英語トレーニング

Ayaka Wada / Special to The Japan News

Japan was seen as an international leader in the field of art
in the 18th and 19th centuries
―the middle of the Edo period (1603-1867)―
when ukiyo-e artists produced numerous masterpieces.
This was the thought that came to my mind when I finished
appreciating the works on display at “Ukiyo-e:
A Journey Through the Floating World.”

Back then, a single ukiyo-e print was reportedly sold
for the price of a bowl of soba noodles,
or about several hundred yen in today’s money.

It was common for ukiyo-e, which had a significant influence
on such artists as van Gogh, Monet and other impressionists,
to be circulated among people in the town of Edo.

Considered a simple, ordinary item, ukiyo-e prints came
to be used for wrapping porcelain pieces to be exported
abroad.
In Europe, they were received with great surprise by artists
there.
Many painters overseas reportedly became enthusiastic
collectors of ukiyo-e.

I imagine Japanese people back in those days probably
were not aware that ukiyo-e prints could be valuable artworks,
unlike today, when they are highly appreciated.

If you compare ukiyo-e to fashion magazines, celebrity
portraits and　travel magazines in today’s world, it may be
easier to imagine　what things were like in the Edo period.

Among the diverse ukiyo-e artists, Suzuki Harunobu, Kitagawa
Utamaro　and Toshusai Sharaku depicted beautiful women and
kabuki actors,while Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai
illustrated travel scenes and Mt. Fuji. Much like photographers
today, they visually captured customs and society,
but they used the medium of woodblock prints.

Artists dictated the ever-changing trends in the town of Edo
and consumers purchased their works
―yet the latter group was also responsible for setting trends.
I think this cycle created the moving force behind the art 

form of ukiyo-e, which is beyond comparison.
For such a phenomenon to take place on an isolated island
that closed its doors to the rest of the world is impressive.

However, because ukiyo-e was such a familiar item,
people of the time probably never imagined that
it would have a great impact on the world’s art.

Looking at many masterpieces on exhibition at
the Tokyo Metropolitan Tokyo-Edo Museum,
I felt renewed pride in the sensitivity of the Japanese people.

Take, for example, the works depicting beautiful women.
Every single aspect of the prints is utterly splendid―
the colors, patterns and designs of the kimono women
are wearing.
The more closely you look at the prints,
the more fresh emotions you will experience.

The incredible technical ingenuity of Edo artists is behind
the extraordinary detail in ukiyo-e prints.
Ukiyo-e are woodblock prints supported by such advances.

My personal favorite at the show was Suzuki Harunobu’s
“Lovers Sharing an Umbrella in the Snow.”
The snow on the umbrella was not illustrated using the color
white but using the print’s unevenness, which came as a
great surprise to me.
The woman’s white kimono was depicted in the same way.

Edo artists’ craftsmanship was so delicate that
they paid close attention to such details that viewers probably
would not notice, yet they did not try to make them stand out.

The more I understand such sensitivity,
the more I am drawn to ukiyo-e.
I believe that the craftsmanship itself can be understood
as part of Japanese aesthetics.

Varying modes of expression are used in ukiyo-e works.
We are able to recognize their diversity thanks to
such opportunities as “Ukiyo-e:
A Journey Through the Floating World,” where you will be able to
see a number of masterpieces in one place.
I think the diversity reflects what Japan is about.

Visitors to the exhibition will certainly discover new things about
Japan through these woodblock prints.
I hope to be able to “encounter” more of Japan through 

ukiyo-e in the future.

despicable act

ニュースサイトで英語の勉強をしてみました。

黄色の部分は英作文とかで使えるかなと思いマークしただけです。

Death has become so normal in Syria that most people fail to notice 

it and acknowledge it by much more than a roll of the eyes
and mumbling the words "such a terrible situation."

We, the Syrians, see on a daily basis horrific scenes of torture,
brutality and savagery that it takes a particularity nasty way of
dying to attract our attention.

This doesn't mean we are no longer compassionate
-- we are simply emotionally drained.

But, as a Syrian, you can notice few details others perhaps won't 

see.

For example: I don't need any "clarifications, explanations, 

justifications,or elaborations" on the reasons behind the death 

of Khan.

I know the regime killed him because the pattern of events is so 

typical　we can almost accurately predict the regime's next course 

of action when it comes to similar cases.

Many regime officials have been assassinated in the last four 

decades and we were told that they committed suicide.

You can also ask the Lebanese, for they can bear witness at the 

regime's skills in shooting somebody four times, 

then saying they did it to themselves.

出典元

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/23/opinion/syria-khan-suicide-opinion/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Understanding How the Brain Speaks Two Languages

I'm a bit under the weather. 気が滅入って

I'm only fresh and blood. 生身の人間にすぎない

I need to let my hair down for a change. くつろぐ

I feel it in my bones. そうだと直感する

I found an interesting article, it was too tough to read,
but I managed to make it.

I had my heart in my boots.落胆した。

ちょっと疲れたので英語はこれだけ。

multilingual kids may exhibit social empathy sooner than children who grow up speaking only one language, which makes developmental sense.


In one study, bilinguals experienced the onset of age-related 

dementia 4.1 years later than multilinguals,
and full-blown Alzheimer’s 5.1 years later.

