Super Tuesday

Matsu: Ah, welcome back. I believe the memory modules you were asking about came in last week.

Hal: Thanks. Any word on the bare-metal ARM CPUs?

Matsu: I've been asking around, and it really doesn't look like anyone is doing that. Let me go check on the memory modules.

Non-chan: Worried about the election?

Hal: Heh. Nah, not really. Well, maybe.

Kay: I'm worried, and I'm not even an American. If that clown Cornet gets re-elected, this world is done for.

Bee: I'm far more worried about what would happen if the former vice-president Call were chosen.

Non-chan: There really don't seem to be any decent candidates.

Hal: That's what has me worried. It's like all the good people in the US have just given up and stood down. Like none of them is willing to make the sacrifice.

Non-chan: Well, trying to be an un-bought president in the US these days means setting yourself up for all sorts of attacks.

Hal: Taking a bullet could be too literal a metaphor these days.

Kay: Well, some incumbents could make themselves less of a target.  I don't think Cornet can do anything that's not stupid.

Bee: Call is any better? Half senile. If he weren't propped up by the party, he'd fall over. And that's another worry, if he dies. His running mate might as well be a communist.

Kay: There's nothing wrong with a little socialism.

Bee: There's nothing wrong with being sociable. Socialism is putting society at too high a priority.

Non-chan: Calm down, you two. We're here to look at memory modules.

Matsu: Ah, here's the memory module you were asking about. Just got it in today.

Kay: Eight megabytes. Wow. Lots of RAM.

Hal: Heh. Yeah. Neo-retro computing has a different set of parameters. Eight Megabytes is plenty for a 24-bit address 3801.

Kay: Do you have any 16 gigabyte modules that work in ordinary AMD-based notebook PCs?

Matsu: You mean like these?

Kay: Yeah. Like those.

Bee: Would they work in the ARM-based computer I bought here last month?

Matsu: Let me see. You bought the Guava Epsilon version seven-point-three, right?

Bee: That's it.

Matsu: Should work. Do you want a couple?

Bee: Yeah.

Kay: I'll take a pair, too.

Non-chan: Do you need RAM for yours, Hal?

Hal: Not today. How about you?

Non-chan: I think 64 gig is enough for now.

Matsu: Did you vote?

Hal: Yeah. I'm not sure it was meaningful for anybody but me, but I sent in my vote for the only candidate I felt I could even half-way support.

Matsu: One of the third party candidates?

Hal: Yep. One more tiny voice to ask both major parties to back off. I wish we had a none-of-the-above, do-it-over choice.

Matsu: That wouldn't support the power structures, though, would it.

Hal: Precisely.

Matsu: Agreed.

Kay: More conspiracy theory?

Non-chan: Guys, even the people who think they are at the tops of the social hierarchies need to be allowed to make their mistakes.

Matsu: Sometimes I wonder.

Hal: Sometimes it's hard not to wish they'd quit, though.

Bee: Conspiracies do exist, Kay, even if the source of the conspiracy never can keep his stories straight.

Kay: Yeah. True. I'm convinced the devil is a woman.

Bee: And just what is that supposed to mean?

Non-chan, Hal, and Matsu: Guys, ...

Overdrawn in the Check-out Line

Non-chan: What's wrong, Hal?.

Hal (shakes his head): Nothing.

Non-chan: You're a little quiet.

Kay: He's always quiet.

Bee: Maybe a little quieter than usual, though.

Non-chan: So, what's on your mind?

Hal: Well, I'm thinking about something that happened at the sūpā today.

Bee: What happened?

Hal: The guy in front of me in the check-out line was apparently overdrawn on his credit card.

Kay: So you had to wait while he argued about it?

Hal: He didn't really argue, but I guess he asked to have a manager check.

Kay: I'll bet he was buying a case of beer and a big pack of steaks.

Hal: No. Just bean sprouts, coffee, and orange drink.

Non-chan: That's what? 400 yen? And his card couldn't cover that?

Hal: Apparently not.

Non-chan: Poor guy.

Kay: Well, he shouldn't let his card get overdrawn. Very inconsiderate of him.

Bee: What'd he do?

Hal: He had enough pocket change to pay for the bean sprouts and the coffee, apparently.

Kay: Che. Bean sprouts!

Non-chan: Poor-man's vegetables.

Kay: Huh? Bean sprouts've got nothing in 'em.

Bee: Amino acids for a little protein, a little of the proto-B vitamins. 

Non-chan: Not much, but better than plain rice.

Hal: Four bags, so I'm guessing it was for his family's dinner.

Kay: How much of your time did he waste?

Hal: Not that much, really. I admit I was a little impatient at first.

Kay: I'd've been a lot impatient.

Non-chan: It's still two weeks to payday.

Hal: Exactly. Overdrawn this early in the month.

Bee: With the virus lockdown --

Kay: It's not lockdown.

Non-chan: For a lot of people, it might as well be.

Bee: He might not be getting a paycheck at all.

Kay: But he shouldn't be wasting other people's time in line.

Hal: I thought about offering to pay for the orange drink, but I wasn't quick enough.

Bee: Hard to figure out what's going on in time.

Hal: Yeah.

Non-chan: I think he probably needed other things more than the orange drink.

Hal: I wanted to buy him tofu, cabbage, carrots, and an onion, at least. But I only had enough money for the bag of rolled oats I was buying.

Kay: You bleeding heart.

Non-chan: I think the world needs more bleeding hearts.

Bee: More billionaire CEOs and members of the board who'll let their books bleed a little, if you ask me.

Don't You See? 見えないのですか？(base 12 -- １２進法)

Kay: I gotta tell you about my apartments.
[gotta 〇〇 => have got to 〇〇
tell => 言う、教える
（但し、 "gotta tell you" は「聞いて、聞いて、言うよ！」のような言い方です。）
about 〇〇 => 〇〇 について
tell you about 〇〇 => アナタに〇〇のことを教える
]

Hal: You're always telling us stuff.
[always => いつも
tell us => 我々に言う・教える
stuff => 物、雑件
（何でも言うやな、キミ。）
]

Kay: No, this is really interesting.
[really => ホンマに
interesting => 面白い、不思議
]

Bee: That's what you said last time.
[last time => 先程
（先程もそ言っている）
]

Non-chan: I'm still trying to figure out what was so interesting about that one.
[figure  => 型 => 数字 => 計算する
figure out => 計算して納得する
one => ものの代名詞
that one => そのもの、それ
]

Kay: I've got pictures.
[ have got 〇〇 => 〇〇を待っている
]

Non-chan: Huh?
[ Huh? => は？えっ？
]

Hal: What's that?
[（何だこれ？）
]

Bee: It's a mailbox, right?
 [mailbox => ポストボックス
]

Hal: Wait, you don't live on the eleventh floor.
[Wait. => 待て！・ちょっと待った。
you don't 〇〇 => キミは〇〇なんかしていないな
live => 住む、居住する
eleventh floor => 11階
]

