2018.08.17
“Stretched thin”の意味と使い方 Bizmates初級ビジネス英会話 Point 258
Stretched thin ってどういう意味？
Stretched thin は、少ない人員やリソースで多くのことをしようとするあまり、何事にも効果的に当たれていない状態を表します。ビジネスでは、「余力がない」「キャパを超えている」「キャパが足りない」などと言いたい時に使われます。
国土の広い国が国防のために、兵を国境に長く一列に配置すると、全体の守りが薄くなる様子を思い浮かべるとわかりやすいと思います。
よく、”too”を加えて “stretched too thin” と表現されます。
Stretched thin ってどういう場面で使うの？
たとえば、新しいプロジェクトを担当することになったチーム内での会話の中で：
Justin: Do you think we can handle another big project?
You: I don’t think so. We’re stretched thin.
Justin: 大きなプロジェクトをもうひとつ抱えられると思いますか？
You: いえ、そんな余力はないです。
Stretched thin の自然な使い方を動画で学ぶ
こちらの動画で、発音や、会話の中での自然な使い方を、Bizmatesのプレゼンター Justinが解説します。
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0:00:00.030,0:00:04.799
Hello everyone, Justin here and welcome
back to another Bizmates for Beginners
0:00:04.799,0:00:09.269
video lesson where every week we
introduce a new idiom, phrase, or
0:00:09.269,0:00:14.340
expression that you can use in your
daily business conversation. And this
0:00:14.340,0:00:20.970
week everyone, we are going to learn:
"stretched thin." Okay so to find out what
0:00:20.970,0:00:26.430
this means and how to use it, please stay
tuned, but first everyone, as always, let's
0:00:26.430,0:00:31.830
begin our class today with a quick
review of last week's lesson. Alright
0:00:31.830,0:00:37.950
everyone, so imagine I ask you:
Do you know why I can't send this e-mail
0:00:37.950,0:00:44.700
attachment? I've been sending it over and
over again, but it won't send. Now you
0:00:44.700,0:00:50.579
might have an idea, but you're not really
sure. You don't have much information so
0:00:50.579,0:00:56.789
you are going to take a wild guess, okay?
So how do you say that using the
0:00:56.789,0:01:02.180
expression from last week? You have five
seconds, okay? You ready? Okay go.
0:01:05.500,0:01:12.780
Alright, everyone and time is up. If you said:
I'm not sure, but if I take a shot in the
0:01:12.780,0:01:16.560
dark, maybe the file size is too big?
Alright
0:01:16.560,0:01:22.140
so taking "a shot in the dark." So guessing
without any kind of information; having
0:01:22.140,0:01:27.270
no clue. That is the expression from last
week, so I hope you remembered it.
0:01:27.270,0:01:32.900
Okay everyone so let's move on to:
"stretched thin." Now this is what I sometimes hear...
0:01:32.900,0:01:40.020
Alright so I'm speaking to Taro, my good
friend and colleague, and I say: Taro, do
0:01:40.020,0:01:46.170
you think we can handle another big
project? So maybe our boss wants us to
0:01:46.170,0:01:53.369
take on another large task. Taro says:
Yeah, I don't think so.
0:01:53.369,0:02:00.450
We don't have enough resources.
Yeah, so time, or money, or people-- yes, I
0:02:00.450,0:02:05.219
understand. Now although this is very
clear, you might hear a native English
0:02:05.219,0:02:11.970
speaker say something like this: I don't
think so. We are stretched thin, okay? So
0:02:11.970,0:02:16.290
imagine like a piece of
gum or plastic, when you stretch it
0:02:16.290,0:02:21.240
really thin, it becomes very weak, right?
You can almost see through it. So
0:02:21.240,0:02:28.110
whenever you feel kind of weak because,
you know, you're maybe taking on too many
0:02:28.110,0:02:34.890
tasks, if you don't have enough resources
like time, or people, or money, you are
0:02:34.890,0:02:39.209
stretched thin.
Okay everyone? You're stretched thin.
0:02:39.209,0:02:44.670
Alright so pronunciation, it's as you see
it here, stretched thin. So nothing
0:02:44.670,0:02:52.520
special this week. Please repeat after me:
We are stretched thin. Okay, your turn.
0:02:52.900,0:03:00.020
Good. Alright now after my question:
So do you think we can handle another big project?
0:03:02.600,0:03:06.740
Yes -- I don't think so. We are
stretched thin. We don't have enough
0:03:06.750,0:03:11.640
energy, manpower, resources, time, or money.
