皆さん、こんにちは！今朝、電車でとても奇妙で、少しドキドキする体験をしました。皆さんは、こんな状況になったらどうしますか？
When I got on the train this morning, there were a few empty seats in the priority seating area. There were also a few available seats that were not in the priority section, so I sat there instead. Soon after, a very old man—maybe about 100—came and sat next to me. He was carrying a cane and looked really old. As soon as he sat down, he closed his eyes and started leaning on me.
Despite being so small, he was so heavy! I thought to myself, "Why didn't he sit in the priority section, especially since he has a cane?" I thought he might get off soon, but as stop after stop passed by, he didn't move and only got heavier! I started to worry: did he pass away?! I had read stories about people who passed away quietly while riding on the train. Finally, my stop came, and as I stood up, I noticed that he finally woke up. What a relief.
(今朝、電車に乗ったとき、優先席エリアにいくつかの空席がありました。一般席にも空席があったので、私はそちらに座りました。すぐに、とても年をとった男性—たぶん100歳くらい—が私の隣に座りました。彼は杖を持っていました。彼が座るやいなや、目を閉じて私にもたれかかってきました。)
(体が小さいのに、とても重かったのです！私は心の中で「なぜ彼は杖を持っているのに優先席に座らなかったのだろう？」と思いました。彼はすぐに降りるだろうと思いましたが、駅が通り過ぎるたびに動かず、重くなる一方でした！私は「もしかして、亡くなってしまったのでは？」と心配し始めました。電車の中で静かに亡くなる人々の話を読んだことがあったからです。ついに私の駅に着き、私が立ち上がると、彼もやっと目を覚ましました。本当にホッとしました。)
Key Vocabulary 📖
* priority seating: seats reserved for those who need them most (elderly, pregnant, etc.).
(優先席)
* cane: a stick used to help someone to walk.
(杖)
* leaned on: rested one's weight against something or someone.
(～にもたれかかる)
* pass away: a polite way of saying "to die."
(亡くなる、逝去する)
Key English Phrase ✨
The phrase is "as soon as." (アズ・スーン・アズ)
This means immediately after something else happens; without delay. It is a great phrase to connect two quick actions.
(これは、何かが起こるとすぐに、または遅延なく、という意味です。二つの素早い行動を結びつけるのに最適なフレーズです。)
How to Use It in Conversation 💬
* "I will call you as soon as I arrive at the station."
(「駅に着き次第、すぐに電話します。」)
* "He leaned on me as soon as he sat down."
(「彼は座るやいなや、私にもたれかかった。」)
* "The train left as soon as the doors closed."
(「ドアが閉まるとすぐに、電車は出発した。」)
* "As soon as I finish this lesson, I'm going home."
(「このレッスンが終わり次第すぐに、私は家に帰るつもりだ。」)
* "She felt great relief as soon as the meeting was over."
(「会議が終わるとすぐに、彼女は大きな安堵感を感じた。」)
Quiz Time! ✅
1. What is the English word for「安堵」?
a) cane
b) relief
c) panic
2. The phrase "as soon as" means:
a) after a long delay.
b) immediately after.
c) before something happens.
3. Fill in the blank: "He had a __ but sat in the regular seat __."
a) cane / instead
b) cake / instead
c) cane / beside
4. Which word is a polite way of saying "to die"?
a) leaned on
b) get off
c) pass away
5. Fill in the blank: "The old man __ __ me and fell asleep __ __ __ __."
a) sat / next / to / as / soon / as
b) leaned / on / me / as / soon / as
c) leaned / next / to / as / soon / as
Ask your teacher if you are not sure of the correct answers!
What would you have done when the man leaned on you? Did he use the priority seat? I look forward to hearing your comments!
Miami Eikaiwa Blog: https://miamieikaiwa.blogspot.com/?m=1
Quiz Answers
1. b) relief
理由：「relief」は「安堵、安心」という意味です。
2. b) immediately after.
理由：「as soon as」は「〜するとすぐに」「直後に」という意味です。
3. a) cane / instead
理由：彼は「cane」（杖）を持っていたので、instead（代わりに）一般席に座ったという文脈に合致します。
4. c) pass away
理由：「pass away」は、「亡くなる」という意味の丁寧な表現です。
5. b) leaned / on / me / as / soon / as
理由：彼が私に「もたれかかり」（leaned on me）、「座るやいなや」（as soon as he sat down）眠った、という出来事の順序と正確な句動詞に合致します。
