| FRIDAY EVENING - 1 Back to Headlines These are all
records of English class with Peter Schumacher on Friday
Evening at the Kyoto International Conference Hall.
FRIDAY EVENING-1 covers classes in 1980s. Peter was
majoring American Literature, however, he was much more
interested in Japan and the Japanese. From AGO to
TAMAMUSHIIRO, Peter used Japanese text edited by Public
Relations Department of the Shin Nittetsu Company and
tried his own interpretation. After the class, as a
student, I tried to reorganise his words. As you know, do
not believe in all sentenses by Peters. Students often go
without catching their teacher's words, and go through
with misunderstandings.When you find it, please let me
know it. |
| Country name and Flag National Flag of Japan is called Nisshoki and a red circle expresses the sun. It was used as flags and banners of shrines from old times, and from around 16th century, it was hoisted from ships as the flag expressing Japan. As it also matched the name of nation, Nippon(Hinomoto), which means the place where the sun rises, it was established as the national flag hoisted on merchant ships. The official size of the national flag is decided that the ratio of length to width is two to three, the diameter of the sun is three-fifth of the length, and the sun should be in the center of the flag. The national emblem is not decided in Japan. Imperial Crest which is 16 pedals of chrysanthemum or the mark of paulownia is used instead of the national emblem. National anthem Words of Kimi-ga-yo, the Japanese national anthem, is waka(Japanese poem) recorded in Kokin-waka-shu(edited more than 1000 years ago), and the writer is not known. The melody was composed in the Meiji era by Hiromori Hayashi, a court musician in the Imperial Household Agency and was recognized as the national anthem in 1893. The meaning of lyrics is "May the Emperor's reign continue for a thousand and eight thousands generations. May it continue forever until small pebbles become rocks and until moth grows on them.(It is said that the ancient people believed that rocks were made from small pebbles and sands that over many years conglomerated.) conglomerate; to form or collect into a rounded or compact mass National Flower and National Bird Cherry blossoms have been thought to be a flower representing the country from ancient times in Japan, .Cherry blossoms appear also in Japanese myth and grace(manliness) of letting-go of the blossoms is associated with the view of life of Japanese warriors. There are famous places of cherry blossoms every part of Japan and it has come to be a pleasure of Japanese to hold a sake-drinking party under the cherry tree in full bloom. As the Imperial Crest is chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum is also held to be a flower which represents Japan. A pheasant which is familiar from myth and old tales was designated as the national bird in 1947. The pheasant is a bird peculiar to Japan and the male and female is quite different in size and coloring. As for the male, face is red, neck, chest and stomach are dark-green, the back is purplish, and the tail is long with many black bands. The female is light brown and the tail is short with black spots. They live in grasslands and shrub forests near cultivated lands and make nests on the ground. Their foods are nuts, insects and so on. Name of Era In east Asian countries, when they came under the rule of other country, there was a custom using the name of the era of the country. An independent country treated importantly the name of the era of its own country for that reason. They came to use the name of era from 7th century in Japan and the Emperor determined it. From Meiji, the latter 19th century, the basic principle(one reign one era) was designated in which each Emperor's reign uses one name of era. The year of accession to the throne becomes the first year and the same name of era is used until the death of the Emperor. The present name of era is Showa. The year 1926 was the first year of Showa, and the year 1982 is Showa 57. Present official documents accept Japanese name of era, however, western calendar is also used generally. Origin of National Name They call this country Nippon or Nihon inside Japan. When Shotoku Taisi running the government in the beginning of 7th century sent an official document to China, he described his country the place where the sun rises. Hi-moto is the word in the Chinese characters which takes that meaning. They say they decided to read the word as Nippon or Nihon. These two are both used at present, however, as the company name, Nippon Steel Corporation, shows it, the read of Nippon is frequently used in an official occasion. KAMO is a kind of migratory birds which come flying into Japanese ponds and marshes in winter. The representative is a mallard duck and it is tasty. Because it has a large body and moves in flocks, it was held to be good prey for hunting from old times, and again it was rather easily captured. From this, we call somebody easy to deal with Kamo , a push over. And if an opponent in a contest looks weak, we talk big and say, "I'm gonna make him a push over". Now meat of wild ducks is further enhanced when we cook it with onions. So when we say, "Kamo is carrying onions on his back," or, in short, "Kamo and onions.", it means that something in itself is a good thing, further good conditions are heaped on top of that. Boys and housewives inexperienced in the way of the world, in nothing do they doubt people, they can soon be made to good sucker by bad people. Once they fall in victim to guiles of bad people, it means that they have fallen prey to bad people. Don't make an ass out of yourself. wet behind the ears beak of young duck a push over; sucker heaped; added, accumulated guile; slyness and cunning, craftiness HIDARIUCHIWA is to work a fan with a left hand, if it is directly translated. But actually it means to live a comfortable life in retirement without any worry. Uchiwa is the same kind as Sensu which can be folded and mainly used at the time of going out or play-going, however, Uchiwa is used at home when you are relaxing. Then, why on earth, to work a fan with a left hand becomes the above mentioned meaning. Long time ago, warriors preparing themselves against the unexpected attacks, freed their effective arm and always took care to be ready to use swords. From this, it is said that it became to prepare for the unexpected to have something in reserve or to live in ease. A cushy life style where we have no worries and money necessary for life comes naturally in, is compared with this. His son becomes a fine adult and he gets his house and appropriate bank account, and gets pensions. All the salary-men in Japan wish fervently to live in ease and luxury after retirement. HIYAMESHI-GUI can be literally translated into cold cooked rice eater. Cooked rice is most delicious just boiled. Long time ago when family systems were severe, those important persons like a master of a family and a successor son could eat just boiled hot rice at their convenience, while it did not go the same for the second and the third son or a hanger on. They were made to eat gloomily the cold cooked rice with left over foods after main persons of the family finished eating. Thus we say cold cooked rice eater is someone who is put in an not important post or status and whose advancement is slow. We say Hiyameshi o kuwasareru for someone who is put in that circumstances. It may be similar to Madogiwa zoku , people beside window, however, we have an example of Yoshimune of just half of 18th century who became not only head of the Kishu clan from a Hiyameshi-gui of the Kishu clan but also the 8th Shogun. That means a slight difference from people beside window who have a little prospect for the future. IPPAI-KUU generally means to eat a lot or to eat stomachfull of foods. However, when we say ippai kutta or ippai kuwasete yatta, they are just the same as being tricked or getting someone in a trap. Suppose that you generously encourage someone to eat or drink a lot, make him put down his guard, make him trust you and finally get him in a trap. That is somewhat like a fraud or a tsutsu motase, wife prostituting herself with husband concern, and he will be tricked in the end because he who eats has also an ulterior motive. We say two parties trying to outfox each other. That has a nuance of both men alike or bad men on both sides. When you lament "Damn it! I was bamboozled.", people around you will smile derisively in their hearts that two bad guys are trying to outwitting each other and the one who loses is a fool. On the other hand, when you talk about the same ippai, if you say ippai yaruka? Un ippai dake dayo, that comes to an invitation to talk while drinking together at some drinking spot like a red lantern. Ippai in this case is a glass of sake. You make a mind to finish drinking with only a glass of sake, however in the end, you often drink a lot and become Gozensama, Mr. stay out late, who comes home before day break. fraud; a person who is not what he pretends to be outfox, outwit(to get the better of by cunning or cleverness), outsmart(to