ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/7/5(金)三人でフリートーク-“ドクターイエロー”運行終了へ

ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/7/5(金)三人でフリートーク-“ドクターイエロー”運行終了へ
黄色い新幹線のスター、終点に近づく
Yellow Shinkansen railway icon nears end of the line

-Today’s Takeaways 【ニュース解説に関連する英語表現】
大門さんが、新幹線の検査専用車両「ドクターイエロー」について解説しました。関連する表現を紹介します。
Fans of Japan’s shinkansen bullet trains are getting ready to bid farewell to a colorful icon of the tracks. Railway operators say they will phase out the so-called “Doctor Yellow” inspection cars.

bullet train 「弾丸列車、新幹線」
bid farewell to -, 「～に別れを告げる」
Tom:
Right. The word bid means basically the same thing as say, but it sounds a little older, more formal and more sophisticated. We almost always use it with farewell, goodbye or good luck.

So since it feels kind of deep important and serious, bid is a good option to use when you want to sound cool and dramatic in a presentation, for example.

It’s time to bid farewell to the past. The future, everyone is now.

–
It’s off-limits to ordinary passengers and operates only once about every 10 days.
(be) off-limits to -, 「～は立ち入り禁止、～は入ることを許されていない」
off-limit
Off means away from or outside. So the basic idea is that something off-limits is outside the limits of what you’re allowed to do.
(オフとは、離れている、外にあるという意味である。つまり、基本的な考え方は、オフ・リミッツ（立ち入り禁止）とは、やっていいことの制限の外側にあるものということだ。)

新幹線についてのトラウデンさん、トムさん、大門さんの会話
Naomi:
So, Tom. Have you ever seen Doctor Yellow?
Tom:
Doctor Yellow? Yeah. I actually saw him once for my lower back pain.
Naomi:
I think you’re talking about other doctor Yellow.
腰の痛みをイエローというお医者さんに見てもらった。
see, 「見る」と「お医者さんに診てもらう」
Tom:
Thanks, Sayuri. But you know, explaining a joke, kind of ruins it.
Naomi:
OK. So let me ask you one more time. Have you ever seen Doctor Yellow?
Tom:
I want to say yes, but my memory is a little fuzzy. Chances are I haven’t. How about you, Sayuri?
Daimon:
No. I’ve never seen Doctor Yellow. I guess that’s because they run only once about every 10 days.
You said you probably haven’t seen Doctor Yellow, but have you taken the shinkansen, Tom?
Tom:
Yep. And having grown up in a place where we never rode trains at all, I could hardly contain my amazement on my first shinkansen trip. And when my wife pushed that foot pedal and flipped around the seats to face each other, I was, like, “OK, stop. This is incredible. What is next?” I’ll always remember that. Naomi, do you have any good memories of the shinkansen?
Naomi:
Ah, yes. I used to take shinkansen every weekend.
Tom:
Every weekend?
Naomi:
Yes, since when I was in high school. (Okay) I had to come to to Tokyo from my hometown, Kyoto to work for my job, my work as a model. So shinkansen is like my body.
Tom:
Did you see Doctor Yellow?
Naomi:
Yes, once.
略

I miss the shinkansen dining car.
I miss you.
I missed the shinkansen bullet trrain. 乗り遅れた
I said, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”
無くして始めて有り難味がわかった。
孝行したい時に親はなし

I will miss you, Doctor Yellow.

I couldn’t contain my excitement listening to today’s discussion.
Wow!
Good, good!

We hope you enjoyed the lesson.
See you next time.