H: McMillan describes an experimental restaurant that started its customers with cocktails and then took them to their solo tables. Ueda says enjoys reading a book or magazine in peace during a solitary meal. Though Wu speculates that solo dining must be bad for a restaurant’s business. McMillan says smart restaurateurs can tell when a customer would be receptive to a conversation and when they wouldn’t.

居合わせた食事客

H: Here fellow is an adjective. It means people who share some characteristic, some situation. Politicians in the United States often talk about “my fellow Americans,” for example. Or “He asked some of his fellow lawyers to donate to the fundraiser.”

S: そうですね。アメリカ大統領の演説はよく、”My fellow Americans” で始まりますね。fellow studentsと言えば、学友とか、クラスメート、同窓生のことです。

何々に案内される

H: Here escort means accompany someone as a guide or a protector. McMillan also could’ve said “We were shown to our tables.” Depending on the situation, escort can also mean accompany someone to make sure they don’t escape or to make sure they do something. Imagine a woman who gets fired for stealing. You could say “Security took her company ID and escorted her out of the building.”

S: escortは名詞として使うこともありますね。escort。under police escortと言えば、警察官に護衛されて、連行されて、ということです。

単独の、ひとりの

H: There’s no negative implications to solitary here. I think it just means alone. Things like reading are called solitary pursuits. It just means you do them alone. But sometimes it does imply a sad isolation, loneliness. Like “She’s such a solitary figure, eating lunch by herself every day.”

S: Sad isolation, loneliness、というふうにいまヘザーさんが言っていました。連れのない、とか寂しい、という意味で使うこともありますね。

かなりの流行

H: A significant trend, a noteworthy trend. We could also say “Company X had quite a year. Sales are up 30%.” “She made quite an impression in her job interview. They decided to hire her immediately.”

S: trendの代わりに、quite a manとかquite a womanと言うと、かなりの褒め言葉になりますね。

H: Right. You’re saying that person is a shining example of something. They’re to be admired and emulated.

S: それから、It’s quite a story.と言えば、大変興味深い話、すごい話ですね、という意味になりますね。

思えてならない、思わずにいられない

H: Can’t avoid thinking this. Can’t prevent it. Like we keep having this thought no matter how hard we try to contradict it or refute it in our head. “I can’t help thinking this joint venture is a bad idea.” “I can’t help thinking we should use this supplier.”

S: can’t help but thinkというフレーズもあります。can’t help thinking、can’t help but think、どちらも同じ意味で使います。

利口な、賢明な、抜け目のない

H: Canny means clever, shrewd. “He’s a canny investor who always chooses the right time to buy and sell.” “She’s a canny negotiator.”

放って置かれる、１人にして置かれる

H: Or be left to oneself. That’s okay too. Imagine someone comes up to you when you’re busy and you think “Oh no. I just want to be left alone to finish my work.” “Let’s leave him to himself right now. He’s in a bad mood.”

WORDS AND PHRASESで取り上げなかった語句