overcome by cunning or cleverness) bamboozle; to deceive or cheat by trickery deride; to laugh at in contempt or scorn The husband pimps for the wife. take advantages of the sensitivity(kindness) GOEN En is a Buddhist term. All things are born with having causes, and a medium which gives birth to the result from the cause is En. This can be said past(cause), present(relative) and the future(result). Relations between men and women, and those of neighborhood and business partners, all begin with En(relation). In this case, En, unhonorifically Goen means occasion, and en ga aru means to have relations with somebody. When we say, ano kaisha towa en ga aru(we do business with that company), that is, our company has business transactions with that company or we have competitive relations and often present together at bidding and so on. However, when we say En in daily conversations, it often means the relation between men and women. Talk of En, that is, Endan is a marriage talk for parents who have young men and women. When they have En(relation), they become man and wife. If they do not have En, they are not tied. En o kiru(to cut En),means separation of man and wife, and kane no kireme ga en no kireme(when money is gone, love is gone), means that love in cat house(red light district) is gone, when money is gone. DAIKOKU BASHIRA is a thick pillar which is built in the center of a house to support the whole structure. From that, it comes to indicate main person or thing that all of component member of family or group count on. Daikoku is the name translated from Mahakala of Sanskrit and a guardian divinity of Buddha, which especially has been taken into folk popular faith as a guardian divinity of food and kitchen. Also, along with Ebisu(a guardian divinity of business), it is one of the seven lucky gods, which brings happiness. A similar expression is Yataibone, which means a frame work of movable installation with wheels(peddler) for soba and so forth. Like "He is a Daikoku bashira of such and such company" or "New products put on sale last year are now Daikoku bashira of the present company.", it speaks of soundness, on the other hand, Yataibone is used as a negative expression like "Yataibone of the company is loose - the organization has become shaky." or "Yataibone of the company is not solid - there is neither main person nor main product." NAKATTA KOTO NI SURU means to start from a clean sheet, that is to return to the conditions before something happened. You make some promise, but when it seems that you can not carry it out because of sudden change in surrounding situations, you beg for mercy from the other party(naki o ireru) and have him cancel the promise for you (nakatta ko ni suru). You can not do this with business promise such as exchanging a contract, but this often happens in social relationship between individuals. The person who has it canceled for him may pay a penalty. At any rate, he has obligations(giri, ongi) to the other person that he has to pay back to him sometime. When we say that is something there had been nothing, it means that both sides say let's forget about what we promised, however, you should not forget the new obligation(giri) which was born from the act of doing away with something. Furthermore, force majeure is provisions of exemption according to act of God by natural disasters, in that case, contracts can be canceled and both sides have no responsibility. But it will not be settled at that between Japanese. KABAN MOCHI is a briefcase bearer, that is, someone who carries boss's bag and goes around here and there accompanying him. It's close to the secretary in the West, but not as competent as secretary. It speaks of a person who is only able to walk with him carrying a bag, and for all that, he is always around his boss, fawning on him. In the way of speaking that the guy is so and so's briefcase bearer, accordingly, it always includes in it a great contempt and a little envy. Beside this, speaking sarcastically and enviously of people who get themselves appointed as aides, only by fawning, although incompetent, there are Gomasuri, Chabozu and Koshi kinchaku. Koshi kinchaku means a pouch or a container for small objects which was hung from the waist a long time ago. It's something like a pouchette modern girls consider it a new fashion. Like a Koshi kinchaku which hangs from waist, it came from a figure of a person who follows sticking close behind to somebody. fawn; to show friendliness by licking hands, wagging its tail, etc.;said of a dog, to cringe and flatter ISHIBSHI O TATAKU A stone bridge is solid unlike a wooden bridge, and you do not have to worry about it breaking. For all that, somebody hitting a stone bridge and crossing it, may be so cautious that he can not feel safe unless he confirms whether it breaks or not. So this expression is used to exemplify a type of a person who is cautious in thing. Sometimes a person who is too careful and cowardly is ridiculed as he does not cross a stone bridge even after hitting it. However, both this timidity of not crossing a stone bridge and conversely a decisive action will be required in business. This is a comparative argument of Japan and US management, and there are many cautious types among business managers and many intrepid fighters among the front line businessmen in Japan. It is frequently the opposite in the US. But as the economy is following the course from high growth to stable growth, intrepid type of manager is increasing in Japan to the extent that the field is so called frontier growth industry. solid, sturdy, stout cautious, careful, prudent for all that, in spite of, not withstanding ascertain, make sure, confirm ridiculed, sneered, derided decisive, resolute IRO O TSUKERU The word iro is a many colored word. Color, hue and so forth are some of those meanings and from the meaning of beautiful figure and shape, and good appearance, that kind of man(handsome man) is called a iro-otoko and iro-otoko is the object of love plays. Just iro alone has also come to express love. Iro-gonomi is a person who likes love plays. When someone says she is an iro of Mr. Y, that is, she is his lover or his sweet heart. Iro-goto is a love affair between man and woman, and iro-goto-shi is so called playboy. Even if we say love, it means not only love or like but it also has the meaning of consideration. Iro-o-tsukeru(to apply color) had roughly the meaning of giving consideration or giving special attentive care to the handling of the matters. From this, in a group negotiation with labor unions and so forth, when the negotiation reaches the climax and the company president says, "I understand. I'll color such and such amount of yen," that means to add such and such amount of yen to a wage basis. But in usual cases, apart from this official place, it often seems that the president speaks confidentially, "I gave you the extra(color) on your bonus this time." It is one method of managing workers. Indeed there are many meanings in color. colored word, hued word, a rainbow colored word clapped up someone who plays at love love plays, love games at the very end, at the very last moment in ordinary case, most circumstances SHUNTOH Spring struggle(shuntoh) is attached from the circumstance that struggles for improvement of various labor conditions beginning with base up for labor unions are held concentrated in the spring from March to May. Exactly speaking, it shall perhaps be called spring labor struggle. It was 1955 when the Sohyo(the largest labor union federation in Japan along with the Dohmei) adopted this spring struggle, and at first no more than small number of labor unions took part, but later along with that the participating labor unions increased by lips and bounds. It has firmly been fixed and now, has become the largest event between labor and management. This style of struggle was born with the intention to overcome the weakness of structure of our country's labor unions that are the company labor unions. Still there is unspoken cooperative structure between unions and management to keep the rate of wage increase within the rate of increase in productivity, and wage increase does not seem to trigger directly a price increase. DOKUSHIN KIZOKU might be a single aristocrat, if it is directly translated. Do not jump to a conclusion, "Ah ha... that is not a man who has not entered a grave of life which is marriage." Naturally there's also that nuance, but it can be used for both man and woman. Unlike the past, now when electric appliances do cooking, washing and cleaning, single persons who do not have family finish the housework without using so much time. They can use their salary at their own discretion. Even for love affairs..... For that reason it is a word of envy devoted by middle age people to single persons who are provided with three essentials, Youth, Time and Money. Especially female office workers who enjoy their spring time of life by traveling abroad and walking around eating at delicious places, are aristocrat of aristocrats. Naturally if both man and woman get married, they stop being an aristocrat. Is this again perhaps a