English Recordings

Many people think that because I appear a bit overweight that I must be out of shape and unhealthy. But I have a radiant skin and the fitness level of an army cadet. You wonder how I do it? I like to consider myself somewhat of an athlete who has one yearly event that I need to train for. I may not be in the Olympics but Christmas eve is my time to shine, and I need to be peak shape in order to do my best. My first fitness tip is that specificity is essentially. What I mean by this is that since I carry around a big bag of gifts, I need to train my body to be able to carry it. There’s no sense in me hitting the gym and lifting weights. Instead, I train by grabbing a big bag and filling with a ton of stuff to weigh me down. I then walk for miles and even run hills with this awkward load. It’s a great way to strengthen my legs and cardiovascular system at the same time. My next fitness secret is that I get fast by doing interval training. Sure I spend a few weeks going for long jogs at a light pace to build up my aerobic base, but by Spring time I’m right into the intervals. I need to be to my work at a very high intensity. You can imagine that visiting millions of homes all around the world in less than 24 hours requires a fair degree of speed. That’s why I use intervals. They allow me train at faster speeds for longer periods of time. For instance, I’ll often run with Rudolph and the other reindeer over several miles. We’ll do 1 minute running as fast as possible, then recover for 1 minute, and then repeat that until we hit the floor. As you can imagine, they usually win. And that brings me to my next tip…Train with someone who can push you! That’s why I use the reindeer as my training partners. They are naturally much fitter – mainly because they’re animals who can fly! – but they force me to bring my “A” game to each and every workout. If I slack off, then they’ll leave me in their wake. But by training with them and trying to keep up with them, I force my body to get stronger and fitter than I could on my own – it’s truly amazing. I guess it’s like people who go running with their dogs. The last fitness tip I’ll share is the importance of consistency. Since I only need to be in tip top shape for one night a year, it might not seem like missing a few workouts here and there will make a big difference. But nothing could be further from the truth. Back in my early days I thought I was fit enough not to have to train as often as I do now. I would go out and party with the elves and come home many a night after far too many drinks. I would wake up feeling groggy and tired and unmotivated to train consistently. And my performances suffered. I remember a few Christmas eve’s where I missed over 1 million homes just because I was too slow! I vowed never to let that happen again. When I thought of all the children I let down it really upset me. Now, I’m more focused and consistent. I train 4-5 days per week – no matter what! I know that the big part of consistency is not just the results it produces but the momentum it creates to make working as automatic as brushing your teeth. That could well be my most important advice. Be consistent and never give up! I can honestly say that exercise is important – that’s for sure – but if you want to lose belly fat, then you’ve got to be eating right. I wish I could say I was an expert in that area as well but the proof is in the pudding. Or should I say the pudding is in my pooch? Haha!

The scratching of our pens mingled with the sound of raindrops beginning to fall in the transparent stillness of the evening.

Outside, a warm wind came roaring up, a spring storm.
It seemed to shake the very night view out the terrace window. I continued down the list of my friends’ names, quietly nostalgic. I accidentally skipped Sotaro. The wind was…strong. We could hear the trees and telephone lines rattling. I closed my eyes, my elbows resting on the small folding table, and my thoughts skittered out to the row of shops along the now-silent street below. What was this table doing in the apartment? I couldn’t know. She about whom Yuichi had said, “As soon as she gets an idea in her head, she does it, you know?” must have bought it.

“Don’t fall asleep,” said Yuichi.
“I’m not. I really love doing this, writing change-of-address cards.”
“Yeah, me too. Moving, writing postcards on trips, I really love it.”
“Yeah, but…” I broached the subject a second time.
“These postcards are going to make waves. Won’t you get slapped in the school cafeteria?”
“Is that what you heard today?” He smiled bitterly. It gave me a start in its contrast to his usual smile.
“Well then, isn’t it better to just be honest about it? You’ve done plenty for me already.”
“Cut the crap,” he said. “You think this is the postcard game we’re playing here?”
“What’s ‘the postcard game’?”
“I don’t know…”

We laughed. After that, somehow the conversation strayed off the subject. Even I, slow as I am, finally understood his excessive unnaturalness. When I took a good look in his eyes, I understood.
He was terribly, terribly sad.

透明にしんとした時間が、ペンの音と共に一滴一滴落ちてゆく。
外は春の嵐のような、あたたかい風がごうごう吹いていた。夜景も揺れるようだ。私はしみじみした気持ちで友人たちの名を綴った。宗太郎は思わずリストからはずして、しまった。風が、強い。木や電線の揺れる音が聞こえてくるようだ。目を閉じておりたたみの小さなテーブルにひじをついて、私は聞こえない街並みに思いをはせていた。どうしてこの部屋にこんなテーブルがあるのか、私にはわからない。その思いつきだけで生きているという、テーブルを買った彼女は今夜も店に出ている。
「寝るな。」
雄一が言った。
「寝てない。」私は言った。「引っ越しハガキを書くのは、本当はすごく好きなの。」
「あっ、ぼくも。」雄一が言った。「転居とか。旅行先からのハガキとか、すごく好き。」
「ねえ、でも。」思い切って再び私はチャレンジした。「なんか、このハガキが波紋を呼んで、学食で女の子にひっぱたかれたりしそうじゃない？」
「さっきから、そのこと言ってたのか。」
彼は苦笑した。その堂々とした笑顔が私をどきりとさせた。
「だから正直に言っていいよ。私、ここに置いてもらってるだけでいいんですから。」
「そんなばかな。」彼は言う。「じゃ、これはハガキごっこかい？」
「ハガキごっこってなに？」
「わかんないけど。」
私たちは笑った。それで、またなんだか話がそれていった。そのあまりの不自然さに、にぶい私もやっとわかった。彼の目をよく見たら、わかってきた。
彼は、ものすごく悲しんでいるのだ。

This man decided to become humanitarian.

