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A1-48 / CEFR A1 / EPISODE 48

At the Post Office

Sending a parcel

SceneAt the post office near home.

Frank and Tina bring a large cardboard box to a post office counter.
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STORY English with optional Japanese translations

Narrator

Frank and Tina are at a post office near home. They fly to Japan tomorrow. Frank has a box to send to Japan.

フランクとティナは自宅近くの郵便局にいる。二人は明日、日本へ飛ぶ。フランクは日本へ送る箱を持っている。

Frank01

I would like to send this box to Japan. It is a gift — too big to carry on the plane.

この箱を日本へ送りたいんです。贈り物で、飛行機で持っていくには大きすぎるので。

Clerk02

Standard or express shipping?

通常便ですか、速達便ですか？

Frank03

Standard shipping, please. How long does it take?

通常便でお願いします。どれくらいかかりますか？

Clerk04

About a week.

1週間ほどです。

Tina05

One week? On my planet, we send things by light!

1週間？私の惑星では、光で送るのよ！

Clerk06

We... don't have that option.

その…そのサービスはございません。

Frank07

How much will it be?

いくらになりますか？

Clerk08

Twelve dollars.

12ドルになります。

Frank09

Here you are. One week is fast enough.

はい、どうぞ。1週間で十分速いよ。

Tina10

One week? I can get there before the box!

1週間？私のほうが箱より先に着いちゃう！

WORDS & CONTEXT

Words & context

“too big to carry on the plane”

Too … to … means so much of a quality that an action is impossible. Too big to carry means too large to carry. Here carry on refers to taking luggage into an aircraft cabin; compare carry-on bag. Tina chooses to mail the item because it is too large to take aboard.

“Standard or express shipping?” / “We don't have that option.”

Shipping means sending or delivering goods. Standard means regular and express means fast; Standard or express shipping? is a typical post-office question. An option is a choice, and We don't have that option. is a polite way to say a service is not available. Here the clerk answers Tina's claim that her planet sends things by light as if it were a serious question about Earth's delivery services.

“I can get there before the box!”

Get there means to arrive there; here, in Japan. Before the box means before the box arrives. The two of them are flying to Japan the next day, so Tina is amazed that she will arrive before a box that takes about a week.

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