英語の格言 Engiish Sayings

 日本人の着ているセーター、Tシャツ、スポーツウエアなどに英語が書いてある。英語教師であったので、どうしても英語に目が行く。ところが、英語の文は一部しか見えない。鞄を掛けていたり、手に荷物を持っていたり、皺が寄っていたりするからだ。そんな時は、頭を使う。

このところ、三回ぐらい英語に遭遇した。

1．　There is alw＊＊＊＊ehind the cloud.

  これは有名であるから、すぐに分かった。

　There is always light behind the cloud.

２．＊＊＊＊　precedes success.

     分からないので、ChatGDPに訊いた。答えは

　　　Hard work precedes success.

　　　Failure often precedes success.

３． Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

    これは店頭に積まれていたTシャツの胸に書いてあった。いい台詞だ。

English Sayings

English Sayings

I often notice English words printed on sweaters, T‑shirts, and sportswear that Japanese people wear. Since I used to be an English teacher, my eyes are naturally drawn to them. The problem is that I can usually see only part of the set phrase—because a bag is hanging over it, they’re holding something in their hands, or the fabric is wrinkled. At times like that, I have to use my brain.

Recently, I’ve come across English three times.

1. There is alw＊＊＊＊ehind the cloud.
   This one was famous, so I figured it out right away:
   There is always light behind the cloud.
2. ＊＊＊＊ precedes success.
   I couldn’t tell, so I asked ChatGPT. The answers were:
   Hard work precedes success.
   Failure often precedes success.
3. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
   This was printed on the chest of a T‑shirt stacked at a store. A good line, I thought.

Chat GPTに頼るべからず Never Rely on ChatGPT.

 Chat GPTに頼るべからず

確定申告書を作成して、印刷したら両面印刷になっていた。印刷設定を変えていないのに。「おかしい。今年から紙の節約で国税庁は両面刷りに変えたのか」と思い、Chat GPTに尋ねたら、なんと「最近は確定申告書は両面刷りです。第一票と第二票が揃っておれば問題ないです」と応えた。「じゃあ」と安心して、両面刷りの確定申告書を税務署に提出した。

翌日、別の文書を印刷したら両面刷りであった。「これはおかしい」と、税務署に電話したら「片面印刷で出して欲しい。……もう提出したのですか？　なら、それでいいです」と言われた。

これが確定申告で良かった。もっと重大なことなら大惨事だ。

Never rely on ChatGPT.

I prepared my tax return and printed it out, only to find it had come out double‑sided. I hadn’t changed any print settings.
“That’s strange. Maybe the National Tax Agency switched to double‑sided printing this year to save paper,” I thought. So I asked ChatGPT, and it confidently replied, “Yes, tax returns are printed double‑sided nowadays. As long as Form 1 and Form 2 are both included, there’s no problem.”

Reassured, I submitted my double‑sided tax return to the tax office.

The next day, I printed a completely different document—and it also came out double‑sided.
“Now this is odd,” I thought, and called the tax office. They told me, “Please submit it single‑sided. …You already turned it in? Well, then it’s fine as is.”

Thank goodness this was only a tax return. If it had been something more serious, it could’ve been a disaster.