実践ビジネス英語ディクテーション (7/29,30)

こんにちは。実践ビジネス英語Talk the Talkコーナーのディクテーションです。
7月後半のテーマは、"Buy Experiences, Not Things"（モノではなく経験を買う）でした。大不況後、アメリカ人はいつまでも残るものにお金を使う傾向にあるそうです。最も大きな幸福感を人に与えるのは、モノではなく経験という研究結果も話題になりました。また、athleisureと呼ばれる服装（スポーツクラブで着るウェアのイメージです）で出勤する人が増えているそうですが、日本でもそんな日が来るでしょうか・・・。

Buy Experiences, Not Things （S: 杉田敏先生　H: Heather Howardさん）

S: One of the topics mentioned in our current vignette is so-called “athleisure” clothing; that is workout clothing worn outside the gym.
Grace says athleisure outfits are even being worn to work these days.
Do you ever wear clothes like that, Heather?

H: No. My work situation lets me be a fairly casual dresser, which I appreciate money-wise.
I tend to wear jeans and turtle neck or jeans and linen shirts depending on the season.
But I’d be reluctant to show up in athletic wear however nicely designed.
I have to agree with Ueda; I don’t think that would go over well in a lot of workplaces in Japan, not just yet.
But it really is an enormous trend in the United States. Just the other day, I found an article that said athleisure was a 97-billion-dollar market including clothing, footwear and accessories.
You know, reading the same article, it seemed like athleisure was part of the “Buy Experiences, Not Things” trend that the vignette discusses.
It said younger buyers increasingly want a “hip, healthful lifestyle” as the article put it, one that involves thing like posting images online of their yoga class instead buying designer handbags and dresses.

S: Healthful is always good. As you say, the vignette talks about spending money on experiences as opposed to material possessions.
Any thoughts on that subject?

H: Actually, here, too, I just read a great article that I wanted to share. I’ve re-read it a number of times it made a real impression on me.
It described a study conducted at my own alma mater, by the way, that found we get used to new possessions quickly.
You know, they’re exciting and fresh at first, but then, they’re just part of everyday life. So the thrill fades away.
Plus, buying new things raises our expectations. We get used to the thing and start looking for something better.
And they can foster jealousy when someone else has something nicer.
The same study found that experiences make us happy for longer partly because they contribute who we are as person.
Also, and this really struck me as true, apparently people don’t compare experiences the same way they do things.
That made me think of the day I visited an aquarium with my daughter.
It wasn’t a fancy, expensive outing, but we had so much fun looking at the marine life and eating French fries together in the cafe.
We got just as much joy out of being there together as we could have on any fancy vacation.
And I wasn’t left with any worries about spending too much money.

S: That’s great. We’ve talked before about experiences over possessions and discussed how buying material goods isn’t always a waste.

H: Right. We talked about buying material goods that bring us more than their basic functions.
The other day, I bought a glass pen at an import stationery shop near my office, for example.
My schedule was pretty hectic at that time, and I felt really frazzled.
So, it wasn’t so much a writing implement I wanted as something that would help me slow down and take a little time to regroup.
I got a bottle of ink, too, and wrote several letters to family and friends.
I couldn’t erase anything, so I had to think about what I’d say beforehand and write carefully so I wouldn’t misspell words.
Having to focus my mind on that task really helped relax me.

最後までお読みくださり、ありがとうございました。