HOME > WordMaster® > MECHANICAL PENCIL | シャープペンシル
2004.10.25
Greetings!
Among the things that define us as human beings are the tools
we create and use. From alarm clocks to zippers, from the simplicity
of a pocket mirror to the vast potential of the Internet - each
one is a wonder.
This week we're going to take a closer look at five tools commonly
used in the office. By Friday, besides knowing what they're
called in English, perhaps you'll have a keener appreciation
of the tools themselves and will begin to use each with newfound
respect!
MECHANICAL PENCIL シャープペンシル
- A mechanical
pencil is a graphite (= a form of carbon)
- not ink - writing tool that can be refilled.
Be Careful! 'Sharp pencil' (シャープペンシル) and 'sharp pen' (シャーペン) are Japanese-English and are not used in English to mean mechanical pencil. - mechanical
pencil は、芯が黒鉛(グラファイト)で作られた筆記具で、芯を取り替えることができるもの、つまり、シャープペンシルのことです。
注意:シャープペンシル(略してシャーペン)は、和製英語です。sharp pencil、または sharp pen と言っても mechanical pencil の意味にはなりません。
- My teacher said I need a mechanical pencil for school. She doesn't want students getting up during class to sharpen their pencils.
- I've run out of lead (= sticks of graphite) for my mechanical pencil.
- This fine-point mechanical pencil uses 0.5mm lead.
- Have you seen those pens that have a blue ballpoint pen, a red ballpoint pen, and a mechanical pencil all in one?
Stay sharp!