トヨタ自動車のリコール問題での社長の謝罪記者会見で
外国人記者の要求に答えて社長が英語で答えたそうですが、
その英語がひどかったと話題になっています。
ビデオを見たところ、私よりはうんとうまいのですが、
世界的企業のトップならもっと話せていいだろうとか、
通訳を使うべきだったという声もあるようです。
ビジネス英語を超えた、いわばトップの英語とは
厳しいものですね。
日向先生のブログで詳しく論じられています。
このブログへのある人のコメントで、これでトヨタの役員は
英語が禁止されるだろう、というのはありえるなあと思いました。
これも一つのリスク管理かと。
■NHKラジオ 実践ビジネス英語 Marriage for Fortysomething (4) 2/10 2010
■意味を考えてみよう。今日取り上げる単語が含まれています。
Many people who'd given up on the dating game are finding
that Internet dating is a good way of meeting compatible
people outside their day-to-day circle of friends and
acquaintances.
Yes, but there's always the risk of running into
questionable characters.
That makes it easier for older singles to hook up with
potential partners from similar backgrounds.
As people age, they tend to become set in their ways, and
it gradually becomes harder for them to meet new people.
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give up on, ...に見切りをつける
──────────────────────────────
If you give up on something or someone, you decide that you
will never succeed in doing what you want to with them,
and you stop trying to.
ex) He urged them not to give up on peace efforts.
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compatible, 気の合う、相性がいい
──────────────────────────────
If you say that you are compatible with someone, you mean
that you have a good relationship with them because you
have similar opinions and interests.
ex) Mildred and I are very compatible. She's interested in
the things that interest me.
名詞形は、
compatibility,（人と）うまくいくこと、相性（のいいこと）
ex) As a result of their compatibility, Haig and Fraser
were able to bring about wide-ranging reforms.
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questionable, 怪しげな
──────────────────────────────
If you say that something is questionable, you mean that it
is not completely honest, reasonable, or acceptable. [FORMAL]
ex) He has been dogged by allegations of questionable
business practices.
──────────────────────────────
hook up with, ...とつきあいはじめる、...と親しくなる
──────────────────────────────
If one person, especially a musician, hooks up with another,
the two people start working with each other. You can also
say that two people hook up.
ex) Seeing as how we got on so well together, it just seemed
natural that we should hook up.
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set in one's ways, 頑固で、融通が利かなくて
──────────────────────────────
If you describe someone as set in their ways, you mean that
they have very fixed habits and ideas which they are unlikely
or unwilling to change.
ex) She knew that if the marriage was going to work it would
have to be by her own efforts, her own painful adaptation.
He was too set in his ways to make any real changes.
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その他にも、次も押さえておきたい。[誌面の都合上省略] ★は重要表現
──────────────────────────────
ethnicity, 民族性
