2014年4月25日金曜日

2014年4月25日金曜日 -

Wang Aijun: A trip to Taiwan

我叫王爱军,我是中国的青岛来的。

My name is Wang Aijun. I'm from Qingdao in China.

上个月我去了台湾旅行,去了很多地方。
但是印象最深的是一个叫九份的地方。是一个景色非常漂亮小城镇。保留了很多五,六十年代的小店。并且小吃也非常有特色。

Last month, I traveled to Taiwan. Though I visited a lot of places, the most impressive was a place called Jiufeng. It’s a small town with an extremely beautiful view. There are so many restaurants and shops built in the 1950’s and 60’s that still remain. Furthermore, they have their original local snacks that are very special.


我在九吃到的最好吃的小吃,叫芋。芋圆是圆形的,是用芋头,地瓜粉加水
作成的甜点。吃的时候可以自己选择和不同的配料一起,如:绿豆,珍珠,红豆,芋头等等。店员说夏天的时候,加冰吃更美味。


The most delicious snack I ate in Jiufeng was Yuyuan. Its a round sweet, made from taro-potato and sweet potato powder with water. When you order it, you can choose toppings to your liking such as green beans, tapioca, red beans, mashed taro-potato, and many more. The staff told me that it’s even more delicious topped with shaved ice in the summer. 

退休以后,我打算去九份居住。

I hope I can live in Jiufeng after I retire.


Cóngfrom~から
上个月Shàng ge yuèLast month先月
景色Jǐngsèview景色
漂亮Piàoliangbeautiful美しい
小城镇Xiǎo chéngzhèna small town小さな街
小吃Xiǎochīsnacks屋台やレストランなどで食べられる軽めの食事
芋头Yùtoutaro-potatoタロイモ
甜点Tiándiǎnsweetスウィーツ
选择Xuǎnzéchoose選ぶ
退休Tuìxiūretirement引退






2014年4月18日金曜日

2014年4月18日金曜日 -

Thibaud : Easter in France

Comme dans la plupart des pays de culture chrétienne, Pâques est un jour spécial dans le calendrier des Français.
En effet, c’est un évènement important pour les communautés chrétiennes en France, à commencer par la majorité catholique. Pâques est la célébration de la résurrection de Jésus-Christ trois jours après sa mort. C’est pour célébrer cet évènement majeur que de grandes messes sont célébrées dans toutes les villes et tous les villages. Le lundi qui suit Pâques est également un jour férié, bien que récemment de plus en plus de magasins ouvrent et certaines entreprises incitent leurs employés à travailler.

As in most countries of Christian culture, Easter is a special day for many French people.
It is an important event for French Catholics and other Christian communities living in France. Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his death. Large masses are held in all French cities, towns and villages to celebrate such a major event in the Christian calendar. The following Monday is also a holiday, although recently more and more stores remain open and some companies encourage their employees to work.

Pâques est l’occasion d’organiser des réunions de famille autour d’un grand repas. Selon la tradition catholique, il était interdit de faire sonner les cloches des églises entre le Jeudi Saint et le dimanche de Pâques. Il était dit aux enfants que les cloches étaient parties à Rome pour se faire bénir par le pape. Selon cette même tradition, le matin de Pâques les enfants cherchent dans le jardin les œufs en chocolat que les cloches ont apporté depuis Rome. Bien sûr ce sont les adultes qui ont en fait caché les oeufs en chocolat la veille. Les chocolatiers français profitent de Pâques pour montrer leur talent et produisent non seulement des œufs, mais également des cloches, des poules, des lapins ou des poissons en chocolat. Le repas de Pâques se compose traditionnellement d’un gigot d’agneau, appelé « gigot pascal », qui est généralement accompagné de flageolets ou de haricots verts.

Easter is an opportunity for families to gather for a big meal. According to Catholic tradition, it was forbidden to ring church bells between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday. Children were told that the bells had gone to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. According to that same tradition, on Easter morning children used to look for chocolate eggs that the bells brought back from Rome and put in every garden. Of course, these chocolate eggs are actually hidden on the previous evening by adults. French chocolatiers usually take Easter as an opportunity to show their talent and not only make eggs, but also bells, chickens, rabbits and fish, of course all in chocolate. The French Easter meal traditionally consists of a roasted leg of lamb called "paschal leg lamb", accompanied by flageolet beans or green beans.

Pâques est une fête qui est de moins en moins célébrée par les Français. Néanmoins de nombreuses personnes profitent de l’opportunité d’avoir un week-end de trois jours pour rendre visite à leur famille. Au-delà de l’aspect religieux, c’est également le début du printemps et le retour des beaux jours qui est célébré par la plupart des Français.

Fewer French people celebrate Easter these days. However, most people still enjoy the chance to visit their relatives over a three-day weekend. Beyond the religious aspect, French people like to celebrate the beginning of spring, which means longer and warmer days.

Pâques : Easter : イースター
résurrection : resurrection : キリストの復活
messes : masses : ミサ
un jour férié : a holiday : 休日
incitent : encourage : 奨励する
faire sonner les cloches : to ring bells : ベルを鳴らす
Jeudi Saint : Holy Thursday : 聖なる木曜日
se faire bénir : to be blessed : 祝福される
selon : according to : ~によれば
un gigot d’agneau : a roasted leg of lamb : 子羊のロースト
flageolets : flageolet beans : インゲン豆の仲間
néanmoins : however : しかしながら
au-delà : beyond : ~を超えて


2014年4月11日金曜日

2014年4月11日金曜日 -

Ron - Things to see and do in Canada (2)






There are many great sightseeing spots in Canada. Two of the most popular are Niagara falls and the Rocky mountains. Another one is the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). Two great places to see the Northern Lights are Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.

Another interesting place to visit includes the home of “Anne of Green Gables” on Prince Edward Island, better known as “Red-haired Anne” in Japan.

There are less well-known sites as well. For example, “L’Anse aux Meadows” on the island (and Province) of Newfoundland, occupied around the year 1,000, is the only confirmed site of European settlement in the Americas prior to the voyages of Christopher Columbus 500  years later.



the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis):オーロラ
Anne of Green Gables:赤毛のアン
less well-known sites:穴場
occupied:占領された
settlement:移民
voyages:航海

2014年4月4日金曜日

2014年4月4日金曜日 -

Ron - Things to see and do in Canada (1)


Canada is a great place to go canoeing.  There are many lakes and rivers that are ideal for camping, especially using a canoe.  Canoes are small boats that have flat, rounded bottoms.  This form is ideal for navigating through shallow waters.

Quetico Provincial Park in northwestern Ontario is a wonderful place to go on a canoe trip.  There are over 600 lakes that can only be reached by canoe! I can recommend a really good website if you are interested in planning a trip to Quetico. It’s all in English so it would be a good way to practice the language!  You can email them or make a telephone call (in English of course) to get more information.



Hiking is another popular activity in Canada.  If you like beautiful scenery when you hike, the Tonquin Valley in the Canadian Rockies is a very beautiful 3 to 5 day hike. You can find details on the Internet.

canoeing.:カヌーをこぐ
ideal :理想的な
flat, rounded bottoms:平たく丸みを帯びた底
shallow waters:浅瀬
scenery:景色