実践ビジネス英語 ディクテーション (6/30,7/1)
こんにちは。NHKラジオ「実践ビジネス英語」”Talk the Talk”のディクテーションです。
Lesson 6のテーマは、‘the Office of the Future’（未来のオフィス）でした。Vignetteでは ペーパーレスオフィスやhot-desking（職場で決まった席を割り当てず、好きな場所で働くこと）などが話題になりました。hot-deskingの経験（日本で）はありますが、結局、上下関係を意識した席譲りが自然発生していました・・・。
The Office of the Future
（S: 杉田敏先生 H: Heather Howardさん）
S: Our current vignette talks about how the paperless office was predicted decades ago but never actually came to be.
Do you make a fetish of paper, Heather?
H: I guess it depends on what we’re talking about.
The more important something is, yes, the more I want a tangible manifestation of it.
For example, there’s a certain back-related declaration that I have to file with the U.S. government every year.
It’s all done online―even the “signature” on the document is done electronically, by clicking on a certain button.
I’ve done this numerous times now, and it’s always been fine.
I print out a copy to keep for my records, and I eventually get an email from the relevant U.S. agency telling me that the submission has gone through.
But somehow, because I don’t physically sign a document, and then put it in an envelope and send it to the States, I do have to reassure myself a bit each time, “This is OK, there’s never been a problem…”
But I bet younger people don’t even think that.
All right, type in all the info, click to send, OK done.
S: Do you think paper will ever disappear entirely from offices?
H: Oh, no, no. Like they say in the vignette, it’s too easy to read and access, and it’s light, it’s cheap…
We may use less, but overall, paper is here to stay.
You know. I found an interesting article about papermaking the other day.
It said the invention of printing in the 15th century lead to much higher demand for paper which is not surprising.
But the papermaking process didn’t change much up through the 18th century.
Apparently the basic raw materials came from linen and cotton rags, and paper mills suffered more and more from shortages.
They actually advertised for rags in the 18th century.
Eventually, from the 1800s to be exact, practical methods were developed for using wood pulp and other vegetable pulps.
This got the paper industry away from its reliance upon cotton and linen rags and made large-scale production possible.
But so-called rag paper is still used for things like legal documents and bank notes, where you need qualities like maximum durability and fine texture.
S: I see. The vignette also talks about the possible layout of future offices including the idea of hot-desking.
Now, would you like to work in that kind of office, Heather?
H: I have to admit, I do like the idea of my own particular space at an assigned desk.
That’s something my current office doesn’t really have, at least not in my section.
People have their preferences and tend to sit in the same place if they can, but it often depends on the order we arrive in.
In any event, I should probably avoid the big comfy chair or couch.
I definitely fall prey to the afternoon slump―around three p.m. or so I often feel overwhelmingly sleepy.
I try to walk around a bit at that time, go to the convenient store for soda or something.
But if I had a big comfy chair to sit in, the whole office would probably resound with my snores.
Seriously my snoring can be heard from miles.
So, no comfy chair and definitely no reclining chair.
S: What about wearable devices?
H: Hmm…. That sounds to me like a potentially problematic idea.
Keeping an eye on productivity is all well and good, but couldn’t those devices allow employers to monitor their staff to an excessive degree?
It might feel like we had a camera trained on us at all times, daring us to put even one toe out of line.
お読みくださり、ありがとうございました♪
