【物語で学ぶ中学英語】サトウ家の日常で覚える英会話フレーズ・完全版（Episode 1：Scene 1〜7）

It is seven o’clock in the morning. The Sato family is in the kitchen. There is rice and miso soup on the table. There are also some eggs and a little fruit.

“Good morning, everyone,” Yoko says. “Please eat a lot this morning.”

Kenji comes into the kitchen with a big smile.

“Good morning, my dear family!” he says. “Am I late? Or am I just fashionably late?”

“Dad, you’re always joking,” Rina says, and she laughs.

“Well, a good joke is a great way to start the day,” Kenji says. “Are you ready for your training today, Rina?”

“Yes, I am,” Rina says. “I have practice at the ice rink this morning, and I have a sports medicine class in the afternoon.”

“That’s a busy day,” Mai says. She looks at Rina’s plate carefully. “Rina, you need more protein. There isn’t enough fish on your plate. Here, have some more.”

“Thank you, Mai,” Rina says. “You always take good care of me.”

“Of course,” Mai says. “You’re my little sister, and you’re an Olympic athlete. Good nutrition is important for a skater.”

Emily looks at the newspaper on the table.

“Oh! There is a baseball article here,” Emily says. “It’s about the Dodgers. Shohei Ohtani has a great game.”

“You really love baseball, Emily,” Kenji says with a smile. “Are you a Dodgers fan?”

“Yes, I am!” Emily says. “I’m from Los Angeles, so the Dodgers are my team. Ohtani is amazing. He can hit home runs, and he can pitch, too.”

“I know a little about baseball,” Kenji says. “But I don’t know much about figure skating. Rina, please teach me about your sport someday.”

“OK, Dad,” Rina says, and everyone laughs.

The family finishes breakfast together. It is a busy but happy morning in the Sato house.

Rina goes to the ice rink near her university. Her coach, Ms. Suzuki, is waiting for her.

“Good morning, Rina,” Ms. Suzuki says. “Are you ready for practice?”

“Yes, I am,” Rina says. “I want to practice my jumps today.”

“Good,” Ms. Suzuki says. “Your next competition is in Canada. It’s an important competition.”

Rina’s teammate, Yui, skates over to them.

“Hi, Rina! Hi, Ms. Suzuki!” Yui says.

“Hi, Yui. How is your training today?” Rina asks.

“It’s good, but it’s hard,” Yui says. “I practice a new jump this week. Can you watch me and give me some advice?”

“Of course, I can,” Rina says.

Rina and Yui practice together. Ms. Suzuki watches them carefully.

“Rina, your jumps are beautiful today,” Ms. Suzuki says. “Where do you get so much energy?”

“My sister makes special food for athletes,” Rina says. “It has a lot of protein and vitamins. It really helps.”

“That’s wonderful,” Ms. Suzuki says. “Family support is very important for an athlete.”

After practice, Rina and Yui sit down and drink some water.

“Are you nervous about the competition in Canada?” Yui asks.

“A little,” Rina says. “But I’m also excited. I love competitions abroad.”

“What time is your flight to Canada?” Yui asks.

“It’s early in the morning,” Rina says. “But first, I have a sports medicine class this afternoon. I don’t want to miss it.”

“You’re so hardworking,” Yui says.

“Thank you,” Rina says with a smile. “I want to be a good skater and a good student.”

Mai works at a foreign food company in Yokohama. Her office is on the fifteenth floor. There is a beautiful view of the port from her window.

Mai’s manager, Ms. Chen, comes to her desk.

“Good morning, Mai,” Ms. Chen says. “How is your sister’s training?”

“It’s going well,” Mai answers. “Rina has a competition in Canada soon. I have some new supplement samples for her.”

“Great,” Ms. Chen says. “Athletes need good nutrition, especially before a big competition. What is in the new samples?”

“There is a lot of protein, and there are also important vitamins,” Mai says. “It’s for muscle recovery.”

They go to the meeting room. There are five people in the room. Two colleagues are from the head office in the United States. They join the meeting online.

“Good morning, Mai,” says an American colleague, Mr. Davis. “How is the new product for athletes?”

“It’s very good,” Mai says. “We test it with real athletes, like my sister. She’s a figure skater.”

“That’s fantastic,” Mr. Davis says. “Is she in the Olympics?”

“Yes, she is,” Mai says proudly. “She is on the Japanese national team.”

“Wonderful,” Mr. Davis says. “When is the report ready?”

“It’s ready on Friday,” Mai answers.

After the meeting, Ms. Chen talks to Mai.

“You take good care of your sister, Mai,” Ms. Chen says.

“Thank you,” Mai says. “My family is very important to me. My father is a businessman, and he often travels abroad, too. My mother is a university professor. We’re a busy family, but we support each other.”

“That’s a wonderful family,” Ms. Chen says.

Kenji works at a trading company near Yokohama Station. His office is very busy today. There are many boxes and documents on his desk.

His colleague, Mr. Tanaka, comes to his desk.

“Kenji, are you ready for your trip to Singapore?” Mr. Tanaka asks.

“Almost,” Kenji says with a smile. “But where is my passport? Oh, wait. It’s in my pocket. I’m a little forgetful today.”

Mr. Tanaka laughs. “You’re always funny, Kenji. Even before a big trip.”

“A good sense of humor helps on a long flight,” Kenji says. “What time is your meeting today, by the way?”

“It’s at ten o’clock,” Mr. Tanaka says. “It’s with our partner company in Singapore, too. Actually, isn’t that your meeting as well?”

“Yes, it is!” Kenji says. “I forget my own schedule sometimes. My daughter Rina is much better at remembering her competition schedule than I am.”

