December 22, 2006: 60-Second Science - The Noise of Toys

Go to the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN PODCASTS page and choose the December 22 podcast to listen to the podcast I have listed here. Listen to the podcast first and try to transcribe as much as you can.

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After you try transcribing, then compare it to the version here. Can you fill in the blanks?

If you have small children, __________ __________ your house sounds something like this [noise]. Yes, it's __________, but parents beware--it could also be __________. Paul Kileny of the University of __________ warns that noisy toys might actually __________ a child's hearing. In the __________ of the holiday __________ , Kileny __________ by a toy store and measured the volume of the sound that comes out of various dolls, games, and musical instruments. He discovered that some items, such as an __________ player made for __________ , __________ a __________ __________ , which is the equivalent of a jet plane taking off--inside your head. To be __________ , Kileny says the toy shouldn't __________ 80 to 85 decibels--about the __________ of the average __________ cleaner. When you're out shopping for your __________ __________ , he suggests holding the gift __________ to your ear and letting her __________ . If it sounds loud to you, it will even sound louder to your kids because their hearing is more __________ than __________ . But what if your house is already filled with the happy __________ of children's toys, Kileny says take out the batteries--think of __________ __________ a gift to yourself.

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How did you do? Here is the final answer key:

December 22, 2006: 60-Second Science - The Noise of Toys

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All Rights Reserved.

"Taisaku" in English

The word 対策 is typically mistranslated by Japanese Engineers. For example:

安全対策	safety countermeasure
パソコンのセキュリティ対策	computer security countermeasure
温暖化対策	global warming countermeasure
トラブルの原因と対策方法	trouble-diagnosis countermeasure
環境リスク対策	environmental risk countermeasure

A "countermeasure" is defined as "A measure or action taken to counter or offset another one."1
In other words, a countermeasure is a measure used against another measure. A countermeasure is not the first measure, but rather, the second or third measure against the first measure.

The Japanese word 対策 does not have the same exact meaning as the English "countermeasure" so please be careful!

So, what are some better ways to translate the above terms? Let's take a look.

安全対策	safety measures
	safety precautions
	precautionary measures
パソコンのセキュリティ対策	computer security measures
	security measures for computers
温暖化対策	measures against global warming
	measures to reduce global warming
	combat global warming
	efforts to address global warming
	measures to cope with global warming
	effective responses to global warming
トラブルの原因と対策方法	trouble-diagnosis chart
環境リスク対策	environmental risk management

Basically, if you want to use 対策 in a translated document, you should try to express in detail what kind of 対策. As always, try to express yourself in concrete details in English instead of vague terms, like 対策.

Good luck with your writing!

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1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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The IDCS英会話 website by 池谷大星英語編集事務所 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright Ⓒ 2014 IDCS英会話
神奈川県小田原市栢山
All Rights Reserved.