小説を読みながら、語彙を増やしましょう。
夏目漱石の小説『坊っちゃん』の原文と毛利八十太郎が英訳した “Botchan (Master Darling)” を併せて見ていきます。
【あらすじ】
母親を亡くした後、父親からも兄からも疎まれる主人公でしたが、下女の清(きよ)からは溺愛されます。
●----------------------------------------------------------
After my mother was dead, Kiyo loved me still more. In my simple reasoning, I wondered why she had taken such a fancy to me. Sometimes I thought it quite futile on her part, that she had better quit that sort of thing, which was bad for her. But she loved me just the same. Once in, a while she would buy, out of her own pocket, some cakes or sweetmeats for me. When the night was cold, she would secretly buy some noodle powder, and bring all unawares hot noodle gruel to my bed; or sometimes she would even buy a bowl of steaming noodles from the peddler. Not only with edibles, but she was generous alike with socks, pencils, note books, etc. And she even furnished me,--this happened some time later,--with about three yen, I did not ask her for the money; she offered it from her own good will by bringing it to my room, saying that I might be in need of some cash. This, of course, embarrassed me, but as she was so insistent I consented to borrow it. I confess I was really glad of the money. I put it in a bag, and carried it in my pocket. While about the house, I happened to drop the bag into a cesspool. Helpless, told Kiyo how I had lost the money, and at once she fetched a bamboo stick, and said she will get it for me. After a while I heard a splashing sound of water about our family well, and going there, saw Kiyo washing the bag strung on the end of the stick. I opened the bag and found the edict of the three one-yen bills turned to faint yellow and designs fading. Kiyo dried them at an open fire and handed them over to me, asking if they were all right. I smelled them and said; "They stink yet."
"Give them to me; I'll get them changed." She took those three bills, and,--I do not know how she went about it,--brought three yen in silver. I forget now upon what I spent the three yen. "I'll pay you back soon," I said at the time, but didn't. I could not now pay it back even if I wished to do so with ten times the amount.
take a fancy to …を気に入る、思いを寄せる
futile 無益な、むなしい
out of one’s pocket 自腹を切って
sweetmeat 砂糖菓子、練り粉菓子
unawares だしぬけに、思いがけなく
noodle gruel ここでは蕎麦湯(蕎麦粉を湯で溶いたもの)の意味
peddler 行商人
edibles 食べ物
consent 承諾する、同意する
cesspool 肥溜め
edict 布告(ここでは政府紙幣の意味か?)
stink 悪臭を放つ
go about it 行動する、(仕事に)取り掛かる
夏目漱石による原文はこちら。
*** 慣用句を覚えよう ***
Lion(ライオン)
A lion may come to be beholden to a mouse.
ライオンもネズミに恩を受けることがある(取るに足らぬような者にも親切にしておくものだ)
Wake not a sleeping lion.
眠っているライオンを起こすな(厄介なことになりそうなことにわざわざ手を出すことはない)
The lion lies down with the lamb.
平和が訪れる、大敵が和解する(友好的になる)
a lion in the way [path]
前途に横たわる難関
beard the lion [someone] in his den
(論争で)手ごわい相手(上司など)と大胆に対決する
put [place, run] one's head into the lion's mouth
進んで危険に身をさらす、虎穴に入る
throw [feed] someone to the lions
人を見殺しにする
make a lion of someone
人をもてはやす
lion's skin
(イソップ物語から)空[から]元気
the lion's share
(イソップ物語から)いちばん良い(大きい)分け前、うまい汁
【参考】
▽青空文庫