contradiction that there are a great number of single aristocrats who aim at marriage within a company? I'm now domesticated. KAMATOTO is a synthetic word of Kama of kamaboko and Toto, a baby word for fish. Kamaboko is a kind of preserved foods made from fish pastes. It is said to be an original Japanese sausage. Even children know this. So when a grown woman asks if kamaboko is really made from fish (ototo) , it sounds a little strange. There's no doubt that she pretends that she does not know and pretends to be a cute girl. She is a kamatoto means that although she knows everything(especially about relations between man and woman), she pretends that she does not know. Even though she passed 30-40 years old and says the same things, she will be made fun of as Kamakujira(a whale). Recently Burikko is a word in vogue. It is a contracted word of a girl pretending(furiosuruko) to be cute. Before long kamatoto becomes a dead word and is replaced by burikko, and there might be burikko who asks what is kamatoto. plain as nose on your face He is burning the candle at both ends. AGO is chin and Ago de tsukau is to lead a person by the nose. Ago de ashirau may be to turn up one's nose at a person. Japanese tends to express himself by moving chin rather than nose. Dictatorial boss ignores the feeling of his subordinates and drives them hard, and if a subordinate speaks dissatisfactions, thereafter he will be driven hard. If they have such a superior, it is disastrous for those office workers who have to obey what a man of power talks to them. Naturally we would like to have better communication with him and raise the efficiency of the work. But able and humanistic superiors often give orders setting higher target to their subordinates. If they can not reach to the target doing their best, they cry uncle(ne o ageru) and get exhausted(ago o dasu). Excellent superior makes a good balance at this point, and it can also be said that those superiors will be beloved who will listen to the feelings and dissatisfactions of subordinates while drinking at red lanterns with them. You hit the mark(bull's eye). You ignore the feeling of subordinates and drive them hard. one man dictatorial boy, a person of authority, a man of power. raise the efficiency of the work, set a high target They speak dissatisfactions, cry uncle and get exhausted(beaten). GETA O AZUKERU Geta is an old Japanese foot wears of five inches tall which is made of wood. In the present Japan, you take off foot wears while you are at home. Long time ago people took off foot wears even at theatres and shops. You leave your foot wears to gesokuban, foot wears keeper, and once you leave them, you will not be able to get back without an agreement of your partner (because you do not have your foot wear). From that, Geta o azukeru means to leave the management and responsibility of the matter or your behavior for that to the decision of your partner. Kimi ni geta o azuketayo is same as you should manage the matter all with your own responsibility. Furthermore Geta o haku means to put a margin on a price or sell goods higher than a fixed price, because Geta has thickness(height). It also means that the center clew completely wins in a three boats' race. It looks like a shape of Geta when you look at it from above. Sometimes playfellows make fun of someone who alone is winning a majan game, saying Shobu wa geta o hakumade wakaranaiyo. That means you can not tell who will win after the game is over. AKU originally means lye. It indicates the top layer made by mixing ashes in water, or strong astringent fluid in plants, and it came to be used to describe human nature from that. Usually it means someone unrefined who has strong individuality. When we say Kare wa aku ga tsuyoi, it refers to a type of person who is self assertive and high handed and who turns everything to his advantages even if he goes down on the earth. They can be translated into English such as to be pushy or to be self assertive, and those persons will not be loved by people around them. However, people around doer tend to envy him and criticize him, whichever it is an unprofitable element. Conversely when we say Kare wa aku no nuketa hitoda(he is free from lye), or Aku no nai hitoda(a person without lye), that means someone who is refined and large hearted. In English he is a polished man who is not disagreeable without any greed and open, and will be loved by everybody. But it can also be said to speak sarcastically of weak willed person. Those who are spoken to like this, have to think about in which meaning it is said. ASAMESHI MAE A child watching TV late at night who dashes off to school without having a breakfast next morning. A young female who does not have breakfast as a way of diet. Either of them works before breakfast. When this word began to be used, it was the days of two meals a day. If you failed to eat in the morning, you could not do until at night. You can not work with this. So if you say Sonnakoto wa asameshi mae dayo(that's like before eating), that can be used in the meaning of easy job, as you say it is so easy that I can do it before breakfast. It can also be said Ocha no ko sai sai which means a job that can be done on just only a light meal. In both above example, they boast of their power. When you are busy and up to your neck in work, and called by your superior, "That's another matter, but could you do this in certain time? You look very busy, but that's as easy as pie for you?", you may be flattered and easily caught, and have doubled the work. So be careful. That's like before eating. It's really very easy. I can do that until I dash off school. That can be done on just only a light meal even if you don't fill your stomach with foods. Don't be up to your neck in work. This is another matter. Do this in certain time. It's easy as pie for you. You are flattered and easily caught and have doubled the work. You became twice as busy. CHOTTO IPPAI If we translate it directly, Chotto ippai means let's just have a drink. After finishing a day's work, the phrase is most often heard among co-workers. It's not because he is a big drinker. After the work is over and before he comes home and has a supper, if he drinks together, he can exchange information and share complains or dissatisfactions with co-workers. When a boss cautions his subordinate privately or he thinks he wants to hear the opinion and the grievance of his subordinate privately, he invites him saying, "Let's have a drink." To put it another way, it's an unofficial extension of work A place where we have just a drink is usually inexpensive drinking spot(a waterhole). For this reason, let's have a drink can perhaps be said to fulfill the role of lubricant for human relations for salary men. TAMAMUSHI IRO Tamamushi, a jewel bug, is a beetle with a body length of four centimeters which has two lengthwise bars of golden green and golden purple with metallic gloss. Those beautiful wings have been used for art and craft articles from the past. These wings of the jewel bug can be seen gleaming in gold, green, red, purple and blue according to the angle you look. That is why it is beautiful, but we do not know what is the real color. From this, it has come to mean an attitude and way of speaking that can be taken anyway depending on the way of looking. The interpellation of a politician is especially like a jewel bug, and there are many times that we absolutely do not understand whether he is for it or against it. Maybe we can say gobbledygook is also a jewel bug-like politician's language. Calling something gray which we do not know is black or white, is used the same in other countries not only in Japan. However, as opposed to iridescence which changes relatively by the listener's subjective view, gray is absolutely unassignable, and the meaning of both is considerably different. gloss, rusty glossy print, glossy page shinning in, gleaming in interpellate; to ask (a cabinet minister, etc.) formally for an explanation of his action or policy. gobbledygook or gobbledygook; pompous and wordy talk or writing iridescent; having or showing shifting changes in color or an interplay of rainbow like colors, wishy-washy, fool's gold unassignable, indistinguishable quite, rather, considerably KOGAI is originally a pet like puppy and kitten bringing up from a child, or the way of such raising. From that, it also means merchant or craftsman who work from youth as disciple under apprentice system. At present it is said that he is the kogai(pet) of Mr. A in the kind of situation where someone from the time of new company worker serves a particular superior and is favored and patronized by him. So it means a trusted royal subordinate. The contrasting word is Tozama. Fudai is the original contrasting word of Tozama, however, it is not really used in a business society. A vassal who worked for generations for a specific Feudal House Lord is called Fudai no shin, however, it is rare today that someone will work for generations in a particular company, and it is all the more rare that parent and child will become the subordinate to a particular person. GAKUREKI One of the changes in