We are stretched thin. Okay so remember
0:03:11.640,0:03:17.600
this for next week's review. Okay our bonus
question is another way to say:
0:03:17.600,0:03:24.209
"say directly." So if you are giving your
opinion, but maybe your opinion won't be
0:03:24.209,0:03:28.980
very well received by your
counterpart, how do you say that?
0:03:28.980,0:03:33.600
Alright, using the expression from one of
our previous Bizmates for Beginners
0:03:33.600,0:03:38.160
video lessons, so take a look if you have
the time. OK everyone so that is it for
0:03:38.160,0:03:42.060
me this week everyone. Thank you
always for watching the channel. Have a
0:03:42.060,0:03:46.670
great weekend and I'll see you next time.
Thank you.
Hello everyone, Justin here and welcome
back to another Bizmates for Beginners
0:00:04.799,0:00:09.269
video lesson where every week we
introduce a new idiom, phrase, or
0:00:09.269,0:00:14.340
expression that you can use in your
daily business conversation. And this
0:00:14.340,0:00:20.970
week everyone, we are going to learn:
"stretched thin." Okay so to find out what
0:00:20.970,0:00:26.430
this means and how to use it, please stay
tuned, but first everyone, as always, let's
0:00:26.430,0:00:31.830
begin our class today with a quick
review of last week's lesson. Alright
0:00:31.830,0:00:37.950
everyone, so imagine I ask you:
Do you know why I can't send this e-mail
0:00:37.950,0:00:44.700
attachment? I've been sending it over and
over again, but it won't send. Now you
0:00:44.700,0:00:50.579
might have an idea, but you're not really
sure. You don't have much information so
0:00:50.579,0:00:56.789
you are going to take a wild guess, okay?
So how do you say that using the
0:00:56.789,0:01:02.180
expression from last week? You have five
seconds, okay? You ready? Okay go.
0:01:05.500,0:01:12.780
Alright, everyone and time is up. If you said:
I'm not sure, but if I take a shot in the
0:01:12.780,0:01:16.560
dark, maybe the file size is too big?
Alright
0:01:16.560,0:01:22.140
so taking "a shot in the dark." So guessing
without any kind of information; having
0:01:22.140,0:01:27.270
no clue. That is the expression from last
week, so I hope you remembered it.
0:01:27.270,0:01:32.900
Okay everyone so let's move on to:
"stretched thin." Now this is what I sometimes hear...
0:01:32.900,0:01:40.020
Alright so I'm speaking to Taro, my good
friend and colleague, and I say: Taro, do
0:01:40.020,0:01:46.170
you think we can handle another big
project? So maybe our boss wants us to
0:01:46.170,0:01:53.369
take on another large task. Taro says:
Yeah, I don't think so.
0:01:53.369,0:02:00.450
We don't have enough resources.
Yeah, so time, or money, or people-- yes, I
0:02:00.450,0:02:05.219
understand. Now although this is very
clear, you might hear a native English
0:02:05.219,0:02:11.970
speaker say something like this: I don't
think so. We are stretched thin, okay? So
0:02:11.970,0:02:16.290
imagine like a piece of
gum or plastic, when you stretch it
0:02:16.290,0:02:21.240
really thin, it becomes very weak, right?
You can almost see through it. So
0:02:21.240,0:02:28.110
whenever you feel kind of weak because,
you know, you're maybe taking on too many
0:02:28.110,0:02:34.890
tasks, if you don't have enough resources
like time, or people, or money, you are
0:02:34.890,0:02:39.209
stretched thin.
Okay everyone? You're stretched thin.
0:02:39.209,0:02:44.670
Alright so pronunciation, it's as you see
it here, stretched thin. So nothing
0:02:44.670,0:02:52.520
special this week. Please repeat after me:
We are stretched thin. Okay, your turn.
0:02:52.900,0:03:00.020
Good. Alright now after my question:
So do you think we can handle another big project?
0:03:02.600,0:03:06.740
Yes -- I don't think so. We are
stretched thin. We don't have enough
0:03:06.750,0:03:11.640
energy, manpower, resources, time, or money.
We are stretched thin. Okay so remember
0:03:11.640,0:03:17.600
this for next week's review. Okay our bonus
question is another way to say:
0:03:17.600,0:03:24.209
"say directly." So if you are giving your
opinion, but maybe your opinion won't be
0:03:24.209,0:03:28.980
very well received by your
counterpart, how do you say that?
0:03:28.980,0:03:33.600
Alright, using the expression from one of
our previous Bizmates for Beginners
0:03:33.600,0:03:38.160
video lessons, so take a look if you have
the time. OK everyone so that is it for
0:03:38.160,0:03:42.060
me this week everyone. Thank you
always for watching the channel. Have a
0:03:42.060,0:03:46.670
great weekend and I'll see you next time.
Thank you.
