英語学習サイト ジャパンタイムズ 週刊STオンライン

生沢浩の体育会式英語塾

英語とダイエットは苦労しなければ成功しない

Vol. 1 : Cherry-blossom viewing

Makoto: Hey, Sara, remember not to plan anything for Sunday. (1) We have to go to that cherry-blossom viewing I told you about last week. The company president's gonna be there.

Sara: Oh yeah, I completely forgot. Wow, time flies. I can't believe it's already been a year since my first "hanami." I can't believe I have to go through that again, either.

Makoto: Why? You didn't enjoy it?

Sara: Well, in case you didn't notice the weather was kind of, how should I put it, "freeeeezing?" Plus all we had to drink was tea, water and 10 gallons of beer, which really didn't help to warm us up.

Makoto:: Well, (2) it was a shame that the weather was bad but the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, remember? I'd say it was worth it.

Sara: Actually, I do remember, but I bet you no one else remembers They were all too busy drinking, singing and doing all sorts of crazy things. No one was looking at the blossoms.

Makoto: Hey, come on, that's all part of the event. Well, I know some people go a little bit too far but partying under the trees is basically the best part of Hanami. It wouldn't be the same if we just sat there quietly and looked up at the trees.

Sara: To me (3) it just sounds like a good excuse to make a fool of yourself in public. Hey, there's plenty of gingko trees just outside our office so why not just go "gingko tree viewing" and then at least you won't have to run around trying to find a place to sit.

Makoto: No, no, no, you don't get it! It has to be cherry blossoms! Cherry blossoms are just so special. They mean a lot to Japanese people. It's not only because the flowers are pretty. They also symbolize a lot of different things too. You see, (4) sakura is not "A" flower. It's "THE" flower, if you know what I mean. Hey, you know what, they were saying on the news today that when springtime comes around, Japanese artists release new songs that have the word "sakura" in their titles, and apparently they sell more because of that. So you can't miss it! You've got to come!

Sara: All right, I get your point. Sort of. Anyways, I'll make sure to be there on Sunday. Hopefully it'll be warmer than last year.

Makoto: Yeah, (5) I'm keeping my fingers crossed.