#777 「常識」という言葉

皆さん、こんにちは！今日は、私が子供の頃に経験した、ある言葉にまつわる出来事についてお話ししたいと思います。この出来事を通して、私は「常識」という言葉について深く考えさせられました。

I have a strange anecdote from my childhood about the words "common sense." One time, my science teacher said to me, "Don't you have any common sense?" and as a child, I didn't understand what it meant. When I got home, I asked my father about the meaning, and he became very angry. My father then went to confront the teacher. After that, the teacher apologized to me and explained that the words were not meant to be a direct insult, but rather a way of asking if I understood a basic concept. It was a very important lesson for me. I think it is common sense not to say such a thing to a child.

(子供の頃、「常識」という言葉にまつわる不思議な逸話があります。ある時、理科の先生が私に「常識がないのか？」と言いました。子供だった私はその意味がわからず、家に帰って父に尋ねました。すると父はとても怒りました。その後、父は先生に会いに行きました。そのあと、先生は私に謝罪し、「常識」という言葉は直接的な侮辱ではなく、基本的な概念を理解しているか尋ねるための方法だったと説明してくれました。それは私にとってとても大切な教訓になりました。子供にそんなことを言うのは、常識ではないと私は思います。)

Key Vocabulary

(重要な単語)

 * common sense: a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge things that are shared by nearly all people and can be reasonably expected.

   (常識)

 * anecdote: a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

   (逸話、短い物語)

 * confront: to meet with someone about a problem or in an argument.

   (抗議する、対決する)

 * rude: impolite or offensive.

   (失礼な、無礼な)

 * inappropriate: not suitable or proper in the circumstances.

   (不適切な、ふさわしくない)

Key English Phrase

(重要な英語フレーズ)

The phrase is "talk to." (トーク・トゥー)

This means to communicate with someone, but when used in a certain way, it can imply a serious or even confrontational conversation, as in the phrase "I need to talk to you."

(これは誰かと話すことを意味しますが、特定の使い方をすると、「あなたと話す必要がある」というフレーズのように、深刻な、あるいは対立的な会話を暗示することがあります。)

How to Use It in Conversation

(会話での使い方)

 * "I need to talk to my boss about my new project."

   (「新しいプロジェクトについて上司と話す必要がある。」)

 * "The teacher asked to talk to my parents about my behavior."

   (「先生は私の態度について両親と話したいと言った。」)

 * "He went to talk to his neighbor about the loud music."

   (「彼はうるさい音楽について近所の人と話に行った。」)

 * "Let's talk to each other more often to avoid misunderstandings."

   (「誤解を避けるために、もっと頻繁に話し合いましょう。」)

 * "My father was angry and went to talk to the teacher."

   (「父は怒って、先生に話をしに行った。」)

Quiz Time!

1. What is the English word for「逸話」?

a) anecdote

b) anecdotal

c) anecdote

2. The phrase "talk to" can sometimes mean a __ conversation.

a) friendly

b) serious

c) casual

3. Fill in the blank: "It is __ to be rude to your friends."

a) rude

b) inappropriate

c) kind

4. Fill in the blank: "My father was angry and went to __ __ the teacher."

a) speak to

b) talk to

c) confront

Ask your teacher if you are not sure of the correct answers!

What does "common sense" mean to you in Japanese? I look forward to hearing your comments!

(皆さんにとって、日本語の「常識」とはどういう意味ですか？皆さんのコメントを楽しみにしています！)

Miami Eikaiwa Blog: https://miamieikaiwa.blogspot.com/?m=1