投稿日:

たった２セント不足しただけなのに・・・

 

その事件は、コロラド州デンバーの夫婦に突然起こった。 

夫がガンで入院。 

莫大な治療費が重くのしかかる。 

こんな時のためにと入っていたガン保険。　奥さんは請求手続きを取った。 

しかしなんと保険金支払いは途中で中断。　原因は奥さんが当月の保険金を誤って少なく振り込んだこと。その差額たったの２セント。（日本円で１円６６銭）　 

「ひどい、あんまりだ。」絶望感に打ちひしがれる夫婦。 

やってられないなあ、こんな目にあったら。　せめて定期引き落としだったらこんなことにはならなかっただろうに。 

だが、救いの神はちゃんといた。　TV局側が徹底追求した結果、保険会社側が折れたのである。

おかげで保険金支払いは再開され、夫は移植手術を受けられることに。

めでたしめでたし。

それにしてもこの保険会社のしらばっくれた応対には腹が立つ。このようなケースは今回が初めてではなく、過去にもあったものと感じさせる。泣き寝入りした顧客もいたのではないか？　そう思うとやるせなさに襲われる。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiaoRGDHHZY

本文

Imagine this. A vietnam veteran has cancer and is awaiting  a stemcell transplant, when suddenly the insurance company revoked his coverage, revoked because his premium payment was two cents, two cents short. We learned of  this story from our Denver station KMGH.
David Muir picked up a phone to get answers and got results.
It’s doctor’s appointment they’ll never forget. Ronald Flanagan,fighting cancer, multiple myeloma,  was just moments away from getting a bone biopsy when his wife, in the lobby, heard this.
They told me, well, you know, you don’t have no insurance.
The couple was stunned. Especially because Ron was soon to get a stem cell transplant. Doctors had found a match. But their Cobra insurance coverage they were paying for after his wife was laid off, had suddenly been cut off. All because of a two-cent discrepancy. The last bill, $328.69, Francis paid $328.67.- two cents less by accident. Everybody is very surprised that two cents is enough to do this. And now we’re just pulling teeth and trying to figure out what’s the next step.  Today,we called up that Cobra provider, Ceridian.
It’s David Muir at ABC world news in New York. First put on hold,then told by another worker we’d get a call back. And this afternoon, we heard from Ceridian. Could this possibly be true that they wdre dropped over two cents? WE’ve reviewed the situation throughly and to establish facts and we’re pleased to say that we’ve been able to work with the employer and Mr. Flanagan’s Cobra coverage was reinstated. I just got off the phone with his wife and they have not been told that yet.  We are n the process of communicating with them. The Flanagan’s confirmed after so much worry over that two-cent error. It’s finally over. What would you say to mr. Flanagan tonight? Would you offer an apology?  For what, specifically?
Knowing that ,they were dropped because of a two-cent discrepancy as he waits for a stem cell transplant? We followed the normal processes, which are in complete compliance with the law and the regulations. Mr.Flanagan tells us he’s already been back on the phone with the transplant coordinator telling him he has his insurance back now, trying to get back on that schedule. Diane?
投稿日:

アメリカのテレビCMでリスニングに挑戦！（その２）

 
 

フロリダオレンジジュースのＣＭ第２弾をお届けします。今回は、中学生の男の子がメイン。

この朝食のテーブルに座っている人たちは、この日主人公に降りかかる災難に関係する人々。　どうやらバスの運転手と数学の教師のようですね。動画サイトは下記をクリック。

 

＊＊＊＊
 
 
(主人公）　：GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?
 
 
(バス運転手）AT 7:30, YOU’RE GONNA MISS YOUR BUS AND YOU’LL HAVE TO WALK ALL THE WAY TO SCHOOL.
 
 
（主人公）　GREAT. 
 
 
（数学教師）　AT 9:15, I’M GONNA SPRING A POP QUIZ ON YOUR LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT, MATH.
 
 
（主人公）WELL, GOOD THING I HAVE MY ORANGE JUICE.
 
