H: Collins says she often comes up with great ideas while she’s procrastinating as concerned about making her deadline inspires her. Lyons adds that meeting a deadline after a last-minute effort brings an adrenaline rush and a sense of accomplishment, but McMillan finds that to be too much of a strain on his nervous system. Ueda says time management is very important and Collins recommends finding a middle way.

物事を先延ばしにする

S: postponeするということですね。postponeの反対は、ヘザーさん、なんでしょう。

H: Hmm. I don’t think we have just one word like that. I think it would be doing things before we need to. 

S: そうですね。普通はそういうふうに聞かれても答えに詰まってしまうかもしれませんね。postponeの反対はpreponeなんですけれど、インド英語だそうです。pre-crastinatorというのは造語ですからまだ辞書には載っていませんけれど、preponeというのは一部の辞書に載っています。つまりインドの飛行場で、”Your flight has been preponed.” と言えばですね、「あなたの便は予定時刻よりも早めに出発します」「定刻より早く離陸します」という意味ですね。

H: I did not know that.

否定、現実を認めようとしないこと

H: The refusal to acknowledge what is really happening, the true situation. “He’s in denial about his heart problems.” He says “I’m fine, I’m fine,” but no. He actually needs medical treatment.

S: be in denialと言えば、何々を否定している、という意味ですね。

何々を見失う、忘れる

H: Forget about an important thing because we’re preoccupied with something else. Not factor it into our actions. “It’s good to work hard but we mustn’t lose sight of our personal needs.” “We mustn’t lose sight of what our customers want.”

刺激する、刺激となる

H: Inspire, spur. “For some reason, cleaning the bathtub stimulates my creative energy.” If I’m stuck with a translation or something, I go clean the bathtub. “Lower taxes may stimulate the economy.”

S: 刺激するものという意味の名詞はstimulusですね。

必死の、切羽詰まった

H: In this case desperate means done with all one’s energy or effort and with a low chance of succeeding. “This merger is a desperate attempt to save the company.” “I made a desperate dash for the train.”

S: アドレナリンがどっと出てくるということですね。そこから、気持ちの高ぶり、という意味です。

H: A surge of adrenalin feeling of elation, being thrilled. Lyons also could’ve said “You get a great rush when you finally meet a deadline.” Just rush is fine. “I took a surfing lesson once and it was a terrific rush to ride the wave.”

大変な困難にも関わらず

H: Despite a very difficult situation, despite a situation in which it’s very hard to succeed. “Despite all the odds, she made her restaurant a success.” “Despite all the odds, he became a professional actor.”

私自身

H: You’ve probably seen this at the end of emails and letters. It can also mean me, myself, I. “Guess who’s going to London for Christmas. Yours truly.”

S: そうですね。手紙あるいはメールの最後などに書くのは、Yours truly. それから、yours trulyというのはちょっとおどけたりふざけたりした時に使うフレーズですか。

H: Yes. It’s a casual fun way to say it.

神経系

S: ビニェットではold nervous systemというふうに出てきますね。「いわゆる神経系」といった意味で使っています。

慌ただしい、慌てふためいた

H: Frenzy, extremely hurried. “She finished her taxes in a frantic rush right before the deadline.”

It can also mean panic. “He was frantically searching for his lost plane ticket.”

駆け込み、直前になってからの慌ただしさ、忙しさ

H: In this case, push means an effort to get something done, like pushing something along, pushing through something. Imagine you’re working on a big project. You say “Just one more push and I’m done.” Just one effort, just one more effort.!

S: last-minuteというのは土壇場という意味ですね。土壇場になってのpush、努力ということですけれど、last-minute personと言うとですね、procrastinatorのことですね。最後までアクションを取らないで土壇場になって何かをする人ということです。