Fabio Capello's England future was in doubt last night after he admitted wanting urgent talks with his FA bosses.

The Italian is under huge pressure after England were sent crashing out of the World Cup in humiliating fashion by Germany.

Capello, who insisted “we played well”, vowed not to quit his £6million-a-year post and the FA face a huge compensation pay-out if they sack him.

He said: “I want to speak with the chairman to decide my future. But resign, no. No. Absolutely no.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Susan Spicer, one of New Orleans' most prominent and highly regarded chefs, has sued BP Plc for damages to restaurants that have lost normal seafood supplies because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Spicer, who runs the restaurant Bayona in New Orleans' French Quarter, is seeking class-action status on behalf of restaurants and others in the seafood industry that have suffered damage since the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

In a complaint filed late Friday in New Orleans federal court, Spicer's lawyer Serena Pollack said the restaurants depend heavily on the availability of local seafood.

Because of the spill, they expect to lose customers because of lower tourism and convention business, contamination fears and significantly higher prices, the 18-page complaint said.

"Much of plaintiff's business is based on the unique quality of Louisiana seafood, as well as the chain of delivery of that resource from the initial harvester (be it fisherman, oyster grower or shrimper)," Pollack wrote. "Because this chain of delivery cannot be maintained, plaintiff's business has been, and continues to be, materially damaged."

BP spokesman Mark Salt said the British company does not comment on litigation.

Bayona opened in 1990, and according to its website has since 1995 been one of New Orleans' top five restaurants in the Zagat Survey.

Spicer has received a James Beard Foundation award, and appeared as a judge on Bravo's "Top Chef" and Food Network's "Iron Chef America." She has also opened the New Orleans restaurants Herbsaint and Cobalt.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages from BP. It also names as defendants Transocean Ltd, which operated the rig; Cameron International Corp, which provided a blowout preventer; and a Halliburton Co unit that provided cementing services.

More than 250 lawsuits have been filed over alleged from the oil spill, according to the Westlaw database. Westlaw is a unit of Thomson Reuters.

The case is Bayona Corp v. Transocean Ltd et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, No. 10-01839.

91 I've taken over Mr. Tajima's position.
92 Do you have model A17 in stock？
93 Trading companies work like that.
94 We don't have that brand of cigarettes.
95 You can get 50％ off the list price.
96 There are no English books here.
97 Our food products are naturally fermented without any additives.
98 Shall I wrap this up？
99 The fare is 400 yen. Please buy a ticket for the shoes from the vending machine there.
100 The recipient's address，please.

81 Please ask the sales department about sales matters.
82 He'll come to the office in the afternoon because he has a medieal checkup in the hospital now，so I can't contact.
83 Mr.Ando quit his job six months ago.
84 Thank you for calling，but I'm not interested in your business.
85 Could you tell him that the contract is ready？
86 Could you inquire in Japanese，please？
87 Let me talk with my boss.
88 I can't give you a prompt reply. I have to submit a request for a managerial decision first.
89 Could you tell me how I can get in contact with you?
90 Hello.　Hello

71 Who's calling? / May I ask who's calling?
72 Hi, how are you doing?　
73 It's nice outside today.
74 I work for a bank in Tokyo.
75 What do you do in your free time?
76 Japanese traditional sports include sumo and judo. / Sumo and judo are big-time Japanese sports.
77 I feel pain in the pit of my stomach.
78 I'd like a cough medicine.
79 I was stung here by a wasp. It hurts！
80 Could you please call 03-4321-6666 during business hours, any time from 9：00 a.m. to 5：00 p.m.?

61 Sorry，Ⅰ'll take fish，not beef.
62 This is not the same amount as the price tag.
63 Can I have the tax refund service？
64 Can I have the bill for my credit card？
65 Look at it again. It's real money.
66 I've lost my receipt.　Could you give me another one，please？
67 I'll keep this carefully as a reminder of your kindness.
68 The change is wrong.
69 Ⅰ'd like some coins in my change. / Ⅰ'd like some coins in the change.
70 The belt is sewed into the coat and can't be moved.

18.
I have been living in this foreign country for five years.
Near my house is a tiny dry-cleaning shop run by two chatty old ladies. They are probably in their 60s, which isn’t all that old, but their service is slow enough to say, “It takes forever.” Sometimes they try my patience. Once I had to go back five times to pick up a couple of items. “My, you are in a hurry,” they cheerfully said. “How slow of us! We are terrible!” Despite the slow service, their shop is constantly packed with customers and their counter piled high with clothes. This I do not understand at all.

19.
A few years ago, I was traveling in the country when I came upon a well. Next to the well, I found a gourd, the traditional Korean dipper. Feeling thirsty, I took the gourd, dipped some water, and drank. While satisfying my thirst, I thought about the many travelers who must have come to the same well and drunk from the same gourd. They, like me, were able to satisfy their thirst. I felt a closeness to these travelers. At that moment,
I realized that the gourd was not just a tool for drinking but also a link between myself and other people who were also traveling through life.

20.
1.a group of similar things that one has deliberately acquired, usually over a period of time: Robert’s collection of prints and paintings has been bought over the years.
2. the act of asking for money from people to give to charity: We need to take up a collection for the homeless.
3. stories, poems, or articles in one book: Two years ago he published a collection of short stories about children.