Kay: That's not what I'm talking about. Look at the dial.
[That's not 〇〇 => （それは）〇〇じゃない
what I'm talking about => 俺が話している事
=>（そんな話じゃない。）
Look at 〇〇。 => 〇〇を見てよ。
dial => ダイアル
]

Non-chan: It's a combination lock. So, what?
[combination lock => ダイアル錠
So what? されじゃ（どうした？）
]

Kay: Look closely at the dial.
[closely => 近くに、気を貼って
look closely at 〇〇 => 〇〇をよく見てね
]

Bee: Yeah? I'm looking. What am I supposed to be seeing?
[Yeah? => ハイハイ
supposed to be 〇〇 => 〇〇なはず
see => 目にする、目にして理解する
=> 何を見ているはずですか？
]

Kay: Don't you see?
[（見えないのですか？見えへんの？）
]

Non-chan: 'Fraid not. What are you on about?
[afraid 〇〇 => 恐らく〇〇
Afraid not. => 残念ながら、違う。
on about 〇〇 => 〇〇に気が掛かる
=> イヤ、なんや？なんだ？
]

Kay: It's in numeric base 12! A duodecimal combination lock.
[numeric base 〇〇 => （数字の）〇〇進法
duodecimal => １２進法
]

Hal: No kidding. Okay, I'll grant you that one. That is a little unusual.
[kid => 冗談を言う、ふざける
（冗談じゃない。）
grant => 譲る、認める
a little 〇〇 => ちょっと〇〇
unusual => 普通じゃない
]

Protected?

(This draws from an actual experience at the named interchange.)

Kay: What's wrong, Hal?

Hal: Nothing.

Bee: You don't look like nothing.

Non-chan: Traffic today?

Bee: The radio hasn't mentioned any traffic jams.

Hal: No jams. And no accidents -- by sheer luck.

Bee: Ah, so something happened.

Non-chan: Or almost happened?

Hal: I don't understand what the guy was thinking.

Kay: So, what happened?

Hal: You know the interchange at I-15 and I-80?

Non-chan: Interstate highways?

Bee: Yep. That's a nasty intersection. Not even close to a cloverleaf.

Hal: Yeah. I was on I-15, coming from the south. Not rush hour yet, not a lot of traffic. And there was a gap in the cars coming in from the east.

Kay: I hate that intersection. Always too many cars.

Hal: It shouldn't've been too bad today. In fact, it looked like there was going to be no merging traffic at all when I went through it.

Non-chan: 'Looked like'?

Hal: There was just one BMW entering the ramp from I-80 as I went over I-80.

Kay: So, then you saw it later in your rear-view mirror, tailgating, I suppose.

Hal: Never saw it in my rear-view mirror.

Non-chan: Ghost car?

Hal: Almost.

Bee: So what happened to it?

Hal: Next I saw it, it was riding my shoulder at the end of the on-ramp, just entering my side mirror's blind spot.

Kay: Whoa. That's hard acceleration.

Bee: Good thing you were in the middle lane, huh?

Hal: I wasn't in the middle lane.

Non-chan: You were in the cruising lane?

Hal: I was in the right lane, with traffic on my left.

Kay: No place to swerve?

Hal: No time to, either, even if there had been a place.

Bee: There's no shoulder there.

Hal: Not much. I was lifting my foot from the accelerator when the guy drew even with me, and I was able to slow down enough to let him in before the shoulder ended.

Non-chan: You've got good reaction time!

Hal: If I hadn't been looking for him, they'd be using the jaws of life right now to extract his body from the tangled mess of his ex-nice BMX and my old pick-up truck.

Bee: And you, too, probably.

Hal: I think I would have had a better chance to survive, because I had all of my truck between his car and mine.

Bee: Whisperings of the Spirit?

Hal: Yeah. Although I may have offended the Spirit with my thoughts afterwards.

Non-chan: Just your thoughts?

Hal: Heh. Words failed me.

Kay: I guess he wasn't wearing his seat-belt, either, huh?

Hal: Oh, he was wearing his seat belt, all right.

Non-chan: How do you know?

Hal: I saw that clearly through the window. Sunglasses, seatbelt, one-hand on the wheel, casually looking straight ahead, looking bored, as if he thought he was taking a Sunday drive in his neighborhood instead of breaking traffic laws and trying to break the laws of physics on the freeway.

オーバーシュート (Ōbāshūto) and COVID-19 (annotated -- 注釈付き)

(This was inspired by talk on the radio talk shows my wife listens to on ABC (AM 1008 KHz) and MBS (AM 1179 KHz) about COVID-19「オーバーシュート」(ōbāshūto), and by a meh blogpost on it in my main blog.
[inspire => 鼓舞する、霊感与える
talk (chatter) => おしゃべり
talk show => トークショー
listen to => 聞く、耳を傾ける
ABC == Asahi (Radio) Broadcasting Corporation
MBS == Mainichi Broadcasting System
meh =>  （大したことのないときの発言）
blogpost => ブログ投稿]

Given the context, this conversation must take place via some video-chat or chat service, like Line, Discord, Zoom, etc.
[given 〇〇 => 〇〇を前提に（所与のものとすれば）
context => 文脈、文の周りの内容
conversation => 会話
take place => 起こる、生じる、行われる、開催される
via 〇〇 => 〇〇経由] 
chat => (chatter) お喋り（会話）、 チャットvideo chat => 映像付きチャット 
service => （提供、もてなし、奉仕、奉公）⇒ 提供社・事業社

Same conversation, without annotations, here. 
同じ会話例の注釈無しはこちらです。)

---

Matsu: Were you listening to the radio this morning?
[this morning => 今朝]

Kay: All that talk about COVID-19 pandemic overshoot? Terrible. Horrible!
[all that =>その全部
about 〇〇 => 〇〇について（の）
pandemic => 大規模の疫病、広範囲の流行病
COVID-19 =>  新型コロナウイルス感染症
overshoot => （度を越した）射外れ
terrible => 怖い、恐ろしい
horrible => ひどくぞっとするほど恐ろしい
]

Bee: Yeah. Scary. Things could go out of control and the contagion could overshoot our society's ability to control it!
[scary => 恐ろしい、おっかない
things => 物事、状況
could => （可能性を言う助動詞）
go 〇〇 => 状態、状況などが〇〇のようになりゆく
out of control => 収まらない状態
（コンマが無いことに注意！普通は "... out of control, and ...." となって、文が "and" の位置で二つに別けられる。）
contagion => 接触伝染、感染
overshoot => 単純に「度を越す」意味のつもり（"exceed" の置き換えと考えれば良い。）
society => 社会
ability => 能力
control => 抑える
]

Hal: Ahem.
[ahem => （咳払いの音）]

Bee: What?