recent Japan is the way of thinking toward school background. The course after going into the society was determined by the person's school background in the past. To exaggerate it, if you graduated a good university, the road to advance to the top was something that opened by itself. Conversely however much ability you might have, if you did not graduate a good university, you had no chance of reaching the top. For this reason, young people, everyone and his brother, aimed at entering the university. But these days those who have title of graduating the university go on increasing. Competition between enterprises has gradually become intense and the school background has begun to be looked on less importantly than before. If you can not do work, although you may have come from a leading university, you will be passed by a graduate of school not that famous. GASHI KOKAN After the first three days of new year when work begins, they are very busy exchanging new year's greeting for several days. Businessmen gather in one place, exchange new year's greeting and bow heads asking favor of the year. New year's greeting parties are often sponsored by business groups, and usually take place in the daytime. Gashi Kokan Kai, New year's greeting party, is very convenient. It saves time walking around one by one separately greeting with a happy new year. As party attendants are very eager to greet as many people as possible, there is a kind of special atmosphere in the hall. This party is also called as Meishi Kokan Kai, that is, an exchanging visiting card meeting. You will be looked on generously even if you fill the office with the smell of alcohol while the Gashi Kokan Kai is going on. GEBAHYO Looking up Gebahyo on the ordinary Japanese-English dictionary, it means rumor or gossip. But this word is used with a nuance not in English. That is, gossip about event or process which is going to happen from now on. We mostly use the word in a meaning of gossip about personnel relations. For example, according to Gebahyo of the Kabuto-cho(Japanese Wall Street), Mr. A will be selected as a next president of the X company passing over Mr. B. The origin of the word goes back to the silly speculations about personnel shifts of shogunate government officials by servants waiting for their lords in the area where they got off the horses outside their castle, shrines and temples in the Edo period. GOKURO SAMA, OTSUKARE SAMA Gokuro sama means "I appreciate your labor." or "Thank you for your trouble." and sometimes "to sympathize with you for your tough assignment." It also means good luck to the person who is going to tackle work from now. It is used variously to the person who begins work from now, who is in the middle of the work, who has finished work, or who has just returned home from work and so on. Otsukare sama is used to a person who has finished work. It means "It must have been tiring." and shows an appreciation. A wife talks to her husband coming home after the work, Otsukare sama or Gokuro sama. HITORIZUMO Sumo is along with Judo the traditional sport of the nation. It has a great popularity as a professional sport from old times to now. Foreign Sumo fans are increasing these days and it has obtained a good report that the representative of the US airline company gives congratulation at the award of the winner of the tournament six times a year. Sumo is the competition of the two, if it is children's finger wrestling or arm wrestling. They say Hitorizumo wo totteiru to someone who is fighting with his best even though the partner is too strong that it does not become Sumo(does not worth while fighting). It is also Hitorizumo that a person himself tackles with a hard job without any cooperation around him. It is quite sad, looking from the side, however, as he himself is very serious, it is tragedy and at the same time comedy. They feel pity rather than sympathetic thinking that he should leave it as he can not get cooperation of others, while they do not want to give hands. FUTOKORO GATANA It is no great credit to him to compare a person to a dagger in English speaking world. Futokoro gatana is originally a dagger or a short sword, and if you are compared to these, that means you are looked importantly in Japan. It is regarded as a confident subordinate or a right hand man. This comes from the fact that they held a dagger in bosom in feudal age Japan. This dagger was an instrument to kill himself by disembowelment. From this, the word Futokoro gatana is used generally today. It indicates someone who knows a secret plan of a person in responsible position, or a confidential person who is trusted by such a responsible person. In other words, Futokoro gatana is someone in a position of a chief of staff or a brain of a great man. bosom; the human breast:specif. a woman's breast, the breast regarded as source of feeling. disembowelment; to take out the bowels, or entrails, of bowel; an intestine, esp. of a human being; gut; entrail CHARAN PORAN is to get through the situation telling lies about anything that comes to his head and in everything unreliable. He will be despised as saying, "That guy is charan poran." He leaves his work in the middle and doesn't last wondering off in different direction. There is no feeling that he is a bad person but other people are troubled. Chara is deception and nonsense. Chara ni suru is to wipe out gambling debts(not always necessary to repay it), that is, to cancel it. Hora is a kind of a loudspeaker made of a big conch shell used in the past. To speak hora or to blow hora is to speak a little thing big and to exaggerate it. They say, "That guy caught a meter fish yesterday? Oh! It's a lot of hot air." There is a theory that Charan Poran is the synthetic word of this chara and hora, however, this may be the same changing expression like charakura or charapoko combing chara. To boast; brag; talk big(tall); tell a tall tale. It is a bag of wind. It is a blowhard. He is a lot of bullshit. He is easy going. To tell a lie without thinking. Let's pretend it never was. Let's forget it. Fish story is exaggerating, and fish man talks a gasbag of wind. KATABO O KATSUGU is, directly translated, to carry one end of a pole on one's back, however, it is originally used in the meaning of taking part in or cooperating in. It derives from the fact that palanquin bearers in old days suspend the person riding in the palanquin in the center of the bar and both run in good balance holding both ends. However generally this expression is often used in taking part in wrong doings and evil schemes, and it seldom used in putting efforts together for good deeds. In this sense it carries a feeling of some criticism. This is because palanquin bears often carried a rider into a dark corner and quickly changed into Kumosuke who stole money and so forth. On the other hand there is an expression kata wo ireru(putting your shoulder). You put your shoulder similarly under the bar of a palanquin or a mikoshi(portable shrine), but it has no bad meaning in this case. This means to help sumo wrestlers and singers to get popularity, and to give aids. NEMAWASHI originally means that a gardener digs around roots of a big tree, cuts thick roots to let out small roots as a preparation before transplanting the tree. From this it indicates that you lay down the ground work, seeking support of related persons and obtaining consent discretely in advance of the formal decision. Japanese society moves with the group decision and consensus. Therefore Nemawashi is an indispensable procedure for making consensus. It avoids the head-on confrontation. There is something called pre-selling which is similar method to this in America. However, regardless of whether everyone agree or not, it does not matter if you make a decision. In Japan concerning a proposal, while making nemawashi(doing the ground work), adding revisions, you make it acceptable to everyone. So it takes time doing nemawashi. Foreign businessmen, because it is hard to come out a decision in Japanese company, often completely lose their patience. NEWAZASHI is someone who is skillful in negotiations behind the scene. This word came from judo.newaza. It is a skill to attack an opponent in a position lying on the tatami mat in the tournament. As you will understand from this, newazashi occasionally brings unexpected reversal, using abundant manipulations which will completely change the situation. And by doing secret maneuvers, he can make possible what is thought impossible for those who are in charge of that up front. If there is a reputation that he is a newazashi, you can expect that he will do something that spring a surprise. NIPPACHI , strictly speaking, is not a proper word. It's a combination of two figures, 2 and 8. These figures come from the second month and the eighth of the year, that is, February and August. Meteorologically it is the coldest in February and it is hottest in August in Japan. However nippachi has no connection with climate. It is a business term. Business has been dull in February and in August from old times. How's business going? If it happens to be in February or August, you will get