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
 
 
翻訳は次のとおり。
 
(主人公）　：　みんなおはよう。今日の予定はどうなってる？
 
 
(バス運転手）　朝７時半のスクールバスに乗り遅れ、学校まで歩いて行かねばならないことになっています。
 
 
（主人公）　よろしい。
 
 
（数学教師）　９時１５分にあなたの一番嫌いな数学の抜き打ちテストをおこないます。
 
（主人公）　オレンジジュース飲んどこうっと。
 
＊＊＊＊＊＊
 
 
least　favorite の部分は何度トライしても聴き取れなかったので近所のマイクさんの世話になりました。
 
ちなみにpop quizとは、抜き打ちの小テストを意味するんだそうです。面白い表現ですね。

 

 
投稿日:

英作文チャレンジコーナー（はいはい道新） Hokkaido Newspaper “Readers’ voice column”

 

毎日通勤で通る道で気になっていることがあります。いつも通るその道は冬は車一台分くらいの幅しか除雪されておらず、歩道は除雪後の雪が山積み。近く小学校に通う子どもたちは仕方なく車道を歩くしかありません。車とすれ違う時は交通事故に巻き込まれるのではないかといつもひやひやします。幹線道路の除雪も大事ですが、子どもたちの安全のためにも通学路の歩道を最優先で除雪してほしいものです。（1月３1日　道新）

There’s something on my mind about the road I take everyday on my way to work. For this road, the snow shoveling is not done enough, making it as wide as a single car lane.

The shoveled snow gets pushed aside, blocking people from walking on the sidewalks. Thus, children going to school or a facility have no option but to walk on the road instead. It makes me shiver every time I see cars passing by, causing me to fear the  kids might get involved in an accident.

It’s important to clear trunk roads of snow. But I want the authority to carry out snow clearance on school roads for school children’s safety .

投稿日:

日本を称賛！　オーストラリアのメディア

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
いやあ日本やりましたね！　眠い目をこすってTV観戦した甲斐がありました。　試合後も目が冴えて寝られそうになかったので、ネットを見ていたところオーストラリアのシドニーモーニングヘラルドという新聞社が真っ先に特集記事を掲載。読んでみると日本の事を好意的に書いています。二重にうれしくなったので訳してみました。
 
 
Japan are the Asian champions for a record breaking fourth time, taking the crown in a thrilling battle over a gallant Australia with a brilliant extra time strike from substitute Tadanari Lee who volleyed home a cross from Yuto Ngatomo in the 109th minute of a scintillating Asian Cup final. 

日本はアジアカップ大会において記録破りとなる4回目のチャンピオンとなった。決勝戦開始後１０９分目、途中から出場した李忠成選手が長友佑都からのクロスパスをゴール。　延長戦におけるこの一撃で、果敢なオーストラリアとのスリルある戦いを制し、栄冠を勝ち取った。

Lee, who had only been on the pitch a few minutes, found himself unmarked and with the sort of time and space he could only have dreamed of to measure a perfect textbook volley that gave Mark Schwarzer, playing a record-setting 88th time for Australia, no chance.

それまでピッチに出たのが数分しかなかった李選手は、自分がマークされておらず、お手本通りの完璧なシュートを決めるに充分な時間と空間が与えられているのに気づいた。そのシュートはオーストラリア代表出場８８回という記録を持つゴールキーパーのマークシュワルツアー選手に捕らえるチャンスを与えなかった。

This was a game that neither side deserved to lose, but, as the nerve-shredding prospect of a penalty shoot-out loomed, it was fitting that a game of this calibre and status was decided in open play, however heartbreaking for the losers.

双方とも負けに値しない試合をした。胸が張り裂けるようなPK戦の兆しが見え始めた時に、オープンプレーで勝敗がついた。敗者には気の毒だがこの種の試合では適切な終わり方だった。

The Socceroos can, however, hold their heads up high. They dominated much of the game, playing football of fluency, craft and sophistication that many did not think them capable of, especially in the first half.

オーストラリア選手も堂々と胸を張っていい。試合の大部分は彼らが握り、流暢で巧みで洗練されたサッカーをしていた。このような結末になると思わなかった人は多いだろう。特に前半戦は。

But full credit has to go to Japan, who had come through a torrid semi final with South Korea just four days earlier, a match that had been decided in a penalty shoot-out. As revenge for that day of Australian jubiliation in Kaiserslautern five years ago, when the Socceroos came back from canvas to destroy the Blue Samurai’s World Cup dreams with a 3-1 win, this was as good as it gets.