Kay: Are you going to complain about semantics again?
[going to 〇〇 => 〇〇するつもり
complain => 文句を言う、ブツブツ言う
semantics => （意味操作）意味論
again => また（英語は後置きに注意）
]

Bee: Yeah. You're always complaining about what people say. Well, how about you just try to understand what they mean?
[always => いつも
what 〇〇 => 〇〇（の）なになに
people => 人の複数、人々
say => 言う、発言する
what people say => （ここでは、三語の塊として）人が言うこと
well => さあ、あのね
how about 〇〇 => 〇〇はどうですか？
（このあとの文は基準文法ではないことに注意）
just 〇〇 => （〇〇だけに）
try to 〇〇 => 〇〇をやってみる
understand => 理解する
try to understand => 理解しようとする（ここでは、「理解してくれ」のような感じ）
they => 「彼ら」（ここでは「私ら」の置き換えかもわからない）
mean => 意味する
what they mean => 何を言おうとしているか
（通常文法は "How about trying to understand?" もしくは "How about if you just tried to understand?" などです。 "How about you just try to understand?" は命令文を取り入れた、強振った言い方です。）
]

Hal: I'm all for people trying to understand each other, but sometimes the words you choose to use don't help those who are trying to understand.
[for 〇〇 => 〇〇を目的にして、（ここでは、 "against" の反対姿勢に対して）〇〇主義
all for 〇〇 => 完全に〇〇主義
each => 各、各々
other => 他
each other => お互い（に）
sometimes => 時々、偶々、偶には、
choose => 選ぶ
the words (that) you choose => 選んだ言葉、使っている言葉（the words that you use）
（"the words you choose to use" にすると「言葉の選び」に注目した言い方です。） 
don't help => 助けにならない、邪魔になる
those => （「あそこら」よりも、「他の人」、つまり、「人」を一般化にしている）
who => 人が主語の場合の接続代名詞 
those who are trying to understand => 理解しようとする人
]

Kay: So the virus overshoots our ability to control it. How can you misunderstand that?
[so 〇〇 => 〇〇を想定しろ。
How can you 〇〇？ => 〇〇は（どうやって）できる？
misunderstand 〇〇 => 〇〇を勘違いする
How can you misunderstand? => どうして（なんで）勘違いするんだろう？
]

Hal: What does the word shoot mean?
[What does 〇〇 mean? => 〇〇はどういう意味ですか？
shoot => （何かを向かって）射る
]

Matsu: Like when you shoot an arrow or a gun?
[like 〇〇 => 〇〇のような
like when => たとえば
shoot an arrow => （何かを向かって）矢を射る
or =>もしくは、あるいは
shoot a gun =>  （何かを向かって）銃を撃つ
]

Hal: Right. Shoot implies a shooter. Who is shooting the virus at us?
[〇〇 implies △△。=> 〇〇は△△（の存在）を意味する、〇〇は△△を伴う
shooter => 射る人、撃つ人、打撃手
who => 誰
shoot 〇〇 at △△ => △△を目掛けて〇〇を撃つ（射る）
]

Bee: Now you're talking conspiracy theories again.
[talk 〇〇 => (talk about 〇〇) 〇〇のことを言い上げる
conspiracy => 共謀、陰謀、防蟻、企み
theory => 理論、論
]

Hal: Actually, I was talking about anthropomorphizing the virus.
[actually => 実は
anthropomorphize => 擬人化する、人格化する
]

Kay: Anthrotransmogrifying?
[anthro- => 人間（の性質を言い上げる接頭辞）
transmogrify => （魔法的に）姿を一変させる
]

Hal: Heh. Good one.
[good one => （「いいかも」の気持ちで「やられた」ことを認める）]

Bee: Don't you mean personification?
[Don't you mean 〇〇? => 〇〇のつもりではない？
personification => （具体的に）人格化、擬人化
]

Hal: Did somebody draw pictures of the virus as a person?
[pictures of 〇〇 as △△ => 〇〇を△△として描写する絵
]

Matsu: I think I saw that on the Internet yesterday somewhere.
[saw => see の過去形⇒見た
see 〇〇 on the Internet =>インターネットで〇〇を見る
yesterday => 昨日
somewhere => どこか
]

Hal: I wouldn't be surprised.
[I wouldn't be 〇〇 => 〇〇の気分にもならないでしょう。
surprise => びっくりさせる
be surprised => びっくりする
I wouldn't be surprised. => びっくりもしない。
]

Kay: But what you mean is prosopopoeia.
[what you mean => 言おうとするの（は）
prosopopoeia => 演奏上の擬人化
]

Hal: Only if someone is trying to speak for the virus.
[only if 〇〇 => 〇〇の場合のみ
someone => ある人、だれか
speak => 語る
speak for 〇〇 => 〇〇の代わりに語る、〇〇のために語る
]

Kay: Do viruses have rights?
[rights => 公民権、人権など
]

Hal: Arrggghh!
[arrggghh （"argh" など）=>（困ったときの発言）
]

Kay: I think it's a legitimate question.
[legitimate => （合法の⇒） 正当な、合理的な、妥当な
question => 課題
]

Hal: Overshoot. I am talking about overshoot, and I'm not going to let you guys derail me.
[be not going to 〇〇 => 〇〇に向きを変えるつもりはない
let 〇〇 △△ => 〇〇に△△することを許す
derail 〇〇 => 〇〇を線路から外させる、脱線させる
]

Bee: So the virus shoots over our protective walls.
[shoot over 〇〇 => 〇〇を越えて射る、または飛び出る
protective => 防御の
protective wall => 防壁
]

Hal: No. That's shooting over. Or even overshooting, gerund form of the verb. Overshoot as a noun does not mean over walls. I am talking about the noun, "overshoot". Overshoot as a noun means a shot that goes over the target, missing it, like in archery.
[even 〇〇 => 〇〇でも
gerund => 動名詞
form => 形
as 〇〇 => 〇〇として
noun => 名詞
over => 越えた位置を記す前置詞
（"overshoot" は動詞の場合と名詞の場合は使い方が違うことを訴えている表現です。）
shot => 発泡、発射
go over => 越える、超える
target => 的、目的など
miss => （的を）外れる
like in 〇〇 => 〇〇（の場合）のように
archery => 弓術
]

Hal: And its opposite is undershoot, where the arrow doesn't even make it to the target.
[opposite => 反対（のもの）
undershoot => （下方を撃って）的を達しない
〇〇, where △△ => （△△を取り上げて〇〇を説明する表現）
make it to 〇〇 => 〇〇までに間に合う、または達する
]

Matsu: What about overshoot in engineering?
[what about 〇〇 => 〇〇はどうしますか、またはどうですか
〇〇 in △△ => 〇〇 as in △△
engineering => 工学
]

Graphic by Joel Rees and Wikimedia Commons user Krishnavedala.

Sine Integral function definition courtesy of Krishnavedala.

Reuse permitted under Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike 3.0 license.

See https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sine_integral.svg.

