2009年2月27日
Outliers (2)
Hi team,
It seems like quite a few of you are interested in this book, so let's try reading it as an experiment. I think you can order it from any bookstore. If you can't get it, you can always buy it from Amazon. Of course, this will not be the only thing we will talk about on the blog, but if there are a few people reading it, it will be interesting to hear your thoughts on the content as well as your questions about the English. If you don't want (or don't have time) to read it, don't worry - the blog will just be carrying on as normal.
I finished the worst part of my proof-reading hell late last night. I still have lots more to do, but I have made all the big changes that I wanted to make. Now, I will just be looking for mistakes. I'm still going to be busy because I have another book to finish by the end of next week. I'm looking forward to the end of March when I can forget about writing books and just focus on my PhD. I will be feeling quite happy by the time of the blog event, and I will be looking forward to another trip to Hokkaido at the end of March. I'm going to take my van on the ferry, so this will be its first return to Hokkaido since it left in 2003. I bought my van in Sapporo in 2000, and I took it to NZ with me when I moved in 2003. It came back to Nagoya with me in 2004, and it is still going strong!
I saw on the news yesterday that there have been some complaints in Britain because the government has given the contract to build a new train system to Hitachi instead of a British company. Quite frankly, though, if you look at British trains and then you look at Japanese trains, I know which nationality I would choose to build a new system!
That last sentence reminded me of an expression that has become popular over the last few years. Have you ever heard of a 'no-brainer'? It means a selection where the choice is so obvious that you don't even need to think about it. For example, if you have a choice between asking a Japanese company to build a train system and asking a British company to build a train system, it's really a bit of a no-brainer.
Anyway, I have to go to the printing company today to get the first copies of my new writing book. This is not the final version, but I'm looking forward to seeing the samples anyway. I will put sample pages from it on my web page so that anyone who is interested can have a look.
Have a great weekend, and speak to you soon,
David
Comments
Hi David and everyone,
I'm back!
David, glad to hear that you finished the worst part of your proof-reading hell. A trip to Hokkaido with your van, not with your bike this time? That sounds nice as well!
As for the book 'Outliers', I didn't know about it, but I heard the story of' Beatles' or ' Steve Jobs' that Jazmin had mentioned. I don't remember when and where I read these articles,though. Anyway, I'm interested in this book and ordered it from Amazon tonight.
I'm a bit relieved to hear that we can join this blog on both ways; a book club and normal one.
May, thanks for your words!
本当に、寿命との戦い！ですね。
Have a lovely weekend,
Anne
- Anne
- 2009年2月27日 23:26
Hi David,
Very good to hear that you finished the worst part of your proof reading hell.
I haven't noticed that March will come soon because I was too busy this month. Dance festival, entrance exam, Eiken test and school exams! March will be the relax month for everybody. For me, and for you.
I'm sorry but I'm really really sleepy so I gotta go to bed.
Sweet dreams, and have a good weekend to everyone.
- yukina
- 2009年2月28日 00:14
Hi Anne!
お帰りなさ～い！！How was your trip? Did you see aurora? I'm looking forward to hearing your story soon! Please take care and hope to recover from jet-lag soon.
Hi David,
I'm glad to hear that you finished the worst part of your proof-reading hell. Are you coming to Hokkaido with your van? Good choice! Riding bike here in March will make you frozen, you know?
As for the book; Outlier, I'm interested in it and I ordered it tonight. I'm just wondering whether it's written by difficult English for me, or not. I will try to read it at least. ;-)
Everyone,
Have a lovely weekend!
By for now,
Maki
- Maki
- 2009年2月28日 01:37
Hi Anne,
Welcome back! We missed you so much. Hope you had a wonderful trip, and look forward to hearing your stories! まずはゆっくり休んで下さい＾＾
Speak to you soon,
Tomo
- Tomo
- 2009年2月28日 09:14
Hi Anne,
Welcome back. Tell us about your trip!
- David
- 2009年2月28日 11:16
Hi Anne,
Welcome back! How was your trip? Did you see an aorora? I'm looking forward to hearing your story!
Hi David,
You are going to Hokkaido with your van? That sounds fun! I hope you have a nice time there.
By the way, the book "Outliers" is too difficult for me to read. I think I don't have ability to read it now, so I can't join a book club. I'm sorry.
