やさしい英語会話 (230) Playing the "Would You Rather…?" Game

今回から「やさしい英語会話」は新しい学生アシスタント、Keiさんとともにお届けします。明るく元気な大学１年生で、先週までのAkariさんと同様に、楽しく番組を進行していきます。ところでKeiさんの高校時代の留学先は、Joeと接点があるようですね…。



今回お届けするのは"Would You Rather..?" Gameのお話。どちらも微妙な二つの選択肢の中から、究極の選択を行うゲームです。英語のスピーキングを楽しく練習できるゲームなので、ぜひ試してみましょう。会話の中では、どんな質問が登場するのでしょうか…？



Image credit: (Antarctica) Clayoquot via Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 3.0.

(Death Valley) Complex01 via Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 3.0.



*Click here to download MP3*



（初級〜中級）

*** It's a Good Expression ***

（今回の重要表現）



That's sort of the point.

= そこがこのゲームのキモのようなものさ。

※That's the point.（そこがポイントだ）とsort of 〜（どちらかといえば〜的な。=kind of）を組み合わせた表現



〜, though.

まあ〜なんだけどね。

※文末に"〜, though."をつけることで、柔らかい逆説表現になる。日本人があまり発想しない英語表現なので、ぜひ使ってみよう。



Death Valley

「死の谷」（カリフォルニア州の観光地。非常に暑く、乾燥した場所として知られる）



an igloo

（イヌイットの作る）かまくら



claustrophobic

閉所恐怖の



crappy

= terrible

※若者言葉なので使用には注意。



I'd say.

= I agree.



bad breath

口臭



mint

ミント



not work

効かない



to stick with 〜

〜にこだわる



wear a mask

マスクをする



how flattering...

お世辞が上手ね。

※名詞形の「お世辞」はflattery。Flattery will get you nowhere.で「おだてたって何も出ないよ」



hairy

毛むくじゃらの



a lumberjack

木こり



Smooth

うまいわね。



*** Script ***

Playing the "Would You Rather…" Game



M: Hey, I have a good idea. Let's play the ‘Would you rather…” game!



W: What's that?



M: It's a game where I give you two really BAD situations, and you have to choose which one you'd prefer.



W: Ah… That sounds like a horrible game.



M: That's sort of the point, though! Alright, I'll start! Hmm… let me think… would you rather live in Antarctica or Death Valley?



W: Oh, both are bad. OK… I'll choose Antarctica. At least I could build myself an igloo! Haha… OK. It's my turn now. Um… would you rather be trapped underground, or endlessly float through space?



M: Um… I'm claustrophobic, so I choose ‘Endlessly floating through space'.



W: I'd probably choose the same. Both are pretty crappy situations, though.



M: I'd say! Alright… Would you rather… have a condition that made you sweat 10 times more than usual, or have really bad breath that was incurable?



W: Bad breath! Most definitely bad breath! Can I use mints constantly?



M: Mints don't work. It's an incurable condition, remember?



W: Nooo! Alright, but I'm still sticking with bad breath. I'll just wear a mask for the rest of my life and will be known as the ‘masked beauty'.



M: Haaaahhh, you DON'T need to wear a mask to be beautiful.



W: Oh, how flattering…



M: (laughs) OK, last one! Would you rather… go on a date with me, or go on a date with an old hairy lumberjack?



W: Smooth… Um, I'll go with the old hairy lumberjack.



M: Wow, what a lucky guy!



W: Tomorrow at 7 pm. I'll be waiting outside my apartment.



M: Hey, what are you trying to say? That I'm old and hairy? Anyway, I'm looking forward to it!   



(Written by Lauren Johnson)