these kinds of answers as if they are stamped. Because it's nippachi. It is decided that business is slack in nippachi. So this is often used as a pretext when you want to put off your business dealing and you want to postpone your payment. Because it's unavoidable in nippachi. slack; slow, sluggish, barely moving, not busy, dull, loose, weak unavoidable; inevitable, beyond one's control, compelling, compulsory GOMASURI There is this kind of person in any organization and in any society. He will not be a bad person but coworkers will not speak well of him. He will be generally looked at contemptuously. Someone who is flattered is different. Gomasuri is an apple polisher(flatterer) in English speaking circle. To exaggerate, it is sycophant. In short, it means a self-centered person who flatters the partner and tries to get himself liked with a servile attitude. Gomasuri is directly translated to a person who grinds sesame seeds. To season Japanese cocking, roasted sesame is used being ground in a mortar. This sesame, while being ground, scatters in all directions and sticks fast to the inside wall of the mortar. Like this, noun is gomasuri, a flatterer, an apple polisher or flattering, apple polishing. Verb is goma o suru, to flatter or to toady. servile; of a slave, humbly yielding or submissive mortar and pestle(a tool used to pound or grind substances, as in a mortar) This is not flattery. sticky person, adhesive, clinging; difficult, troublesome, overly sentimental toady; to flatter and serve others in any way to gain favor KEMURI NI MAKU As you can not see the distance with the smoke which gives rise when a thing burns, the smoke screens the visibility. We say enmaku o haru (to lay down a smoke screen) to shut out the enemy's eyes artificially so as not to let them look at the circumstances on our side clearly. Kemuri ni maku is to mystify or to bewilder in English. On the pretext that the other side does not know, because you speak exaggeratedly both facts and fictions without discrimination, and continue speaking skillfully and onesidedly, without giving any time to bring forth a counter argument, and make a reasonable story, the other side is made to believe it. Listeners are bewildered and stuck dumb with it. However in business even if you think that you mystified the other party, you often expose your ignorances when you make a contract, because the other party bring forth a logical counter argument. If you think that you have mystified someone temporarily, it does not conclude a contract. If you do not negotiate wholeheartedly, a profitable business talk will be canceled. So be careful! KONJO When you say that the person has a tenacity, it means that the person has fighting spirit, will power, determination, persistence and courage. He is someone who accomplishes something finely even if in a bad situation. Not only does he not lose heart in an adversity, but also, on the contrary, does he re-double his courage all the more in an adversity. He is tough as a negotiating partner. He absolutely never gives up. The opposite of having tenacity is not having tenacity. A subordinate who has tenacity is reliable for a superior. He will do it without a single complain, however difficult the job is. It is no need to check each detail over his shoulder or to light a fire under him. So tenacity is a special character for a businessman apart from his expertise or experience and it raises the person's value. tenacity, staying power, stick-to-it-iveness accomplish, achieve, carry out light a fire under someone, whip him, push him, give him a push latitude to say such a thing answer it, pay off, have a good result polishing each other's apple, putting someone on a pedestal Atmosphere is very thick. fair weather friend, haul weather friend commercial station, public or non-commercial ATARAZU SAWARAZU is an expression of feeling of not wanting something to be broken when you deal with matters(so that things can not be destroyed). For example, another colleague holds back an office worker who is starting to rise to defend a colleague who is being scolded by a superior, and says atarazu sawarazu. This means not to make that superior angrier than this by trying to defend your colleague. This word can also be used like this. The boss seems to be in a bad mode today. Don't bring up anything unnecessary and just submit your report in atarazu sawarazu way(without creating trouble). But when all of you would do this way, and intend on avoiding misfortunes from the beginning, for example, in business, work will almost not move forward. By the way, one step forward, atari indicates striking against an object and sawari indicates contact with an object or obstacle. If atari and sawari actually does not exist, uneasiness of being stared at in a crowded train by lady folk will disappear. hold back, restrain in a bad temper bring up, touch, mention think only to, eager to IROKE is restricted to meaning of looks and love among meanings of color. "A little Miss so and so next door has gotten a sex appeal in these days, hasn't she?", is that she has become a young woman and attracts men's eyes. Irokezuku is the same meaning, but is somewhat unrefined, and it used to jeer at a girl that she is too conscious of males. On the other hand, when it comes to showing iroke, iroke means desire in this case. If someone shows iroke in inquiries of business deal, that means he expresses a feeling to have a business deal, and if he shows iroke when there has been a talk from other companies to switch his job, that means it is OK even to change his job. Salary men always show iroke in salary raises and promotions, however, if his attitude is too glaring, he will be teased that he is lusting after the department head's position. Iroke tappuri is used to jeer at a woman past her prime for her thick make-up or young looking clothings. unrefined, vulger, coarse, unpolished overpowering desire, a lust for power, gold a lust of battle, conquest, accumulation the lusts of flesh SURIAWASE Some bottom rims of tea cups and bowls are not glazed, and if you put them on a table thoughtlessly, they sometimes scratch the surface of the table. So when you buy new china wear, first of all, you have to rub bottom rims together and try not to scratch the table or something. From this we call it suriawase to adjust different opinions of individual members in a group and to coordinate an unified opinion of an entire group while making mutual concession. It is also called suriawase to adjust opinion between mutual group. The former can be called nemawashi-laying down the ground work- and the latter can be called negotiation, but whatever, just as you rub the bottom rims the same bowls together, originally the premise is that there are no great differences. The word which can be used for political term, is at best for adjustment of view within a political party, but it seems to be difficult to be used as a diplomatic term. Habit is forming. She is not made for country life. entrust to nursery hard nut to crack They do not take to it(they are not made for it). hooked up to city water supply. SUNEKAJIRI You often hear the expression that the guy is gnawing at his father's shins. That means that the young guy relies on his father financially, though he is of an age that he can earn his own living by himself. Several generations ago when Japanese wages were still very low, a young man who has graduated from college could not eat on his starting pay. In those days sunekajiri-sponging off- was quite expected and was not particularly a shame. As Japan became affluent economically, a starting pay also went up and a guy even just entering a society came to receive enough pay to make it on his own. Then new breed of sponger sons came out. Those are guys who even graduating from college do not have steady job, but are engaged in some special studies, or guys who use all the salaries for play and depend on their parents for rooms and boards. is of an age, has reached an age quite(very) expected, common, natural bed and board, full board board and lodging room and meals It doesn't register, click That's the cat's meow. He rubs me the wrong way. He sees red. a bull in a china shop KAYUITOKORO NI TE GA TODOKU is directly translated that a hand reaches an itchy place. Oh!oh! Is this man beaten by an insect or does he have an athlete's foot? That is not it. Originally it means to be sufficiently scrupulous with no oversight. You feel a kind of physiological pleasure when you scratch an itchy place. For that reason there is even a back scratching stick called Grand Child Hand for an aged person, whose hand, because of age, no longer goes around to his back. A complete satisfaction at the time you receive a scrupulous service can be compared to this pleasure of feeling. This attitude, therefore, is the most vital mind set for those who work in service industry and for salary persons. In spite of trouble you take to do services, if there is a vital point missing and there is a serious oversight, it makes the other feel irritated on the contrary. This is said to be Kakakouyou (scratching a foot wearing a shoe---it has no