Hal: Excellent. Thank you! You pump sudden energy into the circuit, and the potential rises beyond the target, then you stop pumping the energy in and it undershoots, and then it rings like a bell.
[excellent => 素晴らしい、優秀な
pump 〇〇 into △△ => △△を〇〇に押し込む
sudden => 急な、突然な
energy => エネルギー、気力など
circuit => 回路
potential => 位置エネルギー（電圧差）
beyond => （過ぎた位置の前置詞）
ring => 響く
]

Bee: Rings?

Matsu: Oscillates. Goes back and forth.
[oscillate => 振動する、揺れ動く
back => 後方へ
forth => 前方へ
]

Kay: Is that an appropriate simile?
[appropriate => 適した、適切な
simile => 直喩表現
]

Hal: Actually, yeah.

Kay: So what are you trying to say?

Hal: Overshoot and undershoot are about our response.
[response => 応答、返答、反応、対応]

Bee: If the government doesn't send enough medicine, that's undershoot, right?
[government => 政府
send => 送る
enough => 十分な
medicine => 薬、遅漏のための応援物質
]

Hal: Very good. Undershoot is the people dying from the under-responsive government's lack of action.
[dying => die（死ぬ）の進行形
under-responsive => 反応が遅い、対応が不十分な
lack => 不足、欠乏、欠如
action => 活動、行動
]

Bee: So what is overshoot? The bigger response, the better, right?
[the bigger 〇〇 the better => 〇〇が大きいほど良い
]

Matsu: Well, if the government tells everyone, even those providing essential services, to stay home, that would be overshoot, especially if you could be shot and killed without question for being outside your house.
[if 〇〇 => もし〇〇、たとえ〇〇
tell everyone => 皆に知らせる、皆に指示する
even 〇〇 => 〇〇でさえ
provide => 提供する
essential => 欠くことのできない、必須、極めて重要な
services => 供給、応用事業
〇〇, △△, □□ => （△△が□□に照らして〇〇を説明する役です。括弧のような文です。）
stay home => 家に居残る
especially if 〇〇 => 〇〇の場合は特に
could be shot and killed => 銃で打たれ殺戮されるのが可能
without question => 何も問われない内に、文句を言わさざる
for being outside => 外出中のため

]

Kay: I'd call that overkill.
[I'd => I would
call 〇〇 △△ => 〇〇を△△という
overkill => 過剰殺戮（力）、引き締めすぎ、過剰な対応
]

Hal: That kind of response is overkill. The result of people dying from other causes because there's no hospitals to go to would be overshoot.
[result => 結果
other causes => 他の要因
〇〇 because △△ => △△のために〇〇
hospital to go to => 診察・入院できる病院
would be 〇〇 => 〇〇になるでしょう
解釈：見てもらえる病院がなくて、人が死ぬ結果が「オーバーシュート」というものになる。
]

Bee: But it doesn't happen. No government is going to do that.
[happen => 起こる、生じる
doesn't happen => あり得ない
no 〇〇 => 〇〇が無いこと
no 〇〇 is going to △△ => △△する〇〇は無いでしょう
]

Matsu: I understand that, in Europe, things are almost that bad. I heard that police shot someone for being outside his house the other day.
[I understand that 〇〇 => 〇〇だと言う風に理解している。
　　〇〇になっているようです。（〇〇になっているそうです。）
almost 〇〇 => ほぼ〇〇
that bad => それほど悪い、それほどまずい
I heard that 〇〇 => 〇〇があったように聞いている
the other day => 先日
]

Hal: And what happens is like, in Italy, people can't figure out what to do to stay alive. So they rationalize a way around the orders and go visit relatives.
[what happens is like 〇〇 =>できてしまう事情は〇〇のようなのです。
in Italy => イタリアでは
figure out => （算出する）考え出す 
can't figure out 〇〇 => 〇〇が考えても理解できない
what to do to 〇〇 => 〇〇のためにやること
stay alive => 命を守る
so => したげって
rationalize 〇〇 => 〇〇に理由をつける、正当化する、合理化する
way around ○○ => 〇〇の回り道、回避
orders => 指示、命令
visit => 訪れる
relatives => 親戚
]

Kay: Relatives? Why relatives?

Bee: Relatives are like family, so it's like staying home, isn't it?
[relatives are like family => 親戚は家族のようなものです。
]

Matsu: What the radio said is that people don't have to leave home to visit cousins in Italy.
[what 〇〇 said is △△ => 〇〇で聞いているのは△△
leave => 去る
don't have to leave home to 〇〇 => 〇〇には家を出ずに済む
cousin => 従兄弟
]

Bee: How?
[how => やり方
How? => どうやって？
]

Matsu: Lots of homes connected to each other through the garden in the back courtyard or something.
[lot => 大きい塊
lots => 仰山、沢山
(There are) lots of 〇〇 => 〇〇は沢山ある
connect => つながる、接続する
connected （形容詞役） => 繋がっている
through 〇〇 => 〇〇を通して
garden => 庭
courtyard => 中庭
back courtyard => 裏庭
〇〇 or something => 〇〇など
]

Hal: So they run out of sugar or flour and go across the back way to their cousin's, stay for news and gossip and a drink or two, and maybe somebody puts on music, and then all the cousins come out and dance because everyone is under stress.
[run out of 〇〇 => （〇〇を流し用で尽くす）〇〇がなくなる
sugar => 砂糖
flour => 粉⇒小麦粉
go across 〇〇 => 〇〇を渡る、〇〇を渡って行く
back way => 裏道
cousin's (house) => 従兄弟の家
stay for 〇〇 => 〇〇のために居残る
news and gossip => 情報や噂話
drink => 飲み物⇒飲食（お茶でも、酒でも）
maybe 〇〇 => もしかして〇〇も（ある・する）
put on => かける、つける
music => 音楽
put on music => 音楽をかける
all the 〇〇 => まるまるの皆
come out and 〇〇 => 出て来て〇〇（する）
dance => 踊る
because => だって
under stress => ストレスにかかっている
]

Bee: Sounds fun. ... Wait. That's a lot of exposure.
[sounds fun => 楽しそう、良さそう
Wait. => 待て。
exposure => （身を）さらすこと、露出
]

Hal: Exactly. Overshoot.
[exact => 正確な
exactly => 正に、ちょうど（そのとおり）
]

Kay: Well, so it rings, right?
[so => それでは
ring => （響く、振動する）結果が大きくなったり小さくなったりする
〇〇, right? => 〇〇、ね？
]


