1.

　

会議などで自分の意見を言うこと、その議題に関する事実を述べることを学びます。マーティンは市の交通機関の問題解決について話しあうための公の市民会議に参加しています。

This is English USA, on the Voice of America. Now, Lesson 94, Part 1.

MARTIN:

I want to thank you, Mr. Calder. I appreciate being able to come to the meeting.

CALDER:

You're welcome. Are you interested in public transportation?

MARTIN:

I'm interested in how people make decisions. I want to see how your city decides things.

CALDER:

This is the way. First we study the problem. Then we have a public meeting. We present the facts. We listen. Finally, we decide.

MARTIN:

How do you present the facts?

CALDER:

That's what we will do tonight. Watch and listen.

MARTIN:

Who presents the facts?

CALDER:

The panel. We have studied the facts. We'll present them. Next we'll talk about them. Then the audience will ask questions and comment.

MARTIN:

Will this be the only meeting?

CALDER:

Maybe not. We might have another meeting.

MARTIN:

May I talk with you after the meeting?

CALDER:

Of course. The meeting is about to begin. We'll talk later.

MARTIN:

Thanks.

CALDER:

Could you say something about the number of cars, Mary Anne?

MARY A:

Yes, I can say a lot about cars. There are too many. We all know that.

CALDER:

What do you mean by that?

MARY A:

I mean all of us here know that. We see them every day, every weekend in this neighborhood.

CALDER:

What do you think, Jim?

JIM:

I think Mary Anne is right. There are too many cars. That's a fact. Did you have trouble getting here tonight?

AUDIENCE:

Yes. I did. Etc...

JIM:

I did too. I'm sure we all did. But there are reasons.

CALDER:

What are some of those reasons?

JIM:

We built too many public buildings in this neighborhood.

MARY A:

I agree. Without planning. Without more streets. Without public transportation to this area.

CALDER:

But we do have public transportation here.

MARY A:

Yes, we do have a few buses. The public transportation isn't enough.

CALDER:

Obviously. I had trouble getting here too.

MARY A:

On the weekend, we have more than thirty thousand cars on the streets in this neighborhood.

CALDER:

Some weekends. Not every weekend.

JIM:

That's part of the problem. We can't just build more streets. Most of the time they would be empty.

MARY A:

It's better to have empty streets sometimes.

CALDER:

That's an opinion.

MARY A:

Now we have a mess on weekends. It's impossible. The cars can't move.

CALDER:

That's a fact.

MARY A:

I know the difference between a fact and an opinion, Chuck. But I feel very strongly about this.

CALDER:

It's obvious you do.

2.
　

発言の内容が主観ではなく、事実であることを示す表現の例を聴いてください。

JIM:

There are too many cars. That's a fact.

MARY A:

The public transportation isn't enough.

CALDER:

Obviously.

MARY A:

The cars can't move.

CALDER:

That's a fact.

3.


　

話し手が話の内容が事実に基づくことなのか自分の主観的な意見なのかいつも明確に言うとは限りません。多くの場合、その判断は聞き手にゆだねられ ます。これからマーティンが言うことに対してあなたはそれが事実なのか意見なのか言ってください。

MARTIN:

I'm a reporter.

YOU:

[That is a fact.]

MARTIN:

Mary Anne said there are too many cars.

YOU:

[That is a fact.]

MARTIN:

I feel the meeting is too long.

YOU:

[That is an opinion.]

MARTIN:

I think public transportation is too expensive.

YOU:

[That is an opinion.]

CALDER:

I think we need a few more facts. Let's give some numbers.

MARY A:

I would like to hear comments from the audience too.

JIM:

That would be helpful I feel.