effect and is rather irritating). If it is this kind of service, you should rather better not to do. fault, oversight, slip up, neglect, miss miss, hit win, lose athlete's foot; dermatophytosis scrupulous; consciously honest HASHIGO From going up step by step, there is an expression of ladder to success (staircase to advancement). This is the same nuance as in English, however, if you relax your guard, you will be put on the second floor and the ladder will be taken away. It means to put you on a higher post, and actually limit the execution of the authority for example not giving you the subordinate support and bottle up your influence. In English, if you go up to the second floor, it is over by kicking down the ladder, however, in Japan of Omikoshi society, if the ladder is taken away, you lose communication with below and lose your footing. Besides, it is an abbreviation of ladder drinking. It means to go around drinking from one red lantern or bar to another. Because there are not a few people whose real mind does not come out for the first time after climbing many rungs, it is indispensable event in Japanese business world. However the more it approaches to the final rung, the more the expense becomes the personal burden of the superiors. For them it is a hard unofficial duty following their position. formal promotion kick them upstairs reach a higher position lose your standing in the company What rung of the company(university, income) ladder are you on? across at an angle(on a slant) Too many people on the rung above. inverted pyramid, all the burden(weight) lest on the people below NURUMAYU Japanese love to take a bath is famous, and the heat of hot water(42-45 centigrades) is also famous. Getting in and out of the hot water fast is called crow's ablution, but if you get in a look warm water of about 36 centigrades in winter and so forth, you feel comfortable in the water. However your body temperature does not rise and you can not get out in the cold outside. In this way there is little stimulation, and nothing is particularly good, and because the life is quiet and uneventful, you do not feel like changing your job to pioneer a new territory. This is called to be soaking in a look warm water. For a time Datsusara or venture-business, that is to give up being a salary man to begin one's own small business, is in fashion. That is to be dissatisfied with a look warm water, and to challenge bravely a cold air outside. Salary men of a big enterprise, at any rate, are apt to rest comfortably in a look warm water, and if all of them become like that, the vitality of the enterprise will be lost. to brow your nose tension with growth It does not have desire to tepid, look warm HESO O MAGERU A navel and a twist of hair are usually found in the center of the body. So if there is a person who has those curved, that is, if we call someone twisted or perverse, it means that he is not straight, odd, warped or mean. To twist a navel is used verbally for twisted and it is to get angry without any proper reason, to act perverted, or to be mean to a person on purpose. There are ulterior reasons many times instead of good reason, for examples, to be excluded from the group, to be made to lose face and so forth. It is an image of not like a man or a petty person. If your superior gets perverse toward you, you are made to suffer. navel; the small scar or depression in the middle of the abdomen, where the umbilical cord was attached to the fetus belly button the whirl of hair on the head curved, turned, bent, crooked get cranky, become perverse distorted,warped,crooked ill tempered, ill natured, cross grained conceal, veil over, screen, cover, be left out in the cold, be treated as an outsider suffer terribly, have much trouble GEKO In the past, contrasted with Joko, a rich family that pays a lot of tax, Geko is the name, we call its opposite, of poor family and folk. It came to indicate a person who does not or can not drink(Joko can have a lot of rice wine and Geko can hardly have them). Compared to westerner, there are many Japanese who can not drink rice wines constitutionally and get badly drunk with even a small quantity. Perhaps the origin of Geko was that they teased even those people who can not drink physiologically with Geko who can not drink as they are poor. Further, conversely we never say someone Joko who drinks a lot. We call him Hidari-kiki(left handed) or Sato(left party). There is a theory that it came from holding a wine cup in his left hand, but it is fishy. We call someone Ryoto-tsukai who like both rice wines and something sweet. It refers to that the 17th century master swordsman, Musashi Miyamoto, fought holding one sword each in his left and right hands, the author of Gorinsho who has become very popular in America these days. You have to be careful because if you eat and drink too much, Joko becomes poor which is equal to becoming entirely Geko. OH MY LOVE The evening when dead leaves are falling tells the coldness of the coming day There's not even a song whispering love on the broken bench in the rain Oh my love! Stay by me. Stay by me numbing with the cold. Smile and tell me in a word that this talk of separation is teasing. Marathon runners pass by on the gravel path luring me stopping there just as if desiring nothingness Oh my love! Farewell! The season comes around again but the two of us that day are shooting stars of evening flashed and died It's a passing dream Me who is not me - Yukihiko Tsukahara I neither drink nor smoke. Seldom do I laugh. Except when I go on a music tour, my whole life on this planet is a neat garden and a plain second storied house where my nice papa and mama are, nearly park and road side trees, a book shop and late night food store. Influenced by papa of an astronaut, my study room was changed to control room, full of resonating and flickering electronic instruments and computers. I take off for untrodden reaches day and night. For the tour I'm not willing to go on, I sometimes send a stand-in. I leave my silhouette to my lover. If I make my face like a doll, there exists only a flow of monotonous unfeeling consciousness without remembrances, desires and life. The joy of sound overflowing the space and time. I don't need I. I'm not. I don't exist. Originality in life - Kansai Yamamoto(Fashion designer) I regard myself as a little different other than ordinary designers. The category of a fashion designer is when we try to express ourselves by means of making clothes. For me it is one methodology. Beside that I want to express myself by means of performances. This is the second mean. The third one is a management of an enterprise. It's like a feeling when a novelist can't be satisfied with only writing books but thinks by what means can the book be read by many people such as making a publishing company. At the ordinary fashion show, we put clothes on models and let them go out. It is the most basic style that a designer has a general look from behind, peeking out through a hole. For me when my clothes go up on the stage, I feel like my child going out there and I feel like boosting it. Then I myself go out in the role of prompter. 15 years ago there was one rule which color clothing could be worn. In my thinking, looking at it from the real nature, there were more attractive pink, red and yellow which were not used on clothing's. That was assumed to be no good. So I began with being for those colors. Thus the expression of Kansai Color has reached on world wide level. First when I heard the word of originality, I immediately associated it with originality in life. Creation of clothing is off course something small. I think it very important how to create your own life. There's no model for it. Inside and outside - Hisashi Inoue Whenever I think of Japanese, a single and round circle comes to my mind. The circle in one time narrows and in other time expands. Japanese calls inside a circle as Uchi and outside a circle as Soto. By only this you will not be able to understand what it is. To speak more in detail, say there are three Japanese drinking in a bar. Then those three persons are Uchi and all other persons become Soto. These three persons act as if they are sweethearts and care of each other. But the three are surprisingly cool for the world other than the three, that is, outside world. They have no doubt that if inside world is pleasant, they do not mind even if people of the outside world are inconvenienced. As long as the inside world goes well, that alone is pleasing, they don't pay attention to it however outside world is inconvenienced. Both family and company are similarly respective one circle. Garbages inside are carefully picked up and the destination where the garbages reach is outside. Once the garbages are thrown out from inside, they don't care however inconveniences they cause for the neibourhood. This is the same with the company. If the inside company goes well, there is no connection however much pollution they scatter outside the company. This tendency no doubt can be seen in any folks, it must be most awful in Japan. There comes a time when the diameter of this circle reaches