I did my homework

When you talk about “homework”, you may first think of work that teachers give their students to do at home. When you’re in school, you can’t play video games until you’ve done your homework. When you’re out of school, do you think you’re done with homework forever? Unfortunately, you’re not.

To do your homework generally means to prepare for something by learning as much as you can about it. For example, when you have a job interview, you prepare for it by learning about the company you’re hoping to be hired by. You do your homework.

Working as an interpreter always involves doing homework. It can take one full day to prepare for a two-hour meeting, reading documents, browsing websites and learning the jargon. The better prepared you are, the more confident you’ll feel. Doing my homework is part of my life.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You’ll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

You’ll have a job interview in two minutes. You know you did your homework and you feel:
(1) awkward
(2) anxious
(3) confident

NOTE: The original story was first published in August 2018.

(3) confident

準備万端

homework と言えば「宿題」です。宿題は学校の先生が生徒に課す、自宅で取り組む課題です。学校に通っている間、子どもたちは宿題を終えるまでビデオゲームはお預けです。では、学校を卒業すれば、宿題も卒業なんでしょうか。残念ながらそんなことはありません。

英語の homework には「下調べ」という意味があります。do your homework は何かに備えて「準備する、下調べをする」という意味です。例えば、就職の面接。面接を受ける前に、就職したい会社についてお勉強するでしょう？英語では do your homework を用いて表現します。

通訳という仕事に下調べはつきものです。2時間の会議のためにまるまる1日かけて準備することも珍しくありません。関係書類を読んだり、ホームページを調べたり、あるいは専門用語を覚えたり。しっかり準備しておくほど、自信を持って仕事に臨めます。「宿題」は今も私の生活の一部なのです。