つかえる英会話Daily / Travel

Lesson 231 中級

Snowed Under

Kevin is talking on the phone to his girlfriend Erica, who is visiting family overseas.

Lesson

Dialogダイアログ
Explanationsフレーズ解説
Translation日本語訳

Dialog

繰り返し聴いて英語の自然なリズムを身につけましょう。

Kevin is talking on the phone to his girlfriend Erica, who is visiting family overseas.

Kevin: Hi honey, how’s your holiday? Getting on well with the relatives?

Erica: Yeah, we’re having a ball here. Great weather, beach and barbecues every day! My cousin’s brought her twin sons Ricky and Robin down too, so it’s pretty lively. How about you? Have things slowed down at work yet?

Kevin: Unfortunately, no. We’re snowed under at the moment. Three people are on sick leave with the flu and so the rest of us are working overtime to get through all the work.

Erica: You poor thing! Now I feel really bad about being here having a good time. You sound like you need a couple of weeks break yourself.

Kevin: Well, I have a couple of business trips next week so at least I’ll be able to get out of the office for a few days.

Erica: Good, it sounds like you need a change from that stuffy old office. Don’t work too hard, OK?

Explanations

そのまま使える便利なフレーズを覚えましょう。

Getting on well with the relatives?

「親戚の人たちとはうまくやってるかい？」
"get on well with"で「〜とうまくやる」。"We're getting on fine"のように、"get on"単独でも使われます。
ex: The ability to get on well with people of all ages is essential.
（あらゆる年代の人とうまく付き合っていける能力が欠かせない）

we're having a ball here.

「ホントに楽しいわよ」
"have a ball"で「とても楽しい時間を過ごす」。
ex: I had a ball taking surfing lessons and just soaking in the sun.
（サーフィンのレッスンを受けたり日光浴をしたり、とても楽しい時間を過ごした）

We're snowed under at the moment.

「いま忙しくて忙しくて」
"snow under"は「雪で埋める、雪で閉じ込める」。そのイメージから、「〜で大忙し」。ここでは、暖かい地域で楽しんでいると思われるErica の状況とのコントラストをしめす意味も含まれています。
ex: I am completely snowed under with work.
（完全に仕事に埋もれている）

it sounds like you need a change from that stuffy old office.