the maximum. It is a time when all of Japan hides inside the circle. Then whole Japan becomes inside and overseas becomes outside. As long as the inside of Japan is well governed, there is no concern whatever inconveniences outside people might have. Because people believe there is only Oni(demon) outside. The ceremony at Setsubun in which beans are scattered while people shout, "Happiness comes in! Demons get out!" is in that sense symbolic. The design of National Flag has deep meaning. There is a circle and inside is a color of same blood and outside is nothing. When will the day come when the circle of Hinomaru breaks and the color of blood seeps out. Nobody knows when, but there is not few people who pray from inside the circle for the day to come soon. Spring - Ryuichi Tamura The spring in American mid-west showed me a new world. In the endless desolate corn field of winter there were no birds no flowers no cats. Houses with windows closed are isolated. One March day I found several blades of grasses by the route. The next day, the grasses were flowing altogether on the ground. They linked isolated houses. In the sky, thousands of migrating birds. Windows of houses open A Persian cat lazily appears. Forsythia which I used to think only Oriental flower makes a house gate On the top of the flowering Magnolia tree that looks like a grand candle A cardinal sings with a beautiful voice. At the end of the Vietnam War the poet John Bellman was still alive who killed himself. At the village steel theater "The Graduate" was showing. The sound of silence was being broadcasted down town. I didn't know that Iowa was the stage of Dvorak's New World Symphony. Ghosts and originality - Ysunari Takahashi It's T.S. Elliot who said that there's nothing more dramatic than ghosts. If it is true, there would be no dramatic drama other than Japanese Noh play in which ghosts take the leading part. W.B. Yeats who was against the modern Western theatre, groping for a new form of drama to express totally human experiences out of ordinary, wrote plays mostly from Irish myths or folk tales. However it did not go well. In 1913 when he was acquainted with Noh by an accidental opportunity, he latched on to the ghosts without hesitating. What he needed was ghosts. He began to write " Hawk's Well" and other series of "Ghosts plays". The are all in their own ways excellent works, however, plays wrote 20 years after that when the direct influence of Noh seemed to be mostly lost, are more excellent, and paradoxically bring to life more the essence of Noh. It's apparent in the way of using ghosts in dramas such as "Words inscribed on window glasses" and "Purgatory". The deepest influence appears when it is forgotten consciously. True originality is not incompatible with that kind of influence. The wave of influence began with English translation of Noh by Fenorossa, and through Ezura Pound who edited the manuscripts of Fenorossa, came to Yeats. An encounter of Yeats and Noh is a rare story that a form of drama is transferred from the far east island to far west island, and at the same time, it is a strange demonstration proof of dialectic of influence and originality. Myth about Japan United States these days seem to be in a kind of love with Japan. Sushi restaurants are spreading from Beverly Hills to Brooklyn and Japanese sake is taking place of Perrier and is becoming the newest trendy beverages. Studying Japanese is coming to a new attraction for fast track in company's educational programs. Love affair with other countries(United States has experienced several times so far) is somewhat similar to that of human beings. As both sides look the partner not from the realistic point of view but from the idealistic point of view, you can't get rid of (tiffs and riffs) troubles and misunderstandings. Washington would like to look Japan as a country of a firm friendship and ally, and milestone of present and future US diplomatic policy. With only this belief, various myths can be created and when they do not correspond to realities, it gets quite hard to be explained. The best US myth about Japan in 1980 includes the three vast fields of trade, management of enterprises and defense. In all these fields, US has been making absurd mistakes and have to pay a stiff price after years from now. Especially in trade, US is complaining endlessly like a frustrated country callow(swain). Washington whines that Japan does not liberalize import because Japan is selfish and narrow minded. Washington is thinking that because it is stingy and selfish attitude to reject American trade proposals filled with sincerity, and that there is no other means than to apply pressure and use emotional arguments to make a dent in this attitude. Whenever new trade negotiator fails and expresses his frustrations for not being able to woo the partner, America has been taking such strategies. This attitude does not acknowledge the fundamental fact of Japan's economic existence from the outset. Basically these facts are nothing but the elementary facts of geography. Japan is an island country without enough resources to sustain its highly industrialized economy. Plainly speaking, the fact is that Japan has to import a great amount of raw materials and export not inferior to that amount to nourish its own country. In this regard, Japan is like a Ramjet that compresses a lot of intake air by the high speed movement of itself and flies in the air being ignited by that fuel. In the past when feeling the fear of interruption of access to material sources and overseas market, Japan had taken extra legal measures to keep a huge balance of its economic intake and outgo. Off course the extreme example was the plunge into the World War II triggered by the American menace to Japan's supply and export route. In the present Japanese political situation, the apprehensiveness for being blocked is one of the greatest problems. Most of the Japanese political behaviors toward the middle east will be explained with this. This is why Japan is the best friend of Iran among the free world out of Islamic sphere. Now Japan, taking a cool attitude toward Israel, has become the first or second trading partner for any of oil producing countries in the middle east. Japanese people have a fear of import increase of cheap foods from America and others, however, this fear of isolation will partly explain the reason. At the meeting recently held in Tokyo, an economic scholar said holding a bowl of noodle, "What I have now in my hand, wheat for noodle, soybeans for soy sauce, spices, all are from abroad. Water of soup alone is from Japan." "Are we going to say that we abandon the production of rice and fruits and rely on foreigners? If the supply from them stops sometimes while we destroy our minimum level of self supporting agriculture, we must die of starvation. " These appeals are transparently emotional, but very effective. There are real fears behind and memories of the food shortage after the war, more recently, abrupt embargo of soybeans implemented by President Nixon in 1960s may be in their minds. There is another aspect in Japanese economy that is lost sight of because of myth on the American side. It is the big difference between export oriented big enterprises and middle or small enterprises that make production for domestic market. Big enterprises(Mitsubishi and Sony, etc.) altogether have been monopolizing a large part of government considerations such as subsidies, low interest loans, favorable government contracts and so forth. This is not surprising. Because these enterprises produce Ramjet effect in Japanese economy and actually sustain the whole country. By contrast with this, middle or small enterprises are in their worst situation since World war II. Bankruptcy sharply increases and business is stagnant. There can be no lifetime employment in bankrupt companies. Miraculous and moral raising management techniques that American management admires, does not apply here. Nevetherless this sector employs 50 percent of Japanese industrial workers. It was this weakness of Japanese economy among them that followed the extreme low En market in these several months. Trade and economic leaders in Washington are making somewhat silly criticism that Japan is manipulating En market to keep down the export prices. Actually, Japanese capitals are fleeing from the genuinely sick domestic market. Face conscious Japanese are feeling perplexed if this will be published abroad. If Japan opens the door totally importing industrial and consumption goods from abroad, many of these small enterprises will go bankrupt. Love in the office Miss Murata, account section, has fallen head of heels in love with a younger man, hasn't she? Really it's hard to believe! I saw her in Shibuya together with a young man. Listen, listen! Yamano, section chief, and Yukiko have a love affair. Section chief's marriage is breaking up. I wonder? Rumors always have tails and fins. I'm telling you the truth. Yesterday I saw two of them going into a love hotel. "I am looking for a right time and going to suggest a divorce with my wife." "I'll wait as long as I have to. " "You