈɚːrɪʃ / 盛んである) in Nagano.
as well as は「~と同様に」という意味で、下記のようにも使えます。
Skating includes the competitive elements of speed as well as technical and artistic expression.
” as + 原級 + as ” の形で下記のようにも使えます。
You can get in the tub and relax for as long as you like.
You can drink as much beer as you want for 3,000Yen.
7. 財政
The central government is providing about 50% of the construction money for the Nagano Games. Nagano’s Prefectual government and the local governments of the host venues are funding the rest.
8. 食べ物の説明
旅行先では、食べ物に関して質問する場合が多いですね。質問するときは、おおまかな対象物をまず言ってから、詳しい説明を付け加えることがコツです。
例えば、「日本食のレストラン」と言おうとすると、 Japanese という単語一つでレストランの説明をするため、限定的でとても窮屈な表現になってしまいます。
まず「レストラン」と言ってしまってから、どんどん詳しい説明を加えていけば良いのです。そのとき、「レストラン」と「詳しい説明」との接着剤になるのが、前置詞・分詞・不定詞・関係代名詞です。
Is there a restaurant serving Japanese food near here ?
上記は現在分詞で形容詞句を作って restaurant を後ろから説明しています。以下は関係代名詞 that でlocal food を後ろから説明しています。
What is a typical local food (that) I can try ?
郷土料理を説明する場合は、過去分詞で形容詞句を作って説明する方法が多用されます。
Oyaki is a food made from wheat flour and filled with local vegetables.
Sasazushi is rice mixed with vinegar.
Gohei mochi is ground rice covered in miso-based sauce.
(食べ物ではありませんが) Dosojin are little statues believed to be a guardians of roads and village boundaries.
9. イベントの説明やお勧めスポット
On February 2nd, a ” Setsubun ” ceremony is held at Zenkoji Temple. People throw beans to chase away evil and ensure happiness.
The Dosjin Fire Festival takes place in Nozawa Onsen Village every year on the evening of January 15th.
Folk dances from various countries added spice to the memorial event.
I was wondering if you could suggest an interesting day-trip. ⇒ How far do you want to go ? ⇒ Well, I don’t have a car, so maybe somewhere easy to get to by bus or train. ⇒ Hot springs are great places to relieve tiredness and refresh yourself. ⇒ Do I need to bring anything ?
Can you recommend anything to do ? ⇒ Maybe your best bet is to catch some of the Cultural Program.
10. オリンピックボランテイアとしての交流
People wanting to be volunteers do not need any specific qualifications. They just need to be positive and eager to support the Gasmes.
Being a Olympic volunteer is the chance of a lifetime for me.
I feel like I’m really part of the Olympics, working as a volunteer.
That’s nice to hear I really hope you enjoy your stay here in Nagano. What do you like best so far ?
⇒ I’m very impressed with the ski facilities in Shiga Kogen. It certainly is one of the best places I’ve ever skiied.
⇒ Well, to tell the truth there are a lot of interesting things here. But I particularly like the singing signal lights. ⇒ The tune you hear in Nagano is called, ” Coming Through the Rye.” I think it’s old Scottish folk song.
I’m having a wonderful time. After all, I got to meet you, didn’t I ?
It’s hard to believe we haven’t seen each other since Calgary in ’88. Have you done any volunteer work since then ? (ボランティア仲間との再会)
Where did you last see them ? (迷子の対応)
Oh, are you in 17B ? I’m sorry, I’ll move my luggage.(電車の中で)
You are taking part in Curling, too ?
11. 初対面で便利な表現
- Who do you work for? / お勤めはどちらですか? 答えは I’m work for JETRO. のように会社名を答える。
- What do you do? に対する答えは、I’m an editor-in-chief.(編集長です) のように職種を答える。here
- Please don’t bother. / お構いなく
- I know my way around here. / この辺はよく知っています。⇔ I’m sorry but, I’m stranger here.
- We’re supposed to take off our shoes here. / ここで靴を脱ぐことになっています。 命令ではなく、事実をそれとなく伝える表現。
「ヘタクソの 上級者への道のりは おのが下手さを 知りて一歩目」 by 安西
ライバルの流川くんはシュートの動作をいちいち論理的には把握していない。花道くんはど素人だから、ちょうど身障者が健常者の歩きを学んでいくようにして、ジャンプシュートの動作をパーツ分解してつかんでいく
語学はことばのリハビリ。母語のときは息をするのと同じで何の困難もないのに、よその言語だとよちよち歩きの幼児に戻るしかない…この葛藤をどうやって耐えて、そしてリハビリ師に指導してもらえるか。これが語学の基本だと自分は考えています。
リハビリ師は健常者だとして健常者ならリハビリ師を務められるのか？違いますよね。つまり、日本語話者ならではの癖や偏りを熟知している英語ネイティヴとたくさんやり取りするのが、一番いいと考えますが、実際はそういう好環境はまず望めなくて、それもあってニホンジンはTOEICのように大学入試一次試験の延長みたいなものに逃げたがると、そんな風に考えています。