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先生との再会
帰国した日の夜、武藤さんは恩師にあいさつに行きました。
果たして先生は、英語力や人間的な成長などの面で、留学の成果を認めてくれるでしょうか?
再会のシナリオを頭に描き、家のチャイムを押すところから練習して出かけていくと、
塾を開いている先生は外で自転車の整理をしており、たちまちシナリオはめちゃめちゃに。
さらに、「今は、生徒たちがいるから、体験談をぜひ。英語でね」と言われて…。
My old teacher
The day I came back to Japan, I decided to visit my old teacher. This was the man who, just before I left for Australia, had warned me about the risk of going abroad without a clear purpose.
I hadn't seen him for around 10 months and I confess I was a little nervous. Had my English improved enough since I last saw him? Had I matured enough as a person?
I got to his house around 10 at night. I had rehearsed a scenario beforehand: I would ring the bell, he would open the door, and we would start talking. Unfortunately, it didn't quite go to plan. He caught me by surprise, standing outside his house, arranging bicycles. I didn't know what to say.
"Hi, I'm back," I blurted out.
"Wow," he said, opening his eyes wide. "You can still speak Japanese?"
I grinned.
"When I came back from the States, I couldn't speak Japanese properly for at least a few days."
We started chatting, and I don't really remember what we said, because I was too happy and excited to be back. Then I was suddenly brought back to earth when he said: "There are some high school students here you know. (He was a cram school teacher but he taught from home.) Could you tell them about your experiences? I'm interested to hear about them myself, too. In English."
I felt a little stunned. I'm reasonably confident about my English, but speaking English in front of my teacher was a seriously intimidating prospect. He would judge me on how well I could speak in English. If I wasn't as fluent as he expected me to be, then he would write off my trip to Sydney as a complete waste of time. I had to speak well.
I was filled with dread. The classroom was in chaos when we appeared. But the students fell quiet as I went to the front. My knees were shaking. I tried to say something, but my throat was dry. I croaked out, "I missed you guys." I couldn't continue.
"OK," said my teacher. "He's looking a little overwhelmed here. You guys should probably ask him some questions. Prompt him."
No one said anything.
"OK," said my teacher again. "Mr. Muto, you've just come back from experiencing a lot of things, so tell us, please, what you think is the most important thing to keep in mind when studying English abroad."
The man didn't pull his punches. That was a tough question.
"I don't think studying abroad is the best way to study English," I started. "There are loads of people who have studied English abroad and they still can't string together a basic sentence. The most important thing is that you have the determination to master English, wherever you are. If you want to master English you should go to a place that inspires that determination in you."
Everyone was quiet.
"Right," said my teacher. "Thank you for those fine words, Mr. Muto."
He led me out.
"Wait a bit, will you? Until we're finished," he said. "We're going to have a party for you."
- left for 〜
- 〜にたった
- had warned 〜 about the risk of 〜
- 〜に〜することの危うさを注意した
- going abroad
- 海外に行くこと
- clear purpose
- はっきりした目的
- I confess I was 〜
- 打ち明けると〜だった
- nervous
- どきどきして
- Had 〜 improved enough
- 〜は十分に上達したか
- Had 〜 matured enough as a person
- 〜は人として十分に成長したか
- got to 〜
- 〜に着いた
- had rehearsed 〜
- 〜を練習した
- scenario
- シナリオ
- beforehand
- 事前に
- ring the bell
- チャイムを鳴らす
- Unfortunately
- 残念ながら
- it didn't quite go to plan
- 計画どおりにはいかなかった
- caught me by surprise
- 私の不意をついた
- standing outside his house
- 外に立っていた
- arranging bicycles
- 自転車を整理して
- didn't know what to say
- 言うべきことが見つからなかった
- I'm back
- ただいま
- blurted out
- 思わず言ってしまった
- opening his eyes wide
- 目を大きく見開いて
- grinned
- ニコッと笑った
- the States
- アメリカ
- properly
- きちんと
- at least
- 少なくとも
- started chatting
- おしゃべりを始めた
- was suddenly brought back to earth
- 急に現実に引き戻された
- cram school
- 塾
- experiences
- 経験
- felt a little stunned
- 少し驚いた
- (am)reasonably confident about 〜
- それなりに〜に自信がある
- in front of 〜
- 〜の前で
- seriously
- とても
- intimidating prospect
- 怖気づくこと
- judge 〜 on 〜
- 〜を〜で判断する
- wasn't as fluent as 〜 expected 〜 to be
- 〜が〜に期待したほど流ちょうではない
- write off 〜 as 〜
- 〜を〜だと見なす
- complete waste of time
- 完全な時間の無駄遣い
- was filled with 〜
- 〜でいっぱいだった
- dread
- 不安
- was in chaos
- 大騒ぎだった
- appeared
- 登場した
- fell quiet
- おとなしくなった
- knees were shaking
- ひざが震えていた
- throat
- のど
- croaked out
- かすれ声で話した
- missed you guys
- 皆に会いたかったよ
- overwhelmed
- 圧倒されている
- probably
- 多分
- Prompt 〜
- 〜にきっかけを与えなさい
- keep in mind
- 心においておく
- didn't pull his punches
- 手加減しなかった
- loads of 〜
- たくさんの〜
- string together a basic sentence
- 基本的な文章を作る
- determination
- 決意
- master
- 〜
- 〜を習得する
- wherever you are
- どこにいても
- inspires 〜
- 〜を引き起こす
- led me out
- 外に連れ出した
- Wait a bit, will you?
- ちょっと待ってて