are going with Mr. Yamamoto, general affairs, aren't you?" "Oh oh, I wonder where we were seen?" "Why don't you give up with such a nerd?" "Mr. Yamamoto has been 7 years without a girl friend." "He's been starving for girls, that guy." "Sayuri! I hear you are going to quit the company to get married next month." "Yes, I have to train my replacement from next week." "Sayuri! You look as you are on top of the world." "Young women nowadays are longing to be full time housewives." "Ah! I got to find out a good guy soon, or else I will be left behind." "Don't worry! Number of men is larger than marriageable woman." "Did you hear it? Section chief's wife has gone back to her parent's home." "When the section chief tried to pay money to cut relation with Yukiko, she thrusted it back." "What a mess! He is in a quagmire." "Miss Murata's embezzlement came out, didn't it?" "It has been a rumor in the office since this morning." "It seems she was giving money to men." "Aren't there a good guy anywhere?" "Why don't you give up and stick to a single life?" "I hear you broke up with Mr. Yamamoto." "Aren't your ideals too high?" "Waoh! How can it be out so quickly?" "Although you become 30 years old and if you fool around, your chance of getting married will become slim." "Does Sayuri's marriage break up, doesn't it?" "He found out that she's been playing a lot, didn't he?" "She got what's coming to her." "Are you going to let them say such things without a single word?" "I don't want to deal with such fools." "I want to settle our triangle relations around here." "I think I'm pregnant. How do you take your responsibility?" New Year's first Visit to Shrine "Let me be promoted." "Let me win a lottery." "Let me get a great guy and I'd like to show him off to everyone." "Let me given a responsible work." "I'm fed up with tea serving and copying." "Let me change my job to foreign company. May my age not be a handicap." "Let me be a manager." "Let me work overseas." "May this whole year be madly fun?" "May I pass the 2nd level of English examination." "Working, being a mother and being a housewife, all three I can't take them any more. God, I beg you, somehow, someway save me." "May downpayment for my home be quickly saved." "If you talk like that and are stingy with offering, you'll be punished." "Let me get a lucky strike in a horse race once. I'm always losing." "May the stock I bought last year go up." "May my salary go up hugely." "May the paper plan I submitted at the end of the year catch the eye of Mr. Ono, section manager." "Oh I got a big fortune. It's a good luck." "Let's go draw a fortune." Valentine's Day "Whom are you going to give the chocolate for the favorite?" "Uhuh, I'm stringing along two guys." "Please take this as an expression of my feeling." "I'm not big on sweets." "Do you mean you can't take my chocolate?" "Even though I went out of my way to make it myself." went to the trouble to took pain to "It's embarrassing! OK! Then let me have it." "You got to spend much money on Valentine's Day." Valentine's Day costs a lot. "I made an extra effort and bought a big chocolate for my boss." "You're sure to get it back on white day." "She ranks people in giving chocolates." "It's absolutely goddamn custom." "You're being taken for a ride by chocolate companies." "Somebody unpopular with women is jealous." "We haven't forgotten to give chocolate to anybody, have we?" "If we happen to forget it, it will be held against us for a long time." "These are all face saving chocolates." "It takes a half day's work to give out chocolates." "I'm thinking to confess my feeling to Mr. Murai, the chief, this time." "No! Don't do it. He's only interested in women's face." "Hey! You mean Mariko is out(has no chance). That's nasty." At the race track "After the Ogricap was put out to pasture, I felt sad." "That horse run like a monster." "I believe that Ogricap would absolutely win the Arima Memorial." "I bought 5,000 yen of two win." "Odds was certainly five times. Please treat me later." "I bet on White Stone. Damn it!" "Well let's forget the past and concentrate on today's race." "Today is 24 and my birthday. So I'm going to make it on 24 combination." "Well that's it! I'll go for 1-8 combination. If you win, it's 100 to 1." "It's not that easy." "Hum, in the 9th race, give me 1,000 yen for 3-7 combination and another 1,000 yen for 5-7 combination. Later 2,000 yen for No. 4 two win." "Horses of 9th race are coming to the paddock." "The coat of No.3 horse has good luster." "It seems to be the favorite." "I feel No.7 will come in first." "Yama-chan of general affairs section was rejoicing, because he won 60 to 1 long shot one time." "He had beginners' luck and will soon lose it." "That guy's father blew his family's fortune on horses." "I'll go by the jockey." "No no! The horse is blood line." "Let's go to the betting window." "Come on! Oh no! The No.2 horse threw the jockey." "They say No.1 and No.2 is photo-finished." "Gotcha! The winner is 3-5 combination. Whoopee!" "Oh no! I lost again. I have no talent for this." Sickness "How's it going?" How're you going? How're you making out? How's life treating you? "I'm almost dead." I'm half dead. I feel like I'm dying. I'm on my last leg. "Recently I feel poor. My body feels heavy."I'm listless(spiritless; languid; having or showing no interest in what is going on, as because of illness, weariness, rejection). I'm sluggish(lacking energy, slow or slow moving, below normal). "Too much playing!" partying(to attend or hold social party), night life, staying out "My shoulders are stiff." "Must be age." getting old "Once you pass 30 years' old, you gradually lose your stamina(resistance to fatigue, illness, hardship)." "I've heard that it was determined that the death of the client who died recently was from over work(work exhaustion)." "Everybody has surplus of fatigue." is extra-tired "There was a message from Akemi that she had a stomach pain and should be late." pain in the stomach "She must be faking sickness." practice deception by giving a false indication or appearance of something "I strained my back, playing golf on the weekend." injure by overexertion, force, pressure. draw tight, stretch tight "These days I haven't had enough sleep. I'm drowsy." "Oh Machiko! You are keeping late hours." staying up at all hours "I have a stomach pain." My stomach hurts. ache "When stress builds up, it goes to the stomach." "I feel like chill." The chill goes up and down my spine. "You look so bad." "Shall I take your temperature?" "It's cold, isn't it?" "My car was hit from behind and I got whiplash." a sudden and severe jolting of the neck backward and forward, as caused by the impact of a rear-end automobile collision "I hear that whiplash takes long time to heal." "When I'm busy, I end up drinking too much coffee. I've had seven cups of coffee since this morning." "I can't give up smoking no matter what." "Although I know it's bad for my health." Trouble at the office "For the mistake you made the other day, I should have you write written apology." "Is my salary going to be reduced?" Is my pay going to be ducked? "Mayumi is reprimanded." "It's a part of job to scold the subordinate skillfully, isn't it?" "Female bosses seem to be regarded lightly." are not taken seriously "You have to tell young girls exactly what is permitted and what is not." put young girls in their proper place; teach young girls what is appropriate "Due to her mistake we lost one client." "You can't do the work as an extension of your student attitude." "Oh boy! We're gotten dragged into the problem." "You don't know how to answer the telephone. What have you been doing in the college." "Look at Mr. Kawanishi. He is the same age as yours and he is ready to serving into action and work." Marriage on the rocks -The best of Dear Abby Back in Biblical times, a man could have as many wives as he could afford. Just like now. The first recorded divorce was granted in Babylon in 2250 B.C. In those days, if a husband became bored, he simply told his wife to get lost. In times, the institution of marriage became stronger, and both parties took the vow to stay together "in sickness or in health, for richer or poorer, 'til death do us part." A divorce was difficult to obtain-but not impossible. As one notorious divorce lawyer used to ask his clients,"Will you provide the evidence, or shall we?" However, in last twenty-five years everything has become easier. Especially divorce. Today, in many states, when couples split they don't need ground. They simply "dissolve" the marriage. Abby advice circa 1956 would have urged couples to hang in there at all cost to try to save the marriage. Today I no longer feel that way. Divorce almost always leaves scars. But when the joy has gone out of a marriage and the joyless couple is faced with a choice of evils, divorce is usually the lesser of the two. My change of mind did not go unnoticed: Dear Abby: What has happened to you? You used to encourage married couples to do everything within their power to save their marriages. Lately, you give the impression that divorce could be the answer for some couples. Why? Faithful Reader |