English Recordings

Pumas are large， cat-like animals which are found in America. When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London， they were not taken seriously. However， as the evidence began to accumulate， experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate， for the descriptions given by people who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.
The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it， and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. The search proved difficult， for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went， it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of "cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma， but where had it come from？ As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country， this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks， but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.

(Jan 17th 2012 ) <How are these flowers? >These are flowers that my son bought on his way back home from the office, yesterday evening.When he got home he gave me these flowers, and I asked him "Why? What are these for?/ (Why flowers?)"He answered "Ah~, when I stopped by the local markets this afternoon，there was a flower market, so I bought these."Anyway these yellow flowers are beautiful.When I got home this evening, I felt good because of these flowers. So I quickly took some pictures with a/my smart phone, and then sent them directly to my son.That`s all for today. Sweet dreams! Good night.

The Wayle is a small river that cuts across the park near my home. I like sitting by the Wayle on fine afternoons. It was warm last Sunday, so I went and sat on the river bank as usual. Some children were playing games on the bank and there were some people rowing on the river. Suddenly, one of the children kicked a ball very hard and it went towards a passing boat. Some people on the bank called out to the man in the boat, but he did not hear them. The ball struck him so hard that he nearly fell into the water. I turned to look at the children, but there weren't any in sight: they had all run away! The man laughed when he realized what had happened. He called out to the children and threw the ball back to the bank.

Some Inconsistencies －Traditional Japanese Food and (the Various Words for) Salmon

Today, I am going to write about the kanji (Chinese character) for salmon“鮭”.
今日は、サーモンを表す「鮭」についてお話します。

This particular kanji/ Chinese character has two different readings, “さけ” and “しゃけ”.
この漢字には、「さけ」と「しゃけ」という二通りの読み方があります。

To be frank, I myself don’t really understand the exact difference between the two.
正直に申し上げると、私は二者の違いがよくわかりません。

When I am talking about a fillet of salmon I say “しゃけ”, whereas when I say“さけ” I am talking about the fish.
私は、鮭の切り身については「しゃけ」と発音する一方で、鮭そのものに関しては「さけ」と発音します。

Oddly enough, when (we) Japanese talk about the quintessential Japanese dishes“寿司” (sushi) and “刺身” (sashimi), we generally use the imported word “サーモン” instead of “鮭”.
奇妙なことに、日本の代表的な食べ物である「寿司」や「刺身」について話をする際、日本人は概して外来語である「サーモン」を使います。

Jasper White is one of those rare people who believes in ancient myths. he has just bought a new house in the city, but ever since he moved in, he has had trouble with cars and their owners. When he returns home at night, he always finds that someone has parked a car outside his gate. Because of this, he has not been able to get his own car into his garage even once. Jasper has put up 'No Parking' signs outside his gate, but these have not had any effect. Now he has put an ugly stone head over the gate. It is one of the ugliest faces I have ever seen. I asked him what it was and he told me that it was edusa,
the Gorgon. jasper hopes that she will turn cars and their owners to stone. But none of them has been turned to stone yet!

Captain Ben Fawcett has bought an unusual taxi and has begun a new service. The 'taxi' is a small Swiss aeroplane called a 'Pilatus Porter'. This wonderful plane can carry seven passengers. The most surprising thing about it, however, is that it can land anywhere: on snow, water, or even on a ploughed field. Captain Fawcett's first passenger was a doctor who flew from Birmingham to a lonely village in the Welsh mountains. Since then, Captain Fawcett has flown passengers to many unusual places. Once he landed on the roof of a block of flats and on another occasion, he landed in a deserted car park. Captain Fawcett has just refused a strange request from a businessman. The man wanted to fly to Rockall, a lonely island in the Atlantic Ocean, but Captain Fawcett did not take him because the trip was too dangerous.

wig
British judges still wear wigs

To notify
Will you notify the police of the theft of your bike?

measure
The Department of the Interior took all the necessary measures.

to sue
I will sue you for slander, if you go on like this

to sever
In some countries they sever the hand from the arm when thy catch you stealing

to observe
Laws must be observed

to trespass
The notice says ‘No trespassing’

Contempt
He was held in contempt of court

to obey
These children are nuisance, they simply cannot obey their parents or teachers

Scaffold
Guy Fawkes dies on the scaffold

trail
You cannot put people in prison without trial

solicitor
I would like to be a partner in your firm of solicitors

shrewd
We cannot trust her and her shrewd barrister

Supreme Court
The SupremeCcourt is the highest court of law in the United States

testimony
He is a liar, i do not believe his testimony

scores of
There were scores of policemen in the streets

inquest
The Justice of the Peace ordered an inquest to find out the cause of death

Libel
You cannot go on spreading malicious gossip, I will sue you for libel

You coach a high school baseball team. You're talking to the father of one of the players. This player tries really hard to improve in practices. You say:

He's got a great work ethic.

She means business.
He is as sharp as a razor.
She has a very cutting wit.
She is a kind of outcast.
He has a mean streak.
She has a lot of potential.
He is going nowhere fast.
She is a very driven woman.
She is like a bull in a china shop.
He is just a thrill-seeker.
He is a fast talker.
She is the quiet type.
She is a real windbag.
He is a good listener.
With him, it just goes in one ear and out the other.
I wouldn't trust him any farther than I could throw him.
She is very superficial.
She thinks she is God's gift to earth.
Talking to him wears you down:
We got on very well.
There is a lot of friction between us.
She and I go back a long way.
They are oldtime buddies.
He and she are very tight.
I just had a passing acquaintance with him.
Those two are arch-rivals.
She was a sort of mentor to me.
We have been through a lot together.
He steps on other people's feet a lot.
She looks out for people.

I don't know how to make small talk.
She always makes a beeline for the hors d' oeuvres.
He can drink anyone under the. table.
Who's the designated driver tonight?
We crashed this party.
Will you be my escort to that black-tie affair?
I'm on the wagon.
She's a complete teetotaler.
That doesn't really mix with me very well.
I'm trying to cut calories.
He is still drying out after the other night.
She's been hitting the bottle again.
He is trying to drown his sorrows.
He's had one too many.
He passed out and doesn't remember what happened.
He was falling-down drunk.
I was out on the town last night.
I' m still recovering from a hangover.
There is still time for a nightcap.
He is a true saint.
She is hard to figure.
He's still wet behind the ears.
He is a real snake.
She is as bland as they come.
She's quite a character.
He is a very nosy person.
He acts like a big shot.
He is completely off the wall.
She seems to be a bit of an eccentric.
He doesn't pull any punches.