“One school of thought says that any cognitive reserve
― education, multilingualism, even playing Sudoku puzzles ―
strengthens the brain and helps it resist disease,”

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/23/bilingualism/#ixzz2RMsD6YHC

syntax　　【言・文法】 統語論，シンタックス.

scaffold　足場, やぐら

metaphors and allusion　比喩、ほのめかし

polyglot　数か国語に通じている人.

crude　天然のままの、ありのままの

babble〈小児などが〉(わけもわからぬ)片言を言う.たわいもなくおしゃべりする

toggling　（トグル）パッと切り替えるスイッチみたいなもの

on-the-fly　忙しくて)飛び回って; 急いで.

Stroop tesｔ　http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%83%97%E5%8A%B9%E6%9E%9C

cortex　大脳皮質.

parietal　 頭頂の.

lobe　脳などの臓器の一部分

white matter　 (脳・脊髄の)白質，髄質

sheathing　被覆，外装，羽目，包板

insulate　絶縁する, 遮蔽する

commingling　《米》混合，合同，

dividend　配当

onset　〔病気の〕徴候，発病 〔of〕

dotage　もうろく，老いぼれ
 

Timing Matters To Make Diet and Exercise Changes Last

I've been affected my fellow blogger, I'm interested in diet and
exercise articles.

Surfing the web Time.com ,I've found  two items which are intriguing.

I've developed love handles, so I need to handle with it on my toe.
腹回りに肉がついてきた。

I stewed in my own juice. 自業自得だ。

Face the music. 甘んじて受け入れなければ

First I'll be on the wagon. 禁酒

Do not let the grass grow under my feet　ぐずぐずするな

roll out my sleeve and pull my finger out　

腕まくりして本腰を入れてとりかかろう

I have a mountain to climb. 前途多難だ。

cardio workouts 有酸素運動
elliptical 長[楕(だ)]円(形)の. 省略法の，省略的な.
hunch 〈背などを〉弓なりに曲げる 〈up〉.〈…を〉押す，押し出す.
gait 歩きぶり，足どり.

When it comes to making healthy lifestyle changes, which should come first ―
changing your diet or becoming more physically active?
食事制限が先か、運動が先か

the group that changed both diet and exercise at the same time was 

the only one that met the nationally recommended targets for both 

exercise and nutrition levels


Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/22/two-healthy-behaviors-are-better-than-one/#ixzz2RGvAnggG


But a recent study found you don’t need heavy weights to gain muscle ―
lighter weights can be just as effective if used correctly.
重いものを持つ必要ないのか！

recommends choosing a weight that you can lift 30 times to start
but afterward can lift only 15 times more.

Maintaining good form while lifting will also improve your overall 

posture.
“Generally, people who don’t have good posture have tight or weak 

muscles,”
正しい姿勢が大事

A lot of exercises become more challenging when they’re slowed down.
“Try lowering your arms slower when doing a bicep curl,”
ゆっくりやるとより負荷がかかる

the body’s core is the basis of all human movement, so strengthening
it improves all other physical activities.
コアが大事というのはよく言われている

The core refers not only to your abdominal muscles but to the entire
area from your chest down to your hips.
Strengthening the core means focusing on your legs and upper, middle
and lower back too.
コアってのは腹筋だけでなく、全身のこと

“We tend to only target our biggest muscles, which is important
because we need those to move.
But we also need to focus on our stabilizing muscles, those smaller
muscles around the hips and shoulders,”

でかい筋肉（アウターマッスル）を鍛えると見た目がかっこよくなるからこっちばかり鍛えたがる傾向になってしまう

Haley advises people to pay attention to invisible inner muscles
だがインナーマッスルはかなり重要

Haley recommends trying to get 10 minutes of exercise at three
different times during the day.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/04/5-common-mistakes-youre-making-at-the-gym/#ixzz2RGsKoZLg

H7N9 Bird Flu: Could Animals Other than Birds Harbor the Virus?

普段は読み流してしまうが、ちゃんと精読したら理解に時間が掛かった記事が

あったので。

“There are some mutations in this virus that seem to make it better
adapted to infecting mammalian hosts compared to normal avian
viruses.”

この文はThere are some mutations in this virus 　がbear bones(the red meat)となっており、

あとは追加で説明をしているという構造です。

このウイルスの中にはいくつかの変異体が存在する

that seem to make it better adapted to infecting mammalian hosts
compared to normal avian viruses.”について

これはsome mutationsについて説明している文章になります。

[some mutations　seem to make it  better adapted to infecting 

 mammalian hosts〜]

通常の鳥ウイルスに比べて哺乳類宿主に感染しやすくなっているようだ。


このウイルスには通常の鳥ウイルスに比べて哺乳類宿主に感染しやすくなっているようないくつかの変異体が存在する。

以下の文章も上記と構造が似ている。

While influenza strains from different animal hosts tend to bear
specific genetic signatures that make it easier for them to infect
different animals, Bresee says it’s possible that a bird flu could
pass through different animal species without changing considerably
and then reappear in poultry again.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/19/h7n9-bird-flu-could-animals-other-than-birds-harbor-the-virus/#ixzz2RAB9fJTG