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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. 15 : Japanese and Japlish and English

Vince: Right, I guess (1) you're done for today. So how was Day 1 of the internship?

Miku: I was really nervous. But I managed to survive. I hope everything's OK... I didn't cause any big problems or anything, did I?

Vince: You'd know if you did — (2) someone would've chewed you out. No, everything is fine.

Miku: Sorry, chew what?

Vince: Oh, um, getting "chewed out" means getting told off for doing something wrong. You know, (3) to get scolded.

Miku: Oh, I see. Sorry. I was really surprised because I thought we were talking about chewing gum or something... I understand now.

Vince: You really did a good job today. Thanks for the help. I was actually pretty impressed. It looked like everything was a piece of cake for you.

Miku: Right. I know that one. It means "easy," right? Thank you for the compliment. I feel like doing a guts pose.

Vince: Ah, that's Japlish. In English that would be "pumping your fist in the air."

Miku: Really?! I didn't know that. (4) I must use a million expressions like that that aren't English at all. I wonder where guts pose came from.

Vince: Beats me. (5) During my first year in Japan I was often told by my co-workers to "don-mai" when I did something wrong. (6) It took me a while to figure that one out.

Miku: I think don-mai is short for "don't mind"... Who beat you, by the way?

Vince: That's just an expression that means I don't know, or I don't have a clue. And "don't mind" wouldn't make sense either. "Never mind" is probably the closest translation.

Miku: Well, thanks for the English lesson and I'll see you tomorrow. I think you would be a very good English teacher.

Vince: Haha... (6) Get outta here.

Miku: Oh, I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to offend you. I am getting out of here right now.

Vince: Um, you're not supposed to take that literally either. Oh, never mind.