2002.09.02
Welcome back to WordMaster. As we begin the month of September, we're reminded that the world can be a dangerous place: Yesterday was the 79th year since the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923; on the 11th of this month, much of the world will be thinking about the tragedy that occurred in Manhattan a year ago; and September means the start of typhoon season in Japan, a real threat to many coastal cities.
We thought it important, therefore, to spend some time on the words and expressions we use to talk about these serious subjects.
- An accident is an unplanned and unexpected event, causing inconvenience, damage, or injury.
A disaster is an event that causes great damage, economic loss, injury, or death. - accident は、迷惑を被る、損害を被る、けがをする、など、予期せずに起こる出来事です。
disaster は、大きな被害や経済的損害を受けたり、死傷者が出たりするような出来事、つまり、災害のことです。
- a: Look what you've done! You've broken my best china plate.
b: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It was an accident . - Three people were killed in a traffic accident on Highway 92 today.
- I had an accident skiing and broke my leg.
- There's been a serious accident at school. Thirteen students were hurt when the ceiling in a classroom collapsed.
- It can sometimes takes years for a city to recover from a disaster.
- Hurricanes are common natural disasters in many parts of the world.
- Oil spills, global warming, and other environmental disasters are threatening the future of life on this planet.
We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.