Hal: Ringing requires some active counter-response to push the return to undershoot. No counter-response and the system goes into runaway overshoot, which is hard to recover from.
[ringing => 振動
require 〇〇 => 〇〇を必要とする
active => 動的な、意図した
counter-response => 反対に働く反応、応答、対処
push => 押す
the 〇〇 =>その〇〇（〇〇が名詞になる）
the return => その（跡の）戻る方向に進む傾向
no 〇〇 and △△ => 〇〇がなければ△△
system => 体型、システム、機関、社会（の体型）
runaway => 止めどもなく進む、戻ることのない、暴走した
〇〇 which is △△ => △△である〇〇
hard to 〇〇 => 〇〇が難しい
recover => 回復する、取り戻す
recover from 〇〇 => 〇〇から立ち直る
]

Hal: And, remember, undershoot also results in deaths, just like under-response.
[remember => 覚えておき
result in 〇〇 => 〇〇の結果を生み出す
death => 死、死去
deaths => 死者（の数）
just like 〇〇 => ちょうど〇〇と同じ
]

Kay: No government is going to be that crazy, though, right?
[crazy => 狂った
be crazy => 狂う
〇〇, though => だけど〇〇でしょう。
]

Matsu: Japan has been that crazy before. So has Germany.
[before => 以前に（ここは副詞位置です。）
so has 〇〇 => 〇〇も同様
]

Hal: Most governments get a little out of control at times. The question is how soon enough people recover their senses quick enough, and whether enough can recover their senses at the same time.
[most => 殆どの
get 〇〇 => （〇〇の状態を得る）〇〇の状態になる
at times => 時々、偶には
the question is 〇〇 => その疑問すべきことは〇〇です。
how soon => どれほど早く、どれほど速やかに
recover （人の） senses => 意識を戻す、われに帰る、正常な考え方に戻る
quick enough => 十分に早い、間に合うほど早い
whether 〇〇 => 〇〇か（どうか）
at the same time => 同時に
]

Bee: So, what you're saying is that over-responsiveness produces overshoot, and under-responsiveness produces undershoot, and both can produce pandemic overshoot.
[what （○人） is/are saying is △△ => ○人が言おうとしているのが△△です
over-responsiveness => 過剰な対応・応答
produce => 生む、生み出す
under-responsiveness => 不十分な応答・対応
both => 双方
]

Hal: I'd call it runaway pandemic, not pandemic overshoot, but, yeah.

Bee: You could have said so ten minutes ago, and we could have been talking about something more interesting by now.
[you could have 〇〇 => 〇〇しても良かった（のに）
say so => そう言う
you could have said so => そう言えばよかった（じゃない？）
〇〇 minutes ago => 〇〇分（今から）前に
we could have been 〇〇 => 〇〇になったかも
by now => もう（今になっては）
]

Matsu: So let's talk about something more interesting.
[let's (let us) 〇〇 => ○○しよう]

Kay: I've been working on a version of Conway's Game of Life that includes social distancing rules.
[work on 〇〇 => 〇〇に手を付ける
version => （バージョン）⇒（改定）版、（翻訳）版などの「版」や「型」
Conway => John Horton Conway 1937~2020, mathematician
　　数学者
Game of Life => computer simulation that mimics simple living organism
　　簡単な模擬生物のコンピュータシミュレーション
include 〇〇 => 〇〇を含める
social distancing => 社交上の距離を保つ行動
rules => ルール、決まり
]

Hal: Okay, what specific rules are different from the usual rules?
[specific =>特定の
different => 異なった、違う
be different from => 〇〇から異なる
usual => 通常の
]

Bee: We're still talking about the pandemic!
[still 〇〇 => まだ〇〇]

Matsu: Okay, Kay, tell me more about that old novel you've been reading. What was it?
[tell me => 教えてください
more => もっと
novel => 小説
○○ (that) △人 have/has been □□ing => △人が（最近）□□やっている〇〇
What was it? => 何でしたか。
]

Kay: Which one?
[Which one (is it)? => どちら？ （説明がほしい意味）]

Matsu: The one about a virus-like micro-organism that eats plastic.
[virus-like => ウイルスのような
micro-organism => 微生物
〇〇 that eats plastic => ビニールやポリエチレン製のものを食いつぶす〇〇
]

Kay: Oh. The Andromeda Strain.
[アンドロメダ病原体]

Bee: I've read that. Hey. Talk about overshoot ...
[Talk about 〇〇 => 〇〇と言えば]

オーバーシュート (Ōbāshūto) and COVID-19

(This was inspired by talk on the radio talk shows my wife listens to on ABC (AM 1008 KHz) and MBS (AM 1179 KHz) about COVID-19「オーバーシュート」(ōbāshūto), and by a meh blogpost on it in my main blog.

Given the context, this conversation must take place via some video-chat or chat service, like Line, Discord, Zoom, etc.

With Japanese annotation here.)

---

Matsu: Were you listening to the radio this morning?

Kay: All that talk about COVID-19 pandemic overshoot? Terrible. Horrible!

Bee: Yeah. Scary. Things could go out of control and the contagion could overshoot our society's ability to control it!

Hal: Ahem.

Bee: What?

Kay: Are you going to complain about semantics again?

Bee: Yeah. You're always complaining about what people say. Well, how about you just try to understand what they mean?

Hal: I'm all for people trying to understand each other, but sometimes the words you choose to use don't help those who are trying to understand.

Kay: So the virus overshoots our ability to control it. How can you misunderstand that?

Hal: What does the word shoot mean?

Matsu: Like when you shoot an arrow or a gun?

Hal: Right. Shoot implies a shooter. Who is shooting the virus at us?

Bee: Now you're talking conspiracy theories again.

Hal: Actually, I was talking about anthropomorphizing the virus.

Kay: Anthrotransmogrifying?

Hal: Heh. Good one.

Bee: Don't you mean personification?

Hal: Did somebody draw pictures of the virus as a person?

Matsu: I think I saw that on the Internet yesterday somewhere.

Hal: I wouldn't be surprised.

Kay: But what you mean is prosopopoeia.

Hal: Only if someone is trying to speak for the virus.

Kay: Do viruses have rights?

Hal: Arrggghh!

Kay: I think it's a legitimate question.

Hal: Overshoot. I am talking about overshoot, and I'm not going to let you guys derail me.

Bee: So the virus shoots over our protective walls.

Hal: No. That's shooting over. Or even overshooting, gerund form of the verb. Overshoot as a noun does not mean over walls. I am talking about the noun, "overshoot". Overshoot as a noun means a shot that goes over the target, missing it, like in archery.

Hal: And its opposite is undershoot, where the arrow doesn't even make it to the target.

Matsu: What about overshoot in engineering?

Graphic by Joel Rees and Wikimedia Commons user Krishnavedala.

Sine Integral function definition courtesy of Krishnavedala.

Reuse permitted under Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike 3.0 license.

See https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sine_integral.svg.

Hal: Excellent. Thank you! You pump sudden energy into the circuit, and the potential rises beyond the target, then you stop pumping the energy in and it undershoots, and then it rings like a bell.

Bee: Rings?

Matsu: Oscillates. Goes back and forth.

Kay: Is that an appropriate simile?

Hal: Actually, yeah.

