皆様
お疲れ様です :)
北家です。
大きくてタフで何事にも動じない息子も初めての秋を迎え、遂に調子を崩しました。行きつけのpediatric clinicで確認したところ、influenzaやcovidではなかったもののcrankinessが続いております。cough syrupを飲ますのも一苦労です。日々parentingの重みを痛感しております。
先日若いアメリカ人女性とお話しする機会がありました。その際、I've been meaning to get a ベビーカー. What do you call them in English?と聞いたところ、Stroller! と言われたので、Yea, but there are different types right? What about the one that the baby can lie down inとつめたところ、Let me check.と言いググられ、最終的に、mmmmm, Baby Carriage! とおっしゃいました。
なるほど、、、。座るタイプは一緒に歩いているようなのでstroller、寝るタイプは運んでいるようなのでcarriageという感覚のようです :)
それでは、会話練習用のダイアローグと文法・発音ポイントの第十三弾です!
Dialogues between Chieko Irie (CI) of Japan and, firstly, InterCity Bus Line sales representative Sienna Daly (SD) and, secondly, InterCity bus driver Ron Talbot (RT)
SD:
Good afternoon.
How can I help you?
CI:
Hello.
My name is Chieko Irie and I’m from Japan.
My husband Masahiko and I would like, if possible, to travel by bus from Christchurch to Queenstown tomorrow.
Do you have a bus service available tomorrow?
SD:
We can help with that.
Our bus leaves from outside this ticket office at 8.30 a.m. tomorrow and is scheduled to arrive in Queenstown at 4.30 p.m.
We still have spare tickets available.
CI:
That’s good news!
Thank you.
What is the ticket price?
SD:
The current cheapest fare we have available is NZ$145 per person.
Accordingly, two tickets will cost you NZ$290.
CI:
Here is my Visa credit card.
Can we buy drinks and snacks during the journey?
SD:
The bus stops briefly in Ashburton and Cromwell for about 15 minutes to enable people to buy drinks and snacks and go to the toilet.
In between, the bus stops in Tekapo for 45 minutes at a casual café where passengers can have light meals and beverages.
CI:
That sounds perfect.
It will be an interesting experience for my husband and me.
We are looking forward to enjoying looking at the countryside in NZ.
SD:
I very much hope you enjoy it.
The weather forecast for tomorrow is good.
Next morning . . .
RT:
Welcome to our InterCity bus journey to Queenstown.
I’m Ron Talbot and I look forward to taking you all the way through to our destination.
CI:
Thank you very much.
I’m Chieko Irie and this is my husband Masahiko.
We’re from Japan and are looking forward to seeing some of your country’s beautiful scenery from your bus.
RT:
You should be able to do that, Mrs. Irie.
The weather forecast is good for all points on our journey.
I’m hoping that you will be able to see Mt. Cook clearly.
CI:
That would be great.
We understand Mt. Cook is very similar in height to our most famous mountain, Mt. Fuji.
RT:
During our journey, I will point out particular places of interest including, of course, Mt. Cook.
CI:
That would be very helpful.
Incidentally, I understand our first stop will be in Ashburton.
When are we scheduled to arrive there?
RT:
About 9.45 a.m.
I’ll let you know about ten minutes before we arrive there.
文法ポイント:
今回も法助動詞に注目です。各法助動詞には意味が3つ以上ありますが、今回はどの意味で使われているかを確認しましょう。
can - 出来る・出来ない
would - 仮定法
第二人称プラスwill - 予測
第一人称プラスwill - その場で決めて、聞き手に約束
should - 蓋然性
各法助動詞がどの意味で使われがちかを感じ取りましょう。
発音ポイント:
語彙を調べる際に、発音記号にも目を向ける習慣を持ちましょう。
英単語の殆どは1音節語ですが、2音節語も存在します。
例えば、
aboutの発音記号は/əˈbaʊt/で、ableの発音記号は/ˈeɪ.bəl/です。
どちらも母音が2度きますから2音節語です。
/ˈeɪ.bəl/には、真ん中に「.」があります。これは音節境界と呼ばれ、第1音節/ˈeɪ/と第2音節/bəl/を分けるという指示です。そして片方を強く読み、もう片方を弱く読みます。今回は、第1音節/ˈeɪ/の左上に「ˈ」があるので、こちらを強く読みます。
参考になさって下さい :)
次回に続きます!
Masa