“How is Rina’s training?” Mr. Tanaka asks. “Is she ready for the competition in Canada?”

“Yes, she is,” Kenji says proudly. “She practices very hard every day. And my other daughter, Mai, helps her with special food.”

“Your family is amazing,” Mr. Tanaka says. “A businessman, a professor, an athlete, and a nutrition expert.”

“And don’t forget Emily,” Kenji says. “She’s our homestay student from America. She’s a huge baseball fan. She can talk about baseball for hours!”

“That’s a fun family,” Mr. Tanaka says, laughing.

Kenji checks his documents one more time.

“OK, everything is here,” Kenji says. “My flight is at eleven o’clock. I go to the airport at nine.”

“Have a good trip,” Mr. Tanaka says. “And say hello to your family for me.”

“I will,” Kenji says. “See you next week!”

Yoko teaches English literature at her university. There are many books on the shelves in her office.
Her colleague, Professor Wilson, is from Canada.

“Good morning, Yoko,” Professor Wilson says. “How is your class today?”

“It’s good,” Yoko says. “There are twenty students in my class this semester.”

“And how is your family?” Professor Wilson asks. “Is your husband on a business trip again?”

“Yes, he is,” Yoko says. “He’s in Singapore this week. And my younger daughter, Rina, has a competition in Canada soon.”

“Canada! That’s my home country,” Professor Wilson says. “I hope she has a great competition.”

A student comes to Yoko’s office. Her name is Linh, and she is from Vietnam.

“Excuse me, Professor Sato,” Linh says. “Is this a good time?”

“Yes, it is,” Yoko says. “What’s your question, Linh?”

“I don’t understand this old English poem,” Linh says. “Can you explain it to me?”

“Of course,” Yoko says. “Please sit down. This poem is about old traditions, so let’s talk about Japanese traditions, too. It’s an interesting comparison.”

After Linh leaves, Professor Wilson smiles.

“You know a lot about Japanese culture, Yoko,” he says.

“Yes, I love it,” Yoko says. “At home, I teach Emily, our homestay student, about Japanese traditions. This weekend, we visit a temple together.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Professor Wilson says. “Emily is very lucky.”

“She’s a great student,” Yoko says. “She studies Japanese hard, and she’s also very interested in Japanese baseball. Baseball is popular in both Japan and America, so it’s a good topic for her.”

After their sports medicine class, Emily and Rina sit in the university cafeteria. There is a TV on the wall. It shows a baseball game.

“Oh, look! It’s a Dodgers game,” Emily says. Her eyes are bright with excitement. “Is Ohtani playing today?”

“I don’t know,” Rina says. “But you always know everything about baseball, Emily.”

“I love it,” Emily says. “In Los Angeles, my family watches Dodgers games every week. My dream is different from yours, but it’s also about sports.”

“What’s your dream?” Rina asks.

“I want to be a sports journalist,” Emily says. “I want to cover the Dodgers. I want to interview the players and write about their games.”

“That’s a great dream,” Rina says. “You study Japanese very hard for that dream, right?”

“Yes,” Emily says. “Many Japanese players are in MLB now, so Japanese is very useful for a sports journalist. And I also study Japanese baseball culture. It’s different from American baseball culture in some interesting ways.”

“Can you teach me some baseball words?” Rina asks. “I only know a few.”

“Sure!” Emily says happily. “A pitcher throws the ball. A batter hits the ball. And when a player hits a home run, everyone is very excited!”

“That’s fun,” Rina says. “Now, can I teach you some figure skating words?”

“Yes, please!” Emily says.

“A skater does a jump,” Rina says. “We also have a program — it’s like a short story on the ice. And a coach helps the skater practice.”

“Wow, our sports are different, but they are also similar,” Emily says. “We both need hard practice and a good team.”

“That’s true,” Rina says. “You support your dream, and I support mine. We’re both busy, but we’re also happy.”

They watch the rest of the baseball game together, and they laugh and talk about their dreams.

It is seven o’clock in the evening. The family is in the living room. Kenji is in Singapore now, so he isn’t home tonight, but he sends a video message with a joke for everyone.

“Look at this,” Mai says, and she laughs. “Dad sends a photo of Singapore food, and he says, ‘This isn’t as good as your cooking, Mom!'”

“He’s always so funny,” Yoko says, smiling. “But he’s also right — I make good miso soup.”

Rina packs her bag for the trip to Canada.

“Are you nervous, Rina?” Mai asks.

“A little,” Rina says. “But I’m ready. I have my skates, and I have your special supplements, too. Thank you, Mai.”

“You’re welcome,” Mai says. “Do your best in Canada. We’re all proud of you.”

Emily is talking with her family in Los Angeles on a video call.

“Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!” Emily says. “How are you?”

“We’re fine, Emily,” her mother says. “How is Japan?”

“It’s wonderful,” Emily says. “The Sato family is amazing. Mrs. Sato teaches me about Japanese traditions. This weekend, we visit a temple. And Rina, my friend here, is an Olympic figure skater! She has a big competition in Canada soon.”

“That’s incredible,” her father says. “Is Japanese baseball fun to watch, too?”

“Yes, it’s very exciting,” Emily says. “I want to write an article about Japanese baseball culture. It’s a good practice for my dream.”

After the call, Emily sits with Rina.

“Good luck in Canada,” Emily says. “I hope you have a wonderful competition.”

“Thank you, Emily,” Rina says. “And I hope you write a great article about baseball someday. Maybe you interview Ohtani!”

“That’s my dream,” Emily says with a big smile.

The family has dinner together. It is a busy but happy evening in the Sato house in Yokohama.

To be continued in Episode 2: Rina’s Competition in Canada…