Kay: So what are you trying to say?

Hal: Overshoot and undershoot are about our response.

Bee: If the government doesn't send enough medicine, that's undershoot, right?

Hal: Very good. Undershoot is the people dying from the under-responsive government's lack of action.

Bee: So what is overshoot? The bigger response, the better, right?

Matsu: Well, if the government tells everyone, even those providing essential services, to stay home, that would be overshoot, especially if you could be shot and killed without question for being outside your house.

Kay: I'd call that overkill.

Hal: That kind of response is overkill. The result of people dying from other causes because there's no hospitals to go to would be overshoot.

Bee: But it doesn't happen. No government is going to do that.

Matsu: I understand that, in Europe, things are almost that bad. I heard that police shot someone for being outside his house the other day.

Hal: And what happens is like, in Italy, people can't figure out what to do to stay alive. So they rationalize a way around the orders and go visit relatives.

Kay: Relatives? Why relatives?

Bee: Relatives are like family, so it's like staying home, isn't it?

Matsu: What the radio said is that people don't have to leave home to visit cousins in Italy.

Bee: How?

Matsu: Lots of homes connected to each other through the garden in the back courtyard or something.

Hal: So they run out of sugar or flour and go across the back way to their cousin's, stay for news and gossip and a drink or two, and maybe somebody puts on music, and then all the cousins come out and dance because everyone is under stress.

Bee: Sounds fun. ... Wait. That's a lot of exposure.

Hal: Exactly. Overshoot.

Kay: Well, so it rings, right?

Hal: Ringing requires some active counter-response to push the return to undershoot. No counter-response and the system goes into runaway overshoot, which is hard to recover from.

Hal: And, remember, undershoot also results in deaths, just like under-response.

Kay: No government is going to be that crazy, though, right?

Matsu: Japan has been that crazy before. So has Germany.

Hal: Most governments get a little out of control at times. The question is how soon enough people recover their senses quick enough, and whether enough can recover their senses at the same time.

Bee: So, what you're saying is that over-responsiveness produces overshoot, and under-responsiveness produces undershoot, and both can produce pandemic overshoot.

Hal: I'd call it runaway pandemic, not pandemic overshoot, but, yeah.

Bee: You could have said so ten minutes ago, and we could have been talking about something more interesting by now.

Matsu: So let's talk about something more interesting.

Kay: I've been working on a version of Conway's Game of Life that includes social distancing rules.

Hal: Okay, what specific rules are different from the usual rules?

Bee: We're still talking about the pandemic!

Matsu: Okay, Kay, tell me more about that old novel you've been reading. What was it?

Kay: Which one?

Matsu: The one about a virus-like micro-organism that eats plastic.

Kay: Oh. The Andromeda Strain.

Bee: I've read that. Hey. Talk about overshoot ...

Life Hack -- Need a Rack Stand [注釈付き-Annotated]

Life Hack -- Need a Rack Stand (Annotated)

 命の叩き台工夫　棚入り台の必要　（注釈付き）

By Joel Rees, March, April 2020, Amagasaki, Japan
ジョエルリース作　３月〜４月　日本尼崎市

Copyright 2020
著作権　2020年から主張

（English only）

Joe: Sweetheart, we've got a problem.
[Sweetheart: （甘い心）意中の方、愛しいアナタ]
[we've got 〇〇: "we have 〇〇" と同じ、〇〇は在る]
[やあ、君、ちょっと問題やけど。]

Chika: What problem?
[What problem do we have? などの省略]
[どうしたん？]

Joe: With the modem and router from the new ISP. See?
[We have a problem with the modem ... の省略]
[with: で・による]
["〇〇 with △△ from □□" => □□からの△△に因る〇〇]
[ISP: インターネット設備の提供社]
[新ISPからもらっているあのモデムやルーターのことや。見てみ。]

Chika: Yeah, they'll be in the way when we're cooking. And get stepped on. And get splattered with grease and stuff.
[will be: なるでしょう]
[in the way: 道を防ぐ状態、邪魔]
[when we are 〇〇 => 〇〇の状態のとき、〇〇]
[cooking: 料理中]
[will get stepped on: 踏まれるでしょう]
[will get splattered: （液体などに）かかるでしょう]
[stuff: モノ]
[そやな。料理するに邪魔し、踏まれるし、油や粕にかかるやろ。]

Joe: That's what I'm thinking. The old router was pretty grungy from leaving it down there.
[what: （何物）こと]
[what I'm thinking: 私が考えていること]
[route: 道、道を指定する、道を作る、案内する]
[router: ルーター、情報を誘導する機器]
[pretty: きれいに、かなり、ある程度、何とかなど]
[grunge: 垢などの汚れもの]
[grungy: （埃や油などの垢が溜まっているような）薄汚い]
[〇〇 from △△ => △△によって〇〇]
[leave 〇〇 △△ => △△の位置・状態などに残す・置いておく]
[down there => 低い位置や低底の位置（のあそこ）（に）]
[あ、そいうこと。前のルーターをあんなところに置いて、かなり汚くなったやな。]

Chika: It was always in the way. But we can't afford a new set of shelves to put there, and you don't have time to design and build a custom set.
[always 〇〇: いつも〇〇]
[afford: 与える、もたらす、提供する]
[can afford 〇〇: 〇〇のための余裕や財産がある、予算が間に合う]
[set of shelves: 棚のまとめたもの、つまり、タンスや食器棚、本棚など]
[〇〇 to put there: そこに置くための〇〇]
[have time to 〇〇: 〇〇に時間（の余裕）が有る]
[design: 設計する、考える]
[design and build: 考えて作る]
[custom: 誂え、カスタム、注文の]
[いつも邪魔だった。だけど、置くための新しい棚を買うまでにお金がないし、適した棚を考えて作るほどの余裕もない。]

Joe: Yeah, I need to be making money instead of shelves. But they need to be close to the telephone outlet, and that's basically where it is.
[need to 〇〇: 〇〇する必要がある]
[make money: 偽造するよりも普通の使い方は、「法的に設ける」意味]
[〇〇 instead of △△: △△の替りに〇〇]
[need to be 〇〇: 〇〇になるべき、〇〇じゃないとだめ]
[be close: 近くに在る]
[close to 〇〇: 〇〇に近く]
[outlet: （出口）コンセント、出力口]
[basically: 基本的に、根本的に、実は、要するに]
[where: どこのところ]
[where it is: 存在の場所]
[さよ。タンスのようなもの作っているよりも、何らかの儲けに努めていはずや。だけど、モデムとルーターを電話の挿し口の辺に置かなあかんやし、やはりそこしかない。]

Chika: So? What do you suggest?
[What do you 〇〇? => 何を〇〇（するのです）か？]
[suggest: 提案する]
[じゃ、どうしたらいいと思う？]

Joe: That cardboard box.
[cardboard: 段ボール]
["That cardboard box." => （省略として考えて）"Look at that cardboard box."とか]