Hi everyone,
How is your weekend? Today, I drove on a toll road to go to work. When I stopped by a tollgate to pay a toll taker who was in a cashier booth, he said to me "You must not pass the car in front because that car is 覆面パトカー". I said to him "Thanks for telling it!". If he had not told it, I would have passed that car, and I would have been caught speeding!
Have a nice weekend!
Amica
- Amica
- 2009年2月28日 22:41
Hi David & Everyone,
How's your weekend? I've just finished checking the list which David gave me, and sent my feedback to you, David. I hope it helps you, even a little.
Hi Amica,
You were very lucky! It's difficult to say which car is "覆面パトカー" while driving, you know. Be careful! ;-)
Have a lovely day!
Maki
- Maki
- 2009年3月 1日 12:08
Welcome back, Anne!
I'm looking forward to hearing your stories and seeing your photos at the event. I cant' believe we are going to meet in three weeks!
Hi Everyone,
If you read my blog, you know all of this already, but I quit my fulltime job last month. Now I'm working three days a week as a temp office worker and starting to work as a translator in my free time. It's not going to be easy, but I'll see how it goes.
My Taiwanese friend is coming next week. She's going to stay with me, and we are going sightseeing around Tokyo. It's been about 4 years since I met her last time. I'm excited. It's going to be a busy week!
Talk to you later.
- Lily
- 2009年3月 1日 12:13
Hi David and everyone,
Thanks for your kind words!
I’m back from a tour from Alaska; aurora viewing and a twelve-hour Alaska railroad tour. My husband retires this March , and we’ve been married for 31 years now(not 30), so we have been planning to go somewhere as an anniversary, and we have been talking when and where to go. Actually it was completely my husband’s idea, and now I’m really glad that we both are satisfied with this trip.
I went out four nights to view an aurora from ten to two in the midnight every day, and I could see it two nights.
On the first night, I could see it from the top of the mountain, and on the third night, from the chena-lake thickly covered in ice. Colors which I imagined it would be was green or red or something, but actually it’s the color through the lens , and mainly it was pale white or like a mist . In the darkness and glittering stars, it appears and gradually changes the shape; sometimes it spreads from one side to the other, and sometimes it swings like a curtain and adds colors( pale pink or red). It was sooo beautiful and mysterious, but a bit different ones from which I had imagined. It was a happy moment in the shivering darkness.
According to a guide there, most Americans don’t understand why so many Japanese visit Alaska just to view the aurora using much money and time even though they are not sure to see it! ( Actually, unluckily some groups have to return to Japan without seeing the view. )
I also had a wonderful time boarding a train from Fairbanks to Anchorage, and it reminds me of Trans-Siberian Railway; a scene in the movie “War and Peace” which I watched about forty years ago when I was in senior high school. I had one more unforgettable time when I did a two-hour flying Mt.Mckinley tour. At that time I sat next to a pilot and volunteered a kind of translation work. The pilot even allowed me to hold a control lever twice! I could not imagine I held the lever, and the aircraft flew high and down, and turned right…. It was thrilling and became unforgettable memory.
I talk too much, so maybe I can tell you the rest of my adventure stories at the event.
Hi Amica,
You were very lucky! We can’t detect which car is 覆面パトカー、right?
Hi Lily,
I am looking forward to see you at the event, too!
I can show you a photo ; aurora, me and my husband…
Congratulations on starting your new job as a translator!
Of course I know the situation.
When did you get to know a Taiwanese friend? In Canada?
Hope you have a great time with your friend.
By the way, did you finish tiding up your room?
Bye for now,
Anne
- Anne
- 2009年3月 1日 16:57
Hi team,
Here's my translation.
