やさしい英語会話 (356) Bugs Everywhere

Hiroshima University's English Podcast

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これからの季節の悩みの種は「虫」。カブトムシやホタルなど、人間を楽しませてくれる虫もいますが、中には想像するのもおぞましい害虫もいます。好き嫌いは別として、いろいろな虫を英語でどう言うか、おさらいしてみましょう。
「やさしい英語会話」ではこれまでも何度か虫に関する会話を取り上げてきました。以下のエピソードもどうぞあわせてお楽しみください。
やさしい英語会話 (140) Mosquitoes Love My Blood
やさしい英語会話 (168) Cockroaches
やさしい英語会話 (260) Battle of the Insects
やさしい英語会話 (310) Spike the Stag Beetle
　
*** It's a Good Expression ***
（今回の重要表現）
centipede
むかで
※centiは「100」pedeは「足」、すなわち漢字の「百足」と同じ。
例：century=100年（世紀）、pedestrian=歩行者、pedalは足でこぐもの。
once in a while
たまに
cockroach
ゴキブリ
mosquito
蚊
firefly
ホタル
beetle
カブトムシ
cicada
セミ
Got it.
わかった（=I got it）。
you’d better …
…した方がいい
※had betterは「強い警告」（そうしないと悪いことが起こる）を表すので使用には注意。
（例）You’d better keep your mouth shut about that.（そのことについては口に出さない方がいい）
traps and sprays
罠とスプレー
be allergic to…
…にアレルギーがある
mean（形容詞）
意地悪な
*** Script ***
Bugs Everywhere
Situation: Franz, from Germany, and Noriko, from Japan, are outside.
M: Ahhhhhhhh! What’s that ugly thing??? (Peter points to the ground)
W: Oh, that's a cute little centipede! Have you never seen one?
M: Um… I've seen them in picture books, but this is the first one I’ve actually seen.
W: Well, they’re around. We see ‘em once in a while.
M: They’re around here? All the spiders, cockroaches, and mosquitoes were already enough for me!
W: Aren’t there any no bugs in Germany?
M: Of course there are. But not so many, and they’re not THAT big.
W: I see.
M: But I know Japan also has good insects!
W: Um… good insects? What are “good insects”?
M: For instance, the fireflies in Japan are very beautiful! I’ve never seen any of them in Germany.
W: Yeah, I LOVE fireflies.
M: Hey, I also saw a lot of boxes and nets for gathering beetles in the supermarket!
W: Yeah, that's what kids like to do. Especially, they try to get cicadas. And stag beetles. Have you ever seen stag beetles fighting? Ha ha. It’s cool. And a lot of kids have insects as pets. You don’t do that in Germany?
M: Not really. Most people are afraid of insects, and don‘t want to have any of them nearby. When I was little, I collected a few to scare my sister. Ha ha! Probably a few people in Germany collect them as a hobby. But it’s not a big trend.
W: Got it. By the way, you’d better keep your kitchen clean, and make sure the front door isn’t open for a long time. In the supermarket you can also buy different traps and sprays to kill insects. But the insects aren’t dangerous, unless you’re allergic to them.
M: Thanks for the information! I think I'll take some photos of the bugs and send them to my sister! Ha ha!
W: Ah! You’re mean!
M: Yeah, sometimes. (Peter laughs)
(Written by Gabriel Germann)