Chika: Put them inside it? Won't they get too warm?
[Put 〇〇 inside △△. => △△の中に〇〇を入れる。]
[will get too 〇〇: 〇〇すぎなるでしょう、〇〇になりすぎるでしょう]
[中に入れるの？温すぎならない？]

Joe: They would definitely get too warm.
[definitely: 確かに、きっと]
[温くなりすぎるやろ。]

Chika: Of course.
[course: （行く）道]
[もちろんさ。]

Joe: When we moved here, I looked for a rack stand to go where that cardboard box is, but we couldn't find anything we could afford.
[move: 移動、引っ越しする]
[look for 〇〇: 〇〇を探す]
[rack: 棚、台]
[stand: 台]
[rack stand: 棚入り台]
[〇〇 to go △△: △△に置くための〇〇]
[find: 見つける、探し出す]
[anything: いずれもの物]
[引っ越しして来たとき、あの段ボール箱の替りに入れる棚入り台を探したが、買えるほどの価格のものがなかった。]


Chika: I remember.
[覚えているよ。]

Joe: I'm going to go to Tsukashin Mall to look again. Let me write down the measurements. Okay, it's 30 cm wide by 40 cm deep by 35 to 40 cm tall.
[be going to 〇〇: 〇〇に向けている、〇〇に心が向けている、〇〇するつもり]
[again: 繰り返して]
[let me 〇〇: 〇〇させる、〇〇するのを許す・良しとする]
[〇〇 by △△ by □□ => （幅、深み、高さを言う文法）]
[またツカシンモールに行ってもう一回見てみよう。測定書いておいてから。さ、幅30cmの深み40cmの35cmから40cmの高さ、やな。]

Chika: Don't take too much time, Hon.
[take time: 時間がかかる、時間をかける]
[too much 〇〇: 〇〇の多すぎの]
[時間無駄にしないでね、アナタ。]

*****

Joe: Here's what I found, Honey, fifteen by thirty:
[here is 〇〇: 〇〇はここに在る、これやな]
[Honey: はちみつのように愛しい者、キミ]
[キミ、見つかったよ。15の30。]

Chika: No way. That's not big enough. It's tall enough, but it needs to be a little deeper and twice as wide.
[〇〇 enough: 十分に〇〇]
[a little 〇〇er: もうちょっと〇〇]
[twice as 〇〇: 〇〇の倍]
[無理よ。サイズ足りない。高さは十分が、もちょっとの深みと、倍ほどの幅が必要。]

Joe: If we turn it the other way, it's just wide enough.
[turn: 回す]
[other way: 違う方向]
[just 〇〇 enough: 丁度十分に〇〇]
[もし、縦にしたら丁度いい。]

Chika: It'll fall over if the wind blows.
[fall over: 倒れる]
[blow: （風などが）噴く]
[もし風が吹けば倒れるやろ。]

Joe: Hang on. I have enough parts to make another one.
[hang: 垂れる、掛かる]
[〇〇 on: 〇〇し続ける]
[parts: 部品]
[another: もう一つ]
[one: もの（の一つ）]
[have enough to 〇〇: 〇〇に十分ある]
[待ってや。もう一つを組み立てるに十分の部品有る。]

*****

Joe: So we can use two of them. See?
[use: 利用する]
[見てみ、２個併せてやれば巧く行くやな。]

Chika: That still looks unsteady. What'll happen in the next earthquake?
[unsteady: 不安定]
[what will happen: 何が起きる、どうなる]
[まだ倒れそう。今度の地震、どうなるかしら。]

Joe: Well, I actually bought two extra shelves. We can attach the two stands to each other with the shelves. Give me a minute or two.
[actually: 実際に]
[buy: 購入する]
[extra: あまりの]
[attach: 取り付ける、繋げる、組み合わせる] 
[each other: それぞれ他、お互い（に）]
[with 〇〇: 〇〇を使って]
[give: 譲る、与える]
[give (time): やるための時間を与える] 
[まあ、実は棚を２つ余分買ってきた。この棚を使って２つの台をくっつけることできる。一、二分待ってね。]

 *****

Joe: Whaddaya think?
[Whaddaya => "What do you"]
[どうだ？]

Chika. That took ten minutes. But it does look more stable.
[look 〇〇: 〇〇に見える、〇〇そう]
[stable: 安定した、ガッシリした、しっかりした]
[十分かかったね。しかし、しっかり立っている。]

Joe: Now we can put the modem and the router on those trays, and they'll be out of the way, and have some protection. There we go:
[out of the way: 邪魔ならない位置、片付いた状態]
[have protection: 守られる]
[There we go.: それで良し。]
[さて、モデムとルーターをあの受け皿型棚に置くと、もう邪魔ならないし、幾らか守られるやろ。よろし。]

Chika: Something doesn't look right -- besides all the wires tangled up everywhere.
[right: 正確な、正確に]
[look right: 正確なのに見える、良さそう]
[besides 〇〇: 〇〇をおいて]
[tangle: 絡まる、絡める、絡む]
[tangled up: 絡まってしまった]
[everywhere: どこにでも]
[なんかへん。線があちこち絡んじまっているのと別。]

Joe: You're right. I could use those connecting shelves to hold the power supplies and the power strip.
[connect: 繋ぐ、つながる、繋げる]
[connecting: 接続の、繋げるための]
[power supply: 電源、パワーサプライ（電源変換器）]
[power strip: 電源分割台、パワーストリップ、スプリッター]
[そうやな。繋ぎ棚に電源とパワーストリップを置いても良いかも。]

Chika: Wouldn't that work better if you put the power supplies in the trays instead of on the shelves?
[would: （仮定分の）なったようになるでしょう（なるようになった）]
[work well: 上手く行く、上手くやる]
[電源を置き棚に置くよりは受け棚に入れたほうが良さそうではない？]

Joe: Yeah. That's true. And I think it would work better to have the shelves at the top, to stabilize that stack of drawers. Let's see how long it takes me to move them around.
[have 〇〇 at △△: 〇〇を△△のところに取り付ける（する）]
[stabilize: 安定させる]
[〇〇 to stabilize △△: △△を安定させるために〇〇]
[let's see: 見させて、やってみよ]
[how long: どれほど（の時間）]
[it takes 〇〇 to △△: 〇〇に△△を完了するに（it の参照対象のものによって)時間などがかかる]
[move 〇〇 around: 〇〇を回す・移動させる・入れ替えする]
[は。本当だ。また、置き棚を上にして引き出しの山を安定させるほうが良いと思う。入れ替えはどれぐらいかかるか見てみよう。]

*****

Joe: Voila!
[はい、どうぞ。見てよ。]

Chika: Took you half an hour. Since when do you speak French?
[since when 〇〇: 〇〇はいつから？]
[三十分かかったな。フランス語喋れるのいつから？]