だが総合的に見て、栄誉は日本側に与えねばなるまい。日本はつい４日前、韓国との激しい戦いをPK戦で制したばかりだ。また５年前にドイツのカイザースラウルテンで、オーストラリアは日本を３－１で破り、サムライニッポンのワールドカップの夢を打ち砕いて歓喜の渦にわいた。その日のリベンジとして、このゲームはとても素晴らしいものだった。

 

投稿日:

英作文チャレンジコーナー（はいはい道新） Hokkaido Newspaper “Readers’ voice column”

料理に使うため、ピーマンに似た野菜のパプリカを一個買ってきました。
大きめの黄色いパプリカでしたが、ヘタの近くに傷みがあったので輪切りにすると、なんと実の中に同じ色の小さなパプリカが胎児みたいに入っていたんです。
家庭菜園でピーマンを栽培していますが、こんなのは見たことがなくびっくりしました。ひょとしたら何かいいことがある前兆かもしれないですね。夫は「宝くじでも買っておけ」ですって。(北海道新聞　２０１１年１月２５日）
 
  
 
 
 
 
I bought a paprika, a vegetable that looks like Japanese “peeman”, for my cooking purpose.
It was big and yellow.
There were some bruises near the calyx, so I thought of cutting it into round slices.
As soon as I cut it open, there was  another paprika of the same color inside.  It looked like an unborn baby growing inside.
I grow “peeman” (green peppers) in my own vegetable garden, but nothing like this happened to me before.
Maybe this is a sign of good luck.
 “Why not buy some lottery tickets?” says my husband.
 
 
 
 
投稿日:

たった今入った映像。多重衝突スリップ事故

 

つい昨日アメリカで放映された映像です。　

異常気象が続く昨今、これはアメリカだけの問題ではなく、日本でも起こりえます。

北海道以外のみなさん、特に坂道の多い地域のみなさん。気を付けてくださいね。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRkZSP_jq5M

 

The more freezing rain is falling right now that’s on top of the half inch of ice that pretty much coats everything around

And across this part of the country, it is proving to be a big danger for drivers.

 

This SUV is spinning in circles. Barreling out of control, downhill, with just one way to stop. Seconds later, it started all over again.Parked cars were like pinball bumpers to this driver. The brakes, no use. The wild rides continued.

A convoy of collisions on this Pittsburgh street, even as crash　victims like these children, were escaping the mounting wreckage.  In Pittsburgh alone, forty-five crashes choked up to ice.  At least seventy people treated in the E.R.(emergency room) for slips and falls.  

The storm packed with sleet and freezing rain moved further, northeast to near Boston, where instead of driving, cars were skating. 

 

The hills. It’s tough on the hills. In New Haven Conneticut, a backwards approach to drive home.  

Parking lots and streets looked like ice links.

 

We just started sliding and stopped, because I didn’t want to hit the car over here. Dropping rain and dropping temperature is not the only problem for this storm. Another ten ionches of snow could fall in parts of northern new England. And other places are suffering too. In Genessee county, Michigan, a dramatic rescue.

 

Look closely under this semi…  There is a car down there. A driver was pinned inside. He had spun out.

The truck driver tried to avoid him, but instead they both wound up in the ditch. Hard to believe judging from this damage, but somehow the driver escaped unhurt.

 

Back here in Conneticut, some seven hundred emergency calls came pouring in to state police yesterday during the morning rush.

 

Robin ther are hoping for a quieter one today.

Look at the background. All the snow still on the streets and piled up high there in Cheshire.

 

 

 

投稿日:

AP 通信が発信した佑ちゃんフィーバー

。

地元鎌ヶ谷市での熱狂ぶりを”rock star welcome” （ロックスターの様な歓迎ぶり）と表現したAP.　

記録を出してナンボの世界で、ルーキーがこれほどもてはやされるのが不思議でしょうが無かったのですねきっと.

Rookie Saito creating fan, media frenzy

 

Nippon Ham Fighters rookie pitcher Yuki Saito has  received “a rock star welcome” from fans at the team’s training facilities in Chiba Prefecture.

About 2,500 fans were out to see his first training with fellow rookies on Wednesday, after the 22-year-old former Waseda University standout’s move into the team’s dormitory made the front page of almost all sports newspapers in Japan.

Saito began with a light workout, only running, playing catch and doing some fielding practice, and the fans kept watching his every move on a chilly day.

“It feels good to go out there and work out,” Saito said. “The first day of training has motivated me even more to jump-start my pro career. I want all these people to see me pitch on the top team mound as early as possible.”

Saito became a national hero when he led Waseda Jitsugyo to the national high school championship title in August 2006.

He opted to play college baseball rather than turn pro.

