超濃縮！やさしい英語会話 (25) Hiroshima: A Fun Place to Be

Hiroshima University's English Podcast

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８月の４週間は、恒例の「超濃縮！やさしい英語会話」です。この12年間に配信した359本の「やさしい英語会話」よりエピソードを厳選し、毎回４本分を濃縮してお届けします。ナチュラルスピードの会話をスクリプトとともにお楽しみください。今回は"Hiroshima: A Fun Place to Be"というテーマで、本ポッドキャストの発信地・広島の名物にまつわるエピソードを集めました。
　
*** Script ***
やさしい英語会話 (326) Miyajima
W: Hi, Zach! What’d you do this weekend?
M: Hey, Keiko. I went to Miyajima on Sunday! It was my first time going.
W: Oh, that sounds fun. So, you went to Itsukushima Shrine?
M: Of course! Actually, though, my main reason for going to Miyajima was to climb Mount Misen. But it rained so much on Sunday I decided to hike on a different day.
W: Aw, too bad you weren’t able to hike. But Itsukushima Shrine’s really good. It’s one of the most iconic Japanese landmarks, I think.
M: I can see why. I think that the clouds and rain made for a very beautiful backdrop, actually.
W: Yeah, whenever I go to shrines on rainy days, I feel that I can be more reflective.
M: Probably because there aren’t as many people there! Ha ha.
W: That’s true… Oh, since it was raining, were you UNable to pet the deer?
M: When it really started to pour, all the deer hid under bridges and trees to escape the rain. But before that-- jeez, are those guys annoying!
W: Ha ha. Every time I go to Miyajima, I have to fend off the deer! Did they try to open your bag to look for food?
M: I didn’t have a bag with me, but I DID have a granola bar in my pocket. I forgot about it, so I was trying to figure out why there were deer following me! Then, when I finally stopped walking, they tried to go inside of my pants!
W: Ha ha. Oh my gosh… Well, now you know better! Be careful, though; the deer will try to eat anything that they think is food. One time I went to Miyajima with a friend, and a deer took a bite out of the homework she had in her purse!
M: Ha ha! In America we joke about how “my dog ate my homework,” but I wonder what teacher would ever believe “a deer ate my homework”!
(Written by Jazmin Boulton)
やさしい英語会話 (312) The Saijo Sake Festival
Situation: In front of Saijo Station
M: How do you do? I'm Kotaro, Takumi's friend. Nice to meet you Jessie.
W: Nice to meet you too! Thanks for buying me a ticket for the Sake Festival. I can't wait to drink sake for the first time in my life!
M: No problem! It must have been an arduous trip to come all the way to Saijo from Michigan. You should relieve your stress with alcohol today! Ha ha.
(They enter the Sake Hiroba)
W: Wow… look at how many people are here… It's so crowded!!
M: Welcome to the Sake Hiroba, or in English: the Sake Square. Get a sake cup. It's called o-choko in Japanese.
W: What? Choco? Ha ha. That's a funny name. Boy, it sure is a small cup. It's totally different from a beer glass or whiskey shot glass.
M: Yep. Hey, would you like your sake sweet or drier?
W: Oh, sweet sounds good. By the way, how do you say "cheers" in Japanese?
M: We say kanpai! Let's do it. Kanpai!
W: Kan..kan-pai? Wow, that's hard to pronounce. Anyway kanpai!
M: Wow… This is really good. The flavor's unbelievable. What do you think about it?
W: Yeah, it's pretty sweet and tastes good. I think I can drink lots of this. Hey, wait: your face is flushing! Are you alright?
M: Um… I'm totally fine. Don't worry about me… Oh, sorry, I need… I need to go to the bathroom. I think I'm about to puke!
W: What? Don't tell me he can't drink any alcohol? Well… I have no choice but to drink by myself!
(Written by Kyoung Jo)
やさしい英語会話 (302) Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki
M: Reiko, I LOVE trying new types of food. Any recommendations for food in Hiroshima?
W: Yeah. Hiroshima's famous for oysters… and Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
M: Woo, oysters. I'm no big fan of them. Um… What is o-ko-no…?
W: Ha ha: O-ko-no-mi-ya-ki. It's hard to say. It's a traditional Japanese pancake, made with noodles. It's got a savory flavor. People eat it for lunch or dinner.
M: Hmm.. Pancakes made with noodles? What's in o-ko-no…
W: Okonomiyaki. In Hiroshima style, it's got layers—some batter, some cabbage, some noodles. Inside you can put whatever you want, such as pork, cheese, squid, or octopus. Then, you can pour special okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise on top, according to your preference.
M: Hmm… I can surely conjure up THAT image. It sounds pretty good! By the way, why do they call it o-ko-no…
W: Okonomiyaki. That's a good question! Okonomi in Japanese means "your preference," and yaki means grill. So, it means you can put in any materials that you would like to add, according to your preference, and grill them.
M: So, we can put anything that we like in it?
W: Yeah… Hey, why that silly expression on your face. You sound a bit suspicious…
M: Well… Can we put, like, dark beer in it? Or, coffee flavorings? Or, can we put apples or strawberries as an additional topping? That would make the pancakes much better! Trust me!
W: What? What are you talking about? That sounds more like a colossal mess!
M: Ha ha! Don't you want to try something revolutionary?
W: Aww… all this talk about okonomiyaki has made me hungry. Let's go to an okonomiyaki restaurant today. I know a good one!
(Written by Kyoung Jo)
やさしい英語会話 (301) Hiroshima Castle
Situation: A foreign tourist is walking in Hiroshima
M: Excuse me… Would you know how to get to Hiroshima Castle?
W: Um… I'll take you there! I'm also going near there, and it's close!
M: Really? Great! Thanks so much! Hey, I'm Mike. Could I ask your name?
W: I'm Reiko. Nice to meet you.
M: Very cool! So… do we need to take a bus or a city train to get there?
W: Nope. It's only a few minutes over there.
M: Hey, would you know anything about the history of the castle?
W: Um… A bit… I think it was built in about the 1590s, by a daimyo named Mori Terumoto. He was one of the leaders on the Council of Five Elders, which was set up by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
M: Aww, I've heard of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
W: But the castle was destroyed during the atomic bombing in 1945. So the castle you'll see is just a replica of the original castle. Hmm… you might be disappointed a little, if you're expecting the splendor of Osaka or Himeji Castle.
M: I'm fine. I wanted to see Hiroshima Castle, because I heard it's one of the most famous landmarks in Hiroshima.
W: You're right! Anyway, here it is. We've arrived at the castle gate.
M: Oh, already? Great! Wow… I like the landscape—how the castle's surrounded by water. It gives, like, an image of the stereotypical traditional Japanese castle.
W: Yeah. The big tower of the castle, you see in front, is the main tower, called the tenshu in Japanese. This new Hiroshima Castle only features the main tower. The main tower was reconstructed in the form of a museum.
M: So I won't be able to meet samurais in the castle?
W: Ha ha. Of course not!
(Written by Kyoung Jo)