【PS English 講師厳選！⑤】軍隊と戦争に関連するビジネス英語 慣用句10選
ビジネスの世界には、軍事や戦争に関する慣用句や表現があふれています。ビジネスを「戦」と例える人も少なくないのではないでしょうか。
以下は英語圏の職場で必ず耳にする、軍隊や戦争に関連したごく一般的なビジネス慣用句10選です！
1) Uphill battle
Meaning: Trying to do something which is very difficult, usually due to obstacles or circumstances (like fighting your enemy uphill!) 丘を攻め上るのは不利なことから、「苦戦」や「困難な状況」という意味
Example: ‘We are fighting an uphill battle to improve morale here with so many redundancies.’
2) Bite the bullet
Meaning: This phrase means to accept and continue through difficult circumstances
昔, 戦場で手術する時, 弾丸をかんで痛みをこらえたことから、「ぐっとこらえて」「意を決して行う」という意味
Example: ‘Profits are very low at the moment, so we may have to bite the bullet and lose some staff’
3) Dodge the bullet
Meaning: Successfully avoid something negative happening to you ( like dodging/avoiding a bullet!)
弾丸をよける = ぎりぎりのところで「危機を逃れる」の意味
Example: ‘The company that rejected me last month have just gone bankrupt, I think I dodged a bullet!’
4) Big guns
Meaning: In business, the big guns are the most influential and powerful people or companies. 有力者、重要な人の意味
Example: ‘In the fast food industry, it is difficult to compete with the big guns like McDonalds or KFC.’
5) With all guns blazing
Meaning: To do something with a lot of force or energy ( think of Rambo!) 「全力で」
Example: ‘We need to enter the new markets with all guns blazing if we’re going to capture market share’
6) Fight fire with fire
Meaning: To fight against your competition using exactly the same tactics as they are using to fight against you. 相手と同じ手段を用いる、「毒を持って毒を制す」
Example: ‘Our main competitor has just launched a very aggressive promotion campaign. Let’s fight fire with fire and do the same.’
7) In our sights
Meaning: a target which you aim to achieve and that you’re clearly focused on 視野に入っている
Example: ‘The €4 million profit mark is in our sights, I think we can meet that target before the end of this quarter.’
8) Long shot
Meaning: there is only a very small chance that it will be successful ( like trying to shoot something from a great distance) 「遠くから撃つこと」= 確率は低い、という意味
Example: ‘‘We may be ale to get our product on the shelves of the biggest supermarket chain in the country, but it’s a long shot.’
9) Take no prisoners
Meaning: to be merciless and ruthless 「捕虜にしない」= 容赦しない
Example: “If we are to compete successfully in this market, we need to have a take no prisoners attitude”.
10) A mine field
Meaning: A situation that is very complicated with hidden dangers and problems (like a field full of mines!) 「地雷原」＝目に見えない危険の多い状況を意味する
Example: “If we adopt that approach we could enter into a potential legal minefield. I’m not sure it would be worth it.”
PS Englishでは、より自然な英語を話せるように、ネイティブスピーカーの講師が今回ご紹介したような使える英語・表現をマンツーマンでお教えします！
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