His rival Masahiro Tanaka, who lost to Saito in the high school championship final, joined the Rakuten Eagles as their top 2006 draft pick and won the Rookie of the Year award in 2007 on his way to becoming an established star pitcher in Japan.

In college, Saito became the only sixth pitcher to reach 30 wins and 300 strikeouts in the Tokyo Big Six League.

“Just seeing him run, I can tell he has strong athletic ability,” said Nippon Ham manager Masataka Nashida, who came to the training.

“Now is only the preparatory stage. I don’t want him to rush anything. I just expect him to take time to build physical strength.”

投稿日:

英作文チャレンジコーナー（はいはい道新） Hokkaido Newspaper “Readers’ voice column”

 
 
 
地産地消をうたった懸賞に私と夫の名前で２通応募しました。あまり期待せずにいたところ、主催者から当選の知らせがあり、希望した魚の一夜干しセットが届きました。大好物のツボダイのほかホッケ、カレイ、など５種類の干物が１０点ほど入っていて夫婦で大喜びです。六日間続けて夕飯でいただきましたが、日頃スーパーで購入している干物とは違い、どれも特上品で大満足でした。久々にうれしい思いを味わいましたよ。（北海道新聞　２０１１年１月１７日号）
 
My husband and I signed for a prize contest whose slogan was “Produce locally, consume locally”. We sent in two applications with our names respectively.
Though not expecting to win, we got a notice from the authority that we won the prize, a set of “Ichiyaboshi ” or overnight dried fish we had wished for.
There were about ten fish of five species, such as my favorite Tsubodai (Japanese armorhead), Hokke (Atka mackerel), Karei (Flatfish).
We were both pleased with the prize.  We ate them for dinner for six consecutive days.  All of them were of high quality and not the kind that you can get at a regular superstore. We never had tasted happy moments like this for a long time.
 
投稿日:

テレビ見たぞ、彩芽くん I’ve seen you on the TV, AYAME.

点滴の針を刺す時、こわがらずに堂々としていたね。

When the drip  needle was about to be inserted, you showed no sign of being scared.

運動会の徒競走、懸命に走っていたね。

In the elementary school foot race, you were running as hard as you could. 

札幌までのひとり旅、いい経験をしたね。

Traveling to as far as Sapporo, you’ve earned a lifetime experience.

筋肉がすこし出来てきた、と先生にほめられてうれしそうな顔したね。

When your doctor told you that your arm muscles had increased a bit, you looked happy.

 

君のその頑張りで、多くの人が感動し、勇気づけられた。　おじさんもそのひとりだ。

Your fight against your disease inspired many people including me.

ありがとう。　

Thank you.

投稿日:

海外でも報道、タイガーマスクのイイ話。Tiger Mask repaying welfare facilities, spurs outburst of charity

虎だッ、虎だっ、お前は虎になるのだ。　タｱーッツ！　我が世代のヒーロー、タイガーマスク（伊達直人）の名を借りて善行をおこなう男の姿が海外でも報じられています。

暗い世相が渦巻く中、心が温まりますよね。　

ディクテーションのやりがいがありました。　この運動が世界中に広がることを願いたいです。

動画は下をクリックしてください。

 

 

The gifts have been delivered to more than ninety locations across Japan, boxes filled with backpacks, envelopes of cash.  This one came with green onions and five bags of rice. Each are from an anonymous donar who goes by Naoto Date, the name of a super hero in the popular Japanese comic, Tiger Mask.

 

Kikuchi Masatoshi got a box filled with pencils and pencil sharpeners at his orphanage in Yokohama. He says “I knew this man had a big heart.”

 

Tiger mask became popular in the 1960s, the stories about Naoto Date who becomes a professional wrestler and donates his money to the orphanage.

 

Now news of a real life hero helping children has sparked a national gift giving movement. The first gift came Christmas day and an employee at a welfare center outside Tokyo found ten boxes of backpacks. This man found twelve hundred dollars in an envelope at a grocery store. It came with a letter that read “There are tiger masks across Japan. Please use this for promising children.” The super hero has even gone to the police himself and asked them to deliver supplies to orphanages. Nearly two dozen new locations have reported gifts Tuesday alone. All the attention hasn’t convinced the man behind the mask to come forward yet, but there have been sightings. This store owner says an older man came in and bought half a dozen backpacks for an orphanage.

He covered his face with a scarf so I didn’t ask who he was. But I’m pretty sure he was Tiger Mask. Akiko Fujita, ABC news Tokyo.