『「Outliers」の本に興味がある人が結構いるみたいだね。 じゃあ、実験として読んでみよう。 どこの書店でも注文できると思うけど、アマゾンならいつでも買えるよ。 もちろん、ブログで本のことだけ話すわけじゃないけど、一緒に読んでいる人がいれば、内容について話したり、英語についても話せるし、おもしろいと思うよ。 でもブログは今まで通りだから、興味がない人、読む時間がない人も心配しなくて大丈夫。
昨夜、ようやく proof-reading が一段落したんだ。 まだ終わったわけじゃないけど、やろうと思ってた大きな変更は終わったから、あとは間違いを探すだけなんだ。 来週末までに仕上げなくちゃならない本がもう一冊あるから、まだ忙しいだろうけどね。 本の執筆から離れて、博士論文に集中できる3月末が来るのが待ち遠しいよ。 ブログのイベントの頃にはかなりウキウキして、3月末の北海道旅行を楽しみにしてると思うよ。 今回は車で行こうと思ってるんだ。 私のバンにとっては、2003年に北海道を出てから初めての里帰りだね。 車は2000年に札幌で買ったんだけど、2003年にニュージーランドに引越した時も持って行ったし、2004年には一緒に名古屋に来たんだ。 でもまだまだ頑張ってくれそう！
昨日、ニュースで見たんだけど、今イギリスで、政府が新しい電車システムを作るのに、イギリスの会社じゃなくて、日本の日立と契約をしたことに不満があがってるらしい。 率直に言って、イギリスの電車と日本の電車を比べたら、どっちを選べばいいかなんて一目瞭然だよね。
最後の文で、ここ数年で流行ってる表現を思い出したよ。 ‘no-brainer’って聞いたことある？ ‘no-brainer’っていうのは、考える必要がないほど簡単な選択、という意味です。 たとえば、新しい電車システムを日本の会社に頼むか、イギリスの会社に頼むかだったら、それは本当に‘no-brainer’だよね。
とにかく、今日は新しい本の初刷を取りに、印刷会社に行かなくちゃならないんだ。 まだ見本の段階なんだけど、見るのが楽しみ。 興味がある人のために、あとで私のHPに何ページか見本を載せる予定です。
じゃあ、みんな良い週末を。 またあとでね。』
Hi Amica,
つかまらなくて良かったね～！
Hi Maki,
proof-reading、お疲れさま～。 もちろん、役に立つに決まってるよ＾＾
Hi Lily,
Hope you have a great time with your friend. Have fun!
Hi Anne,
Thanks for sharing your stories in Alaska. I really enjoyed reading your adventures, and I'm glad to hear that you could see an aurora! You saw it twice? Lucky you! I thought an aurora had a lot of pretty colors like a rainbow. It has some colors only when you look at it through a lens? I didn't that. でも、とにかく見られて良かったですね！
By the way, you flew a plane?? Wow, that's amazing! It's not something that anyone can try. Lucky you again!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures you took both in Britain and Alaska. Please make sure that you bring them to the blog event;-)
See you soon,
Tomo
- Tomo
- 2009年3月 1日 20:42
【訂正】
I didn't that. → I didn't know that.
- Tomo
- 2009年3月 1日 20:49
Hi Anne,
It sounds you had a wonderful time in Alaska! I can imagine how much you enjoyed the trip, because of your writing. Thank you for sharing your story! You were very lucky to see aurora twice!! I'm really looking forward to hearing more and to photos at the event. Don't forget!;-)
Hi Tomo,
Thanks for your translation!
By for now,
Maki
- Maki
- 2009年3月 1日 21:55
Hi everyone,
I'm looking forward to meeting you all at the event.
The day is around the corner.
Hi David,
You are having a plan to visit to Hokkaido.
You must be excited.
please have fun.
Before that let's have fun our event too.
I'm looking forward to meeting you.
Hi Anne,
Welcome back and thank you for sharing your story.
I'm glad to hear that you could see the Northern Lights.
I'm envy you.
今日は何だか英語が出て来ません。(^_^;)
どんどん出て来る時とまったく出てこない時があって不思議です。
先日、オバマ大統領就任演説を聞いて見ましたが全く理解できません
でした。今日のところはこのへんで失礼します。
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
備考 the Northern Lights ＝ オーロラ
- Kazu
- 2009年3月 2日 10:35
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- traduceri
- 2011年10月31日 04:14
Hi David,
Glad to hear that ｔhe blog will be carrying on as normal.(I was a bit worried about that.) We can talk about the book as well as other topics. That's a good idea. I also think it will be interesting. I'm going to get the book from Amazon, and I'll start reading it when things calm down.
Are you finished with the worst part of your proof-reading hell? I'm happy for you! You are still going to be busy for a while, but you are almost there, so がんばって下さい＾＾ I'm looking forward to seeing you at the blog event.
By the way, are you going to Hokkaido again? いいなぁ～・・！ You are lucky to have such a strong car, but your van is also very lucky - it's have been to NZ and going to Hokkaido again. I wish I could be your van!
I didn't know the expression 'no-brainer'. 「考えなくていい、頭を使わなくていい」で‘no-brainer’だなんて、おもしろいですね～。
Have a great weekend, and see you soon.
Tomo