Joe: It's English, too. Let's see how it stacks up.
[stack up: 積み重ねる、]
[it stacks up: その行方は]
[その言葉は英語でもあるよ。（組み合わせたら）どうなるか見てみよ。]

Chika: Not bad. All the wires are nicely put away, and everything is off the floor. It needs some sort of shield on the side, I think.
[nicely: 望む通りに、決まり通りに、正確に]
[put away: よそへ置く、片付ける]
[be put away: 片付いてある ("Put" の完了形も "put" です。)]
[off the floor: 床から取り上げられている状態]
[some sort of: 何らかの]
[shield: 盾、守り壁]
[on the side: （傍らに）横に付いて]
[まえまあですね。先は皆片付いたし床から上げられている。ただ、横に守るための壁盾ような物をも取り付かたほうが良いかも。]

Joe: Yeah, and it needs a flat piece of wood or cardboard between the shelves and the drawers, too. We can find something later. See how the power strip is down low, where we can reach it?
[flat: 平らな]
[piece: かけら、部品]
[between 〇〇 and △△: 〇〇と△△の間に]
[later:後で]
[See 〇〇？: 〇〇（見て）わかる？]
[down low: 低い位置に]
[reach: （伸ばしたら）手が届く]
[ほんと。それに、棚と引き出しの間に木か段ボールの板もほしい。また後で何かが出てくるやろ。パワーストリップが手の届く低い位置に在るがわかるよな。]

Chika: Why do we need to reach it?
[どうして手が届かなあかん？]

Joe: You know how electronics are. Ever since I was chased out of the industry for trying to make sure products work, everything you buy has to be regularly reset and power cycled.
[you know: わかるやろ]
[how 〇〇 is: 〇〇の有様]
[ever since 〇〇: 〇〇以来]
[chase out of 〇〇: 〇〇から追い払われる]
[〇〇 for △△: △△のために〇〇]
[try to 〇〇: 〇〇のために努力する]
[make sure 〇〇: （〇〇を確認する、〇〇のように確信させる）確実に〇〇ようになるようにする]
[product(s): 製品]
[work: （正確に）機能する、（正しく）稼働する]
[everything 〇〇: 〇〇の全てのもの]
[regularly: 定期的に、基準的に]
[reset: 元の状態に戻す]
[power cycle (cycle the power): 電源入れ直す]
[電化製品の状態わかるだろう。製品がちゃんと動く出来上がりになるように熱心になったために業界から追い払われて以来、買う製品はどれも定期的にリセット・再起動しないとだめって言うこと。]

Chika: Hush up about the industry. You never fit in, anyway.
[hush: 沈黙（にする）]
[hush up]: お黙りなさい]
[fit: 合う、合わせる]
[fit in: 合う、溶け込む]
[anyway: いずれ（の道）も]
[業界のことも、お黙り。アナタはあんなところに居るんじゃなかった。]

Joe: (Mutter, grumble.)
[mutter: ブツブツ言う]
[grumble: 文句言う]

Chika : And it's time for you to go find a paying job. We have bills to pay, you know, honey.
[go 〇〇: 行って〇〇（する）]
[paying job: 儲かる仕事]
[bill(s): 請求書]
[〇〇 to pay: 払うための〇〇、払わないとだめな〇〇]
[それに、もうちゃんと儲かるような仕事を探しに行かなあかんってわかるのね、アナタ。]


Joe: True. Too true.
[イヤイヤ、本当だ。]

(Chika and Joe are two characters in an alternate reality novel I'm working on now, based loosely on me and my wife.)
（ここの智香と条とは、私が現在作文に勤めている別世界小説の中の二人の主人公のことです。）

Life Hack -- Need a Rack Stand

Life Hack -- Need a Rack Stand 

By Joel Rees, March, April 2020, Amagasaki, Japan

Copyright 2020

 (日本語の注釈付き)

Joe: Sweetheart, we've got a problem.

Chika: What problem?

Joe: With the modem and router from the new ISP. See?

Chika: Yeah, they'll be in the way when we're cooking. And get stepped on. And get splattered with grease and stuff.

Joe: That's what I'm thinking. The old router was pretty grungy from leaving it down there.

Chika: It was always in the way. But we can't afford a new set of shelves to put there, and you don't have time to design and build a custom set.

Joe: Yeah, I need to be making money instead of shelves. But they need to be close to the telephone outlet, and that's basically where it is.

Chika: So? What do you suggest?

Joe: That cardboard box.

Chika: Put them inside it? Won't they get too warm?

Joe: They would definitely get too warm.

Chika: Of course.

Joe: When we moved here, I looked for a rack stand to go where that cardboard box is, but we couldn't find anything we could afford.

Chika: I remember.

Joe: I'm going to go to Tsukashin Mall to look again. Let me write down the measurements. Okay, it's 30 cm wide by 40 cm deep by 35 to 40 cm tall.

Chika: Don't take too much time, Hon.

*****

Joe: Here's what I found, Honey, fifteen by thirty:

Chika: No way. That's not big enough. It's tall enough, but it needs to be a little deeper and twice as wide.

Joe: If we turn it the other way, it's just wide enough.

Chika: It'll fall over if the wind blows.

Joe: Hang on. I have enough parts to make another one.

*****

Joe: So we can use two of them. See?

Chika: That still looks unsteady. What'll happen in the next earthquake?

Joe: Well, I actually bought two extra shelves. We can attach the two stands to each other with the shelves. Give me a minute or two.

 *****

Joe: Whaddaya think?

Chika. That took ten minutes. But it does look more stable.

Joe: Now we can put the modem and the router on those trays, and they'll be out of the way, and have some protection. There we go:

Chika: Something doesn't look right -- besides all the wires tangled up everywhere.

Joe: You're right. I could use those connecting shelves to hold the power supplies and the power strip.

Chika: Wouldn't that work better if you put the power supplies in the trays instead of on the shelves?

Joe: Yeah. That's true. And I think it would work better to have the shelves at the top, to stabilize that stack of drawers. Let's see how long it takes me to move them around.

*****

Joe: Voila!

Chika: Took you half an hour. Since when do you speak French?

Joe: It's English, too. Let's see how it stacks up.

Chika: Not bad. All the wires are nicely put away, and everything is off the floor. It needs some sort of shield on the side, I think.

Joe: Yeah, and it needs a flat piece of wood or cardboard between the shelves and the drawers, too. We can find something later. See how the power strip is down low, where we can reach it?

Chika: Why do we need to reach it?

Joe: You know how electronics are. Ever since I was chased out of the industry for trying to make sure products work, everything you buy has to be regularly reset and power cycled.

Chika: Hush up about the industry. You never fit in, anyway.

Joe: (Mutter, grumble.)

Chika : And it's time for you to go find a paying job. We have bills to pay, you know, honey.

Joe: True. Too true.

(Chika and Joe are two characters in an alternate reality novel I'm working on now, based loosely on me and my wife.)