B1-13 / CEFR B1 / EPISODE 13

Investment Consultation

Asking questions about risk

SceneFrank is meeting a financial advisor for the first time. He wants to start investing but is nervous about the risks.

Frank discussing paperwork with an adviser. — Select the illustration to view it at full size in a new tab.

Narrator

Frank is meeting a financial advisor for the first time. He wants to start investing but is nervous about the risks.

フランクは初めて金融アドバイザーと面談している。投資を始めたいが、リスクが心配だ。

Advisor01

What you should really think about is risk over time.

本当に考えるべきは、長い目で見たリスクです。

Frank02

What if the market dropped suddenly?

市場が突然下落したら？

Advisor03

Hold steady. Panic costs more than the drop itself.

落ち着いて持ち続けることです。パニックは下落そのものより高くつきます。

Frank04

And what really drives long-term growth?

では、長期的な成長を本当に促すものは？

Advisor05

Patience and diversification — not putting all your money in one company. Does that make sense so far?

忍耐と分散です——お金を全部1社に入れないこと。ここまでで、わかりますか？

Frank06

I think so. Spread it out, and don't sell in a panic.

たぶん。分けて持つ。それと、慌てて売らない。

Advisor07

Exactly. How much would you start with?

その通りです。いくらから始めますか？

Frank08

Five thousand. The rest stays in savings, for emergencies.

5,000ドルです。残りは、もしもの時のために貯金に置いておきます。

Advisor09

Sensible. Just remember, no investment is risk-free.

堅実ですね。ただ、リスクのない投資はないことだけは、お忘れなく。

Frank10

My father — the man who raised me — used to say the patient ones outlast the clever ones.

僕の父は……僕を育ててくれた人は、よく言ってました。忍耐強い者が、賢い者より長く生き残ると。

Advisor11

He was right. That's the whole game.

その通りです。それこそが全てです。

Frank12

Then I'll start there. I've also prepared some questions. Twenty-three.

では、そこから始めます。それと、質問を用意してきました。23個です。

Advisor13

Patient and prepared. ...Should we schedule a second meeting?

忍耐強くて、準備も万全ですね。……2回目の面談を設定しましょうか。

WORDS & CONTEXT

Words & context

“Hold steady.”

Hold steady means to maintain your position without being shaken. In this investment conversation, the adviser means not to sell in panic after a sudden fall. The next sentence, Panic costs more than the drop itself., explains that character's reasoning.

“Patience and diversification — not putting all your money in one company.”

Diversification means spreading investments across multiple companies or products to reduce concentration risk. The verb is diversify. After the dash, the adviser restates it simply as not putting all your money in one company.

“Does that make sense so far?”

Does that make sense so far? checks understanding partway through an explanation. So far means up to this point. Replying in your own words, as Frank does with Spread it out, and don't sell in a panic., clearly demonstrates understanding.

“the patient ones outlast the clever ones.”

Outlast means to endure longer than someone or something. The prefix out- suggests exceeding another, as in outlive and outrun. Here the adviser says patient people remain longer than clever ones.

“That's the whole game.”

The whole game informally means the essence or central point of something. The adviser presents patience as what ultimately matters in investing.

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