Please, no charities / HowardLake実践ビジネス英語
2013/04/05
The Power of Small Talk (3)
雑談力
Breakstone says small talk can also serve as an informal greeting. And Lyons adds that sales representatives and service workers use it to put clients at their ease.
He also advises Umemura not to respond in too much detail to questions like, "How's the world treating you?" as the askers are usually not seriously inquiring into his well-being. Collins recommends vague or unexpected answers.
NHK CD ラジオ 実践ビジネス英語 2013年4月号
スポンサーリンク
■□■□ Words and Phrases □■□■
- sales rep ((口)) 営業担当者、外交販売員 (sales representativeの短縮形)
Lyons: Sales reps and people like waiters, hairdressers and taxi drivers often make small talk with their customers too.
Here rep is short for representative.
You'll also see this in writing. Capitalized before the names of members of the U.S. House of Representatives. In that case that would be spoken Representative or read Representative John Smith.
"rep" can also be short for reputation.
That company has a very bad rep when it comes to environmental pollution.
- put someone at (their) ease (人) を安心 [リラックス] させる
If we put someone at their ease, we cause them to relax. If I feel at ease, I'm relaxed.
I always feel at ease talking to my boss.
- cause someone pain (人) に痛み [苦痛] をもたらす
Umemura is referring to physical pain here, but we can also use this expression about emotional distress.
He caused his mother a lot of pain when he dropped out of school.
肉体的な痛みだけでなく、心労をもたらす、心配をかける、もcause someone painで表すことができる。
We also use pain or pain in the neck to mean something that's annoying or bothersome, a nuisance.
I hate my commute. It's such a pain to change trains three times.
a pain in the neckは嫌なこと、困ったこと、あるいは嫌な人、困った人。
- ritualized exchange of pleasantries 儀礼的 [形式的] なあいさつのやり取り
Pleasantries are polite, pleasant social remarks. And it can refer to statements in both spoken and written English.
For example, I might start an email with a pleasantry like, "I hope everything's been well with you." Or "I hope you're enjoying the holiday season."
- the average person
In this case average means common, ordinary, most people, in other words.
The average person probably can't name all the members of the Cabinet.The average person can't write the kanji for bara or rose.
普通の人。一般的に。普通の人を表す言葉にアメリカではJohn Q. Publicなどと言う。あるいはJohn Q. Citizenというフレーズもある。平均的な人。女性の場合はJohnの代わりにJaneを使うこともある。
- by way of reply 返事として
Collins uses by way of to mean as a means of, for the purpose of.
He took her to lunch by way of an apology.
by way of「~として」
By way of can also mean via, going through something.
I'm flying to Seattle by way of Los Angeles.
She heard about the merger by way of the rumor mill.
- refreshing
We often use refreshing about things that restore our vitality or energy.
a refreshing drink of watera refreshing shower
In this case, however, refreshing refers to things that stimulate us in a good way because they're new, fresh, different.
I found his proposal very refreshing. It was extremely original.
新鮮な、という形容詞
■□■□ Daily Exercise □■□■
Steve says small talk can help people feel ___.
- comfortable
ビニェットの中ではSteve Lyonsが"It's a way of putting people at their ease, a friendly gesture." と言っている。
Does Steve advise Seiji to take people's questions about his welfare at face value?
- No, because such questions are basically casual in nature.
ビニェットの中ではSteve Lyonsが"Our ritualized exchange of pleasantries"という言葉を使っている。
Alyce likes to ___ people sometimes when they ask how she is.
- surprise
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